Video Games: A Boon When In Good Hands - Research Paper Example

?Video Games: A Boon When In Good Hands Introduction Media is one of the most influential aspects of human life. It has a strong hold on people’s thoughts, decision making and behavior pattern. Especially, young people are affected and influenced by media to a great extent. Hence, most of the people blame media for everything wrong that happens with young people. It is not surprising to know that video games, which are one of the strongest aspects of media, are becoming target of people’s rage and resistance. Video games have become an inseparable part of young people’s lives. Due to its attractive nature, interactive element and thrilling experience, it has caught the fancy of young people all around the world. However, the adults think that video games are cause of violent behavior in children and young people. The concern about negative effects of video games on adolescents has led to many researches in the field of psychology and medicine. However, it was found that since the 1990’s the rates of all violent crimes have been dropping drastically and dramatically (Freedman 8). Also, the rates of crime and homicides are dropping when the violence and bloodshed on television and video games are gorier than at any other time (Freedman 8). This shows that the popularity of violent video games has nothing to do with the rates of actual crimes (Freedman 8). Contrary to the belief that video games affect young people negatively, researches have found that video games enhance the good behavior, social skills and educational skills in them. However, researches have also found that playing violent video games for long period of time do have negative impact on the physiology and behavior of a person. But it can be said that it is not the video game, but the choice and the time spent by player in playing game that is responsible in generating the effects of video games. Hence, it is not the video games that are harmful, but it is the way in which it is utilized that decides its effect on player and so the players should see to it that they play healthy video games and keep themselves from getting addicted to it. Social benefits The positive effects of video games are not just based on assumptions but are proved true by ample amount of research studies (Gunter 115). The literature providing the evidence for positive psychological effects of video games on young people has been growing with time (Gunter 115). The evidence provided through these literatures is based on the research conducted in clinical treatment settings to study the effects of video games on youngsters, and not just on the informal observations of the effects of video games on the player (Gunter 115). Interestingly, the understanding that video games make young people isolated and lonely, is also proved wrong. In fact, it has been found that playing video games increases the social skill of young people. Study by Favaro (1982) has reveled that young people can increase their social skills by playing video games (Gunter 115). This happens mostly when young people get together with people from their own age group and go to arcades or video game parlors to play video games (Gunter 115). Egli and Meyers (1984) found that development of friendship and social interaction takes place at arcades (Gunter 116). This was similar to the act of sharing and copying of games software which encouraged the Shotton’s computer game dependants to contact and develop friendship with other players (Gunter 116). The fun, competition, thrills and discussion about the games that take place between the young people in group enhances their social interactions and social skills. Hence, the idea that playing video games make children insensitive to others, or socially incapable, is wrong. Not only that, but video games are found to be beneficial in family bonding also. Research by Mitchell (1985), to study the effects of playing home video games on family members revealed that home video games increases the bonding between family members (Gunter 115). By creating an environment of gentle competition and cooperation among family members, home video games promote family interactions (Gunter 115). These interactions are beneficial in nature as it bring the family together by making them spend time in doing the same activity, i.e. playing video games (Gunter 115). No research study has been able to provide the evidence to the concern that the generation of children playing video games will grow to be lonely and withdrawn from others (Gunter 115). On the other hand, the studies have proved that the children’s bonding with family members and friends increases with playing video games. Moreover, video games also do not harm young people’s other activities. Creasy and Myers (1986) conducted a study to find if children’s leisure activities, school work and peer contact is affected by the presence of home video games (Gunter 115). They found that neither home video games nor playing video games regularly, affect the three activities of in children’s life (Gunter 115). This proves that playing video games is not harmful in any way but is in fact beneficial. There are many research studies that prove the positive effects of video games even on social behavior of the players. Gentile et al. (2009) found that undergraduates engage in more prosocial activities after playing a prosocial video game (Holder 78). Study by Greitemeyer