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UlisesLopez
Ms.Filbeck
English091
12/10/2104
VideoGamesMoreThanJustAFormofEntertainment
Manychildrennowadaysandadultstoplayvideogamesallthetimewhetheritstohave
fun,playcompetitivelyorjustforgotabouttheday.Butonewayoranothervideogamesinso
manywaysthanwhatpeoplerealize.Somemaysayvideogamesareahugefactorintowhy
childrenareobese,lesssocial,andviolent.Butpeoplejustdontseethebigpicturewhenit
comestoplayingvideogames,manypeoplealreadyhavethisstereotypicalideaofvideogames
thattheyrefusetohearotheropinionsorfacts.Certainvideogamesreallyhelpoutmorethan
whatpeoplethinksuchasithelpsvarietyofbrainfunctionsforexampledecisionmaking.Italso
helpskidsbemoresocialandmakenewfriendssincemostgamesnowadayshavecertain
onlinemodes.Alsocertainvideogamescanteachsolvingskills,creativityand.canalsobring
familiestogetherwithgameslikeWiiSportsorWiiPartyU.Videogameshavereallyevolved
thanwhattheywerebackinthe80sor90stheycandosomuchmorethanjustaformof
entertainment.
Videogamescanhelpthebraingrowinmanyvarietyofwayssuchasdecisionmaking.
improvedreflexes,strategicplanning,andmemoryformation.InthearticleTheAthletesWay
byChristopherBergland,talksaboutacertainstudywheretheytookagroupofpeoplewhoplay
videogamesandagroupwhodidntplayvideogamesandobservedhowtheirbrainsreacted.
Theyfoundthatvideogamingcanstimulateneurogenesis(growthofneurons)andconnectivity


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inthebrainregion(Bergland).Theconnectivityinthebrainregionisresponsibleforthings
suchasspatialorientation,memoryformation,strategicplanning,andalsomotorskills.Allthat
stimulationgoingonthroughthebrainjustbyplayingvideogamesisoutstanding.Therewas
alsogrowthintherighthippocampus,rightprefrontalcortex,andthecerebellum.Thesebrain
regionsareinvolvedinfunctionssuchasspatialnavigation,memoryformation,strategic
planning,andmotorskillsofthehand(Bergland).Ofcoursethisdoesntmeanbyplayingvideo
gamesthewholedaywillhelpimprovethebrainsubstantiallybutanhourorsoshouldbegood
enoughtoseeimprovement.Videogamescandosomuchtohelpimprovethebrainthanwhat
peoplethink.
Manythinkthatifoneplaysvideogamesallthetimeitcausesthemtobeisolated,which
causesthemtobelesssociable.Buttherearemanygamesthathaveonlinemodesoraremeant
tobeplayedagainstotherrealpeople.SuchasgameslikeCallofDutyBlackOps,Leagueof
Legends,orMinecraftthesegamesbringsfriendsandnewfriendstogethertosimplyhavefunor
competeagainstoneanother.Inanarticlecalled8ReasonVideoGamesCanImproveYour
ChildbyCherylOlson,Sc,D.ShegoesontosayBoysweremorelikelytoplayvideogames
withagroupoffriendseitherinthesameroomoronline(Olson).Theseboysalsogoontosay
thatvideogamesaretheirmainconversationstartersamongtheirfriends.Videogamescanbring
peopletogetherwhomtheywouldnthaveotherwisebyplayingthesamegametheybothlike.In
myownexperienceIreallydontlikethegameCallofDutyBlackOpsandtheonlytimeIplay
itiswhenmyfriendsareonlinetoplaywith.Itsadifferentexperiencewhenitswithyour
friendsbecauseitsnotsomuchaboutcompetitionbutmoreaboutjustabouthavingfunand
havingsomegoodlaughs.Gamescanalsobeusedtomakenewfriendsorawaytohangout


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withfriendsthatcanbefunandmaybetheircanpossiblybeamemorablemomentthatpeople
canmakealongtheway.

