HOW DO VIDEO GAMES INFLUENCE

OUR OVERALL HEALTH?

March 10, 2015smelltheuniverseEdit

What does the future have in store for video games? These games started in
1976, and since then the story lines, graphics, and entertainment purposes
have advanced. In video games today we have blood and gore, foul
language, sexual content, and drug references being added. It has been at
rise with debates that video games are influencing individuals to act out
aggressively and commit crimes. Another side to the debate is that there is
hope for these virtual games to educate, train, motivate physical fitness, and
even help the mentally ill. Are video games leading society down the right
influential path or should we be more concerned and cautious?
This entry called Brain Health and Online Gaming is written by Mark Baxter
on his perspective about the future benefits of gaming. The industries are
taking a leap toward something more physical and intellectual for society.
Brain fitness games generally focus on the intellectual side, where it can help
stimulate memory, primary functions, and cognitive relations in the brain;
therefore, increasing the neural structure reserve. Many people have their
concerns about the negative effects video games can bring and brain fitness
allows them to be entertained while learning.
Mark Baxter is a co-founder and Vice President at the company Fit Brains, the
corporation that is developing games to improve an individuals physical and
mental health. Baxter carries a background in psychological science and with
this degree, it helps him formulate these new ideas and further his research.
He also has 8 year of education in Games and the News Media
Industry. http://www.asaging.org/generations-journal-american-society-aging
As far as individuals benefitting psychologically and physically from these
games there are others who view video games as a distraction. In that case,
mainly taking away our ability to communicate and socialize. Which can
sometimes be visibly observed anywhere you go, everyone will be on their
personal tablets or cell phones texting one other sometimes when theyre in
the same house or room.
In this essay, Video Game Worlds, Jindra brings light to the entertainment
industries taking away our attention. When you sit down at a restaurant you
can see cell phones blocking all the topics that could be discussed in that
time; therefore, you see electronics are shortening the attention spans of
many. When Jindra suggested video games are advancing and becoming
more distracting, along with all technology, it made me think how drugs have
advanced and become more potent; therefore, addicting. Weve become

demanding with all aspects in life. The more advanced things become whos
to say that our attention span wont keep decreasing?
Michael Jindra focuses on research and writing on topics concerned with
social groups and inequality. In this article, Jindra sets up the debate when
presenting his own thoughts in contrast to these authors. Jindra discusses his
concern as he mentions this isnt the best place to find friends or feel
accomplished. Jindra also stresses the importance of parents setting great
limitations to keep a child
productive. http://www.academia.edu/5329965/Video_game_worlds
Articles are saying not only can this be a distraction in the social world and
changing our communication abilities but it can also change the way your
brain processes emotions in certain situations. Since video games are
expanding their limits with how much you can do in video games, there are
more pictures of violence and sexual content and youre most always the
character inflicting pain or suffering. How does this exposure affect our
brain? Movies-dexter
In this journal entry Media Violence and Social Neuroscience Nicholas L.
Carnagey et al presents research on the effects of video games. In the article
its suggested that school killings and other crimes have been linked to the
violence portrayed in video games. Research has shown a temporary rise in
aggressively combative thoughts, and a psychological change of mind after
playing a violent video game. Data has also shown that when a gamer
absorbs realistic violence the area of the brain wired to self-control shows
reduction in activity. As a result, this could be a warning for publishers to reevaluate their games scripts to keep violence from happening. Carnagey
stated that not many are addicted, but aggressive thoughts increase
temporarily.
Carnageys teaches psychology at Iowa State University, where he also is
assisted researcher in the studies on video game addiction and has
published several of journal entries regarding the problem. In this article the
data presented is suggesting an aggressive neurological change in the state
of mind. http://public.psych.iastate.edu/caa/abstracts/2005-2009/07cab2.pdf
Video games may increase concern in those who dont want their community
to be exposed to such violence, but logically its unavoidable. Carnagey
discusses the issue that crimes have been linked to some violence in video
games but you can also find that the TV show Dexter has done just the same
damage, not only inflicting but murdering based on the show. So how to fix
this issue, just cancel all shows? Like I said its unavoidable. Theres a
balance of good out there not all video games serve to change the human

mind into a terrorist or criminals, in fact Im almost positive that not video
game serves that purpose. There are games available in the world for the
better that are made to help increase a persons functional abilities.
In this article Game On, Erika Check Hayden writes on the development of
these new video games called Brain-training video games, created by
neurologist Michael Merzenich. Brain-training video games are being used to
treat a variety of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. In fact,
schizophrenia is known as the most expensive to treat with medicine
because of all the symptoms involved. Merzenich believes were wasting
time temporarily treating symptoms with drugs; therefore, he focuses on
treating the underlying problem, the deterioration that occurs in the brain
that includes: short attention spans, difficulties in learning, memory loss,
speech, and troubles with solving problems. Merzenichs data has shown
improvement in even healthy patients. With the evidence his software has
provided, Merzenich is confident that he can succeed, and he even plans to
work with patients diagnosed with Alzheimers.