and Osswald (2010) revealed that participants were much more likely to engage in prosocial behavior like “helping a harassed experimenter, helping the experimenter pick up spilled pencils, and volunteering for future experiments” after playing prosocial video game for 8-10 minutes (Holder 78). The similar results in behavioral effects of playing prosocial games were also observed in children. In a study conducted by Chen et al (2009) on Singaporean children, it was found that the overall prosocial traits and behaviors of children showed positive relationship with the amount they spent in playing prosocial video games (Holder 78). Interestingly, a study by Greitemeyer and Osswald (2009) also revealed that playing prosocial games not only encouraged prosocial behavior pattern in children but also generated prosocial thoughts in their minds (Holder 78). In an experiment by Greitemeyer et al. (2010), conducted on children playing prosocial game called Lemmings for 10 minutes and children playing a neutral puzzle video game called Tetris for 10 minutes, it was found that in children playing Lemmings, the anti-social affects were decreased while the prosocial affects and interpersonal empathy got increased (Holder 78). It was concluded that the prosocial behavior displayed by children and young people playing prosocial video games can be the result of prosocial thoughts and emotions the prosocial video games generate (Holder 78). However, it has been found that the benefits of video games are not limited only to increasing the bonding with friends and family. The benefits of video games also extend to the intellectual and educational development of the young people. Intellectual benefits Playing video games is not an easy thing to do. It needs a lot of physical and mental co-ordination skill. Study by Myers (1984) found that the relationship between player and the video game evolves with every stage of the video game (Gunter 116). Every stage of the video game needs a player to apply certain skill or intellectual ability to pass it. The rules of the video games are learnt by the player in the beginning of the game (Gunter 116). Then, the player evaluates and judges the rules of the game (Gunter 116). After judging and evaluating the rules, the player adopts those rules that he finds beneficial for winning the game (Gunter 116). The player derives the complimentary benefits of the experience of different stages, i.e. identifying, assessing and adopting the rules of playing video game (Gunter 116). This also benefits the player’s confidence as the sense of self-worth is improved on the part of the player due to self-motivated mastery of the game (Gunter 115). In this way, researches have provided the evidence of positive effects of video games on adolescents. However, it has been found that violent video games generate the feeling of aggression, develops aggressive behavior and affects the empathy towards others (Lee and Peng 328). Also, a study by Dominick (1984) found that violent video games are mostly played by young people who have poor self-concept (Potter 122). However, even though the negative effects of video games are proved by researches, the fact remains that the negative effects are from those video games which are violent in nature (Lee and Peng 328). Fortunately, not all the video games are negative in nature. In 2002, number of links between video games and adolescents were studied by Steve Durkin and Bonnie Barber, the Active Media researchers (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca 230). The number of participants was 1304 and their average age was sixteen (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca 230). On the basis of video games usage, three groups were formed and they were rated on variables like “family closeness, activity involvement, positive school engagement, positive mental health, substance use, self-concept, friendship network and disobedience” (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca 230). The study concluded that computer games can have positive influence in developing healthy adolescence (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca 230). This shows that video games are not as negative as they are thought to be. They have great benefits when they are used intelligently and in controlled manner. Moreover, a study by Loftus and Loftus (1983) has revealed that no matter what the purpose of video games, whether entertainment or education, it is found to support the development of intellectual growth and social interaction (Gunter 116). Moreover, according to Bowman (1982), playing computer game removes the sense of bitter competition by decreasing the competitiveness and increasing the cooperativeness between players, as playing video games involves a competition between a player and the software, and not between one player and another (Gunter 116). Hence, by removing the bitterness in game, it boosts healthy competition and also provides “an ideal environment for development of competence, self-determination and status” (Gunter 116). In this way, video games can help in developing a healthy social image in young people. Also, video games are found to develop certain important physical skills. Video game as therapy Lynch (1981) found that people suffering from certain cognitive and perceptual-motor disorders can be trained with the aid of video games (Gunter 116). Loftus and Loftus (1983) studied a case of a teenage girl who