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My Research Paper Final
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Carson Barrow
UWRT 1103
Suzanne Ingram
3 December 2015
The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games on the Human Brain
In an ever-growing world of technology, people often argue and debate as to what’s good
and what’s bad about any one thing or category of things. Now, the issue is not a totally
bipartisan problem of “Good and Bad” or “Negative and Positive,” but these are likely
considered to be the two broadest categories, effectively sometimes making the topic difficult to
narrow. It functions, nonetheless. In the world of video games, one might hear many people
complaining about how video games make children lazy, promote poor health and hygiene,
pollute their minds, or make their grades go down. On the contrary, other arguments state that
video games are a positive addition to a person’s library of possessions. These people say that
video games promote excellent bodily functions, aid a person in life skills, and promote social
and communicative abilities among other things. While these constant debates may create
confusion as to what’s correct and what isn’t, the goal of this research paper is to provide
information on the many aspects of video games regarding the brain and human function from a
variety of viewpoints, effectively attempting to answer the questions: How do video games
contribute to the adequate and healthy function of the human mind? Why are they a good thing
or why are they a bad thing? Finding some answers to these will enrich the mind with knowledge
and allow the ability to weigh the effects and see some of the differences between them,
effectively enabling a better-educated conclusion.
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Firstly, we will take a look at one of the negative points some people pose against video
games that causes many controversies: violence. The most common people to pose some of these
accusations tend to be concerned parents and, of course, people who advocate against violence in
video games. Violence, as the research clearly suggests, is probably the biggest contributor to
what started the debate on video games being some sort of concentrated evil streaming from the
television. Violence in video games is an issue that widely surfaced in the early 1990s with
multi-platform games (games that are either originally or eventually released for more than one
system) like the arcade-originated game Mortal Kombat and the Microsoft DOS PC-originating
game DOOM (Kohler). These games, although different from each other, both contain a
tremendous amount of blood and gore, especially Mortal Kombat’s unique bloody fighting game
style, which allows players to multiply the blood and gore by placing brutal finishing moves on
opponents. DOOM, on the other hand, was one of the early attempts at a first-person view
shooting game in which the player massacres various aliens and creatures with blood-and-gut
ripping firearms and even a chainsaw. The festivities all occur while traipsing around in hell and
on Mars’s futuristically advanced moons. It was a very interesting concept for an early first-
person shooting game, and the formula clearly worked, as I know very many people who enjoy
this game, myself included. Of course, with the relatively new introduction of computer
violence, combined with the advancement of graphics, which was slowly but surely approaching
more life-like standards during this period of time, parents and the general public became
concerned with how this was affecting their children. Many people placed the simple accusation
on violence: Violence just has no place in video games, which arguably are mostly played by and
targeted toward children (Gentile).
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Violence itself in video games is one of the single most-disputed topics that arise when
parents are buying games for their children. According to Douglas A. Gentile of The Dana
Foundation, violence may desensitize players to real life situations such as shootings or tragic
events because these individuals are used to it pouring out of the TV. Other than this, it is
disputed that video game violence may also resort to causing the player to become violent in real
life. There has been no conclusive evidence found that supports this accusation, although some
shootings, such as the Columbine shooting, were said to be influenced by violent games (Moore,
Manville).