Merzenich studied at Johns Hopkins University and graduated with a PhD in

1968. This work directed him to redevelop the first tube-shaped structure
implant, an instrumentality to assist people in training their neurological
systems, to understand communications shot to the auditory nerve. With his
Brain-training video games he has also concluded data showing memory
improvement in elderly people, who had no mental illnesses.
http://www.nature.com/news/treating-schizophrenia-game-on-1.10126
This article is one great point in the debate. The future is at our doorsteps
with technology and medicine, who can doubt that these brain games are
not going to help people? Weve all heard the saying you lose what you
dont use, maybe this can truly improve what we cannot with medicine. You
can take medication to help your problem. However, it goes under
subconsciously how dependent we become of it, sometimes so dependent
we end up addicted. Ironically, thats one of the same concerns people show
on video gaming.
Online Gaming: What Should Education Psychologists Know? The data
presented is based on two decades of research collected and written by Mark
Griffiths on video games. Some believe that video game addiction is a very
serious problem, addiction is categorized as behavior that, in this article,
includes: salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms,
conflict, and relapse. Theres a small group of individuals, where in some
cases, gaming can be classified as addiction. For some, 80 hours in a single
week can be dedicated to playing. In contrast, research has shown one may
attribute the qualities of addiction and show excessive behavior; however,

that does not always suggest addiction. Although, limits are indeed
recommended and should be taken accounted for.
This article clearly describes the characteristics that follow when
experiencing addiction, but also includes that even if gamers show some of
these symptoms does not conclude theyre addicted, even when they
excessively play. These points have suggested that video games are not
necessarily addicting as people make them out to be.
http://sheu.org.uk/sites/sheu.org.uk/files/imagepicker/1/eh271mg.pdf
This editorial Video Game Addiction and Social Responsibility is written by
Antonius J. Van Rooij et al, on the needs for video gaming limitation and the
lack social responsibility. Video gaming has been known to pull people away
from their studies, job, and real world social relationships. It is noted, that
the game World of Warcraft, one of the most famous games existing today,
has warning signs on their loading screens about the addiction it can cause.
These efforts show clearly that these video games can create serious
problems and efforts to warn gamers should be extended. These addictions
can be very minor, still all consumers should be advised about the risks of
playing these games.
Antonius J. Van Rooji has acquired a PhD and his research field is psychology,
he currently working as a researcher at IVO Addiction Research Institute
mainly focusing on electrical devices that can take up most of our attention.
In this article he logically mentions the observation that one of the most
popular video games in the world adds warning messages on the games
loading screens, and this makes the reader ask: should I be more concerned
if the publishers are taking their time to do
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Video games have been largely debated and increasingly studied. Data has
shown that even excessive players with symptoms of addictions are not
necessarily addicted. Theres only a small amount that are confirmed;
however, some argue publishers should extend efforts in the labels. Video
games are not all violent, we have fitness games, educational, field training,
and some hope to develop brain-training video games to increase memory
and help treat deterioration in the brain. Video games are not necessarily
addicting but can increase aggressive thoughts and publishers work to
create more positive games for the public. The future holds potential and
things are going to advance, but how far will they go with video games?
References:

Baxter, Mark. Brain Health and Online Gaming. Generations: Journal of the
American Society on Aging. 35.2 (2011): 107-09. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
Carnagey, Nicholas L., et al. Media Violence and Social
Neuroscience. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 16.4 (2007):
178-82. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
Giffiths, Mark. Online Video Gaming: What Should Educational Psychologists
Know? Educational Psychology in Practice: Theory, Research and Practice in
Educational Psychology 26.1 (2010): 35-40. 9 Mar. 2010. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
Jindra, Michael. Video Game Worlds. Transactions Social Science and
Modern Society. 44.4 (2007): 67-73. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
Hayden, Erika C. Game On. Nature [San Francisco] 1 Mar. 2012: 24-26.
Print.
Van Rooji, Antonius J., Et Al. Video Games and Social
Responsibility. Informa: Health Care. 18.5 (2010): 489-93. Web. 8 Nov.
2010