Effects of Video games

[Sciencewars]

Ok, So, I'm doing a research paper. The question is:

What are the effects of video games on children and teenagers?

I need one more source, so why not ask gamers? Tell me, how did video games affect you and your behavior when you were a child or teenager? Positive or negatives?

 

[StellarWind Elsydeon]

As far as video games go, my bioshell's younger years were far more focused on point-and-click adventure games and the occasional jRPG than the sort of games that some people like blaming for promoting aggression. But honestly, I feel that even were that not the case... These are video games - they can be therapeutic/cathartic if you've had a really bad day and all you want is to punch things, but anyone with half an ounce of sense and reasonable ability to separate fantasy from reality shouldn't be too profoundly affected and definitely not ever consider projecting this aggression into real life.

That said, this field has been studied to goddamn death at this point - and the general consensus appears to be that exposure to violent media as a whole (not just video games) does seem to have a link with promoting aggression (in other news, water is wet, the Pope is catholic and bears - you get the point), but there is insufficient evidence to show a connection between such and actual violent, aggressive, criminal behaviour. XP

 

[Psycho Monkey]

Put it to you this way. If I'm in a room full of insufferable humans then you get quiet fury at worst. Give me a controller or a handheld and I will yell and cuss like a madman if I'm losing. And yet if I'm getting beaten by a human player I will be perfectly cordial and even complement them for their skill or luck. Moral of the story: I take out all of my rage and frustration on polygons not people. Without videogames I'd need a new hobby and a new outlet.

 

[SUPERRNOVAA]

It all comes down to the person playing them in my opinion.

If person in question has enough intelligence to distinguish between fiction and reality, then most likely, video games will not induce physical aggression, (mental aggression is a whole other ball game) in them. A lot of people even use games as an outlet for their frustrations, so they don't actually end up giving a left hook to some guy on the train home from work. A games purpose is to be a viable source of interactive entertainment, not some catalyst for an Ultra-Mecha Nazi Hitler world take-over.

 

[Al the Bard]

It depends on the person. Usually I don't get aggressive when I'm playing games. It's one thing to be playing something like Super Smash Brothers with your buddies and be competitive - my friend B.J. would always shout "Get out of my house" when he got a kill - but we were all friends. Even if we were enjoying some brewskis with gameplay, it was very cordial. But I also know there are people out there who get ultra competitive or so into the game that they get angry and will do something out of the norm - like break a controller, which I did one time while playing Champions of Norrath 2 and I immediately regretted it. That was years ago and I haven't ever had an episode like that again. If I'm starting to get a little heated, I just have to remind myself it's only a game and there are more opportunities to succeed.

So the short answer is it depends on the person and the situation.

 

[RLRL]

I have always argued that videogames are an outlet for violence, unfortunately we're creatures of habit. If we routinely blow-up at videogames when we lose, we'll do it more and more often.

The greatest effect however on children/teenagers of videogames is pure and simple. It's created a distraction! It's made virtual worlds which are accessible to practically everyone. Youth violence is down! The simple factor being, kids aren't out on the streets all night anymore, they're all at home on social media and playing videogames. It's glorious!

Personally I try to use them only as a way of relaxing, if games cause me stress there's little to no point playing them, I just like distractions in this world =)

 

[Palusokudo]

If I am honest, video games don't create violence. It's the people who play the game make it. People get angry at things differently and not just video games but at everything. It makes me sad that people blame games like GTA5 for violence. Sure it's a crime simulator but it's the person that makes the violence not the game.

 

[Sciencewars]

So, I'm done with the rough draft! If yall wanna see, here we go!

Ever since 1958, video games have been a touchy subject. How do they affect the brain? How do they work? Most asked, how do they affect youth? This question is interesting because not many people know the truth about this topic. It's not talked about by people who actually play video games. However, some hope to change that.

One idea states that violent games have NO effect on behavior for the negative. Not much research has shown a relationship between video game violence and violence in real life. In fact, fighting in games is more akin to play violence. Fighting in games is often for fun and includes friends. Therefor, it is thought that they are for fun and play, and not violence. If children are acting violent, or even adults, it is not because of video games. That has been proven.

More studies show that while video games have negative effects, they are mainly positive. Video games force players to solve problems, which increases critical thinking. Plus, it many of these puzzles are timed. Video games are also blamed to decrease social skills. It is the opposite, however. Many people have made friends in online games a lot. They also help hand-eye coordination and help release anger. Overall, while video games have a bad rep, they help in may ways. They do not deserve such a rating, as they help quite a bit.

Building off that, many people think video games are evil. However, common thoughts about games have no basis. In fact, gamers are more prosocial. They have a better time cooperating and making friends. They also help with emotional symptoms such as anger. It can be a vent for anger and sadness. Video games are a great thing, despite the negative feedback.

To add onto this gigantic pile of positive information, more research shows that there are many positive effects. Negative effects get most of the attention. However, research shows that games can be educational. They can also help with hand-eye coordination and reaction times. Studies prove that gamers do better on everyday tasks. There are no negative effects on moderate play. However, negative effects are shown on much higher level of play.

Finally, from a survey on this very topic, research says that games do not induce aggression or violence of any kind. Video games can be theatric if somebody is sad or angry. Video games seem to have some link to aggression, but not by much. They can also be an outlet for people. It can help them relax as well. Aggression comes from the person. It is not from video games.

In conclusion, most gamers agree there are no negatives to moderate play. They can be helpful in many ways. They can be theatric or a way to vent anger. Overall, it's all just for fun. There is no need to stress over whether video games are making children violent. In fact, it's close to the opposite. Video games are to be enjoyed and loved.