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Increased reaction time
Increased cognitive abilities Increased self-esteem and self-efficacy Increased motor skills and hand eye coordination Learns faster than non-gamers |
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Addiction
Impulsive behavior Aggression and violent behavior Desensitizes to real-life violence Physical complications Mental deterioration |
controversy
In 2008, the $11.7 billion dollar video game industry was put under tight scrutiny as violent video games were blamed for the increasing aggression among children and teenagers. In fact, with 97% of twelve to seventeen year olds engaging in video games daily, the rates of bullying has risen when the popular game, Grand Theft Auto, was released. Many who are against violent video games say that these games advocate the violence as a problem-solving skill while also desensitizing youth against real life violence. However, players will argue that these games are actually helping them relax and release anger. A study in 2007 reported that 45% of boys play violent video games to redirect anger while 62% play to unwind. The video game industry reached a high of $67 billion dollars in 2012 and is expected to be $82 billion by 2017. With the increase in sales though, the rate of violence is also expected to increase since violent video games require players to identity with the violent character. Because of this, California tried to pass a law in 2005 that would ban the sales of violent video games to anyone under 18 years old. In 2007, though, the US Supreme Court refused to allow this law in the ruling of Brown vs Entertainment Merchants Association since it violates the right of free speech. Yet, since violent video games are getting more and more sophisticated as well as realistic, psychologists wonder if that ruling was wrong, and whether children should be exposed to violent video games.
pros
Violent video games help improve cognitive abilities through overlearning as gamers tend to learn faster because like anything, practice makes perfect. In order to progress to the next level, gamers must actively learn so they can demonstrate, perfect, and master their skills. When they do that for prolonged period of time, they then transition into "overlearning," which requires the gamer to constantly use the skills they've mastered - this allows the players to apply the skills in different scenarios. Through this and a variety of other factors that are needed to progress through the video game, players can develop increased cognitive abilities as well as reaction time from having to think quickly. Not only that, but as players increase their ranks, they also increase their self-esteem and self-efficacy as dopamine is released into the brain as a form of positive reinforcement.
Violent video games can also improve accuracy and hand-eye coordination among other motor skills. Surgeon James Rosser, who conducted a study on gameplay, believes that surgeons who played video games for longer periods of time as children do not make as much mistakes compared to those who played less video games. In fact, he uses the same hand-eye coordination to play video games that he uses for surgery. This could explain why surgeons who engage in gameplay make thirty-seven percent less mistakes while working twenty-seven percent faster than those who play fewer games.
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cons
More color means more emotional control and less impulisiveness
According to a study conducted by Dr. Vincent Matthews of the radiology department at the Indiana University School of Medicine, which was presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America, violent video games have a lasting effects on those who play it. The researchers first took a baseline of a randomly selected group of males who haven't played violent video games for a long period of time. The control group was told to not engage in gameplay for two weeks, which resulted in relatively the same results in their cognitive function and emotional control as shown in the fMR for the duration of the experiment. After the first week of playing violent video games, the second group had an fMRI taken while engaging in an emotional stroop test. This was to test the emotional control of the subjects by seeing the changes in neural activities while listing violent words versus non-violent words. Since this part of the brain controls both cognitive function as well as emotional control, it shows that after the first week of playing video games, the subjects who played violent video games everyday have less emotional control and are more impulsive than those who were not allowed to play video games. Luckily though, after not playing violent video games for a week, those same subjects were able to improve their cognitive functions as well as gain more control over their emotions. Although it has not improved back to its original state, the fact that it improved in a week shows that it has the potential to recover given a longer period of time.
America's army
Despite the controversy around violence in video games, the United States' Marine was the first to capitalize on the effects of violent video games. The Marine Corps bought Doom III in 1996, and soon created the game Marine Doom in order to train Marines. Soon afterwards, the United States' Army created a first-person shooting game called America's Army to train recruits and desensitize them against the dangers that they would eventually see on the field. America's Army is free to download, and free to pick up at any recruiting station, so that the Army can assess and track the progress of its players. The game has authentic and real stories based on the history of the United States, and even has actual scenes from Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Yet, because of the controversy against these violent games, and because of parents' disapproval, America's Army is actually far from what happens in the real world. In this game, soldiers aren't killed in bloody pit fires, and it takes four bullets to kill another soldier. In fact, with the parental control turned on, soldiers won't even bleed when they get hurt, and they simply sit down when they die. Because of this, America's Army is really just a game to lure in the youth and show them how "cool" being a solider is. Still, the fact that the Army made a game just to prepare soldiers for the battlefield shows how popular and effective violent video games are.
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nonviolent video games
Nonviolent video games, such as Smashing (a derivation of Brick Breaker), have been shown to have nearly the same effects of violent video games without the increased aggression and violence. Studies show that interactive, high-paced video games can increase hand-eye coordination, accuracy, and reaction time among other things. However, just like violent video games, players can develop addiction to nonviolent video games as well as physical complications like obesity.
References
Aquino, C. (Website Owner). (n.d.). Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (Wallpaper), Retrieved March 26, 2013, from: http://www.pcgamewallpapers.net/1280x800/ghost-recon-future-soldier-pc-wallpaper/
Fat Buu thumbs up (Image). Retrieved March 26, 2013, from: http://www.giantbomb.com/majin-buu/3005-2915/
Gaudiosi, John. (2012, July 18). New reports forecast global video game industry will reach $82 billion by 2017. Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/07/18/new-
reports-forecasts-global-video-game-industry-will-reach-82-billion-by-2017/
Mantel, John (Photographer for New York Times). (2005). Dr. James Rosser playing video games (Image). Retrieved March 30, 2013, from: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/24/technology/circuits
/24docs.html?_r=0
Moore, Elizabeth. (2011, Dec. 2). One week playing violent video games alters brain activity. Cnet. Retrieved from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-57335738-247/one-week-playing-violent-video-
games-alters-brain-activity/
Nolitsou. (Forum Member). (2012). America's Army (Wallpaper). Retrieved April 2, 2013, from: http://geek-world.bugs3.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/59.jpg
ProCon.org. (2013). Do violent video games contribute to youth violence. Retrieved from: http://videogames.procon.org/#Background
Super Buu thumbs down (Image) Retrieved March 26, 2013, from: http://www.giantbomb.com/majin-buu/3005-2915/
Fat Buu thumbs up (Image). Retrieved March 26, 2013, from: http://www.giantbomb.com/majin-buu/3005-2915/
Gaudiosi, John. (2012, July 18). New reports forecast global video game industry will reach $82 billion by 2017. Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/07/18/new-
reports-forecasts-global-video-game-industry-will-reach-82-billion-by-2017/
Mantel, John (Photographer for New York Times). (2005). Dr. James Rosser playing video games (Image). Retrieved March 30, 2013, from: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/24/technology/circuits
/24docs.html?_r=0
Moore, Elizabeth. (2011, Dec. 2). One week playing violent video games alters brain activity. Cnet. Retrieved from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-57335738-247/one-week-playing-violent-video-
games-alters-brain-activity/
Nolitsou. (Forum Member). (2012). America's Army (Wallpaper). Retrieved April 2, 2013, from: http://geek-world.bugs3.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/59.jpg
ProCon.org. (2013). Do violent video games contribute to youth violence. Retrieved from: http://videogames.procon.org/#Background
Super Buu thumbs down (Image) Retrieved March 26, 2013, from: http://www.giantbomb.com/majin-buu/3005-2915/
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
WR102-04
Mary Nghe
WR102-04
Mary Nghe