advantages of playing video games essay

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Games

1. introduction.

Video games have become an increasingly popular form of entertainment, with millions of people around the world participating in gaming activities. This widespread popularity has sparked debates about the advantages and disadvantages of video games. In this essay, we will explore the various aspects of video gaming and analyze the positive and negative impacts they can have on individuals and society as a whole. By examining the psychological, social, and physical effects of video games, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject. The rapid advancements in technology have led to the development of immersive and interactive video games that offer realistic experiences and complex storytelling. While some argue that these games can enhance cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, and hand-eye coordination, others raise concerns about their potential to promote violence, addiction, and social isolation. As we delve into these contrasting viewpoints, we will consider the perspectives of researchers, psychologists, and gaming enthusiasts to offer a balanced analysis of the topic. Ultimately, this essay aims to shed light on the multifaceted nature of video games and encourage critical thinking about their impact on individuals and society.

2. Advantages of Video Games

Video games have been found to offer certain cognitive benefits to players. These include improved problem-solving skills, enhanced memory, and better spatial reasoning. Playing video games can also help individuals improve their attention and concentration, as they are required to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously. Additionally, certain types of video games have been shown to enhance strategic thinking and decision-making abilities, which can be beneficial in various aspects of life. In addition to cognitive benefits, video games can also have social advantages. Many multiplayer games encourage teamwork and cooperation, allowing players to develop valuable communication and interpersonal skills. Online gaming communities also provide a sense of belonging and connection, fostering social interactions and friendships. Moreover, for individuals who may struggle with social anxiety or have difficulty making friends, video games can serve as a platform for socializing and building relationships in a comfortable and familiar environment. Furthermore, video games can contribute to physical benefits, particularly in the realm of exergaming. Exergaming involves physical activity and exercise, often integrated into video games, which can promote improved fitness and overall health. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals who may find traditional forms of exercise unappealing, as video games can make physical activity more enjoyable and engaging. Additionally, certain motion-based games can improve hand-eye coordination and motor skills, contributing to overall physical dexterity.

2.1. Cognitive Benefits

Video games have been found to offer several cognitive benefits for players. One of the key advantages is the improvement of cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making. Many video games require players to strategize, analyze situations, and make quick decisions, which can help to enhance these cognitive abilities. Additionally, certain types of video games, such as puzzle or strategy games, can also improve memory and processing speed. Moreover, video games have been shown to enhance attention and concentration. While playing, individuals often need to focus on multiple aspects of the game simultaneously, which can help to improve their ability to pay attention for extended periods of time. Video games can also provide a platform for learning, as many educational games are designed to teach specific skills or concepts. These games can be particularly beneficial for children, as they can make learning engaging and interactive. In summary, the cognitive benefits of video games are numerous and diverse. From improving problem-solving and critical thinking to enhancing attention and concentration, video games offer a range of cognitive advantages for players. These benefits can be particularly valuable for individuals of all ages, as they have the potential to enhance cognitive skills and facilitate learning in an engaging and interactive manner.

2.2. Social Benefits

Video games, despite their solitary nature, can also have social benefits. Many video games today offer online multiplayer modes, which allow players to connect and play with others from around the world. This can help to foster friendships and create a sense of community among players. Additionally, video games can provide a platform for social interaction, as players communicate and collaborate with each other in order to achieve common goals within the game. This can help to develop teamwork and problem-solving skills, as well as improve communication abilities. Moreover, video games can also serve as a social outlet for individuals who may have difficulty interacting in traditional social settings. For some, gaming communities can provide a sense of belonging and acceptance that may be lacking in their offline lives. This can be especially beneficial for individuals who struggle with social anxiety or other mental health challenges. Furthermore, video games can be a way for friends and family members to bond and spend time together, as they engage in friendly competition or cooperative gameplay. Overall, while often seen as isolating, video games can actually facilitate social interaction and provide a sense of connection for many individuals.

2.3. Physical Benefits

Research has shown that playing video games can have physical benefits for individuals. Certain video games require players to engage in physical activity, such as dancing, jumping, or using motion controls. These types of games can serve as a form of exercise, helping to improve cardiovascular health, coordination, and overall physical fitness. Additionally, some virtual reality games can provide players with an immersive experience that encourages movement and physical engagement, contributing to a more active lifestyle. Moreover, video games that incorporate physical activity can be a fun and motivating way for people to stay active, especially for those who may not enjoy traditional forms of exercise. These games offer an opportunity for individuals to engage in physical movement while also enjoying the entertainment and mental stimulation that video games provide. Furthermore, for individuals who are unable to participate in regular physical activities due to factors such as mobility issues, certain video games can provide a way for them to engage in movement and physical exercise from the comfort of their own home. In summary, video games can offer physical benefits by promoting physical activity and serving as a fun and engaging way for individuals to stay active. These games can provide an alternative form of exercise for people of all ages and abilities, contributing to improved physical health and overall well-being.

3. Disadvantages of Video Games

While video games offer many benefits, it is essential to acknowledge the potential negative effects they may have on individuals. One significant disadvantage of video games is their impact on health. Excessive screen time can lead to various health issues such as eye strain, headaches, and disrupted sleep patterns. Additionally, prolonged sedentary behavior while playing video games can contribute to an increased risk of obesity and other related health problems. Furthermore, video games have been associated with social isolation. When individuals spend too much time on video games, they may withdraw from interpersonal interactions, leading to a lack of socialization and potential feelings of loneliness. This can have detrimental effects on one's mental and emotional well-being, as human connection and social interaction are crucial for overall happiness and fulfillment. Another concern regarding video games is the potential for promoting violence and aggression. Some studies have suggested that exposure to violent video games may desensitize individuals to real-life violence and lead to aggressive behavior. While the relationship between video games and violence is complex and multifaceted, it is important to acknowledge the potential influence that certain game content may have on players' attitudes and behavior. In conclusion, while video games offer numerous advantages, it is crucial to recognize and address the potential disadvantages they may pose. By understanding the negative effects on health, social isolation, and the potential for promoting violence and aggression, individuals, parents, and society can work towards mitigating these issues and fostering a balanced and healthy relationship with video games.

3.1. Negative Effects on Health

While video games can be entertaining and provide a source of relaxation, excessive screen time and sedentary behavior can lead to various negative effects on physical and mental health. Prolonged periods of sitting and focusing on a screen can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle, which is associated with an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues. Additionally, excessive gaming can lead to eye strain, headaches, and disrupted sleep patterns, which can impact overall well-being. Furthermore, the immersive nature of video games can lead to a decrease in physical activity, as individuals may choose to spend more time gaming rather than engaging in physical exercise. This lack of physical activity can contribute to muscular and skeletal issues, as well as a decline in overall fitness levels. Moreover, the addictive nature of certain video games can lead to neglect of personal hygiene, poor dietary habits, and an overall decline in physical health. In conclusion, while video games can offer enjoyment and mental stimulation, it is important to be mindful of the potential negative effects on health. It is essential to find a balance between gaming and other activities that promote physical and mental well-being in order to mitigate these adverse effects.

3.2. Social Isolation

Social isolation is a notable disadvantage of excessive video game usage. When individuals spend long hours playing video games, they may prioritize gaming over social interactions with family and friends. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and disconnection, as well as a lack of social support. Moreover, excessive gaming can also lead to a decrease in face-to-face interactions, as individuals may prefer to spend time gaming rather than engaging in real-life social activities. This can further contribute to social isolation and a decline in overall social skills. Additionally, the online gaming environment can sometimes be toxic, with instances of cyberbullying and harassment. This can lead to individuals withdrawing from social interactions and feeling isolated. It is important for individuals, especially young people, to balance their gaming activities with real-life social interactions in order to avoid the negative effects of social isolation.

3.3. Violence and Aggression

Violence and aggression in video games have been a topic of debate for many years. Some studies suggest that exposure to violent video games can lead to an increase in aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in players. This can be concerning, especially when considering the potential impact on young, impressionable minds. However, it's important to note that not all gamers will react in the same way to violent content. Individual factors, such as personality, upbringing, and mental health, also play a significant role in how a person responds to violent video games. Furthermore, it's worth noting that while some research has shown a correlation between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior, the causation remains a topic of contention. Many experts argue that violent video games are just one of many factors that can contribute to aggression, and it's essential to consider the broader context in which individuals are exposed to such content. Additionally, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) enforces strict guidelines for labeling and restricting access to mature and violent video games, aiming to prevent exposure to inappropriate content, especially among minors. In conclusion, while there are concerns about the potential link between violent video games and aggression, it's essential to consider the complexities of this issue and the various factors that can influence an individual's response to such content.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, video games have both advantages and disadvantages that should be carefully considered. On the positive side, video games can enhance cognitive skills, improve problem-solving abilities, and provide a source of entertainment and relaxation. Additionally, video games have been used in educational settings to teach students various subjects and skills. However, it is important to acknowledge the potential negative effects of excessive video game usage, such as addiction, social isolation, and reduced physical activity. It is crucial for individuals to find a balance and exercise moderation when it comes to playing video games. Moreover, parents and educators should be mindful of the content and impact of video games on children and adolescents. Overall, a balanced and informed approach to video game usage is essential in order to maximize the benefits while minimizing the potential drawbacks.

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Benefit of Playing Video Games

This essay will discuss the benefits of playing video games, challenging the common negative perceptions. It will cover cognitive, social, and emotional advantages, such as improved problem-solving skills, enhanced hand-eye coordination, and opportunities for social interaction. The piece will also consider the educational potential of video games and their role in skill development. Moreover, at PapersOwl, there are additional free essay samples connected to Video Game.

