Video games and their influence on young people has been the subject of discussion for social commentators and the public during recent years. In this respect, several experts have highlighted the negative aspects of video gaming, such as the health risk like increasing the tendency to obesity and eye problems. In addition, video games have played a very significant role in decreasing social interaction among young individuals. With regards to their case, experts commonly agree that there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction.
The more time individuals spend using the computer, the less they spend interacting with others in what we can call ‘real life'. Teenagers learn to continue their process of learning more about the society in which they leave through interaction with their peers. Through this interaction, they improve the social skills and they learn and improve the way in which they behave with others, learning how to behave as part of a group. Face to face interaction has lost its original importance. This change in attitudes has generated various mental conditions in the individual. (Schmitt, 2001). Nevertheless, other researchers and commentators have pointed out that the use of video games can also have a positive social and physical effect on individuals. This paper will highlight the main ways in which using video games can benefit video game users, outlining the evidence provided by scholars on the matter.
For years, researchers focused on analyzing the effects on video gaming on society and, more specifically in young individuals. The research results were commonly negative on the use of video games, pointing to the factors mentioned in the previous section of this paper. Thought-out recent years, other experts have tried to provide a more balanced view, emphasizing on the looking at the possible beneficial aspects of the use of video gaming technology.
[...] Do Videogames Improve Hand-Eye Coordination More Than Sports? Associated Content. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article Durkin, K., and K. Aisbett (1999). Computer games and Australians today. Sydney: Office of Film and Literature Classification Durkin and Barber (2002) Not so doomed: computer game play and positive adolescent development. Applied Developmental Psychology 23 (2002) 373–392 Griffiths, M. (2002) The educational benefits of videogames. Education and Health. Vol. 20 No.3, Johnson, S. (2005). Your Brain on Video Games. Could they actually be good for you? Discover Magazine. [...]
[...] Video games do not alienate individuals. In their view, they provide a link with others, contrary to the view held by numerous experts and by certain sectors of public opinion, video games do not have to be a solitary activity. As Durkin had already pointed out in his 1999 research with Asbeit, video gaming can increase social cohesion. Video game players report a “greater family cohesion than those who do not play” (Durkin and Barber: 387). The evidence shows that despite video gaming are frequently a solitary activity, as the public assumption on the subject indicate, the majority of video game player prefers to play games with other people (friends, relatives, acquaintances, etc.). [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
