The Effects of Video Games

The Effects of Video Games Anthony W Simpson University of North Carolina Charlotte 03/29/14

The Effects of Video Games

Assignment Two Terms Grand Theft Auto- A violent videogame that is very popular in todays gaming community. It involves gang violence, killing, drugs, sex, and vulgar language. NBA 2k13- A basketball game. Quake 3- It is a very fast pace shooting game that is mostly multiplayer. Skyrim- It is a role playing game in which you have to protect the world of Skyrim from the return of dragons. Call of Duty- A fast paced first person shooter, mostly known from its multiplayer gameplay. Wii-habilitation- Doctors are using the Nintendo Wii to help patients with their rehabilitation. First person shooter- First person shooters are games that display only the guns as if you were actually holding them. Observational learning- This is when you have watched something for so long that you start to do what you were observing. Introduction When was the last time you played a video game? Or the last time you saw a commercial for one? Video games are very common now, and people of all ages play them. The media has many different outlooks on them some positive, and some negative. This paper explores the implications of playing video games; more specifically we will examine how games such as Grand Theft Auto impact gamers emotions, hand eye coordination, and problem solving skills. I personally think video games are a great thing to have and consider myself a part of the gaming figured world. I play all sorts of games, mostly violent games like Grand Theft Auto, but also more relaxing games like NBA 2k13. With the new generation of gaming consoles recently

The Effects of Video Games

being released, this is a great time for the gaming community, and also a great time for the media to critique the effects of playing video games. The only time you ever really hear about video games in the media is when there is a tragedy involving the mass murder of many innocent people. The media constantly tries to link violent video games to these horrific cases. My stance on the topic is that I do think videogames may cause a little more aggression, but not to the point where you could link it up with murder cases. Literature Review Grand Theft Auto Five involves three main characters that pull of heists like robbing banks and jewelry stores. Michael is a retired con who comes out of retirement when he owes money to a drug lord. Franklin is a gang member who decides to help Michael for a higher paying lifestyle. Trevor is the psycho of the group that has a history of robbing banks with Michael. They all get involved with corrupt FIB agents (the games version of the FBI) and get stuck doing jobs for them, which leads to more robberies and assassinations. In this game there is a lot of gang and criminal violence. There is also a very graphic torture scene which questions the ethics of this game (Simpson). Another game in the Grand Theft Auto Series is GTA San Adreas. GTA San Adreas was the top selling game in 2004 -2005, with more than 40 million copies sold globally. A lot of politicians think that violent games are starting to become out of control. A hack within the game called hot coffee allowed players to be able to have sex with other characters in the game. This raise a lot of questions for what games should be available for children. In San Adreas you play as a guy named CJ who is framed for a crime when he returns to San Adreas for his moms funeral. Gameplay includes shooting or running over random civilians, or just following along the main story line which involves gang violence. Washington

The Effects of Video Games

State conducted a study and found that there was no evidence that violent videogames translate to real violence (DeVane, 2008). There have been many studies to understand how violent video games affect the gamers. The game they used for this study was Quake 3. They compared how playing Quake 3 for a longer time affected the players anger differently from when playing for a shorter period of time. They claimed that playing for a short period of time had a larger effect on their anger. They also included different reasons some people may get angrier than others. For example, someone who is not as good at the game may get angrier because of failing to succeed in the game. Someone who plays violent video games regularly and are skillful may not be affected by playing these games. Gender was also looked at in this study. They wanted to see how differently girls reacted to playing violent games from guys. They found that guys enjoyed playing the violent video games more than the girls (Armitage, 2012). When children kill people, it causes the media to wonder what caused those kids to have so much anger and be so violent. Observational learning is one thought, if you observe something for a long time, eventually you may do it. It also describes what children go through when playing violent videogames. They often take the role as the aggressor in these games, and are usually awarded for doing violent things. Children are increasing their tolerance for violence, by playing these violent games. They also found that when children play videogames their arousal levels increases; from a study with college students, their heart rate increased after playing a virtual reality game. One hypothesis was that violent videogames have more of a positive effect on boys, but has more of a negative effect on girls (Fleming, 2001).

The Effects of Video Games

During a hearing on the effect the media has on people, they discuss how children are being subjected to very violent profane things not suitable for their age. They also want to help protect children from all the violence in the media and videogames, because its bad for our culture and society. One of the senator states that it weakens our society as a whole. Another senator talks about how agrees, with the other senator but theres just so many loop holes. He gives an example on how easy it is for children to get ahold of violent things without their parents knowing. There are tools available for parents to use to prevent their children from seeing all of the violence portrayed in the media, its still not enough and not very effective. There isnt much that they can do to prevent this though because of constitutional constraints (U.S. Congress, 2007). Video games are basically forcing kids to think faster, in particularly action games. Even though video games are often paired with increasing anxiety, stress, obesity, and aggressiveness, they can also be a very positive thing. There are positive benefits for children playing videogames violent or non-violent. Since video games present problems that are different, or unusual, they help improve gamers critical-thinking skills, since they are required to solve them relatively fast. Video games also improve social skills since they often involve players to interact with each other to reach a common goal within the game or solve problems. A study at Deakin University in Australia found that gamers have better motor skills, and are better at things like kicking, catching, or throwing a ball, than non-gamers. Video games are also a place where people can release pent-up stress, frustration, and aggression (Weber). Although there has been research for the negative effects of playing videogames, like addiction, depression, and aggression, playing videogames can help increase cognitive skills like special navigation, reasoning, memory and perception. Video games are beneficial for education

