Is Society Overlooking the Bad Aspects of Gaming?

In order to determine if video games are beneficial or detrimental to children is next to impossible because of the multitude of variables. Games are divided into different sub-categories (sports, crime, educational, etc.),  different consoles (Wii, Xbox, smartphones, etc.), and different target audiences. Because of the variety of video games available, gaming has become a ubiquitous form of entertainment in our present-day culture. Our modern culture, as a whole, is becoming a gaming societies. However, the studies that have been conducted on the effects of gaming on people have been varied and have produced different, sometimes contradictory results.

“Video Game Playing and Academic Performance in College Students” by researchers at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma State University concludes that increased gaming and lower GPA scores are positively correlated,—more in males than in females—and the study shows less racial bias and a large group (671 participants) but regional bias (all participants attended college in the Midwestern United States). However, individuals, such as Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson, argue that researchers are over exaggerating the negative effects of video games, and he is not alone. Many researchers have found that video games can have positive effects on children’s education.

The varying and contradictory results of these experiments have confused the public. Are video games good or bad? And if video games are bad, why are they still an acceptable form of entertainment?

As a girl, I only have one perspective on video games. I asked myself, “Why do I play video games?” Rather, the question should be, “Why don’t I play video games?” This afternoon, in the name of “research,” I played Temple Run. The pace of the game and the little-effort interactive quality dissolved my initial reservations. However, after a couple rounds, I abruptly stopped playing. Why? I felt that I was becoming too absorbed into the game. Turning off the game was an instinctive reaction to the feeling of losing my footing in reality.

(http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/temple-run/id420009108?mt=8)

However, I can see the appeal and the possible “benefits” of the game. I was thinking faster, reacting faster, and it was improving my hand-eye coordination. (After playing for only five minutes.)

Still, my reaction to the game is puzzling. Is this a common reaction others have? Is it a phenomenon that only females experience, or do men react the same?

When I asked in my Writing I class why guys play games, one of the guys in my class answered, “It’s a pride thing.” Studies have shown that male adolescents who play video games regularly are more violent. Other studies claim that video games have positive effects on male adolescents, that games help develop problem-solving skills and improve visual reaction times.

Perhaps we are overlooking the negative effects. Our society places importance on thinking positively. We encourage ourselves and others to have a bright outlook on life, and we call those who look for the negative aspects of life cynics. There’s no question that games have a negative effect on users. Children could be doing something more educational, but because one study proved that games do help develop problem-solving skills and help kids be creative, people overlook the negative impacts.

“APlea for Caution: Violent Video Games, the Supreme Court, and the Role of Science” explores how the Comics Code Authority standards came to fruition. Certain members of the public claimed that comics were fostering violence and a lack of morality. Because of that, the US Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency adopted a code in 1954, which regulated the content in comic books and blurred the lines of acceptable free speech (Hall).

If comic books were censored because of its violent content, why aren’t present-day video games censored? Aren’t they fostering violence and a lack of morality? Even certain books are banned from public libraries because parents and community leaders have contested that the content is too controversial or inappropriate.

The video gaming industry has been fighting for the seal of approval for their games since the day it went on the market. The Wii console was developed because of the complaint that gaming was a sedentary activity. The Wii allows users to be interactive in a physical way.

Big Brain Academy and other purely education games were developed for other consoles. These games are sold right next to Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, and because they are sold side-by-side, video games have become acceptable.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brain_Academy)

While I am not advocating the banning of video games, I am one of the many who are confused by the experts. Are there more pros than cons to video gaming, or vice versa? And if video gaming is bad, are we, as a society, willing to overlook the bad because of one good effect?

Works Cited

Day, Terri and Richard C.W. Hall and Ryan C.W. Hall. “A Plea for Caution: Violent Video Games, the Supreme Court, and the Role of Science.” Rpt. in Academic Writing, Real World Topics. By Michael Rectenwald and Lisa Carl. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. PDF file.