How it works

Video games are seen as a useless entertainment to many parents and even some educators believe that they damage a child’s brain. Over the years, violent video games have been blamed for leading people to a life of crime because they believe that games are the cause of kids becoming violent or develop an antisocial behavior. In reality many psychologists and scientists have found that playing video games can actually have benefits towards a person’s brain. Video games can eventually teach kids skills that they will need and use in their lives.

Today everyone has played video games for fun, but some have put it to the test to use video games for research purposes. In a study done in New York, one set of surgeons played video games for 3 hours a week, while the other set played none. The set who played the video games made 37 percent fewer mistakes during laparoscopic (Medical bag). In another study, those who play action video games on a regular basis can process visual information faster and can track 30 percent more objects than non gamers. Action video games are shown to increase one’s contrast sensitivity, or the ability to notice minute changes in color against a uniform background. One group of gamers played action games, like Call of Duty, while the others played The Sims. The Call of Duty group showed a 38 percent increase in aforementioned sensitivity, whereas the Sims group showed none whatsoever. Video games can also slim you down. Wii Fit, for example, has players doing yoga, stretches and other exercise in order to unlock fun and exercise. Dance Dance Revolution requires players to dance by placing their feet on the corresponding arrows. After a while, players work up a sweat due to the required rapid movement. Gaming can also make you smarter. People who play video games display fluid intelligence and problem solving. Managing multiple objectives and multiple resources is one of the goals that helps you become smarter. Learning the rules of the game and what strategy works best for you also helps you.

When playing video games, the coordination and concentration can physically, socially, and mentally benefit the user. Research today shows that certain video games can reduce fat and therefore promote weight loss. Other sources state that doctors have instructed parents to let their children play video games to help control focus. Active video games are also being marketed for adults. New Gaming companies have been turning their gaming systems into exercise machines. The workout levels are increasing stamina causing weight loss and health awareness. The new video machines can drastically change an adults workout routine.

Video games can also improve visual skills and brain function. Action video games train the brain to better process certain visual information. When people play action video games, they’re changing the brain’s pathway responsible for visual processing. When people play action games, they’re changing the brain’s pathway responsible for visual processing. These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it, and we’ve seen the positive effect remains even two years after the training was over. By playing Action video games, vision improves up to 58 percent. Video games that involve high levels of action, such as first-person-shooter games, increase a player’s real-world vision, according to research in today’s Nature Neuroscience. The ability to discern slight differences in shades of gray has long been thought to be an attribute of the human visual system that cannot be improved. But Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, has discovered that very practiced action gamers become 58 percent better at perceiving fine differences in contrast. Normally, improving contrast sensitivity means getting glasses or eye surgery. However, this will need further testing in people with this condition. As a treatment for poor eyesight generally though, gaming is unlikely to replace conventional approaches in the near future. Bavelier had previously found that game players had better vision when compared with non-game players. She says that these video games, and spending time in front of the computer, may not be harmful to our vision. The researchers suggest that this indicates that playing video games could have potential for improving some conditions such as amblyopia (Rochester.edu). Additionally, evidence has shown that gaming can help with psychological problems and games reduce symptoms of depression more than conventional treatment. Another research team at Oxford University found that playing Tetris shortly after exposure to something very upsetting in the experiment, a film of traumatic scenes of injury and death was used, can actually prevent people from having disturbing thoughts (oxford.edu). Therefore playing games can also help in releasing tension and help a person to have lighter thoughts.

The effects are not always so positive, however. Indiana University researchers carried out brain scans on young men and found evidence that violent games can alter brain function after as little as a week of play, affecting regions in the brain associated with emotional control and causing more aggressive behaviour (Indiana.edu). But Daphne Bavelier, one of the most experienced researchers in the field, says that the violent action games that often worry most parents may actually have the strongest beneficial effect on the brain (Bavelier). Games like Mortal Kombat, Grand Theft Auto, Doom and others, have taken the blame for various heinous crimes (Gross). Certain government officials have even gone as far as filing lawsuits against the developing companies in an attempt to outlaw video games in general. Not only that, but they have also been under inspection for supposedly causing a gaming “”addiction””.

Some of the other controversial video games are also the ones with the greatest potential benefits. Fast-paced, FPS like BioShock Infinite, Halo, Half-Life, Borderlands and third-person equivalents like God of War: Ascension, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Force Unleashed have all been accused of being too violent, but the benefits gamers gain from playing them are astounding. Researchers like Daphne Bavelier and C. Shawn Green have been able to demonstrate in multiple laboratory tests that playing these fast-paced games increases a person’s ability to try multiple pieces of visual information and decrease reaction time. They also have worked with another researcher, Alexandre Pouget, and showed that fast-action games also decrease decision making time. Basically, these games have so much going on all the time that for someone not used to following and tracking so much information it can be overwhelming. Gamers have no trouble keeping up with this information overload. The players are able to assess, make decisions and react quickly because they have learned how to do so in order to play and advance. If they are playing by themselves they may have to give orders to their computer allies. If they are playing with other humans then they have to be able to communicate effectively with them while tracking all the other data. This shows how playing video games cna help a person be more confident in telling others what to do and helps their communication skills and interact with others better. The brains of gamers adapt so quickly, that they can keep track of all the information they need to. Bavelier and her team found that a video gamer’s brain physically changes so that the player can process all of this information, and, most importantly, use it. A video gamer is capable of making accurate, informed decisions faster than a non-gamer with the same percentage of right answers. Bavelier and Green demonstrated that this benefit from fast-action video games sticks around for at least six months after a test subject has played only 10 hours over the course of 2 weeks. This means that every person can gain this benefit without actually being a gamer, as long as he or she is willing to put in a few hours a week to train his or her brains. This is really exciting because many of these changes have immediate benefits other senacios such as driving because when driving, the increased awareness, ability to track the many things going on around us and to make correct, fast decisions about likely outcomes of movements is invaluable in the prevention of car accidents. Playing video games has a huge impact on an individual’s brain and as a result has a direct impact on how gamers interact with and navigate our world.

Many gamers are told over and over that they have trouble focusing, but they do so well in focusing when there is so much happening on their screens all the time. Exciting new research, again from Daphne Bavelier and her team, is showing that gamers’ attention and focus is actually better than that of non-gamers. They are capable of resolving visual conflicts faster, which is frequently used in the lab to determine attention and focus capabilities. However, video game detractors point to information released by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) regarding increased Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis rates since 1997 with growth rates as high as 22% between 2003 and 2007. They argue that more and more children are being exposed to video games and more and more educators and parents are complaining that their children are unable to focus on things like classroom instruction the female orgasm and homework (Sucutti). What has been found, though, is that these child gamers’ brains, as well as the brains of their already adult counterparts, are very capable of focusing and they can maintain the same level of performance in what we find in many video games like World of Warcraft, much of the Final Fantasy series, and the previously mentioned first person shooters for hours. However, Gabe Zicherman, a leader in the development and application of “”gamification””, disagrees with such views. He suggests that it is adults that need to catch up and keep up with kids, not slow down kids to their slower pace.

Today’s kids play games in which they’re expected to chat in text and voice, operate a character, follow long and short term objectives, and deal with their parents interrupting them all the time to talk to them. Kids have to have an extraordinary multi-tasking skill to be able to achieve things today. It should then not be a surprise to discover that children who have become excellent learners in high-stimulus virtual environments may have trouble settling down into a sedate classroom with other children who are also conditioned to learning through video games. Tom Chatfield has written multiple articles and a book on how video games are the perfect education and motivation tools. He points out that children are constantly learning in a virtual environment where there are consequences to not accomplishing a task, losing a life, a tool, or not meeting a time requirement. There are also clearly stated rewards to completing the task as well as possible unexpected rewards that are doled out at calculated increments. Video game designers have been fine tweaking the ratio of difficulty, rewards and consequences to being a dumbass so that they know exactly how much to throw at a gamer at what level in each game in order to keep that person engaged and coming back for more. Educators could learn a lot from what these designers already know; children who are engaged and rewarded in an interactive learning process can and do give their entire attention and focus.

The fact that video games are a tool that can be used for education, and therefore do have an impact on the human brain, means we do need to be aware of what the potential negative impacts of those changes could be. What most every person has heard as an argument against video games is that they encourage violence and aggression in the people who play them. Multiple studies have been published on the topic, but when those studies have been reviewed and compared, it was found that they contradicted each other, and in many cases, used flawed methods to reach their conclusion regardless of the results. Christopher J. Ferguson with Texas A&M University used meta-analysis to review 12 studies available to him at the time of his publishing and found that researchers often used flawed methodology, drew conclusions that were not supported by their evidence, or in general could find no link between video games and violence. Holly Bowen and Julia Spaniol of the Dept. of Psychology with Ryerson University found that there is no indication that people who play violent video games have any long-term emotional desensitization to violence in their immediate surroundings. They do acknowledge that there may be a period immediately after playing these violent games that a gamer may be desensitized, but it is not an effect that could be attributed to an increase violence and aggressive behavior in those test subjects. Essentially, the evidence so far is showing that video games have a short-term impact on how people respond to violence and are likely desensitized to violence and possibly even reading for a short period after they play violent video games, but there is little evidence that there is a long-term impact. The heart of the argument against violent video games is based on the idea of a long-term, negative impact on gamers. Research just does not support that position.

