Abstract
Video games have been around for quite a long time and over every one of the stages, from arcade systems to the home console, to handled console and mobile devices. Like any medium, Video games are a channel of correspondence whose impacts shift broadly with the substance of the explicit diversion being referred to. Individuals who play violent video games may increase aggression, hostility, and aggressive thoughts. However, Game with positive content shows positive effects. For example, playing a dancing video game can help children have some exercise and lose weight rather than just sit down for an entire day. In addition, some games attract player’s interest and curiosity and make them want to investigate by providing some mystic story that requires the player to play through the game and understand the full story behind the game.
Introduction
Video games have been around for quite a long time and over every one of the stages, from arcade systems to the home console, to handled console and mobile devices. They are also often at the forefront of computer technology. According to Hughes (2014), the video game industry is a rapid-growing market that went from having a market volume of $100 million in 1985 to $4 billion in 1990. In addition, according to Lenhart (2015), over the past two decades, video game and internet technology have shifted, eliminating the need to be in the same room as a requirement for playing games with friends and others. Innovation in game design and platforms make video games have become an incredibly popular and pervasive form of entertainment. Video game use has increased steadily over time and today 9 out of 10 children and teens play video games. On average, youth play video games for two hours a day. However, a significant percentage of males report playing four hours a day or more. The fact that such a large number of children and adolescents frequently play video games makes understanding video game effects on player an important research goal. The aim of this research is to show the influence of video games on young people and does it cause positive or negative impacts on them.
The rising popularity of video games has brought about an explosion of research on video game effects. The increasingly large research literature on this topic consistently shows that video game effects are not trivial. There are significant effects of video game play are found in short-term and long-term contexts, and across a wide range of domains. Some of these effects have been extensively researched and are well established, such as the effects of violent video games on aggression. However, recent research has revealed a number of other positive and negative consequences of video game play, such as beneficial effects of games on helping, positive effects of action games on visual-spatial skills, harmful effects of fast-paced games on cognitive control, and the phenomenon of video game addiction.
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The data from Hughes’s (2014) article shows in America, 81% of youths play at least once a month, 8.5% of them are addicted and the average 8 to 12 year old now play 13 hours of video games per week, while the average 13 to 18 year old plays 14 hours of video games per week. Since video games play an important role in children’ lives, children will have a hard time without playing video games. There are different sorts of video games accessible in the present video game industry. Video games are target to entertain people and to have fun in their free time. There were many types of video games like educational, casual and violent games, but in reality, children will pick a game where they can kill zombies or drive vehicles at uncontrollable speed instead of an educational game which makes them feel boring. However, girls didn’t like the violent video game and some of them preferred educational or casual games, but through all the age groups, violent video games never lost their position in the gaming industry.
Discussion
Negative effects
Studies have shown the negative effect violent video game has on the youths. Youth who had played a violent virtual reality game may get a higher heart rate, reported more unsteadiness and sickness, and showed more aggressive thoughts at the end than those who had played a nonviolent game or didn’t play violent games. Despite these studies didn’t directly show an increase in aggressive behavior, there were some changes in behavior that seems to be aggressive. According to Sohn (2004), although violent video games increase a person’s heart rate and blood pressure, it doesn’t necessarily follow that such games make a person more violent. In fact, a variety of studies are starting to show that playing video games can actually help people develop visual skills, learn about computers, and stay interested in school.
Another negative aspect of video games is the way that kids are spending too much energy and time playing the games rather than going outside and play with friends. According to Hughes (2014), children played with video games are spending 13 and 14 hours a week playing video games instead of spending an hour outside. Children didn’t have their social activities because of spending too much time and energy on video games. As a result, children rarely go out and attend competitive activities which restrict them from meeting new people and making friends.