Back to the concept of multi-platform video games: certain companies like Nintendo and
Sega had a basic control of what games were released on their systems. With a popular game like
Mortal Kombat, it was natural that companies wanted to generate wealth by having the game
available for sale on their gaming systems. The question was: How do they port them over with
the controversial market in the way? Sega had their own adopted rating system while Nintendo
had a simpler policy of just “No violent or suggestive games on their systems.” The Sega
Genesis version of Mortal Kombat retained all of the original content and clearly said on the box
that the game was for mature audiences. The Super Nintendo version kept the fighting and such,
but removed anything to do with blood and disgustingly brutal scenes. The results made an open
statement that it was indeed time to adopt a FEDERAL rating system to apply to video games so
that everything would be fair and less of a commercial and social hassle. The Entertainment
Software Ratings Board, or ESRB, was adopted shortly after this as part of The Video Games
Rating Act of 1994 in order to lasso the rampaging bull that was video game controversy
(Kohler). The resulting rating system was actually very similar to that of Sega’s own ratings
system, and now allowed parents and consumers to see a black and white rating on every new
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video game in order to judge what was right for who. A rating of eC for Early Childhood, K-A
(Kids to Adults, later renamed E for Everyone), T for Teens 13+, M for Mature 17+, and AO for
Adults Only 18+. Another rating, E10+ (Everyone ages 10 and up) was added in the 2000s. eC-
rated games are almost always preschool-age learning games. E-rated games are suitable for all
ages, E10+-rated games are self-explanatory. T-rated games often have more mature themes
suitable for ages 13 and up, possibly including minimal blood and mild language. Games that are
rated “M” generally have heavy violence, strong language, and suggestive themes. Very few
games have ever been rated “AO”, but ones that are rated this are comparable to an “X” or “NC-
17” rated movie. There contain very strong remnants of what can be found in an M-rated game.
This ratings system has still had controversy over being too strict or not strict enough in many
cases, but the arguments are ongoing and not particularly widely problematic. (Kohler)
Despite the ratings system, there are other problems associated to the subject other than
solely violence and suggestive themes; things that can’t exactly be rated and have nothing to do
with being inappropriate. Hygiene, health, the ability to use the brain, and “video game play
withdrawal” are all things that video games can do to place an effect upon a person’s body.
Video game play withdrawal is a term I have coined myself after researching the general subject
of video games’ effects to describe some of the problems that can arise when an addicted player
does not feel they are getting all the playtime they need. Many times, kids who play video games
don’t have the thought mechanism within themselves to make themselves take a good, quality
break during play (Paturel). This seems to be the root cause of most things related to these
subjects. Video game playing for those who enjoy the activity releases a chemical within the
body known as Dopamine. This Dopamine creates a feeling of happiness and even maybe a
“high” of sorts. The problem with this is that the more the person plays, the more time they have
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to spend in order to get the same amount of Dopamine released into their system (Paturel). The
body regulates the chemical reaction in the very same way the body may become immune to
medicines or other substances over a certain period of time. This may cause an addiction to video
games; particularly for those who are younger and do not have the cognitive process to realize
that they are playing too much. On the contrary to negatives, the release of Dopamine relieves
stress, which is healthy for the body. Stress is something that can cause heart attacks, strokes,
faster aging, and other undesirable conditions. If a person enjoys playing games as a way to get
away from everything, then playing video games is healthy and very soothing for the mind and
body. Dopamine also strengthens the brain circuits and connections, actually building the organ
and packing strength into it (Raise Smart Kids). This, of course, is an extraordinary plus for the
brain. Keeping it stimulated is widely agreed to keep it healthy.
A player’s health and hygiene, as stated, are also in question when it comes to video
game play. Playing too much video games generally requires that the player sit down in front of
a screen for hours upon hours of video game play. The general thing that happens is the
transition to worse health due to a lack of exercise. This is a totally logical and obvious issue that
will occur if no measures are taken to prevent it. Sitting in front of the TV or computer while
occupied with a video game does not necessitate any moving around, lifting, or cardio workout
in any way. This would of course cause loss of muscle tone, weight gain, and a weaker body all
around. Prolonged exposure to this environment would be near the equivalent of laying in a
hospital bed for extended lengths of time without moving. There are many places on the internet
or in the library where one can find some more of the bad effects that being sedentary can cause.