Video games have become a part of our culture and a part of our lives in many ways. As a society we need to focus our energy and attention on is how to use them to make our lives better. We’ve already seen research that shows how video games can be used to help with several tasks with real world applications. We can use video games to increase our ability to track multiple objects and thus be able to monitor more of our surroundings while driving. They teach people how to be able to focus and maintain attention in situations where there is a lot of information to absorb in very short period of time. Video games can help us to better analyze what is going on around us and make quick decisions about the best action to take in a variety of situations. New research about the benefits of video games is coming out every year. It is time for us all to step forward and embrace the technology around us that has so many benefits and work together to mitigate the deficits that are present. Our society will not be ruined by this action, but will instead be enhanced further. There is one further thing we need to do. We need to sit down and pick up a controller. We leave ourselves at a disadvantage if we refuse to play out of false concerns regarding violence and aggression. Video games are a form of media that is often believed to be associated with negative health consequences. However, they are a great source of stress relief and improvement and development of mental health for social skills. They are engaging and immersive on a level different from traditional board games and other forms of entertainment. The player actively contributes to the level of satisfaction they attain because of the willingness to engage in the elements of the video game. The amount of play time can also be an important factor to the effects of playing certain games. In other words, excessive screen time can have its negative consequence, but if used correctly, video games possess advantages not present in other learning environments and can be a powerful tool to help children improve and develop life skills. Playing video games has become a normal part of childhood for many children and gaming in its proper manner can be healthy, fun, and educational to all ages.

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Essays About Video Games: Top 12 Examples and Prompts

Video games have revolutionized the way we have fun today. If you are writing essays about video games, check out our guide to inspire your writing.

Few can contest the fact that video games have taken over the world. From the basic, almost “primitive” games of the 1970s like Pong to the mind-bending virtual reality games of the 2020s, they have been a source of entertainment for all. Moreover, they have proven quite profitable; countries like Japan and the United States have made tens of billions of dollars solely from the video game market.

Despite their popularity, much has been debated over the potentially harmful side effects that video games may have, particularly on children. One side argues that playing certain video games can lead to people exhibiting violence in the future, while others believe that video games teach players essential life skills. Regardless, they will continue to be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future.

For engaging essays about video games, read the essay examples featured below for inspiration.

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1. What electronic games can teach us by Kendall Powell

2. designers are imagining video games without guns by keith stuart, 3. playing video games all summer won’t make you feel worse by nicole wetsman, 4. violent video games bad by andrea newman.

5. The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon

Writing Prompts For Essays About Video Games

1. video games: good or bad, 2. the benefits of video games, 3. what is your favorite video game, 4. do video games cause people to become violent, 5. video games in your life, 6. video games vs. traditional games, 7. is the video game rating system enough.

“In other studies, researchers found that gamers who trained on Tetris were better at mentally rotating two-dimensional shapes than those who played a control game. Students who played two hours of All You Can E.T., an educational game designed to enhance the executive function of switching between tasks, improved their focus-shifting skills compared with students who played a word search game.”

Powell explains a few possibilities of applying video games to education. As it turns out, certain video games can improve players’ skills, depending on the mechanics. Researchers are inspired by this and hope to take advantage of the competitive, motivational nature of gaming to encourage children to learn. New games are designed to help kids improve their focus, coordination, and resilience, and game designers hope they will succeed.

“Imagine a game where you’re a war reporter seeking to capture the most iconic, representative images in a battle environment: You’d still get the sense of peril that audiences expect from action adventures, but your relationship with the environment would be more profound. It would be Call of Duty from the perspective of a creative participant rather than a violent interloper.”

The graphic nature of some video games is said to make kids violent, so it is only natural that some creators try to change this. Stuart writes that it is possible to maintain the fun that shooter-type games induce without using guns. He gives examples of games where you do not kill your enemy, simply stunning or capturing them instead. He also suggests photography as an alternative to killing in a “shooting” game. Finally, he suggests basing video games around helping others, making friends, and doing more peaceful, creative tasks.

“Any role video games play in skewing well-being that did pop up in the study was too small to have a real-world impact on how people feel, the authors said. People would have to play games for 10 more hours per day than their baseline to notice changes in their well-being, the study found.”

Wetsman counters the widespread belief that video games “destroy your brain.” Research done with a sample of 39,000 players over six weeks has shown that whether one plays video games for long or short periods, their mental health is not impacted much. There are some exceptions; however, there are not enough to conclude that video games are, in fact, harmful.

“Some people believe that the connection between violent games, and real violence is also fairly intuitive. In playing the games kids are likely to become desensitized to gory images;which could make them less disturbing, and perhaps easier to deal with in real life. While video games aren’t about violence their capacity to teach can be a good thing.”

In her essay, Newman writes about the supposed promotion of violence in some video games. However, she believes this violence does not cause people to be more aggressive later. Instead, she believes these games expose children to certain atrocities so they will not be traumatized if they see them in real life. In addition, these games supposedly promote connections and friendships. Finally, Newman believes that these “harmful” can make you a better person.

5. The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon

“Gamers need to be educated on how to protect their thumbs, wrists, and elbows, their waistlines, their emotional state, their sleep, and their eyes. Simple education around taking breaks, stretching, eating healthy snacks, and resting and icing your thumb, wrist, or elbow when it starts hurting can address injuries early, before they become significant. For the eyes, gamers can try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, try to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.”

Grinspoon discusses both the benefits and the health risks of gaming. Video games allow people to interact with each other remotely and bond over specific missions or tasks, and some research shows that they have cognitive benefits. However, some gamers may develop vision problems and hand and wrist injuries. Gaming and “staring in front of a screen the whole day” is also associated with obesity. Overall, Grinspoon believes that gaming is best done in moderation.

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Many parents believe that their children’s “bad behavior” is because of video games. Based on your experience and others, decide: are video games good or bad for you? Make sure to read viewpoints from both sides and write an essay based on your position. Would you encourage others to play video games? Discuss these pros and cons for an interesting argumentative essay.

Like anything else, video games have both positive and negative aspects. Explain the good that video games can do for you: the skills they can equip you with, the lessons they can teach, and anything else. Also, include whether you believe their benefits outweigh the disadvantages they may pose.

For your essay, write about your favorite video game and why you chose it. What is its meaning to you, and how has it affected your life? Describe the gameplay mechanics, characters, storyline, and general impact on the gaming community or society. You can write about any game you want, even if you have not played it; just ensure the content is sufficient.

Many claim that playing violent video games can make you violent in the future. Research this phenomenon and conclude whether it is true or not. Is the evidence sufficient? There are many resources on this topic; support your argument by citing credible sources, such as news articles, statistics, and scientific research.

Video games have been a part of almost all our lives. Recall a treasured experience with video games and explain why it is significant. How old were you? Why do you remember it fondly? How did this experience make you feel? Answer these questions in your own words for an exciting essay.

Essays About Video Games: Video games vs. Traditional games

There are stark differences between video and traditional games, such as board games and card games. For an engaging essay, compare and contrast them and write about which is more entertaining, in your opinion. Be creative; this should be based on your own opinions and ideas.

The video game content rating system is used to classify video games based on their appropriateness for specific ages. However, parents complain that they are not strict enough and allow the display of violent content to children. Explore the criteria behind the rating system, decide whether it needs to be changed or not, and give examples to support your argument.

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Essay on Video Games

Students are often asked to write an essay on Video Games in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Video Games

Introduction.

Video games are interactive digital entertainment platforms. They are played on devices like computers, consoles, or mobiles.

Types of Video Games

There are many types of video games. Some are educational, others are adventure-based or sports-themed.

Benefits of Video Games

Video games can improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and strategic thinking. They can also be a fun way to relax.

Drawbacks of Video Games

Excessive gaming can lead to health issues like eye strain and lack of physical activity. It can also impact social skills if not balanced with real-world interactions.

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250 Words Essay on Video Games

Video games, a form of interactive entertainment, have evolved dramatically from their rudimentary origins in the 1970s. They have penetrated almost every aspect of modern society, becoming a significant part of our culture and a powerful force in the entertainment industry.

The Evolution of Video Games

In their inception, video games were straightforward, consisting of basic graphics and gameplay. However, as technology advanced, so did the complexity and visual appeal of these games. Today, video games are immersive experiences, boasting high-definition graphics, complex narratives, and intricate gameplay mechanics.

The Impact on Society

Video games have a profound impact on society. They have transformed how we spend our leisure time, and have even created new professions, such as professional e-sports players and game developers. In addition, video games have educational potential, as they can develop problem-solving and strategic thinking skills.

Controversies and Criticisms

Despite their popularity, video games have attracted controversy. Critics argue that they promote violence, addiction, and social isolation. However, research on these issues remains inconclusive, and many argue that the benefits of video games outweigh potential negatives.

500 Words Essay on Video Games

Video games, a form of digital entertainment that has dramatically evolved over the past few decades, have become a significant part of contemporary culture. They offer a unique blend of interactive storytelling, art, and technology, engaging players in a way that no other medium can. Video games are more than just a pastime; they are a platform for expression, learning, and innovation.

The history of video games is a testament to the incredible technological advancements of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. From the rudimentary pixel graphics of the 1970s to today’s immersive virtual reality experiences, video games have continuously pushed the boundaries of what is technologically possible. They have transformed from simple, solitary experiences into complex, social phenomena, connecting people from all walks of life.

The Impact of Video Games

The benefits and concerns.

Despite the criticisms often associated with video gaming, such as addiction and violence, numerous studies have highlighted the potential benefits. Video games can improve cognitive skills, such as problem-solving and spatial awareness, and can also foster social interaction and cooperation when played in groups. They can serve as therapeutic tools, helping to manage conditions like anxiety and depression. However, it is essential to maintain a balanced perspective, acknowledging the potential risks and promoting responsible gaming.

The Future of Video Games

The future of video games is as exciting as it is unpredictable. With emerging technologies like virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and cloud gaming, the possibilities for innovation are limitless. Video games are poised to become even more immersive, interactive, and personalized, offering experiences that were once the stuff of science fiction.

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Benefits of Video Games

Children and young adults love video games as they are fun and help to relax. At the same time, many adults claim that children spend too much time playing, which makes them violent and do not bring any benefit. However, facts indicate that video games are useful for the cognitive development of children and adults, while the myth of increased violence of players is not supported.

