The Negative Effects Of Video Games On Child Development

Playing certain video games can have cognitive benefits. Specific video games, like Tetris, have been shown to have positive effects on spatial rotation, while games like Grand Theft Auto V have been shown to increase reaction times within gamers. Open-ended games and interactive games improve problem-solving skills by learning to solve things through trial and error. Interactive games are shown to improve creativity as well. People who play shooter video games show faster and more accurate attention allocation, higher spatial resolution in visual processing, and enhanced mental rotation abilities than those who don’t (Granic, Lobel, & Engels, 2014). Other cognitive benefits of playing video games include improved coordination, enhanced memory, enhanced multitasking skills, and improves attention. Even though, most video games show some kind of cognitive effect, most robust effects come from shooter games, rather than puzzle games (Green & Bavelier, 2012).

“Firstly, video games can serve as a central activity for interpersonal interaction, providing an activity for friends to participate together (like playing cards or engaging in physical recreation). Secondly, online video gamers can promote interaction with others across the game network and establish new friendships and thirdly, video games and their characters can provide a source of pseudo-social relationships for the game player” (cited in Barenthin and Van Puymbroeck, 2006).

The articles in track number two surrounded the topic of family influence on the development of an individual. All of the research studies revolved around how external sources effected the development of a person. Each study focused on a different age and aspect of an individual’s surroundings. Article one “Infant Development Outcomes: A Family Systems Perspective” focused on the early stages of infancy; birth to seventeen months, and the effects of the individual mental status of each parent and the relationship of the parents on the infants cognitive and physical development. The second article “Contextualizing video game play: The moderating effects of cumulative risk and parenting styles on the relations among video

Video games have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Video games require players to manipulate images on a screen. In general, those that play video games experience improvements in hand-eye coordination. This is logical, considering the quick movements one must use to complete a video game. Video games also require the player to perform mental processes similar to those the player would perform in the real world. With this in mind, it is possible that certain video games can improve mental processes that are exercised within the virtual world. Studies have investigated if and how driving, action, and puzzle video games improve visual skills and risk perception, dual-task and task-switching skills, and broader executive

Showing the positive effects with video games on the brain and cognitive function associated with high intensive action games and how they can help to increase motor skills, attentiveness and learning capabilities of those who play video games.

Green & Bavelier (2012) found that action video gaming improved performance on the ability to locate, quickly, a target stimulus in a field of distractors, a test that has been found to be a good predictor of driving ability. B. Video games are also recognized to improve multitasking and mental function.

The theorists note cognitive benefits with using video games. These vary from perceptional and spatial to attention and the increased ability for the subject to filter increasing amounts of information (Gentile, 2011). The cognitive processing can be increased. There is indication that academic outcomes are improved. There is growing direct evidence that intensive use of video games results in significant generalized improvements in cognitive

As a video game and computer game lover, the thought that negative effects ever being present in these enjoyable past time devices never crossed my mind. Over this past summer I was able to spend countless hours improving my skills on different games. I of course made multiple visits to video game stores such as Game Stop and Game Crazy. As I entered one these stores to purchase a new game, I noticed two boys, probably about eight or nine years of age, were playing one of the latest war games on a new video game console known as the Xbox 360. As I walked over to the shelves to search for the game that I had gone there to buy I heard a loud, "That's right bitch, I got your ass!" I slowly turned to notice that it was one of the boys who were

It is believed the average gamer usually ages 13 and up spends up to 6.3 hours a day playing video games. That is an alarming rate, which concerns both the public and scientist. Through out this paper three different articles will be analyzed and their view on the impact of video games on children’s and adolescents. The first article to be discussed is “Prospective Investigation of Video Game Use in Children and Subsequent Conduct Disorder and Depression Using Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.” In this article research is done on how video game violence have affect a child’s behavior. They conducted this research by using self-report questionnaires; they started by asking children at age 8/9 years their game use. The type of video game played was assessed with the question: “Which types of computer games do you have at home?” Children were free to check any game that was applicable to them. Different game options were included in the questionnaire, the options differed from violent games like those that include firearms, blood and weapons, sport games, racing, puzzles, “and other educational or learning games. This questionnaire was designed this way to get the most precise results. The studies results indicated that playing violent video games in childhood has a weak association with an increased risk of conduct disorder in adolescence. They measured this by testing and investigating children who had

