The Effect of Video Games on the Brain

Eleni Kardaras

The effect of video games on the brain is a research area gaining popularity as the
percentage of children and adults who play video games is on the rise. Some people
believe violence in video games and in other media promotes violent behavior among
viewers. While there is not sufficient data to validate this claim, there are a
number of studies showing that video games can increase aggressive behavior and
emotional outbursts, and decrease inhibitions. From a few of these studies, and
from my own observations of children playing video games, it is quite obvious that
the video games do have at least some effect on the behavior of the player. The
extent and long range consequences of these behavior changes after one has turned
off the video game are not so easily deduced. One source states that "While
research on video games and aggressive behavior must be considered preliminary, it
may be reasonably inferred from the more than 1,000 reports and studies on
television violence that video game violence may also contribute to aggressive
behavior and desensitization to violence" (1). Another study reports that
"Hostility was increased both in subjects playing a highly aggressive video game
and those playing a mildly aggressive video game. Subjects who had played the high-
aggression game were significantly more anxious than other subjects" (2).

I had a chance to observe the effects of video games first hand on two boys, ages
eight and ten, when I babysat them earlier in the semester. They were playing the
video game "Mario Cart," which is really not a very violent game; the object is to
win a car race by coming in first while maneuvering through different courses. When
the younger brother won, the older brother got up and started kicking him and
yelling insults! Later on that day, the younger brother was playing another video
game by himself and when he could not beat the level, he threw down the controller
and screamed at the t.v. screen, "Why are you doing this to me...?!" and burst into
tears. I was very shocked by this reaction and was not quite sure how to handle the
situation. This game had brought an eight year old boy to tears, right in front of
me. "Certainly, video games can make some people go nuts. You just have to look at
some enthusiasts playing video games on their cellular phones, mumbling to
themselves heatedly even though others are around them. At game centers (penny
arcades), frustrated people punch or kick game machines without regard to making a
spectacle of themselves" (3). From the above descriptions, it seems that players
get somewhat "sucked" into the video game and become oblivious to their
surroundings and much less inhibited to share their emotions. What types of changes
are occurring in the brain to activate this behavior which one exhibits when
"sucked" into a video game?

Akio Mori, a professor at Tokyo's Nihon University, conducted a recent study

observing the effects of video games on brain activity. He divided 260 people into
three groups: those who rarely played video games, those who played between 1 and 3
hours three to four times a week, and those who played 2 to 7 hours each day. He
then monitored "the beta waves that indicate liveliness and degree of tension in
the prefrontal region of the brain, and alpha waves, which often appear when the
brain is resting" (4). The results showed a higher decrease of beta waves the more
one played video games. "Beta wave activity in people in the [highest amount of
video game playing] was constantly near zero, even when they weren't playing,
showing that they hardly used the prefrontal regions of their brains. Many of the
people in this group told researchers that they got angry easily, couldn't
concentrate, and had trouble associating with friends" (4). This suggests two
important points. One, that the decrease of beta wave activity and usage of the
prefrontal region of the brain may correlate with the aggressive behavior, and two,
that the decrease of beta waves continued after the video game was turned off,
implying a lasting effect. Another study found similar results and reported:
"Youths who are heavy gamers can end up with 'video-game brain,' in which key parts
of the frontal region of their brain become chronically underused, altering moods"
(5). This study also asserts that a lack of use of the frontal brain, contributed
by video games, can change moods and could account for aggressive and reclusive
behavior. An important question arises: if the brain is so impacted by video games
as to create behavioral changes, must that mean that the brain perceives the games
as real?

Perhaps looking at what effects video games have on autonomic nerves can begin to
answer that question. "'Many video games stir up tension and a feeling of fear, and
there is a very real concern that this could have a long-term effect on the
autonomic nerves,' Mori commented" (6). Autonomic nerves are those connected with
involuntary internal organ processes, such as breathing and heart rate. "Heart rate
can be altered by electrical signals from emotional centers in the brain or by
signals from the chemical messengers called epinephrine (adrenaline) and
norepinephrine. These hormones are released from the adrenal glands in response to
danger..." (7). Multiple studies have reported that playing video games can
significantly increase heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption. If
studies show that heart rate is increased when playing video games, then it seems
that the brain is responding to the video game as if the body is in real danger.
Does repeated exposure to this "false" sense of danger have an effect on what the
brain then perceives as real danger?

From the above studies and observations, video games do effect the players in some
ways, since it appears that players get so wrapped up in the game that they forget
their surroundings and begin to see the game as a real quest. Studies have shown
that playing video games can increase heart rate and blood pressure, as well as
decrease prefrontal lobe activity while the person is playing the game. This could
account for changes in the player's mood and cause him or her to become more
aggressive or emotional. However, the extent of these effects on the body once
video game playing has ceased are preliminary and need to be confirmed.

References

1)Mediascope website, highlights data from various scientific studies concerning

video games.

2)Mediascope website, violent video games causing aggression.

3)Japan Today News website, an interesting news site and discussion board.

4)Mega Games website, a hardcore gaming site, including cheats, demos, and facts.

5)Beliefnet website, centers around spiritual, religious, and moral issues.

6)Sunday Herald online, a news resource.

7) Freeman, Scott. Biological Systems. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 2002.