Video games are not a tool to solve all problems, but they have more advantages than many people think. First, games have a positive effect on cognitive and intellectual development (Etchells). For example, a player needs attentiveness, fast reaction, and often logical thinking to complete a mission in a shooter. Other games require attention and concentration, as well as ingenuity, to find a solution to a problem or task. Educational programs can also be built in the form of online games and bring more benefits than memorizing rules from books. Besides, games for adults also have such an advantage as they help developmental skills and memory. For example, Barr conducted a study and found that students playing video games improved their communication, resourcefulness, and adaptability significantly. At the same time, the idea that violent video games force people to be crueler has no convincing evidence, and scientists argue that the connection between the game process and increased aggression is very weak (Etchells). Consequently, video games cannot be called useless, harmful, or dangerous.

In conclusion, video games can be useful for a person’s development as they help to develop various cognitive and intellectual skills. In addition, since the myth that video games make people more violent still has not found cconfirmed it is difficult to talk about their harm. However, all these statements are correct with an average number of playing hours, since a strong passion for any activity, even useful, can harm the mental and physical health of a person.

Barr, Matthew. “ Video Games Can Turn University Graduates into Better Employees ” The Guardian , Guardian News and Media, 2019.

Etchells, Pete. “ Five Damaging Myths about Video Games – Let’s Shoot ‘Em Up .” The Guardian , 2019.

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Benefits of Playing Video Games Essay

Video games have been argued about for decades. Some people have argued that video games are linked to violence. However, new research shows that video games can be used for therapeutic purposes, exercise, stress relievers, positive interactive learning, hand eye coordination, and different types of patient treatment for people all around the world. When playing video games, the coordination and concentration can physically, socially, and mentally benefit the user. Research today shows that certain video games can reduce fat and therefore promote weight loss. Other sources state that doctors have instructed parents to let their children play video games to help control focus. It is found that video games can improve hand eye …show more content…

Active video games are also being marketed for adults. New Gaming companies have been turning their gaming systems into exercise machines (Recio 143). This new game keeps the player fit while watching television. One machine will incorporate a favorite show into an aerobic workout by broadcasting the selected show loud and clear during the exercise. Once the person starts to decrease their effort the volume will drop, and if they continue to decrease, the television will shut off leaving nothing to watch. This creates a good workout environment involving exercises and entertainment into a strict exercise agenda. Workout levels can range from heavy lifting or swimming (Recio 143). These workout levels are increasing stamina causing weight loss and health awareness. The new video machines can drastically change an adults workout routine. Video games can improve visual skills and brain function. Video games increase spatial awareness. When playing different video games eyes are focused on a video game a person are more likely to gain different eye strengths after training the brain. Action video games train the brain to better process certain visual information. When people play action video games, they’re changing the brain’s pathway responsible for visual processing (Masnick 1). Video games change brain functions. Researchers today are reporting that first-person-shooter

My Brain On Video Games

On average, 90% of school aged individuals and 70% of head of households with a median age of 33, play video games. General wisdom says that playing video games leads to poor eyesight and greater attention deficits with higher rates of distractibility. Bavelier (2012) states that research does not support general wisdom and even refutes it strongly under certain conditions. Bavelier’s research has shown that people who play action games such as Call of Duty, actually have better eyesight in at least 2 conditions and are also able to switch attention much more swiftly and with fewer deficits than

Brain On Video Games Summary

The article gave an array of effects video games have on the brain. There are different behaviors that can be associated with game players. It can range from improving cognitive skills to enhancing disorders. It can also be enrichment in school and with students. This is just an overview of the information

Do Video Games Kill Research Paper

In the past years, critics have concluded stating that because of video games being released, homicide rates have dropped seventy-seven percent amongst juveniles and less than seven in ten million students have a chance of being killed at school (Sternheimer 214). In “Do Video Games Kill?” the author states, “the 2005 review found evidence that playing video games improves spatial skills and reaction times, but not that the games increase aggression” (Sternheimer 217). Many different video games have positive effects such as problem-solving skills, following directions, multitasking, quick thinking, and more. Video games increase problem-solving skills by placing obstacles in the game for the player to overcome. Virtual gaming can also teach the players how to follow directions to progress throughout the game. Players learn to multitask by taking on different objectives at the same time. According to the studies conducted by Daphne Bavelier of the University of Rochester found that players become more attuned to their surroundings due to the effects of gaming (Hughes “Benefits of Playing Video Games”). By the player becoming attuned to their surroundings, it allows the player to safely release their competitive urges. The American Psychological Association stated that an estimated of 70 percent of gamers play with friends worldwide (APA). While playing with others a player can enhance their communication skills by giving the players common ground to talk about how to complete certain objectives throughout the game. With video games helping with an individual’s cognitive state it can also help individuals who are recovering from physical harm such as a stroke. A stroke is when the brain loses blood flow,

Essay on Benefits of Video Games

for 3 hours a week, while the other set played none. The set who played the

Persuasive Speech On Video Games

Video games are “a waste of time” they don 't actually improve anything, they are just entertainment. However there is drastic evidence to show that couldn’t be further from the truth. They actually have a huge mental benefit that can enhance memory, better hand to eye coordination and enhanced reflexes along with other things aswell. Showing that they are indeed not just a time killer and waster but are hugely benefiting the minds of the people that play them. The first point I would like to bring up is enhanced memory, a study suggests that young children can benefit from the memory aspects of video games. Several children had multiple sessions of several video games with increases challenge and it had been noted that they did show signs of progress in the difficulty but more importantly an increase in a strong memory showing that the two indeed have a connection. Secondly hand to eye coordination, another study was conducted and yet again the gamer who repeatedly played games was faster, sharper and overall better than the non-gamer. The other main point is reflexes which sort of ties in with the other points but deserves another mention, research indicates that fast-paced gameplay along the lines of Call of Duty and other various games, does in fact increase reflexes.

Essay on The Educational Benefits of Video Games

10 Works Cited

The repetition of the statement claiming that video games do not help children in their educational enterprises is unfair. There have been numerous studies conducted providing evidence that children gain structural knowledge while engaging in video game play (Pillay 2002).

Benefits Of Video Games

Action video games, which are categorized by fighting, shooting, or platform-style games, have come to dominate the gaming industry in the 21st century. Both parents and politicians alike have accused action games for causing antisocial, violent and even addictive behavior in gamers. This fear over video games fueled early research efforts to prove that violent video games were as damaging as claims would suggest. Many studies claim to show an overall negative psychological effect on the player, citing examples such as increased aggression and long-term harm to mental stability. However, recently, both gamers and game developers have defended action games with claims that they make the player “smarter”. This has sparked the

Persuasive Essay: Video Games May Be Healthy

Just like in sports, video games can help the brain and can help an individual think outside the box. In the same manner, practicing sports and playing video games can both be a fantastic way that help you relax and relief you stress in a sophisticated way. For example, you can always place your frustration after a long day on playing your favorite video game or going for a run with your friends. In contrast, playing sport has a huge factor in long term injuries. Unlike just playing video games inside your comfortable room is far more convenient and safer than playing sports and take the risk of getting injured. Therefore, it is healthier.

The Negative Effects Of Playing Video Games And Cognitive Skills

Playing video games is among one of the favorite pastimes of many people around the world. Some play games to kill time with simple tasks found most commonly on the phone, while others play them to challenge their mind in the form of complex puzzles or to practice management skills, some play them to experience a sense of adventure that they just can’t find anywhere else, and many use them as a way to communicate or have fun with friends both near and far. Whatever the reason someone may have for playing video games, they may not think that games can have an effect on their brains. Some would say that playing video games can lead to negative effects such as harming the player’s cognitive skills or causing them to become much more violent than normal. Others would argue that playing video games quickens the minds of their players, leading to higher mental performance or an increased attention to detail. Thanks to this hotly debated controversy many studies have been conducted over the past years in order to settle the debate once and for all. So what effect can playing video games have on the cognitive skills of their players, and are these effects positive, negative, or somewhere in the middle?

The Effects Of Playing Video Games On Children

One positive effect of video games is that it can increase a child’s fine motor ability. It can also improve their hand-eye coordination. Children who are playing these games have to move the controls while simultaneously pressing an array of buttons. This is a great activity for

Video Games Positive And Negative Effects

In recent years, video games have played an important role in the field of education and in treating psychological patients. Video games are a form of self-indulgence, which often provide unique and engaging environments that train players to think fast and resourcefully. With the right design and mechanics, they can facilitate learning and cognitive thinking in diverse levels .Computer games can be used in children with mental health issues, psychological disorders and in chronic disorders like diabetes, asthma or cancer. At the same time video games also have negative effects which may decrease the IQ levels of children and may become aggressive because of the violent games. Thus the video games have both positive and negative effects.