The Effects of Video Games

because of the importance of spatial skills for achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Video games can also help improve a players mood and help them relax. Gamers arent anti-social or socially isolated from everyone else. Studies have shown that more than 70% of gamers play with a friend, and multiplayer games has become social communities. Playing violent video games improves a players capacity to think about objects in three dimensions just as good as actual academic courses designed to do the exact same thing. Gamers can also build an emotional resilience by learning to cope with their in-game failures, which they can benefit from in their everyday lives (Bowen, 2014). One of the positive things that come from playing videogames is improving players hand-eye coordination. Games like Nintendos Wii-habilitation, focus on real life movements from different sports, and help increase patients recovery time, and help them develop the skills needed for the sports they play. Studies have shown that surgeons who played video games are more skillful and make fewer errors than those who dont. Playing video games also improves your special awareness, gamers are more aware of their surroundings and when performing tasks like driving they are more likely to spot a child running after a ball than someone who doesnt play videogames. Video games can also be used to rehabilitate the visually impaired and they also can help train soldiers. Gamers can track things 30% better than non-gamers because of increased visual awareness (Roach, 2003). Action games may affect the brain in a positive way. Gamers scored higher on a test to probe the effects congenital deafness on visual attention because of them playing the action games Counter-Strike and Team Fortress Classic (Fleming, 2013). Enter the Conversation

The Effects of Video Games

I have played video games for a relatively long time. I got my very first PlayStation One when I was around eight years old and ever since have been buying the new consoles whenever they came out. Me being an avid gamer can agree and disagree with some of the proclaimed effects of playing videogames. While playing first person shooter games I do sometimes get frustrated and pissed off, especially with games like Call of Duty. This usually happens when Im not doing well in the game stat wise, or because of other players in the game. Games like Call of Dutys multiplayer can cause a lot of anger simply because of some of the people that play them. Since videogames have become into more of a social community, like social communities there are good and bad things about them. Not everyone is so nice and friendly; a lot of these communities involve little children just trying to piss off anyone with taunts and insults. My experience with playing videogames has also had positive effects too. The reason I started playing videogames was because I didnt really have much to do at home, and it was one of the things I just enjoyed doing. After a long day at school and doing homework, playing Xbox with my friends was a great way to relax. Playing videogames were a good way to get away from things that were stressful, like homework. Even now I still play videogames after I do a lot of homework, or study, because it helps ease my mind and not worry so much about school. It was also just a good way to put me in a better mood. Some of the games I play often have puzzles within them that you have to solve in order to move to the next level or mission. So I would agree that playing videogames can help increase your problem solving skills, since most games incorporate these skills within them. Games like Skyrim have many puzzles in them. For example, there are some missions in which you have to open hidden doors or gates, through a series of buttons you have to push based on a pattern on a

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wall. Stuff as simple as this can be hard for some people and overcoming plenty of problems like this is definitely a positive thing for your problem solving skills. I find that videogames can positively affect things like reaction times and spatial awareness. When I play Call of Duty online, I play on the highest controller sensitivity, which effects how fast you aim your gun. From prior experience to first person shooters, Im able to easily control the characters movement without any problems. Most people when they first try playing videogames like Call of Duty it is nearly impossible for them to control their character and make sense of all the things happening. Call of Duty especially, is a very fast paced game. There are explosions coming at you from everywhere, other players shooting at you, and you have to have very good reaction speeds in order for you to be successful. Conclusion Video games have many different effects on us gamers. Some positive effects are that it increases hand-eye coordination, makes you more social, improves spatial awareness, and problem solving skills. Some negative effects are addictions, and increased aggressiveness (Bowen, 2014). Overall I think video games have been given a very bad name because of the media. The positive aspects of them are hardly ever talked about, but instead they have become the blame for people who behave violently. For further research on how video games affect people is by simply playing games yourself. Try to see if you act any differently, positive or negative, and also ask people if they notice anything different about the way you behave.

The Effects of Video Games

References Bowen, L. (2014, Febuary). Video game play may provide learning, health, social benefits, review finds. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/video-game.aspx DeVane, B., & Squire, K. (January 01, 2008). The Meaning of Race and Violence in Grand Theft Auto. Games and Culture, 3, 3-4. Fleming, M. J., & Rick, W. D. J. (October 01, 2001). Effects of Violent Versus Nonviolent Video Games on Children's Arousal, Aggressive Mood, and Positive Mood. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 31, 10, 2047-2071. Fleming, N. (2013, August 26). Why video games may be good for you. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130826-can-video-games-be-good-for-you Roach, J. (2003, May 28). Video games boost visual skills, study finds. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0528_030528_videogames.html Simpson, A. (2014). Discourse observation analysis.

The Effects of Video Games

United States. (2012). The impact of media violence on children: Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, June 26, 2007. Washington: U.S. G.P.O. Weber, L. (n.d.). Everyday life global post. Retrieved from http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/positive-effects-video-games-children-16317.html