When a person is so addicted to video games that they wake up, don’t shower, play all day,
barely eat, fall asleep when they literally can’t stay awake anymore, and repeat that process over
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and over again, they begin to let their health and hygiene go, adding to the health issue
associated with extended play. Allowing the human body to stay dirty, not keeping up with
dental hygiene, and not taking the decency to keep a clean self-image can all be very bad for the
body for obvious reasons. The addiction to video games comes with another price as well. It can,
just like nicotine or caffeine, create withdrawal symptoms. If an avid game player who is
addicted to playing has his or her games taken away, or is asked or forced to stop playing, the
person may exhibit violence, irritability, aggression, or other negative outbursts. The act of
stalling that flow of dopamine, that is, cutting off the feeling of happiness, can inherently cause
rageful side effects; something that is not fun to be around. It is also not easy to tame, especially
in a “cold turkey” manner. There are reasonable regulatory precautions that one can take in order
to prevent this from happening. Making sure to plan out relaxation time is a must for each day,
regardless of your hobby, to make sure that life has breaks from the action but is not totally fun
and games. Just as many people enjoy yoga, watching their favorite TV show, reading books for
fun, or maybe even something as simple as playing a game of checkers with the family, game
players may enjoy playing video games to get away from everything they’ve encountered in their
everyday lives. If your daily schedule allows for a couple of hours to relax and you enjoy playing
video games, using this time for doing that is perfectly reasonable and a great idea. Doing this
with family and friends is an even greater way to make playing video games a great hobby to
enjoy. However, even if your entire day is open, I would not suggest using all of that time to play
video games. Breaks are always necessary in order to prevent bad habits and body strain.
As far as brain function goes, the argument is usually that playing video games rots the
brain or somehow kills all brain function. This is often especially noted toward children by
ambitious parents. The slower mind or lack of proper brain function could be affected in
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schoolwork or the person’s general everyday activities. There is also the argument that social
skills among other things may be affected from the player being isolated while playing games.
This is argued to make game players less marketable and useful for the workforce due to the
inability to socialize and function in the work environment. According to Amy Paturel, a writer
for Neurology Now, children who play video games are found to show less gray matter in the
brain, which is responsible for thinking and reasoning...figuring stuff out. This could actually
pose dire risks when it comes to schoolwork and general everyday activity such as basic
decision-making and reasoning skills. Another source claims that poorly-performing students
enjoy the sense of achievement that can be had by winning or completing tasks on video games,
a sense that fails them in their school achievements, which is a big reason why they enjoy
playing (Gentile). Information from other sources, however, drastically counters the accusations
above, as it is shown that a huge amount of everyday skills, functions, and necessary abilities are
learned from playing video games. Motor skills and coordination are both on this list. Hand-eye
coordination can be greatly improved by playing games where a lot is going on within the
screen. One example of these types of games are games like Mario platforming games where a
lot of running and jumping to collect items, avoid hazards, and progress through the game is
required. Another example would be side-scrolling plane-shooter games where the player
controls an aircraft and shoots down other various enemy aircraft that come from and fire
weapons from many different directions. Games of this type need the player to assess visual
changes and cues on screen in order to react in the correct manner with the controller to pass the
situation. This peripheral vision skill enhancement coupled with basic body-eye coordination can
provide practice for real world skills (Gentile). I would characterize these skills by the
description of skills such as defensive driving, playing sports, and walking in busy areas. Along
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with motor skill enhancement, communication and teamwork skills may actually be increased
with playing video games as opposed to what was stated before. Many times, especially today
with the implementation of the internet, this genre of games has been massively ported to online
play. With the ever-increasing adoption of online-based video games, the need to communicate
with online teammates while playing is almost always a necessity. Games like World of
Warcraft, Skyrim, or the survival mode of Minecraft may enable the player to form online
groups, mobs, or packs of players that all play within the same world, enabling them to work and
play together. Some tasks in online RPG’s may necessitate two or more players to perform a task
simultaneously to pass the area or level. This kind of play necessitates working together and also
using social skills to talk to other players. That communication skill can be transferred to the real
world job environment, where working with other workers is imperative in completing daily
tasks. Video games can be an active training environment without even leaving the couch
Whether it be a shooting game like Call of Duty or a role-playing game like World of Warcraft,
players must learn to communicate with their online team or pack in order to accomplish the
mission. This is generally accomplished with the use of a microphone and headset nowadays or
by typing messages to other players in the old days. Transferring this communication skill to the
real world may actually help a game player in the workforce environment, creating a more well-
rounded worker who has adopted the necessary skills to work together and accomplish a goal.