Video Games Should Not Be Classified

Daphne Bavelier and Shawn Green stated how video games have beneficial factors to them. They focused their attention on the 'action ' genre by saying that, " Indeed, playing this type of game results in a wide range of behavioral benefits, including enhancements in low-level vision, visual attention, speed of processing and statistical inference, among others" (Bavelier, Green, 2011). Action games deliver high intensity, faced paced decision making and processing; and with this exposure, players begin to harness their skills to judge situations quickly and act upon them. Each game differs from one another even in the same genre, and the ability for a gamer to not only hone in on fast processing and decision skills to support a pleasurable outcome, but it also affects their motor skills. Which is what brought Doug Han to say that, "Depending on the type of

Negative Effects Of Video Games Essay

There is research that prove that cognitive ability can be increased through video games. In a study in an article in IFL Science by Daphne Bavelier et al., she researched how action gamers fared against normal people and gamers who play more “mellow” video games in a pattern differentiation task. Through the study, she found that action gamers did better than the rest in the pattern differentiation task. Another thing she had them do was do a perceptual learning task. The results show that there was no difference between the groups at the start, but over time, the action gamers had the upper hand. Bavelier theorized that it was because the gamers could make better “templates” or models of the world and can predict things

Negative Benefits Of Video Games

“Video games are a waste of time for people with nothing else to do. Real brains don't do that” -Ray Bradbury. People who are opposed to video games believe they are mindless. However, recent studies prove that playing video games can have many positive benefits for the brain. In a recent study lead by Simone Kuhn and conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charité University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, has found evidence that video games can expand grey matter. Grey matter is part of the brain in charge of the transportation of information from sensory and motor skills. Sensory skills are those such as vision, memory, hearing, touch, smell, taste, vestibular (for balance and head position in space), and proprioception (information from the muscles and joints). Motor skills relate to muscles and movement and include crawling, walking, running, handwriting, and speaking. Another argument many people have with video games is that it can negatively affect the eyes by causing straining and nearsightedness. But Daphne Bavelier, a professor of brain and cognitive science at University of Rochester discovered that practiced gamers become 58 percent better at distinguishing the fine differences in shades of grey. And finally, the last argument that people have against video game, is that it does not have any physical benefits. However, a study at Deakin University in Australia, health researchers found that preschoolers who play interactive video

The Negative Effects Of Video Games

These games show that the use of games targeted at health can be beneficial, but the effects of recreational video games can also be beneficial for health. Steve Dorman of the Journal of School Health suggests that the potential negative consequences of video games are cardiovascular implications, stating that, “American children are more overweight, slower, and weaker than their counterparts in other developed nations” (*). And states that, “Video games and television viewing may contribute to a sedentary lifestyle by displacing involvement in sport and other physical activity” (*). To determine the effects of playing video games on health, a laboratory assessed the heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen consumption of Ms. Pac-Man players over a 30- minute duration and compared them to the measurements of a standing, inactive position. Dorman states that they found the energy cost of

Why playing games is good for you

Playing has been shown to improve the mental health of adults, but most people stop in childhood. How can we rediscover the benefits of playfulness after the toys have been put away?

After Federica Pallavicini's father was treated for brain cancer, she wanted to help him with his recovery from the surgery. "I began to look into ways of improving his cognitive health without it being a burden or reminder of his situation," she says. Inspiration came from an unusual source – video games.

Pallavicini has a personal connection with gaming. As a psychologist who studies the applications of virtual reality and video games for mental health and psychological wellbeing at the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, she noticed the improvement on her own mental health and lower stress levels after she played Call of Duty (CoD). The first-person shooting game put players into a simulated war, and so is more commonly associated with violence and stress than as a way of improving mental health. Pallavicini, however, says playing became a form of therapy that was highly beneficial in her day-to-day life, and later inspired her career in research. With this in mind, she wondered if play could help her father, too.

Pallavicini had good reason to believe it could. Adults who demonstrate more playful personality traits are more motivated, creative and spontaneous . There have even been links between people with more playful characteristics having lower blood pressure . While less playful people struggle in their leisure time to relax and often feel bored when their minds are not preoccupied, those that are more playfully inclined are aware of new opportunities and open to trying a wider variety of activities.

So, why do most of us stop playing as adults? And how can we learn to play again?

René Proyer, professor of psychology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany, says that playful adults are those able to frame everyday situations in such a way that they become entertaining and intellectually stimulating . Whether it's an obsession with Candy Crush on the morning commute, playing video games with friends or even sharing a private joke with your partner or colleague, most people are playful, and yet the benefits might go unnoticed or nurtured.

The benefits of playfulness can be embraced again in adulthood, says Proyer, adding that in the same way that you might take part in meditation or exercise, playfulness should be viewed as a skill that can be developed, harnessed and used for mindfulness.

Getty Images The Call of Duty franchise has attracted adult fans – including celebrities and sports stars – for decades (Credit: Getty Images)

A good place to start is by simply observing. Proyer suggests listing three moments at the end of every day wher something spontaneous happened. It could be a funny interaction with a stranger while getting your coffee or a joke shared with your colleague. This will help you to begin to feel confident in being playful and make you more aware of joy in your everyday life.

But Proyer urges people not to be afraid to find fun in something not normally associated with adults. Socially acceptable adult games, like board games for instance, are often accompanied by a list of rules and require a specific environment to be played. This does less to encourage creativity and spontaneous playful behaviour despite the elements of luck and strategy, says Proyer. Sometimes activities like this also involve competition and the related frustration with winning and losing. Essentially, the more unexpected the interaction or activity, the better for experiencing and enhancing your playfulness, he says.

Your enjoyment of play can depend on both your personality and your willingness to be open to new forms of conversation and experiences. Proyer suggests that if you're most playful at home with your partner or family, for example, try using similar conversational techniques with colleagues or more distant friends and observe the results. With the evidence so strongly pointing towards a wide array of social benefits, it can't hurt to look a little harder for those small moments that make a much bigger difference than you might think to both yourself and the people you interact with.

On the surface, it can appear that most adults do not play as often as they would wish – perhaps, as Proyer suggests, because socially-acceptable adult games are not that fun, and those that are might be seen as embarrassing depending on the activity. But, Sebastian Deterding, professor of digital creativity at the University of York, says that in order for adults to engage in playful activities guilt-free, they can come prepared with socially acceptable "excuses" .

He gives the example of The Mindfulness Coloring Book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy for Busy People by Emma Farrarons which aims to make the embarrassing act of adult colouring socially acceptable when associated with the "alibi" of it being therapy for successful people.

However, with the rise of social media in recent decades, the goal posts for what constitutes embarrassing play have been moved. Platforms like Youtube and Twitch in particular are popularising gaming culture. Gaming Youtuber and Twitch streamer Mollie Faux-Wilkins, known as The English Simmer to her audience of over 300,000 subscribers, says that for her, playing The Sims (a life simulation video game) has never been embarrassing and was actually encouraged by her parents from a young age. Playing The Sims, along with the majority of other video games, can be an isolating experience, she says. But with the creation and growth of her channel, she has been welcomed into a global community, making friends from across the world and connecting with like-minded gamers in a playful activity.

Getty Images The Sims still attracts a large community of adult fans (Credit: Getty Images)

Video games are one of the few forms of adult play therapy that carry less social stigma, says Pallavicini. While some adults might feel the need to hide their playfulness, the market for video games and mobile gaming among adults has boomed in recent years. The global gaming market was valued at $174bn (£128bn) in 2020 and is forecast to be worth $314bn (£231bn) by 2026.

Pallavicini puts the mental health benefits of playing video games down to achieving a state of "flow". She says flow is the " the optimal experience when nothing else matters" , and is also experienced by athletes and sports people when they are in the zone. Playing to find the flow state can provide an enjoyable challenge and distraction from mental health issues, she says, meaning the player can work on their wellbeing without feeling pressured to improve.

Faux-Wilkins says that some viewers tune in because they resonate with her personality, while others might come looking to join discussions on the latest game update. The fact that being a YouTuber and online-gamer can be a full-time job addresses the stigma of what could at first be seen as an embarrassing activity for an adult, she says. Along with millions of other online content producers, Faux-Wilkins is using the interest and enjoyment adults find in playing and digital entertainment to create a fulfilling career, and her audience are reaping the benefits that come with engaging with a playful community.

As an adult with responsibilities, pressures and targets, it can be easy to lose sight of those small moments of play in day-to-day life. But these moments make up the most memorable parts of the everyday and the funniest memories of friends and family.

So with all the benefits that come along with it, it's not a stretch to say that making an effort to be a little more playful should be a part of your day. Do you ever think wistfully about your childhood toys and envy that lost feeling of playfulness? Well maybe that feeling never really left you at all – it can be just a little harder to find.

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Impact of Videogames on Children Essay

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Introduction

Modern children live in an extremely digitalized environment characterized by the availability of information and specific ways to spend free time. Today, most young people prefer to spend time in front of the computer, either doing their homework or socializing by using social networks. Another trend of contemporary society is the high popularity of video games that become more complex, similar to reality, and demanding much time. The constantly updating content along with the ability to play with friends online attract children. In such a way, videogames replace other activities such as running, walking, or socializing in the street. The given change of priorities triggers vigorous debates about the possible effects of games on children, their physical and mental development, and long-term consequences. For this reason, the given research is devoted to the issue of videogames and how they influence children. To investigate the problem, the following thesis is offered:

The adverse effects of videogames on children might include the development of anxiety, depression, changes in brain functioning, problems with weight, socialization, and trigger the evolution of chronic diseases; however, they can also positively influence children increasing visuospatial cognition, attention, creativity, and reducing aggression levels.

The development of the videogames industry resulted in the emergence of complex games that create attractive images and exciting tasks to engage players and hold their attention. Statistics show that 66% of children aged 8 to 12 years play video games about 2 hours per day, while teens aged 13 to 17 play about 2,5 hours per day (Halbrook et al. 1097). However, in real life, the numbers can be even higher because of the inability to trace the amount of time spent on such activities. It means, for children, videogames become the main type of activity practiced every day.

Addiction and Accessibility

Another problem linked to videogames is their ability to precondition addiction. They affect the brain similarly to drugs as they stimulate the pleasure center and trigger the release of dopamine responsible for the emergence of specific behaviors (Paturel). In such a way, playing videogames, children feel the need to spend more time. The problem is complicated by the fact that today, games are spread globally, and there is hardly an area, excluding the poorest ones with no Internet or computers, where children are deprived of a chance to play (Paturel). The combination of addiction and accessibility contributes to the spread of videogames and the growing topicality of the question of how they impact the physical and mental health of a child.

