Video games have come a long way from first starting in arcades and then years later, turning into consoles or PCs that can be played at home or on the go. As the years went by, it was easier to play with friends with online features being introduced. Video games had better graphics and anyone could get into them because of the multitude of genres that exist. However, some people may argue that as video games become more advanced, the more gamers can get addicted to it.
Along with gaming addiction, it can also influence someone to become violent with games like Call of Duty or Fortnite. Both of these video games contain the use of weapons that tell the player to kill other players to win. While some people think that video games can harm gamer’s lives, video games can help bond with
...other people and teach gamers skills that can be used in life.
Despite the beneficial skills that can be learned from gaming and the bonding of relationships, gaming can affect the player negatively because it can increase violence and addiction. The effects of gaming were discussed by a rabbi on The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour show, and he stated that when children played violent video games, they will look at people as if they were “little blips on the screen that must be zapped” (Suellentrop).
He also viewed that when these children would become adults, they would not view people as human beings but they would be seen as those blips that needed to be destroyed (Suellentrop). This teaches violence to children because the game’s objective is to kill in order to win and this ide
is implemented to the children. The more that they play violent games, the more they will view the real world as another video game since they are so used to the virtual reality.
Along with making a game violent, gaming can also become an addiction and impact everyday activities of children and teenagers, “The symptoms of video game addiction manifested in children and teens becoming withdrawn from society, neglecting their school work and becoming angry when challenged over the amount of time they spend gaming” (Wright and Mintz). This changes children’s behavior to always wanting to play games and get angry if they are not allowed to play for as long as they want to.
The content of a game is what often makes a game addicting, “Richard James, a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Nottingham, who has studied online gambling and gaming addiction, said that presenting players with a constant stream of rewards was an effective way to keep people playing” (Wright and Mintz). Getting rewards in game can become addicting quickly and immediately pulls them into the game. The need to get all the rewards can create an environment where children strive to be the better person out of their group of friends, making it a competition and always wanting to play.
Video games are not always played alone and can be enjoyed with other people whether that be online or in person. It can be used to play with friends and helps create a stronger bond according to a report done in 2018, “55% of the most frequent gamers say that video games help connect them with their friends” (Entertainment Software Association). Playing
video games help people connect despite where they are located and helps bond with a hobby that they all enjoy.
Bonding with other people online can also help in game where multiplayer is required and it is a way to make new friends with the same interests. Not only can it connect friends but it can help bond with family members, “46% say it helps their family spend time together” (Entertainment Software Association). It is a good way to bond with family and it does not matter if they have never played before. There exist many video games that are very simple to learn and are made to involve people that do not have much experience in gaming. Mario Party, a board game, is an example of a family friendly game that can even be competitive within the family.
Not only do video games help with communicating with people around us, it can also be used in the real world, specifically the U.S Army. In 2006, it was reported by the director of the Marine Base that the recruits, who were mostly experienced video game players, “probably feel less inhibited, down in their primal level, pointing their weapons at somebody” (Suellentrop).
Even though video games only create a fake image of what holding a gun looks like, it has helped recruits in the army handle the pressure of pointing a gun at somebody. It makes is less intimidating for them and they can imagine as if they were playing another video game in real life to relieve some pressure.
Not only does it relieve pressure but, “Some members of today’s military do view video games as a mean of
honing fighting skills” (Suellentrop). Instead of violent video games hurting the recruits who are experienced gamers, it benefits them by helping their fighting skills that can help them when they are in combat. Instead of seeing violent video games as a factor of violence, this is a way how people can benefit from it and apply it to real life situations which can mean life or death for someone in the military.
Being involved with video games can help make a change in the world and improve skills in a gamer. For example, in 2013, 500 gamers brought their laptops to Portland, Oregon to a gaming party and donated 37,500 pounds of food to the Union Gospel Mission (Graham 142). This action, however, did not get a lot of attention and only one small news station covered it (Graham 142). Even if gamers do something major like this, they do not get the recognition and only get recognized for the bad stuff and how playing video games lead to violence.
Not only can gamers be influenced to help the world, they can also learn new skills from it. Studies that were conducted by the director of the Army Game project, a video game of the U.S Army, stated that playing video games “ can help people improve their ability to manipulate spatial information ” and improve the ability to process visual information with only 10 hours of gaming (Suellentrop).
Even if someone is not a gamer that spends multiple hours on a certain game, they can still gain the skills that games can give. Improving visual information can help with visual images and spatial information can help with
identifying specific locations. With these skills that anyone can learn, it can be used in everyday life.
While video games today can replicate the image and feeling of violence that can occur with the use of weapons or starting a gaming addiction, video games overall can benefit the player in many ways. In today’s society, where advanced technology is being used on the daily basis, video games are becoming more important each day.
Understanding what exactly video games do is important so society does not only blame video games as a factor of a bad life. Even if video games increase skills or bond with others, the most important thing is that it is a way of enjoyment for a gamer. No one should take that hobby away from them just because of the chance it can cause violence or addiction.
Works Cited Page
- “Essential Facts About The Computer and Video Game Industry 2018.” Entertainment Software Association, 2018, SIRS.
- Graham, Jeffrey. “Gaming For Good: Video Games And Enhancing Prosocial Behaviour.” CCA Library OneSearch, Nova Science Publishers, Inc, 2014, pp. 142. EBSCOhost.
- Suellentrop, Chris. “Playing with Our Minds.” Wilson Quarterly, Vol.XXX, No.3, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2006, SIRS.
- Wright, Mike, and Luke Mintz. “How the Design of Video Games Like Fortnite Make Them More Addictive.” The Telegraph, 13 June 2018, SIRS.
