The psychological effects of video games.
The science without an agenda.
The gaming industry as a whole generated near $135 billion in 2018. All things considered, this figure is even more shocking than you would initially think. It was neither a straight, or an easy road for the video game industry. On multiple occasions the industry has endured what should have been crushing blows. From the E.T. video game in the 80’s, to the countless angry mom blogs that took over the internet, the industry has proven that it can easily overcome what so many other business ventures could not. However, there is one quarrel that video games haven’t been able to push aside, one rock still in there shoe, psychology. For the longest time, parents have fallen into a full panic over the effects that a video game might be having on their children. And because the industry was so young at the time, many people would fall victim to pseudo-science, ultimately using inconclusive studies to solidify their beliefs. Now, the industry is still relatively young, but we are finally making a bit of scientific process when it comes to understanding the psychological effects of video games. With that being said, here is what we know thus far.
The idea that violent video games make children more aggressive is shaky at best.
One of the louder claims for quite a while, and one that gained traction rather quickly, is the idea that violent video games create violent children. On the surface, it seems logical, especially from the outside looking in. Growing up and playing a game that teaches you that violence is the answer, may have negative social effects on a child. However, studies on this have been inconclusive, or at least inconsistent. Originally, yes there where studies pointing to a link between hyper-aggressive children, and violent video games. For example this one by the APA. But even they will admit that the increased aggression is quite minimal, and calling the children violent would be a stretch. On top of that, for every study that finds violent video games to be harmful, there is another study showing that there simply are no effects. Essentially, the results often vary depending on the situation surrounding the child. Often times, the children in which the studies find increased aggression have grown up in rather rough situations. In this scenario, it can be rather difficult to single out video games as the main cause of their aggression. So, if you are debating whether or not you should let your child play the new Mortal Kombat, honestly its up to you. There isn’t really a right or wrong answer. While yes, scientifically speaking your son should be fine, we can’t conclusively say there is 0 effect either. What we can say is no video game will turn your kid into an unfeeling mass murder, that’s ridiculous.But, if you truly feel that your child acts differently when playing these games, then by all means take them away.
Video Games have been shown to improve attention.
I’m sure this one will shock a few people, but it’s true. On more than one occasion, video games have proven to boost attention. In one study in particular, a group of researchers found that merely 1 hour of gaming was enough to improve visual selective attention, which is actually much more important than the name makes it seem. To summarize, visual selective attention is the ability to remain focused despite a host of distraction, to single out the intended thing, and focus solely on that. Unlike the previous study, this finding has been quite conclusive, as researches have repeatedly landed on the same conclusions. Once again, logically this makes sense. Video games are full of vibrant and lively environments, with a select few items that you are intended to focus on. Now, with that being said, the effects are not drastic. While they certainly improve visual selective attention, it won’t make your kid a 4.2 student immediately. Much like some of the theorized negative effects of video games, this one can be a bit overblown. However, it is true that it does improve visual selective attention, I mean even if it is only a little, that’s still beneficial.
Video Game addiction is a real thing.
This isn’t necessarily a new idea, but it is newly confirmed. For years parents have complained that their children are addicted to video games, claiming that their kids hardly go outside or socialize. Now, they have science to back it up. In the past few years, video game addiction has officially been confirmed as a real disorder, and should be taken seriously. With that being said, ensure that you are differentiating between a love of video games, and video game addiction. There isn’t really a set amount of time spent playing video games that qualifies an individual as a video game addict. Instead its more about the circumstances surrounding the time spent, for example if he is blowing off family obligations or work in favor of playing 2K, then he might qualify as an addict. As long as you are responsibly enjoying video games, that is to say first going about your daily life then playing video games, then by all means play as much as you desire. Thus far, this seems to be the only conclusive negative side effect of video games. So essentially, please prioritize.
Video Games have been shown to boost memory.
In a 2013 study, The University of California San Francisco discovered that 3-D video games can improve the memory of older adults. In fact, it can reduce many of the mental symptoms of aging. Not only that, but the effects were rather drastic, as adults between the ages of 60–85 seemed to have a better memory than 20 year old’s. These effects weren’t fleeting either, as their brains remained at this level for 6 months following the experiment. Finally, the researchers found that sustained attention improved as well. So in short, Video games can be quite beneficial to an older demographic. Now, granted this isn’t the typical video game audience (although the average gamer is now 35), but is still encouraging to hear of the potential benefits of sitting down and playing a game. In terms of the effects on a child’s memory, there hasn’t really been too much research towards that. Nonetheless, it would be a bit shocking if it improved the memory of 60 year old’s, but had the opposite effects on young children. While we don’t know for certain that it will improve the memory of a 13 year old, it certainly won’t hurt it.
In conclusion, it seems video games are a bit more complicated than we initially thought. For years, we have made very bold statements about the horrible danger, or undiscovered immense benefits of playing video games. In reality, it’s more of a mixed bag. It seems that similarly to just about everything else, when used responsibly there are no negative effects of gaming. In fact, there are even some positive effects. But, there is the possibility of addiction looming and while rare, it is real. With all that being said, if you are asking the scientific community whether or not it is safe to play video games, the answer is yes, just be responsible.