Mental Development of a Child

One of the main problems linked to videogames is their influence on the mental development of a child. Childhood is the period fundamental for the mental development of a child, and numerous factors might have either a positive or negative effects on their brain and behaviors (Lobel et al. 885). In such a way, the fact that videogames become the central way to spend free time, replacing the previous activities, attracts the attention of researchers as it has a direct impact on the psyche and health of an individual. However, there is still no consensus on whether videogames have only negative or positive effects.

Brain Functioning

One of the popular fears is that videogames can affect brain functioning. Some researchers assume that excessive gaming in childhood can physically rewire the brain and introduce irreversible changes into its work (Paturel). The recent Chinese research presupposing two control groups showed that gamers (individuals spending about 10 hours a day online) have less gray matter if to compare with people who spend less than two hours online (Paturel). In such a way, gaming can be dangerous as it affects various brain areas, depending on the type of game and reaction it cultivates.

Depression and Anxiety

There is also a belief that games might precondition the development of depression and anxiety in children. The given states are mainly associated with failures in online games, the inability to get some achievement, or bullying, one of the common practices on the Internet. The research shows that excessive gaming might precondition dopamine exhaustion, emotional suppression, and the lack of motivation to achieve various real-life goals (Paturel). Moreover, people with depression might suffer from the deterioration of their states caused by addictive playing (Video Games and Children: Playing with Violence”). Analyzing the impact of videogames on anxiety, researchers also offer various assumptions. First of all, gaming can be a normal and healthy way to relieve stress and decrease anxiety levels by engaging in online activities (Pellissier). However, for children with gaming disorder, using gaming as the anxiety coping mechanism can be dangerous and contribute to the accumulation of negative effects and increased risks (Pellissier). In such a way, video games have diverse effects on depression and anxiety, including the positive and negative ones.

Lack of Socialization

The lack of socialization and contact with peers in real life is one of the most popular fears among parents. Today, most games demand much time; moreover, they are focused on cooperation online by using the Internet, which means that children do not have to leave their houses to communicate with other people. It preconditions the increased time they spend at home. The recent research states that there is a direct correlation between the time spent online and social skills, or the higher the gaming addiction, the less the social skills (Lobel et al. 885). Children might demonstrate the inability to communicate in real life because of the absence of the demanded experience.

Weight Management and Chronic Diseases

Excessive gaming can also result in poor weight management. Gamers usually have snacks consisting of unhealthy food such as sweets, chips, or soda (Halbrook et al. 1100). The given dietary patterns create the basis for the emergence of several problems. First, they might acquire extra weight and suffer from obesity. At the same time, spending much time in front of the computer with decreased physical activity and wrong posture might result in the development of scoliosis and other problems with the locomotor system (Lobel et al. 885). Moreover, there is an increased risk of acquiring chronic diseases such as gastritis. From this perspective, videogames can be dangerous for children.

Nature-Deficit Disorder

Spending much time at home and playing videogames, children devote less attention to real life and the world surrounding them. Thus, Louv states that the threatening tendency towards the decreased exposure of children to nature can be observed in Western countries today (23). The given nature-deficit disorder has a negative impact on children and society as for health development, they need to interact with the environment and acquire all benefits from this cooperation (Louv 45). The inability to remain in contact with the world affects all systems of the child body and prevents them from healthy evolution. For this reason, videogames should be viewed as the factor limiting children’s access to nature and triggering the growth of the nature-deficit disorder.

Enhancement of Brain Capabilities

However, it is critical to mention the fact that there are also positive effects linked to videogames. For instance, studies show that by playing action games, players improve their visual capabilities, including tracking multiple objects, reaction, storing, and manipulating them in specific memory centers in the brain (Paturel). Because of the need to consider several factors at the same time, players have to perform multiple tasks simultaneously and make immediate decisions, which affects their brains and makes them more flexible (Paturel). These positive effects differentiate gamers from other children and help them to cope with diverse tasks while visiting their educational establishments.

Playing action games is also directly correlated with reaction speed. Investigations show that gamers who spend much time in this sort of activities have a lower speed of reaction (Paturel). It is explained by the fact that their gaming sessions can be viewed as training, which results in the formation of bonds in the brain and the development of skills (Pellissier). Because multiple repetitions of the same actions are an effective form of learning, gamers acquire new capabilities linked to similar situations (Paturel).

Imagination

There are also different opinions on how videogames affect the imagination. Thus, most studies conclude that modern role-playing games (RPG) contribute to the development of creative and imaginary qualities of the child brain (Halbrook et al. 1100). They offer a person a unique world, and a player should use his/her imagination to dive into it and associate his/her hero with himself/herself. Additionally, quests and strategies might precondition the rise of strategic thinking and the ability to resolve problematic puzzles or questions (Halbrook et al. 1100). For this reason, videogames can be viewed as a factor stimulating the development of this aspect of the brain’s functioning.

Recommendation

In such a way, there is no unified opinion about whether videogames should be viewed as a positive or negative factor impacting the mental development of a child. This complexity comes from the fact that there are both positive and negative effects associated with gaming. However, all sources emphasize the dangerous nature of excessive gaming and addiction. It means that parents are recommended to control their children playing patterns to avoid spending too much time in the virtual world and guarantee that they interact with the world and their peers in real life.

Altogether, videogames have both positive and negative effects on children. They might precondition the development of chronic diseases and extra weight, high anxiety, and depression levels, along with the changes in brain functioning. The highly-addictive nature increases the risks of spending too much time in games. However, there are also positive effects, such as better reaction, motor skills, visuospatial cognition, and creativity, which are trained during gaming sessions. For this reason, it is vital to continue the further investigation of the problem to outline more effects and conclude whether children’s brains suffer critical damage from games or they can be a tool to stimulate its development and optimal functioning.

Works Cited

Halbrook, Yemaya J., et al. “When and How Video Games Can Be Good: A Review of the Positive Effects of Video Games on Well-Being.” Perspectives on Psychological Science , vol. 14, no. 6, Nov. 2019, pp. 1096–1104.

Lobel, Adam, et al. “Video Gaming and Children’s Psychosocial Wellbeing: A Longitudinal Study.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence , vol. 46, no. 4, 2017, pp. 884-897. doi:10.1007/s10964-017-0646-z.

Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder . Algonquin Books, 2008.

Paturel, Amy. “ Game Theory: The Effects of Video Games on the Brain .” Brain & Life , Web.

Pellissier, Hank. “ Your child’s Brain on Technology: Video Games .” Great Schools , 2014, Web.

“Video Games and Children: Playing with Violence.” American Academy of Child & Adolescents Psychiatry , 2015, Web.

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IvyPanda. (2022, February 27). Impact of Videogames on Children. https://ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-videogames-on-children/

"Impact of Videogames on Children." IvyPanda , 27 Feb. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-videogames-on-children/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Impact of Videogames on Children'. 27 February.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Impact of Videogames on Children." February 27, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-videogames-on-children/.

1. IvyPanda . "Impact of Videogames on Children." February 27, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-videogames-on-children/.

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IvyPanda . "Impact of Videogames on Children." February 27, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-videogames-on-children/.

Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds

Learning and Memory

Authors suggest balancing questions of harm with potential for positive impact

The Benefits of Playing Video Games (PDF, 202KB)

WASHINGTON — Playing video games, including violent shooter games, may boost children’s learning, health and social skills, according to a review of research on the positive effects of video game play to be published by the American Psychological Association.

The study comes out as debate continues among psychologists and other health professionals regarding the effects of violent media on youth. An APA task force is conducting a comprehensive review of research on violence in video games and interactive media and will release its findings in 2014.

“Important research has already been conducted for decades on the negative effects of gaming, including addiction, depression and aggression, and we are certainly not suggesting that this should be ignored,” said lead author Isabela Granic, PhD, of Radboud University Nijmegen in The Netherlands. “However, to understand the impact of video games on children’s and adolescents’ development, a more balanced perspective is needed.”

The article will be published in APA’s flagship journal, American Psychologist .

While one widely held view maintains playing video games is intellectually lazy, such play actually may strengthen a range of cognitive skills such as spatial navigation, reasoning, memory and perception, according to several studies reviewed in the article. This is particularly true for shooter video games that are often violent, the authors said. A 2013 meta-analysis found that playing shooter video games improved a player’s capacity to think about objects in three dimensions, just as well as academic courses to enhance these same skills, according to the study. “This has critical implications for education and career development, as previous research has established the power of spatial skills for achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” Granic said. This enhanced thinking was not found with playing other types of video games, such as puzzles or role-playing games.

Playing video games may also help children develop problem-solving skills, the authors said. The more adolescents reported playing strategic video games, such as role-playing games, the more they improved in problem solving and school grades the following year, according to a long-term study published in 2013. Children’s creativity was also enhanced by playing any kind of video game, including violent games, but not when the children used other forms of technology, such as a computer or cell phone, other research revealed.

Simple games that are easy to access and can be played quickly, such as “Angry Birds,” can improve players’ moods, promote relaxation and ward off anxiety, the study said. “If playing video games simply makes people happier, this seems to be a fundamental emotional benefit to consider,” said Granic. The authors also highlighted the possibility that video games are effective tools to learn resilience in the face of failure. By learning to cope with ongoing failures in games, the authors suggest that children build emotional resilience they can rely upon in their everyday lives.

Another stereotype the research challenges is the socially isolated gamer. More than 70 percent of gamers play with a friend and millions of people worldwide participate in massive virtual worlds through video games such as “Farmville” and “World of Warcraft,” the article noted. Multiplayer games become virtual social communities, where decisions need to be made quickly about whom to trust or reject and how to lead a group, the authors said. People who play video games, even if they are violent, that encourage cooperation are more likely to be helpful to others while gaming than those who play the same games competitively, a 2011 study found.