Many participants also suggested that the games caused the children to have strong imaginations, while a few disagreed. 61.0% said that electronic games did not cause the children to lack good behavior. The survey also showed that electronic games do not cause the children to be skilled in terms of their self expression, and do not cause them visual stress. On the issue concerning obesity, the percentage of the respondents who said that electronic games caused children to be obese was equal to the fraction that disagreed.

Video games are a more interesting form of entertainment for the simple reason that players may become part of the game’s plot. Video games were invented for many years now. However, the current variety of games raised concerns about how they affect the children 's behavior due to the fact that the games are becoming more sophisticated. Children spend most of their free time playing video games. Sometimes children refrain from completing important duties and dedicate all of their time playing video games. PlayStation and Xbox are some of the most popular video game consoles and for the past 30 years video games took part of many people’s daily activities especially the children. The video games, graphics and capabilities have increased tremendously particularly in the last decade. The first generation of video games thirty years ago was just simple geometric shapes controlled by the game player. However, the latest generation of games has graphics and capabilities that mimic real life scenarios. Hence, the games became even more popular among children, more worryingly the games have characters that the children’s view as heroes and role models.

When it comes to emerging adulthood, video games is controversial topic on whether it is beneficial, non-beneficial, or possibly a mix of both. Emerging adulthood can be defined as the period of someone’s life from the age of 18-25, in which they explore the possibilities of multiple life decisions. My early emerging adulthood years consisted of playing multiple video games, to be specific, massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG or MMO for short). There are many different versions of MMO but they all share the characteristics of keeping up with multiple variables, swift decision making, and retaining a vast amount of information. These requirements had long lasting beneficial effects on my mental processes, decision-making, memory, perception and awareness. On the other hand, it negatively affected my self-esteem, physical fitness and connection with my family. This paper will ultimately examine the effects of video games on my late emerging adulthood years within the context of the four domains of human development, cognitive, social, emotional, and physiological.

Video games have always been the subject of some type of controversy. Debates exist over whether or not playing them for too long is detrimental to your health, or if they have any positive aspects at all. Research indicates that gaming for long periods of time is not healthy, whereas light or occasional gaming yields benefits to reactions and skills when working under pressure. However, one aspect of video games always rears its head whenever some empathy-depraved soul commits an atrocity upon innocent people using guns. Namely, whether or not violent video games cause people to commit acts of violence. Despite the continuing controversy, evidence has proven that the people negatively affected by video game violence are those who learn from mimicking others; children and, to a lesser degree, adolescents; specifically, boys. However, violent video games do not warp children’s minds due to their content. Video games with crude content are not to blame for public massacres because they do not increase personal hostility, instead harmlessly releasing aggression akin to sports, and even if violent video games did raise hostility, they are marked on an age-dictated scale to inform those who may be concerned. The average human being has a moral compass strong enough to understand that violence for the sake of violence is wrong. If a human being has the capacity to kill innocent people or animals without any remorse, then video games will not likely make them much worse.

Controversy about video games continue to escalate between parents and gamers, regarding the psychological effect of simulated, realistic, and 3D violence on the minds of young children and growing teenagers. Yet, research shows that video games contribute very little to today’s everyday violence, despite complaints and concerns that games influence a child’s normal behavior. Technology is a way of life in today’s world, computers are used by toddlers, adolescents, and adults alike. No matter what career path a person chooses, the computer plays an essential role in the job. The more our technology progresses and as our industry grows stronger, computers and electronic entertainment will grow to be found everywhere around the world. This includes videogames.

Parents have been torn on whether video games impose positive or negative behaviors within our adolescent. With new video games being created and the complexity standards being raised, the concentration levels have increased causing the brain and hands to work harder and faster. This will continue to help the video games through life with the handling