Another way that video games aid in everyday life and the job world is that they greatly
improve a person’s ability to multitask and use spatial thinking skills (Raise Smart Kids). Spatial
thinking skills are the skills that allow people to look at an object, the area around them, or a map
and transfer that information to their brain. It’s a decoding process of sorts that helps the brain
decipher navigation skills, remember familiar areas, and give the brain the ability to look at
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things in a three-dimensional perspective from a two-dimensional medium. Shooter games like
Call of Duty and especially older ones like DOOM and Duke Nukem 3D, which are generally
agreed to be more complex and challenging, can actually improve this ability very greatly,
despite the dispute on violence earlier in this paper (Radboud University Nijmegen). Video
games help to improve multitasking by often forcing the player to control the character while
avoiding enemies, conserving resources, watching the clock, and completing each task fully.
This amount of multitasking is found in the real word with people like office workers,
professions with busy schedules, and mothers. In an office setting for instance, the worker may
need to brew coffee while filling in a spreadsheet, typing up a report, answering the phone,
taking instructions from the boss, and juggling personal tasks throughout the day all at the same
time. Playing video games that force the player to do many things at one time in order to succeed
may help an office worker do the same. Spatial thinking skills are improved in games like
SimCity or Minecraft, which enable the character to freely create structures, build cities, and get
architecturally creative. These games allow the player to look at their creations from many
heights, angles, and views in order to assess what needs to happen next or to get a mental image
of the whole structure. These skills are easily transferrable to the fields of construction, urban
planning / civil engineering, and architecture. Games like Minecraft often require the player to
memorize the layout of their world and are a great example of spatial thinking. Creativity packed
into a video game is something that should always be encouraged. Creativity, in my opinion, is
what keeps the world spinning, and should be embraced by parents and consumers. I personally
recommend that every person who plays video games have Minecraft or another similar game in
their collection due to this. This genre of game is a perfect opportunity to expose the creative
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side of your own mind by making something foot by foot. Many aficionados of Minecraft go on
to make their hobby a career in the real world because of these gained skills (Raise Smart Kids).
Reasoning skills and problem-solving skills along with social skills can be improved with
Role-Playing Games (RPGs) and Puzzle games (Radboud University Nijmegen). An RPG is a
game in which the player controls a character around a world while solving problems and
puzzles, collecting things, defeating beasts or enemies, and often using resources throughout the
world to keep the character alive. Factors such as weather, time change, and terrain / climate are
usually included in the game formula. These all require the brain to think and pick through
different ideas in order to figure out the best and most efficient way to complete an activity or
task. It could perhaps help a person stretch their money until next payday with a budget. It could
help a person solve any everyday problem by scoping out the situation and using their problem-
solving skills to figure out a solution. The conservation of resources in order to survive on a
video game may help players learn to conserve money and resources in real life because they are
used to doing so in video games.
After discovering all of this information, it is safe to say that video games can do just as
much good as they can do harm to a person. Proper regulation of play and basic common sense
can lead to a promising and enriching enjoyment of one’s hobby while learning real-life skills,
usually without even realizing it. The brain function is more often than not greatly enhanced by
playing video games, especially when playing online or with friends. There are, however,
precautions to be taken when playing in order to prevent bad health either physically or mentally.
As long as these are followed and the right mindset is put toward video game playing, video
games will continue to be a positive pastime to be enjoyed for years to come. With the
information provided, I believe it is fair to say that the reader of this paper has a significantly
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better understanding of the subject, and that he or she has the necessary knowledge to make
educated decisions about video games for himself or his children after being presented with this
research.
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