The article emphasized that educators are currently redesigning classroom experiences, integrating video games that can shift the way the next generation of teachers and students approach learning. Likewise, physicians have begun to use video games to motivate patients to improve their health, the authors said. In the video game “Re-Mission,” child cancer patients can control a tiny robot that shoots cancer cells, overcomes bacterial infections and manages nausea and other barriers to adhering to treatments. A 2008 international study in 34 medical centers found significantly greater adherence to treatment and cancer-related knowledge among children who played “Re-Mission” compared to children who played a different computer game.

“It is this same kind of transformation, based on the foundational principle of play, that we suggest has the potential to transform the field of mental health,” Granic said. “This is especially true because engaging children and youth is one of the most challenging tasks clinicians face.”

The authors recommended that teams of psychologists, clinicians and game designers work together to develop approaches to mental health care that integrate video game playing with traditional therapy.

Article: “The Benefits of Playing Video Games,” Isabela Granic, PhD, Adam Lobel, PhD, and Rutger C.M.E. Engels, PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen; Nijmegen, The Netherlands; American Psychologist , Vol. 69, No. 1.

Isabela Granic can be contacted by email , cell: 011.31.6.19.50.00.99 or work: 011.31.24.361.2142

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 134,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.

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Are Video Games Good for You and Your Brain?

While playing can increase brain matter and improve cognitive function, balance is key

Game controll in foreground with video gamer playing on computer in the background.

Video games offer a considerable amount of adventure and entertainment. Traditional games, like Tetris , or the more modern Candy Crush Saga , are puzzling brain busters that require a certain level of strategy in order to be successful.

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Others, like Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild or Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, provide an escape from the real world and into familiar or far-off places. And even violent video games like The Last of Us 2 have become critically acclaimed for their level of inclusivity and accessibility , impactful storytelling and innovative game design.

But in recent years, regardless of genre, the pros and cons of video games and how they affect our brains have been a hot topic of discussion — particularly when discussing video game addiction. Defined as a mental health disorder by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, video game addiction is a controversial diagnosis that has left researchers debating on whether it should be classified as an addiction or mental illness at all, leaving many of us asking the question: Are video games good for you?

Pediatric behavioral health specialist Michael Manos, PhD , explains how video games affect your brain in good and bad ways, and when video game addiction can be a real problem.

Is gaming good for your brain?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under 2 should have no screen time and kids ages 2 to 5 should get an hour or less of screen time per weekday and three hours on the weekend days (and Dr. Manos agrees that this is a good rule of thumb).

But a recent study of more than 2,200 children discovered that gamers who played more than 21 hours a week performed better than non-gamers when they were tested for impulsive behavior and memorization. In fact, researchers observed gamers had more activity than non-gamers in regions of their brains that were associated with attention and memory.

While the direct causes for these changes in children’s brains are unknown, there have been a number of other positive findings related to positive effects of video games. In fact, there’s even a video game treatment called EndeavorRX for children who have ADHD between the ages of 8 and 12. Here are some other benefits:

Increases brain matter

Much research has been done to show that video games impact brain plasticity (your brain’s ability to change in response to learning) through the use of attentional control and reward processing. The idea here is that the more you’re able to direct attention toward a certain task, the more stimulated you are by completing that task. From there, you can then move on to more complicated tasks. This is especially important when you consider that your brain’s gray matter — the outer-most layer of your brain — contains billions of neurons and is responsible for controlling your movement, retaining your memories and regulating your emotions. Essentially, the more you learn, the more your brain can adapt.

“Like stimulants, video gaming can increase gray matter in the brain,” says Dr. Manos. “Gray matter provides interconnectivity and allows parts of your brain to communicate with other parts of your brain and advance your self-perception.”

Provides stimulating activity

Unlike TV shows and movies, video games are interactive and require attention to detail and task management. Take a role-playing game (RPG), like The Witcher or Mass Effect , for example: There’s a long list of main quest objectives you have to complete in order to beat the game. But you also have a longer list of side objectives that are optional in order to flesh out the game’s story and reward system.

For every task you complete, a game will usually reward you with experience points to advance your character’s skill. You’ll also get in-game trophies that symbolize your achievement. This relationship of risk and reward isn’t specific to RPGs (you see it in simulation games like Animal Crossing , too) but it’s particularly rewarding for completionists wanting to accomplish everything they can in a game before moving on to the next.

“A constant barrage of reinforcement occurs often and in succession with video games,” explains Dr. Manos. “The danger of a particular situation and the resolution of a situation gives you a sense of accomplishment, which doesn’t happen very much in real life. This makes video games incredibly stimulating.”

Improves focus and visuomotor abilities like hand-eye coordination

Because of the level of detail and interaction, you often have to pay close attention to visual and auditory cues to accomplish certain tasks in a video game.

“When you’re watching a video game, you’ve got to pay attention to every little thing that comes into your visual field and react to it,” notes Dr. Manos. “Being able to visually contrast, being able to tell the difference between one thing and another, is also a skill that can be developed by playing video games.”

We see this often in action-adventure games like Tomb Raider or Resident Evil , when you participate in quick-time events (or QTEs) where you have to push a button that matches a symbol on the screen within a very limited amount of time in order for something to happen.

But Dr. Manos cautions that although video games can improve focus and hand-eye coordination with mechanics like QTEs, there are real-world examples, like driving through fog, that present a greater opportunity for learning.

“If you’re driving through fog, you have to be hyper-alert to see whatever is in front of you. That’s a skill you really want to learn and that kind of thing can be improved in playing a video game,” he states. “But just because a person can distinguish something in a video game, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be able to distinguish it in real life.”

Improves ability for set-shifting and other cognitive functions

Set-shifting is the ability to move back and forth between different tasks in quick succession. The ability to start one thing and immediately pick up another is an important factor in determining your cognitive flexibility. We often mistake set-shifting as multitasking, but the ability to direct our attention from one thing to the next — like cooking dinner on the stove while listening to a podcast or pausing a video game to start a load of laundry — is an important skill to have.

“People switch tasks all the time,” says Dr. Manos. “That executive function tends to get a little better when playing a video game.”

Plus, other cognitive functions can be improved by video games, too. This 2020 overview of commercial video game studies suggests different types of video games improve different cognitive functions. Action video games, for instance, are highly associated with improving someone’s ability to direct their attention and filter specific information. Traditional puzzle games, like Tetris, were associated with increased performance in navigation, perception and recognition.

Can video games be bad for you?

As you can see, the good effects of video games are broad, but it’s hard to recreate those effects in real life outside of gaming. That’s also true about the negative effects of video games and there’s much to be discussed about exactly how these effects play out in other areas of your life.

The difficulty with research in the field of video games is that several studies contradict each other and it’s challenging to determine the exact mechanisms behind what’s being studied.

Some studies are small with a very narrow scope, like this one that suggests children who are physically active have faster reaction times than those who only play video games. Other studies are much broader in their approach, like this one that suggests people who play video games have an increased ability to learn from their experiences and manage conflict.

Part of what makes research into video games and their effect on brain function so controversial is that there’s been a large body of research that’s been slowly building over the last decade that suggests internet and video game addictions are a real problem, despite video game addiction only affecting 3.05% of the world’s population .

Since The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders added the term “internet gaming disorder” in 2013, continued research has suggested that video game addiction is similar to other well-established addictions related to substance use disorders. This may partially be because the same parts of your brain, specifically those that release dopamine (the feel-good hormone), are activated when you have any addiction.

Specifically, people who play massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are believed to be the most at risk for developing a video game addiction because of the ever-present pressure to level up their characters, participate in seasonal or time-sensitive limited events and constant access to in-game rewards.

“Video games are so stimulating that kids want to sustain engagement with them, as if that’s life,” says Dr. Manos. “The next stimulating event is always right around the corner, and you know you just have to get to that corner. That’s what prompts addiction.”

And while one study discovered an increase in concentration and visuomotor abilities like spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination in gamers who played MMORPGs, they also discovered structural brain differences and a loss of self-control.

To better understand the exact impact video games have on our brains, more research is needed to look at the specific cause and effects associated with gaming. In fact, some researchers are determined that a multidisciplinary approach is needed when studying the effects video games have on brain function because of advancements made in the game industry (with game analytics, game design and player experience), alongside advancements in the medical fields of cognitive science, machine learning and social sciences.

How do you know if you or your child is addicted to video games?

As with any addiction, when it starts taking over someone’s life and altering their ability to participate in and enjoy day-to-day activities, there may be some reason for concern.

“When parents start noticing their kids are avoiding certain tasks, they’re replacing certain activities, like playing with friends or participating in sports, with video games, you have to start getting concerned,” states Dr. Manos. “When a child is willing to sacrifice or compromise a formerly high-interest activity in order to play a video game, then it’s useful to begin observing how much time the child is actually playing and perhaps limit their playtime.”

This is especially true if your child has emotional outbursts or gets physically aggressive when they’re asked to pause the game or turn it off.

“It’s not easy to take a child away from a video game,” says Dr. Manos. “When emotional reactions occur when the child is deprived of a video game, that’s a problem.”

If you’re concerned about your child’s time spent playing video games, or if their behavior becomes worse over time, you can ask your healthcare provider or child therapist about whether or not they need cognitive behavioral therapy to help manage any underlying causes that might be leading to an over-reliance on video games.

But at the end of the day, if your child is content, continues to participate in social and physical activities with their friends and family members, and they’re developing critical thinking skills necessary to analyze and navigate the world around them, there’s no harm in allowing for occasional video game enjoyment.

