Video Games good or bad
December 3, 2007Many people can argue video games are bad because they give you violent thoughts or good because they provide you with a way to express yourself. The reason an opinion can be formed either way is because there is no right answer. It has been proven that video games improve one’s ability to create and apply multiple strategies, and help develop critical analyzing techniques. However, it has also been proven that the additional time gamers spend playing video games can be used for more productive and constructive tasks. Never the less the psychological toll video games place on a person also needs to be taken into account.
Can video gamers be held responsible for logging in forty hours a week into the televisions playing Xbox, or Sitting for twelve hours strait playing World of Warcraft; which addictions can even over come male nature? The answer is yet again indecisive. Along with the issue of weather video games are good or bad the effects on people are also indecisive. The generations from the early 90’s and on will be the test subjects in a large public research project. With the rapid development in technology video gaming has become a popular hobby. The increase in use of video games over the previous decade has sparked an interest in studying the psychological effects of gaming.
Addiction is a powerful descriptor to describe an abusive habit. Scientists however have yet to classify video game addictions as a real mental disorder. However many of them acknowledge it’s existence and have proven it through scientific research. Recent studies have allowed scientist to hypothesize three examples of how video games are addicting two physically and one mental.
Playing video games stimulate your mind as would watching television or reading a book, however the interaction with the game causes your body to over produce two natural chemicals. One chemical is adrenaline, which will give you a sudden rush and an emotional high. The more a person focuses on playing a game the bigger the adrenaline rush they will receive. This will cause a push to keep playing the game to continue stimulating the high. Along side this when you play video games you also change your neurotransmitters. Your dopamine level will increase and give you a feeling of pleasure which high levels mimic that of drug addicts. The feeling of pleasure and high will cause you to fall into a cycle of wanting more and lead you into a addiction. The other form of addiction affects people mentally. Just as people respond to competition in a sport they will respond they same way with a video game. People feel the desire to win and gain points. This is most commonly found in massively multiplayer online role playing games. People feel it necessary to level up there characters, and make them stronger so they can continue to progress in the game repeating the cycle no matter of how boring or repetitive it is.
Can violent video games be blamed for an increase in crime over the past decade? Not completely, however they may have played a part. In studies done by Irwin and Gross children often tend to display more aggressive behavior after playing a violent video game. In another study by Calvert and Tan College students who play violent video games reported having more aggressive thoughts than their peers that did not ply violent video games. Many people argue that Violent video games are just like going to see an R rated movie; where the American Psychological Association will argue they are more harmful to induce violent behavior because they are interactive. These new studies are leaving parents with the tough decision whether or not they should allow their Children to play these games. Parents are forced to consider that these studies are accurate, however if they do not allow their children to play they are faced with the dilemma of not giving them the same opportunities they had. The majority of parents are beginning to realize that they are responsible for their child’s actions and need to be active parents and teach their children right from wrong.
As a gamer I can accurately agree with these studies. Playing games on line such as Halo 3 will provide you with the rush and leave you wanting more kills because more kills lead to more points, and you get into a cycle between physical and mental addiction. The theory that Halo also playing a role in violent thoughts is also true. Every once in a while when I’m playing halo and my adrenalin is kicking in I get the urge to just melee something with the butt of a rifle, however I don’t. I know the difference from reality and fantasy because my parents took the time to teach me right from wrong. The psychological effects of video games are no more than that of eating a candy bar or going to see a movie. It is always over played that they are corrupting the developing youth; with correct guidance and self-control there is nothing wrong with taking 30 minutes of your day to sit back and relax in front your television and play some video games.
I think the video game addiction thing might be true. As i sit here typing this I have an incredibly nagging urge to play halo 3 that has been with me all day. The want to increase in rank is really getting to me. About the violence in video games, i think the persons background and how they were raised has to do with there violence not video games. Definitley an interesting post.
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