Down with Video Games

By Sophya Hulme
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Video games have become so widespread that many believed they're of no practical use.

Through research and study I have come to the realization that there are benefits that are specific

to playing video games. This doesnt mean that the more you play the more benefits youll

experience. In reality the positives of gaming can be achieved within a short amount of time. I

would like to go over negative consequences and positive results of playing video games as well

as how to win the best of both worlds.

I havent liked games for a long time. I had some preconceived idea of the contributions

games gave to the world, or lack thereof. Like a drug, gaming is addictive, people can spend 14-

16 hours a day when in the thick of addiction. It doesnt seem like such a big deal at first when

compared to addictive drugs, pornography, or alcohol. Only those that have had to live with

video game addicts can truly understand the pain and seriousness of its hold. There are entire

forums dedicated for the families of gamers. On one such site, called Gamer Widow, you can

read hundreds of stories about gamer spouses, with countless comments per story. These spouses

are heartbroken as if their significant others have died. If that doesnt prove the commonness of

video game addictions then I should note that the Sidebar to those forums are filled with forums

and blogs about overcoming gaming. When playing violent video games, players become more

accepting of violence in general. There was a study done by Brad Bushman, co-author and

Professor of Communication and Psychology at Ohio State University, which addressed

aggression as well as one's empathy for victims of domestic violence, before and after playing a

violent game. The study shows that the more someone relates to their player in the game and the

longer they play it the more they condone violence. Having felt a loss in a close relationship due

to the community of E-sports and competitive gaming, I have little respect for the industry of
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professional gaming or game creators. Instead of creating something less addictive so that

players could have fun but still participate in life, they do anything they can to keep the players

drawn in. With roughly 19.9 billion U.S. dollars revenue in the year 2016 I can see why they

have a hard time considering the consequences of their product.

Despite all the negative slander about video games, most are actually very useful when

used correctly. Many studies show a lot of benefits can come from playing games. They can

improve your eyesight; in 2012, researchers from Canada's McMaster University discovered that

playing video games can drastically improve the eyesight of the visually impaired. The

subjects in this study had cataracts in both eyes. Even though the subjects had had the problem

fixed through surgery and special contact lenses in early childhood, they still had trouble reading

small print, following moving objects and identifying faces. However, after playing a first-

person shooter video game for 40 hours over a month-long period, the patient's vision improved

enough that they could read one or two lines further down on a standard optician's eye chart.

They also became better at following the direction of movement, detecting slow rates of flicker

and distinguishing between faces. Not all of us have cataracts of course, but it doesnt mean this

type of exercise couldnt help others. In many instances video games helps them to learn to cope

with stressful situations and maintain a calm demeanor while doing so. There is proof that

playing games like Mario Cart for a short amount of time each day can strengthen our brain.

When looking at a study by leading scientist Simone Khn on the effects of prolonged video

game exposure on the brains of young adults. He found that several areas of grey matter

expanded significantly. The subjects only played 30 minutes a day. Focusing on a finite field of

vision while having to remember several other objectives and how to accomplish them
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simultaneously, helps the player develop multiple different mental capacities. Gamers have even

shown that they can identify target objects within their line of sight faster and with more

accuracy than non-gamers with this practice.

The most beneficial gain to be had from playing video games would be the benefit to

people with mental disabilities. This is a large group of people that truly struggle to keep pase

with those around them. Bernie Good is a Cyberpsychologist that studies the psychology of

gamers. In the art of being happy gamers actually have a leg up on others in some ways he

says. All of us have a need to feel competent, meaningful connections to others, and a master of

our own destiny. On competency, its much easier for gamers to measure, with their mastery of a

game and moving up through levels its not difficult for them to see their competence. The need

to relate to others is also created when playing multiplayer games or sharing their results on

social media. Being a master of your own destiny is the most obvious task fulfilled. When you

think of how a gamer can choose what game, player, and path they want to take, it seems clear

how they are masters of their own destiny within the game. Aside from the social and self-

fulfillment aspect, games can help multiple different types of mental disabilities, one major one

in particular is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, or ADHD. A recently postulated theory

by Jeff Hamilton states that games like Tetris where they player has to stay focused longer in

order to achieve more points and even more in depth role playing games on a Playstation or

xBox where they do have to develop a character and complete tasks in order to achieve certain

awards or ranks is good to help develop the capacity for concentration and singular task

progression. Hamilton believes that if we were to reduce the old prejudices of our society about

games and focus on how they could help the recovery and development of common people as
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well as those who have physical or mental disabilities then more people with these disorders

could seek a more natural treatment instead of costly medical treatments.

Taking into consideration the obvious effects of gaming and also the less known benefits,

were able to determine that gaming as a whole is a positive reinforcement in modern society. It

allows for social interaction, several physical growth and rehabilitation methods, plus multiple

uses for mental development. Knowing that people may use these reasons as excuses to play for

hours on end, we simply need to remember that the studies showed that only 30 minutes per day

of game play is what it takes for the continuation of those benefits. I started out with the intent to

undermine and dissuade people from playing games, but now I have developed an appreciation

for what they do for friends and family and society as a whole when used moderately. In the

words of Dr. Bavelier: ...when we think about the effect of video games on the brain, it's very

similar to the effect of wine on the health. There are some very poor uses of wine. There are

some very poor uses of video games. But when consumed in reasonable doses, and at the right

age, wine [and video games] can be very good for health.

Bibliography

KHN, S., GLEICH, T., LORENZ, R. C., LINDENBERGER, U. AND GALLINAT, J. (2017)
Playing Super Mario induces structural brain plasticity: gray matter changes resulting from
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training with a commercial video game. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24166407

BAVELIER, D.
Bavelier, D. (2017). Your brain on video games Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FktsFcooIG8&feature=youtu.be [Accessed 28 Nov. 2017].

Collins, N. Playing video games 'improves eyesight' (2017)Available at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/9088262/Playing-video-games-
improves-eyesight.html

MYROW, S. AND TAYLOR, M. GamerWidow.com (2017). Available at:

http://gamerwidow.com/

Kingpinlifestyle.com.(2017). How to Quit Playing Video Games FOREVER. Available at:

http://kingpinlifestyle.com/how-to-quit-playing-video-games/

HAMILTON, J. Treating ADHD with Video Games (2017). Available at:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/pills-dont-teach-skills/201108/treating-adhd-video-
games