Positive effects
Research has also shown that video games can have some positive effects on children for several reasons and may also contain social benefits. In order to progress in games, the player must learn how to follow the guidelines, what is the restrictions and components of them. When the player faces new challenges, he must find a way to solve that problem. This is true for educational games, mind games, and RPG games. The player should find new skills or a combination of skills to overcome the challenge as the level of the game goes higher and higher. In addition, the player can also learn the strategy of the game, how to manage the resources, decide which answer is correct and practice reading and mathematical calculations.
Players also have to face some situation where they need to do some multitasking. As games become harder and harder, players must know what the new challenge is and know what they need to overcome the challenge. Also, at the same time, the player must be aware of their status and predict what will happen next. Video Games also require quick thinking. The player who plays video games may reduce reaction times while keeping accuracy steady. The military uses war stimulation games to train their soldier because it can reduce their reaction time without reducing their accuracy.
Video games also increase eye and hand coordination. For example, in shooter games, the player has to know where they are, what role in the team they are, what their moving speeds are and how to aim accurately. The brain has to integrate all these information and estimate the results then the player can decide what to do next. After deciding what to do, the player will have his hand moving the controller and make some good operations. These skills can be connected to real-world situations like a real gun shooting.
Gaming is stimulating, a learning experience and a social activity. The reason why people find it so entertaining is that most of the time games are challenging and make player feels that they take an active role unlike watching television, so there is a feeling that make people want to challenge themselves, prove themselves and overcome the challenge. There were also many educational games out there makes children learn about specific subjects or give some information about something they don’t know before. For example, A game require player know something that most people don’t know. Thus, if players want to complete the game they should find out the solution and they will remember it. The gaming industry has grown to be very popular in recent decades. Thus, playing video games can make lots of new friends and be able to find a topic to communicate. In Hughes’s (2014) article, data shows nearly 60% of frequent gamers play with friends, 33% with siblings and 25% with a spouse or parents. Many games require the team members to cooperate and communicate as a team because these are very challenging if there were only one player playing alone.
Video game can enhance reading skills. According to Sohn (2004), in the game ‘Animal Crossing’, for instance, players become characters who live in a town full of animals. In this game, players can do so many things like walking around, building constructions and do other ordinary things. Also, players can write notes to other player and share their experience with each other. The player who interest in these type of games will have to read even if they don’t like to read because these game require gamers to read a lot. Thus, this will improve the player’s reading skill and provide some knowledge to the players.
In Andrea’s (2014) article, he claims that the most widely acknowledged positive impact is that video games may help children improve their manual dexterity and computer literacy. Technology improvement will make the games have a better graphic that make the player feel more realistic and smooth gaming experience. The video games industry more attractive to young children because of technology improvement. Children will show more helpfulness and be kind to others if the video game reward them when they help others.
Conclusion
The idea of video games is controversial. Children are addicted to video games and spend lots of time playing it because it’s very entertaining and it makes people feel happy while playing. Since the video games are as addicting as studies argue, the line between a small amount of gaming time and a large amount of gaming time is easily crossed. As parents, it is reasonable to discover balance regardless. Although restricting children play games entirely may be beneficial for some family, others will find that it will make their children lose some friends and remove a source of entertainment for them.
References
- Andrea Norcia, M. (2014, June). The Impact of Video Games. Retrieved from Sutter health Palo Alto Medical Foundation: http://www.pamf.org/parenting-teens/general/media-web/videogames.html
- Hughes, E. (2014, April 24). Effect of Video Games on Child Development. Retrieved from vanderbilt: https://my.vanderbilt.edu/developmentalpsychologyblog/2014/04/effect-of-video-games-on-child-development/
- LENHART, A. (2015, August 6). Chapter 3: Video Games Are Key Elements in Friendships for Many Boys. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/06/chapter-3-video-games-are-key-elements-in-friendships-for-many-boys/
- SOHN, E. (2004, January 12). The Violent Side of Video Games. Retrieved from sciencenewsforstudents: https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/node/632
- SOHN, E. (2004, January 19). What Video Games Can Teach Us. Retrieved from sciencenewsforstudents.org: https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/what-video-games-can-teach-us
