Pittman 1

Kayla Pittman
Ms. Green
UWRT 1102-017
20 October 2016
The Sims
The Sims is a simulation video game with a large community that is worldwide. The
community surrounding The Sims was majority PC users that interacted with one another
through forums, but as the game has evolved so has the different interactions that are available to
the gamers. Gamers are now playing The Sims on their cellphones, tablets, play stations and
Xboxes. I want to focus primarily on the players that play this game on the computer. So, the
question then becomes how do you become a member and what is the main purpose of the
community these players are a part of and what impact does this game have on ones health,
when the game is something that is primarily played by oneself.
The players who play The Sims become a member of the community by simply purchasing
the game. The Sims community isnt exclusive so anybody can join by simply creating an
Electronic Art (EA) account or you can simply create account on the website for the game. The
EA account and the website is what connects you to other players who also enjoy the game. On
these sites, there are blogs and discussions that have varying topics, from cheat codes to just
simply sharing about your sims life and accomplishments. There is no way to communicate with
other players through the game when you are playing on the computer. I believe this community

Pittman 2
exists for people to share what theyve made their sims accomplish and to get game help and tips
for progressing their sim.
The main purpose of the sims to me is to either relieve stress or just plain enjoyment. I
believe this game can relieve stress or just be for simple enjoyment because it is almost like you
are living in an alternate reality through your sim. You can do whatever you want on the game
and not have to worry about the consequences or what could happen in actual reality. The Sims is
a simulation video game, where you create your own sim, in other words person, and you control
what they like, who they like, where they work, where they go, and what they do The icing on
the cake is having a community to share your accomplishments or story that you have built with
your sim.
The community surrounding The Sims is not the traditional community where individuals
who meet up at a certain location and discuss and talk about the game. The specific aspect that I
would like to focus on between gaming and community is whether the need for this community
is necessary because this game is one that is mostly played in solitary. Also, I would like to
know, if the game influences the players physical and mental health on both the positive and
negative end of the spectrum. I would like to consider is whether a game like this helps
individual that are depressed and lonely or on the opposite side of the spectrum whether it takes
individual who are outgoing and makes them that way.
Is gaming beneficial to your mental health? A lot of studies are now showing that playing
video games can help your brain health pertaining to cognitive function. In a study, done my
Queen Mary University of London, researchers had volunteers and measured the cognitive
flexibility (Chan). In this study the volunteers cognitive flexibility was described as the person

Pittman 3
capability to shift between one task to another and think about lots of different ideas at a time to
solve different problems. Video games are often being used now to improve reflexes and
increase the rate that your brain reacts to stimuli (Malvaes).
Does gaming have negative effects on your mental health? A study shows that video
games can take time away from studies, and while girls play for about 5 hours a week, boys
typically play about 13 hours a week (Malvaes). From personal experience, I know that playing
video games can be very addictive. I remember when I first purchased the sims, I would play the
game for hours at a time, only taking breaks to grab food or use the bathroom. I was forced, by
my parents, to limit the time I played the game every day.
Does The Sims have a negative or positive affect on mental or physical health period?
The Sims does not affect physical health in positive ways as much as it does negatively. It affects
your physical health if you form a kind of addiction to the game. Not only are you not engaging
in physical activity, but sitting in front of a computer puts a strain on your eyes, which in turn
starts to have worsening effects on your body. Long periods playing this game then start to affect
your social life and interactions, which can in turn start to have damaging effects on your mental
health. It is very possible to start to pull away from other people and start down a path that can
be very hard to fix or break. [Back this up with facts]

Pittman 4
Works Cited
Chan, Amanda L. "Strategy-Based Video Games, Like Starcraft, Improve Brain's 'Cognitive
Flexibility'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
Malvaes, Luis. "Video Games and How They Affect Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health."
Prezi.com. N.p., 18 Apr. 2011. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.