got involved in a car accident and suffered from brain damage (Gunter 116). The brain damage caused the disorder of spelling dyspraxia, i.e. sudden inability to spell, in the girl (Gunter 116). To treat the disorder, the help of video game was taken twice a week (Gunter 116). The game, called ‘Hangman,’ involved two people guessing letters in a word, where a portion of ‘hangman,’ as a penalty, was added to the game if the letter guessed was incorrect (Gunter 116). It was found that the problem of dyspraxia was significantly reduced after two months of treatment (Gunter 116). Hence, it is not surprising to know that number of video game therapy centers was established in the United States by the early 1080’s (Gunter 116). Variety of cognitive disorders was treated in these centers with some success (Gunter 116). Also, the fact that these treatments could be carried out at patient’s home by delivering the video games to them proved very beneficial and advantageous for patients (Gunter 116). According to Gardner (1991), child therapists have been using games as an aspect of therapy from log time (Gunter 117). Hence, rapid evolution of new technologies has also evolved the therapeutic process by introducing new computer-based games as tools of therapy (Gunter 117). Spence (1988) and Gardner (1991) have found that video games help in developing therapist’s rapport with the patients, and in controlling and shaping their behavior, and hence, is especially effective with young patients (Gunter 117). Gardner (1991) has found that video games serve as a tool for excellent opportunities for observation of behavior in patients during psychotherapy sessions by providing a common platform for therapist and patients (Gunter 117). Reduction of perception of pain Studies have found that playing video games benefits in reducing the pain perception (Kirsh 65). Both, the observed and the self-reported pain perception, in childhood and adolescence have been found to be benefited through video games (Kirsh 65). In their study of children between 8 to 12-years, Gold et al. (2006) found that playing virtual reality video games reduced the pain that is perceived during the placement of IV (Kirsh 65). This is also because of the nature of virtual reality video games. The immersive, highly visual, three dimensional environment, involving the stereoscopic displays of virtual reality make the experience of interacting with the characters in game very ‘real’ (Kirsh 65). Hence, the player ‘experiences’ moving through the video game rather than just watching the video game (Kirsh 65). This distracts the attention of the player from the pain and helps in reducing the feeling of pain. In this way, video games are also found to be helpful in providing young patients a relief from pain and in reducing the distress during the treatment. The other reason behind video game’s ability to reduce pain is the altered state of consciousness. Any state of consciousness that is different from a normal waking state is known as the ‘altered state of consciousness’ (Kirsh 66). Hence, the undesirable conscious experiences such as pain can be easily ignored by putting a person in altered state of consciousness through methods like meditation, hypnosis, drug use or sleep, which are known to human beings from ancient times (Kirsh 66). However, medical practitioners have discovered a new tool to put patients, particularly young patients, to an altered state of consciousness and that new tool is the video games. Two states of altered consciousness, i.e. absorption and flow, can be achieved with the help of video games (Kirsh 66). The integration of cognitions, emotions and experiences are suspended during the state of psychological absorption (Kirsh 66). This means that the real world goes unnoticed as the things happening to the person, or around the person, are not processed, thought about and experienced by the person in usual manner (Kirsh 66). Hence, the emotional states and the passage of time are not perceived by the person who is intensely absorbed in a particular task (Kirsh 66). However, the altered state of ‘flow’ has a more powerful effect on person than ‘absorption’ because during absorption, some negative experiences such as frustration can come to the consciousness, but in altered state of ‘flow,’ no negative emotions surface to the consciousness (Kirsh 66). Hence, achieving completion of a task in altered state of ‘flow’ gives individuals an intense feeling of joy and unparalleled success (Kirsh 66). Study by Funk, Chan, Brouwer and Curtis (2006) has revealed that people who perform a task in a flow state can meet any difficult challenge with an ease, as the psychological state of flow maximizes their physical and cognitive skills to a great extent (Kirsh 66). Hence, if the pain procedure is carried out after the young person is completely absorbed in the video game, then the experience of the pain can be reduced to a great extend (Kirsh 66). In this way, the altered states of absorption and flow, which can be achieved by playing video games, can reduce the perception of pain in patients. Hence, video games are highly effective and affordable tools for reducing the experience of pain in patients. There are many other therapeutic uses of video games. For example, people with attention related difficulties are treated with the aid of video games (Griffith 29). People suffering from brain injuries can be helped in increasing their arm reach by using