Therearentjustgamesforteensorchildrensthereisalsogamesforthefamilytoplayto
bringthemtogether.Manyfamiliesdonthavetimetobetogethersomeparentsareworking
longhoursandtheirkidsarejustdoingotheractivities.InanarticlecalledBringingFamily
TogetherWithVideoGamessaysOneofthebestwaysparentscanspendtimeasacomplete
familywiththeirchildrenisadoptingtheiractivities(BringingFamilyTogetherWithVideo
Games).Italsostatesthatina2007Nelsonstudy,fortyonepercentofallU.S.homeshaveat
leastonevideogameconsoleintheirhome.Imaginethatclosetohalfofallamericanshavea
consoleintheirhome.Whynotgivetheconsoleatrytofurtheryourrelationshipwithyour
familyandhavefunalongtheway.Playingvideogameswithyourchildrenisafunexperience
forexampleIhaveaWiiandIplayWiiSportswithmyfamilyorMarioParty8whichofcourse
myparentsdontfullyunderstandwhatsgoingonforcertainthingsbutitdoesntmatteraslong
aswerehavingfunandhavingsomegoodlaughs.Videogameslikethesecanreallycreatea
bondingexperiencethatnootheractivitiesorothertypesofentertainmentwouldhavedoneto
bringafamilytogethertosimplyforgettheirproblemsforabitandjusthavefunandagood
time.
Somepeoplemightarguethatvideogamesonlycauseviolence,obesity,lesssociable
andtheyarejustonebigwasteoftime.Yessomegamesareviolentandcanbethecauseof
certainkidsbeingmoreviolent.ButthereareratingsforthesetypesofgamessuchasratedM
formaturesothereisabsolutelynowayfora14yearoldtogetahandoftheseviolentgames.
Unlessandadultorparentdoesntreallycareordoesntreallypayattentiontowhathiskidis


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buying.Attheendofthedaytheadultdecidesifhisorherkidplaystheseviolentvideogames
andtheconsequencesthatcomewithplayingthesegames.Thereisalsothebigargumentthat
videogamescancausedepressionbutinthearticleVideoGamesAreGoodForYoupeople
whohavebeendiagnosedwithdepressionwereaskedtoplayagamecalledSPARX.Inmany
casesthegamereducedsymptomsofdepressionthanconventionaltreatments.Therewas
anotherresearchwheretheyFoundthatplayingTetrisshortlyafterexposuretosomethingvery
upsettingintheexperimentcanpreventpeoplehavedisturbingflashbacks.Videogamescan
havesuchanoutstandingeffectsphysicallyandmentallythatpeopleneverreallyrecognize.
Videogamesoffersomuchinsomanywaysforittobemoreharmthangood.Itsable
tocreateabondingexperienceforfamilieswhoreallydonthavemuchtimetobetogether.
Videogamescanhelpsomuchphysicallyandmentallysuchasbeingabletoenhancethebrain
inmanyvarietyofwaysuchasreflexes,creativity,memoryformation,andalsomotorskills.It
canalsohelpalleviatesomesymptomsfordepressionwaybetterthanothertypesoftreatments
wouldhavedoneotherwise.Ofcoursethisdoesntmeankidsorfamiliesshouldbeplaying
videogamesallthetimebutatleastanhourshouldbefine.Thereisalsomanyviolentgamesout
therethatsomeparentsareworriedabouttheirkidsplaying.Butattheendofthedaythese
violentgameshaveratingonthemsothereforethesekidscantgoouttoastoreandbuyitby
themselves.Theywouldneedanadultfiguretobuyitforthemsoiftheparentisfinebuyingthe
gamethensobeit.Theparenthasthecontrolwhetheriftheywouldliketobuyaviolentvideo
gameornotsothistopicshouldntreallybeanissueforadultsandtheirkids.Videogameshave
grownsincetheywerefirstmadeandeventhoughmanyspeculatetheyarethecauseofviolence,


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obesity,depression,etconchildrenthereisalsoagoodsidetovideogamesthatpeopleshould
alsosee.

Bergland,Christopher."VideoGamingCanIncreaseBrainSizeandConnectivity."
PsychologyToday:Health,Help,Happiness+FindaTherapist.N.p.,31Oct.2013.
Web.18Oct.2014.

"BringingFamilyTogetherWithVideoGames."FamilyCopyrightFreeContent.N.p.,n.d.
Web.20Oct.2014.

Olson,Cheryl,Sc.D."8ReasonsVideoGamesCanImproveYourChild."ParentsMagazine.
N.p.,n.d.Web.20Oct.2014.