In the recent years, there has been a rapid growth in the use of technology. This has not only affected the business world and the communication strategies, but has also spread its roots to touch on the entertainment sector. There has been the development of online gaming which tends to be quite a favorite of many people. According to Hotz (2012), there are over 1 billion online subscribers. These people can spend up to 18 hours a week on the internet playing the games. Generally, online gaming “has become a $25 billion- a year entertainment business” (Hotz, 2012).
Of course, there has been a hot debate that has gone on between the supporters and opponents of the gaming. Those on the positive argue that online gaming helps in sharpening one’s skills. For instance, Rasmussen (2012) observes that the gaming helps in sharpening one’s skills. People who are into it can reason out 25% faster than individuals who do not. Similarly, the individuals tend to visualize more in 3-dimensions as compared to those who do not engage in the online gaming. A study carried out in Michigan on 500 middle school students revealed that children who engaged in the online games tended to score more on creativity tests than those who did not. This happened despite of the race, gender, or the nature of the game played.
Far from the supporters, there are also those opposed to the idea of internet gaming. They argue that there are quite a number of disadvantages that are associated with the online gaming. First of all, there is the argument that the online gaming, especially of the violent games, leads to actual violence in the real life. This is as indicated by Grohol (2012). This is further supported by Rasmussen (2012) who argues that online gaming has psychological effects. This is because it leads to the utilization of the grey matter in the brain cells. The more an individual watches the violent games, the more there is the likelihood to become violent in the real life.
Worst of all, there is the argument that online gaming leads to the interruption in the social lives of individuals. According to Science Daily (2012), online gaming can lead to the interruption of the social set-up where an individual becomes less connected to the real life world. That is, one gets more addicted to the virtual world and there is a disconnection with the real life situations. Though there is an argument that this can lead to the creation of long term relationships for people who are distant from each other, it can also be argued that it also leads to a decrease in the formation of functional, real life relationships. In this context, Ship.edu (2012) argues that the online games can lead to a significant reduction in the social function. Not only does an individual get hooked to the virtual world, but also tends to disregard all the other close social ties that are quite beneficial. Given that man is a social creature, this can be a major problem in the lives of individuals.
Question of the study:
Is there a relationship between online gaming and the decrease in the social function of an individual? This study will seek to find out whether the prolonged playing of the online games has any significant effect on the lives of individuals. This will be assessed using the various behaviors that an individual exhibits after being hooked onto the games.
Hypothesis:
The study will be designed based on the hypothesis that online gaming has a significant reducing effect on the social functioning of an individual. The social functioning is what makes an individual a good member of the society. As such, when eh social aspect is not well catered for, it means that an individual might not be fit for the social life and can exhibit some characteristics which can be termed as being socially misfit.
Population under study:
Since it is mostly the young people who are greatly involved with the online gaming, they will be the main subjects in the study. The study sample will comprise of 100 undergraduate students, 50 of whom are actively involved in online gaming and 50 who do not engage in the online gaming.
Independent variable:
The independent variable in the study is online gaming. The effect of engagement in the online gaming is the subject under study.
Dependent variable:
The dependent variable in the study is the social function of the students under the study.
Procedure:
In order to carry out the study, there will be the need to look at the effects that online gaming has on the students. There will be the use of experimentation. The student samples will be selected randomly in order to have 50 who are involved in online gaming and 50 who are not. The students will then be studied for a period of 2 weeks so as to observe the manner in which they run their lives, especially on the social front. This will be good in order to compare the different ways in which the two groups behave. This can then be used to analyze the differences between the two.
Limitations:
There are a number of limitations that can be encountered. First of all, it has to be noted that the study involves following individuals in their private lives. As such, there is the need to make sure that there is the proper authorization for the study. It can also be very difficult to follow the students and observe their daily lives. As such, carrying out the study can be quite of a challenge and needs to be well designed.
Recommendations for Future Studies:
There are some issues that need to be catered for in the future studies so that the study can be easy to generalize to the general population. One of the factors is that there should be randomization during the sample selection. This would aid in making sure that the results obtained can be generalized for the entire population. Secondly, there should be the use of a greater sample size. The larger the sample size, the more reliable are the findings. As such, if a future study has to be carried out in this field, there is the need to make sure that the sample size selected is larger. This can lead to greater accuracy in the study.
References
Grohol, J, M. (2012). Negative Effects of Violent Video Games May Build Over Time. Retrieved on 19th Feb. 2013 from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/12/11/negative-effects-of-violent-video-games-may-build-over-time/48918.html
Hotz. R.E. (2013). When Gaming is Good for You. Retrieved on 19th Feb. 2013 from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203458604577263273943183932.html
Rasmussen, R.H. (2012). The Benefits of Video Games. Retrieved on 19th Feb. 2013 from http://www.kidsandmedia.co.uk/the-benefits-of-video-games/
Science Daily. (2012). How Does Online Gaming Affect Social Interactions? Retrieved on 19th Feb. 2013 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070915110957.htm
Ship.edu. (2012). Social Interaction with Online Gaming. Retrieved on 19th Feb. 2013 from http://webspace.ship.edu/jacamp/psyberpsych/Gaming/social_interaction.html