video games as intervention tool (Griffith 29). Video games can be used as “physiotherapy for arm injuries” and also as “occupational therapy to increase hand strength” (Griffith 30). People suffering from Erb’s palsy can be trained for movement with the techniques of video game (Griffith 29). Young patients suffering from muscular dystrophy can be given respiratory muscle training with the help of video game techniques (Griffith 29). In this way, video games are being used in treatment of many cognitive and physical movement related problems. Additionally, video games are also found to be extremely beneficial in the field of education. Educational benefits of video games The video games that are designed for non-violent entertainment and for educational purpose are the video games that do not have negative effect on adolescents. In fact, these video games help in building the overall healthy personality in children and adolescents. Apart from being an immense help in the world of therapy and medical treatments, the video games also help in the field of education. Video games are helpful tools for enhancing the education related skills. For example, video games help young people in the process of learning, motivating, retention of memory, utility for special groups etc (Lee and Peng 328). Proving wrong the usual belief that video games interfere with and hamper the educational performance of young children, a research by van Schie & Wiegman (1997) on 346 students from seventh and eighth grades from seven elementary schools, has revealed that there is a positive relationship between time spent on entertainment computer games and child’s intelligence (Lee and Peng 334). Also, Dunkin and Barber (2002) found that compared to the children who did not play video games at all, the GPAs of children who played video games in moderation was higher (Lee and Peng 335). Not only that but other important educational skills and abilities are also developed with the help of video games. Children’s capacity to engage in learning for a long time if taught through video games, has given rise to development of “edu-tainment” media (Griffith, The Educational Benefits 47). The ability of video games to retain children’s attention for a long time has made it a great tool to teach them different subjects and skills. There are various means in which video games can be used in education field. For example, by helping children to set goals, ensuring goal rehearsal, giving feedback by recording their performance, reinforcement of positive performance and maintaining behavioral change records, video games can assist children in achieving their goals (Griffith, The Educational Benefits 47). Moreover, video game stimulates learning due to its interactive nature (Griffith, The Educational Benefits 47). This results in attracting and engaging the attention of students for a long time without making them dull or bored (Griffith, The Educational Benefits 47). Also, video game is a great measurement and research tool and hence, can be of great benefit in educational research (Griffith, The Educational Benefits 47). Individual characteristics such as self-esteem, self-concept, goal setting and individual differences can be examined and studied easily through video games (Griffith, The Educational Benefits 47). Hence, it not only helps in developing motor and cognitive skills of children but also helps in understanding and improving the personality traits of children. In this way, video games can be used in multiple ways to achieve multiple educational goals. At the same time, it is important to note that the academic performance of children is deteriorated if they play video games excessively (Lee and Peng 335). Hence, this proves that it is not the video games, but the amount that is spent in playing it, that decides the effects of video games on children’s health and performance. Conclusion The literature review discussed above reveals that it is not the video games, but the choice and the amount of time spent in playing it that determines its effect on the player. Hence, people should see to it that they choose non-violent and educational video games to play, and avoid getting addicted to it. Works Cited Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Simon, Jonas Smith and Susana Tosca. Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print. Freedman, Jonathan. Media Violence and Its Effect on Aggression : Assessing the Scientific Evidence. Toronto : University of Toronto Press, 2002. Print. Griffith, Mark. The Educational Benefits of Video Games. Education and Health. 20.3 (2002): 47-51. Print. ---. Gambling and Gaming: Addictions in Adolescents. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2002. Print. Gunter, Barrie. The Effects of Video Games on Children: The Myth Unmasked. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998. Print. Holder, Mark. Happiness in Children: Measurement, Correlates and Enhancement of Positive Subjective Well-being. New York: Springer, 2012. Print. Kirsh, Steven. Media and Youth: Developmental Perspectives. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print. Lee, Kwan and Wei Peng. Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses and Consequences. Ed. Peter Vorderer and Jennings Bryant. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2006. Print. Potter, James. The 11 Myths of Media Violence. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc., 2003. Print. Read More