The world has changed quite dramatically over the past fifty years and how people use their free time has become very different than it used to be. People have always played games to pass the time, but these games used to be physical rather than digital. Games such as checkers or chess were played. Or people spent their free time reading books, talking, or doing work since life for many people in times past required more work. The very first video games can be traced backed to the 1950s, but these were simple simulations that did not have the depth that the video games of today have. It was not till the 1980s that video games began to get mainstream popularity, and even then people had to go to an arcade, a special business that had the games in order to play (Lipson, 9). Nowadays, almost everyone has access to video games and as a result a lot of people play them. Nearly everyone has a smart phone and these devices have the capability of playing thousands of different games. There are also game consoles, which are specifically designed computers for people to play games on. These include popular brands such as Nintendo, X-box and Play Station. With the explosion of the prevalence of video games it makes one wonder what is the affect on people and the culture with so many people playing such games. Are video games a positive or negative thing? The current research shows that video games can be both positive and negative. Some studies have shown that violent games can increase violent behavior. Other studies have shown that games can help improve a person’s hand and eye coordination. What this research has shown is that, like many things in life, video games can be positive and negative depending on how they are used and whether or not they are used in moderation or to excess.
Surveys have shown that 72% of American households play video games. It is widespread through both American and global culture and with children who grew up playing video games continuing to play them as adults, it certainly seems that video games are here to stay. (Video Game Voters). Many people are asking the question of how video games affect both kids and adult and are wondering if the recent gun-violence might be in some way associated with the recent gun tragedies that have happened in the United States. With the gun debate moving to front and center of the national discourse it has also started a debate about violent video games and whether or not they contribute to increased gun violence. ABC News reporter Joshua Gardner studied the question in light of recent research “Do video games make kid violent?” This same question is being raised by some lawmakers, such as Senator Jos Lieberman who last year proposed that in addition to looking at gun-violence and gun regulation looking at what in the culture contributes to that. To this end he proposed putting together a “national commission on mas violence” (Gardner, 1).
The research on the issue by Dr. Laura Davies, a child psychiatrist at the California Pacific Medical Center led her to conclude that “Studies have persuasively demonstrated that depictions of extreme violence in video games like ‘Mortal Kombat’ and ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’ harm youngsters’ mental health” (Allen, 1). An associate professor of health and behavior at John Hopkins School of Public Health has concluded the same. She finds that the violence in video games is at a new level that cannot be compared to the types of violence that children were exposed to in fairy tales. The violence nowadays in video games is “increasingly sophisticated” and allows children and adults to buy products where they can “practice violence” (Gardener, 2).
While there are groups who disagree with these conclusions, the general consensus of those who have studied this issue seem to see violent video games as having a correlation with violent behavior in both children and adults. While in the majority of case this will not lead to people committing murder, it does lead to a general desensitization towards violence and an acceptance of violence that might otherwise not occur were people to play video games that were less violent (Gardener, 2).
Tiffany O’Callaghan in her article “Playing too many video games may be bad for you too, grown ups” points out the fact that much of the research on the issue of the positive or negative effects of video games has focused on young minds and has ignored the affects it has on kids, but largely ignores the affects of adults playing video games. In 2009 The American Journal of Preventative Medicine focused on the effects of gaming on adults. The studies did not bode well for gamers, with the results being the researchers finding higher levels of depression and lower overall health status among the group of women who regularly played video games compared to those who did not. Men, while not showing higher levels of depression, showed lower health with elevated BMI than those who did not play video games. (O’Callaghan, 2). This according to O’Callaghan was among “one of the first major studies to analyze the adverse effects of excessive gaming among adults” and so the researchers urged caution before jumping to conclusion. The researchers did however point out that these finding were consistent with findings on the effects of gaming among adolescences.
Not all video games are violent. Indeed the majorities of them are not. So it is important to explore what in general video games have as an affect on children and adults and whether or not they positively or negatively affect the developing brains of children. Robert Lee Hotz cites research that shows the positive effects of video games on the brain. He shows that “A growing body of university research suggests that gaming improves creativity, decision-making and perception” (Hotz, 1). He lists the benefits of video games as improving hand-eye coordination, which can assist such professions as surgeons and also the ability of people to drive at night. He cites a study where people who play video games were shown to improve the speed of decision making of people without compromising accuracy by 25%.
Hotz cites that within the study “Scientists also found that women—who make up about 42% of computer and videogame players—were better able to mentally manipulate 3D objects, a skill at which men are generally more adept.” So while some studies point to increased depression, that may not be all bad as there is a tradeoff.
One thing that seems to be agreed upon on either side, whether one finds video games to be positive or negative is what Shawn Green a video game researcher from The University of Wisconsin said, “Videogames change your brain.” Along with things like learning to play the piano, navigate streets, learning to read or fly a plane, video games effects the way our brains process information and this is something that can be verified by brain scans. The brain is a flexible organ.
Like many things in life all things should be used in moderation. In a relatively short period of time video games have arrived on the scene in the world in a big way. The majority of Americans and people in developed countries engage with video games in some way. Where two decades ago people had to go to an arcade to play, and just a few years ago people had to be in their homes to play video games, now most people carry around a device with them 24-hours a day which has the ability to let them play video games. From games like Candy Crush that people play during their downtime, to high end graphic games like Grand Theft Auto, video games have arrived and are here to stay. More research needs to be done on the topic, but the research we have points to both positive and negative effects of video games in different sphere. Living within a free culture, people have a choice of how much time they spend playing video games and will have to face the consequences in their own lives if they invest so much time in them that it negatively affects other areas of their life.
Works Cited
Bartholow, Bruce D. "Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior: Potential Sex Differences." .. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Dec. 2013. <http://facstaff.unca.edu/tlbrown/rm1/video
Gardner, Joshua . "Do Video Games Make Kids Violent?." ABC News. ABC News Network, n.d. Web. 25 Dec. 2013. <http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/12/17/do-video-games-make-kids-violent/>.
Lipson, Ashley S., and Robert D. Brain.Computer and video game law: cases, statutes, forms, problems & materials. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press, 2009. Print.
O'Callaghan, Tiffany. "Playing too many video games may be bad for you too, grown ups | TIME.com." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 25 Dec. 2013. <http://healthland.time.com/2009/08/18/playing-too-many-video-games-is-bad-for-you-too-grown-ups/>.
"Parents & Teachers: The Impact of Video Games." Parents & Teachers: The Impact of Video Games. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Dec. 2013. <http://www.pamf.org/parenting-teens/general/media-web/videogames.html>.
"Video Game Voters Network." Top 10 Gamer Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Dec. 2013. <https://secure.videogamevoters.org/pages/t
"What Science Knows About Video Games and Violence." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 25 Dec. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/what-science-knows-about-video-games-and-violence/>.