“There have been some positive findings that when parents actually sit down and engage the child while they’re playing video games by talking about it, watching it or even playing with their child, that it can be a very positive experience for parents and kids,” says Dr. Manos.

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Does Video Gaming Have Impacts on the Brain: Evidence from a Systematic Review

Denilson brilliant t..

1 Department of Biomedicine, Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences (i3L), East Jakarta 13210, Indonesia

2 Smart Ageing Research Center (SARC), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; pj.ca.ukohot@iur (R.N.); pj.ca.ukohot@atuyr (R.K.)

3 Department of Cognitive Health Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan

Ryuta Kawashima

4 Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan

Video gaming, the experience of playing electronic games, has shown several benefits for human health. Recently, numerous video gaming studies showed beneficial effects on cognition and the brain. A systematic review of video gaming has been published. However, the previous systematic review has several differences to this systematic review. This systematic review evaluates the beneficial effects of video gaming on neuroplasticity specifically on intervention studies. Literature research was conducted from randomized controlled trials in PubMed and Google Scholar published after 2000. A systematic review was written instead of a meta-analytic review because of variations among participants, video games, and outcomes. Nine scientific articles were eligible for the review. Overall, the eligible articles showed fair quality according to Delphi Criteria. Video gaming affects the brain structure and function depending on how the game is played. The game genres examined were 3D adventure, first-person shooting (FPS), puzzle, rhythm dance, and strategy. The total training durations were 16–90 h. Results of this systematic review demonstrated that video gaming can be beneficial to the brain. However, the beneficial effects vary among video game types.

1. Introduction

Video gaming refers to the experience of playing electronic games, which vary from action to passive games, presenting a player with physical and mental challenges. The motivation to play video games might derive from the experience of autonomy or competing with others, which can explain why video gaming is pleasurable and addictive [ 1 ].

Video games can act as “teachers” depending on the game purpose [ 2 ]. Video gaming has varying effects depending on the game genre. For instance, an active video game can improve physical fitness [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], whereas social video games can improve social behavior [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The most interesting results show that playing video games can change cognition and the brain [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].

Earlier studies have demonstrated that playing video games can benefit cognition. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated that the experience of video gaming is associated with better cognitive function, specifically in terms of visual attention and short-term memory [ 14 ], reaction time [ 15 ], and working memory [ 16 ]. Additionally, some randomized controlled studies show positive effects of video gaming interventions on cognition [ 17 , 18 ]. Recent meta-analytical studies have also supported the positive effects of video gaming on cognition [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. These studies demonstrate that playing video games does provide cognitive benefits.

The effects of video gaming intervention are ever more widely discussed among scientists [ 13 ]. A review of the results and methodological quality of recently published intervention studies must be done. One systematic review of video gaming and neural correlates has been reported [ 19 ]. However, the technique of neuroimaging of the reviewed studies was not specific. This systematic review reviewed only magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in contrast to the previous systematic review to focus on neuroplasticity effect. Neuroplasticity is capability of the brain that accommodates adaptation for learning, memorizing, and recovery purposes [ 19 ]. In normal adaptation, the brain is adapting to learn, remember, forget, and repair itself. Recent studies using MRI for brain imaging techniques have demonstrated neuroplasticity effects after an intervention, which include cognitive, exercise, and music training on the grey matter [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ] and white matter [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. However, the molecular mechanisms of the grey and white matter change remain inconclusive. The proposed mechanisms for the grey matter change are neurogenesis, gliogenesis, synaptogenesis, and angiogenesis, whereas those for white matter change are myelin modeling and formation, fiber organization, and angiogenesis [ 30 ]. Recent studies using MRI technique for brain imaging have demonstrated video gaming effects on neuroplasticity. Earlier imaging studies using cross-sectional and longitudinal methods have shown that playing video games affects the brain structure by changing the grey matter [ 31 , 32 , 33 ], white matter [ 34 , 35 ], and functional connectivity [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Additionally, a few intervention studies have demonstrated that playing video games changed brain structure and functions [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ].

The earlier review also found a link between neural correlates of video gaming and cognitive function [ 19 ]. However, that review used both experimental and correlational studies and included non-healthy participants, which contrasts to this review. The differences between this and the previous review are presented in Table 1 . This review assesses only experimental studies conducted of healthy participants. Additionally, the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies merely showed an association between video gaming experiences and the brain, showing direct effects of playing video games in the brain is difficult. Therefore, this systematic review specifically examined intervention studies. This review is more specific as it reviews intervention and MRI studies on healthy participants. The purposes of this systematic review are therefore to evaluate the beneficial effects of video gaming and to assess the methodological quality of recent video gaming intervention studies.

Differences between previous review and current review.

Difference	Previous Review	Current Review
Type of reviewed studies	Experimental and correlational studies	Experimental studies only
Neuroimaging technique of reviewed studies	CT, fMRI, MEG, MRI, PET, SPECT, tDCS, EEG, and NIRS	fMRI and MRI only
Participants of reviewed studies	Healthy and addicted participant	Healthy participants Only

CT, computed tomography; fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging; MEG, magnetoencephalography MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PET, positron emission tomography; SPECT, single photon emission computed tomography; tDCS, transcranial direct current stimulation; EEG, electroencephalography; NIRS, near-infrared spectroscopy.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. search strategy.

This systematic review was designed in accordance with the PRISMA checklist [ 44 ] shown in Appendix Table A1 . A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies. The keywords used for the literature search were combinations of “video game”, “video gaming”, “game”, “action video game”, “video game training”, “training”, “play”, “playing”, “MRI”, “cognitive”, “cognition”, “executive function”, and “randomized control trial”.

2.2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

The primary inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trial study, video game interaction, and MRI/fMRI analysis. Studies that qualified with only one or two primary inclusions were not included. Review papers and experimental protocols were also not included. The secondary inclusion criteria were publishing after 2000 and published in English. Excluded were duration of less than 4 weeks or unspecified length intervention or combination intervention. Also excluded were studies of cognition-based games, and studies of participants with psychiatric, cognitive, neurological, and medical disorders.

2.3. Quality Assessment

Each of the quality studies was assessed using Delphi criteria [ 45 ] with several additional elements [ 46 ]: details of allocation methods, adequate descriptions of control and training groups, statistical comparisons between control and training groups, and dropout reports. The respective total scores (max = 12) are shown in Table 3. The quality assessment also includes assessment for risk of bias, which is shown in criteria numbers 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 12.

2.4. Statistical Analysis

Instead of a meta-analysis study, a systematic review of the video game training/video gaming and the effects was conducted because of the variation in ranges of participant age, video game genre, control type, MRI and statistical analysis, and training outcomes. Therefore, the quality, inclusion and exclusion, control, treatment, game title, participants, training period, and MRI analysis and specification of the studies were recorded for the respective games.

The literature search made of the databases yielded 140 scientific articles. All scientific articles were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of those 140 scientific articles, nine were eligible for the review [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Video gaming effects are listed in Table 2 .

Summary of beneficial effect of video gaming.

Author	Year	Participant Age	Game Genre	Control	Duration	Beneficial Effect
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	18–36	3D adventure	passive	8 weeks	Increased activity in hippocampus
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	18–36	3D adventure	passive	8 weeks	Decreased activity in DLPFC
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	12–15	puzzle	passive	3 months	Increased GM in several visual–spatial processing area
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	12–15	puzzle	passive	3 months	Decreased activity in frontal area
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	19–29	3D adventure	passive	8 weeks	Increased GM in hippocampal, DLPFC and cerebellum
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	18–30	strategy	active	8–10 weeks	Decreased activity in DLPFC
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	18–30	strategy	active	8–11 weeks	Non-significant activity difference
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	19–27	3D adventure	passive	8 weeks	Preserved activity in ventral striatum
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	16–21	puzzle	passive	4 weeks	Functional connectivity change in multimodal integration system
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	16–21	puzzle	passive	4 weeks	Functional connectivity change in higher-order executive processing
Roush [ ]	2013	50–65	rhythm dance	active	24 weeks	Increased activity in visuospatial working memory area
				active		Increased activity in emotional and attention area
				passive		Similar compared to active control-
West et al. [ ]	2017	55–75	3D adventure	active	24 weeks	Non-significant GM difference
				passive		Increased cognitive performance and short-term memory
				passive		Increased GM in hippocampus and cerebellum
West et al. [ ]	2018	18–29	FPS	active	8 weeks	Increased GM in hippocampus (spatial learner *)
						Increased GM in amygdala (response learner *)
						Decreased GM in hippocampus (response learner)

Duration was converted into weeks (1 month = 4 weeks); DLPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; GM, grey matter; FPS, first person shooting. * Participants were categorized based on how they played during the video gaming intervention.

We excluded 121 articles: 46 were not MRI studies, 16 were not controlled studies, 38 were not intervention studies, 13 were review articles, and eight were miscellaneous, including study protocols, non-video gaming studies, and non-brain studies. Of 18 included scientific articles, nine were excluded. Of those nine excluded articles, two were cognitive-based game studies, three were shorter than 4 weeks in duration or were without a specified length intervention, two studies used a non-healthy participant treatment, and one was a combination intervention study. A screening flowchart is portrayed in Figure 1 .

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is brainsci-09-00251-g001.jpg

Flowchart of literature search.

3.1. Quality Assessment

The assessment methodology based on Delphi criteria [ 45 ] for the quality of eligible studies is presented in Table 3 . The quality scores assigned to the studies were 3–9 (mean = 6.10; S.D. = 1.69). Overall, the studies showed fair methodological quality according to the Delphi criteria. The highest quality score of the nine eligible articles was assigned to “Playing Super Mario 64 increases hippocampal grey matter in older adult” published by West et al. in 2017, which scored 9 of 12. The scores assigned for criteria 6 (blinded care provider) and 7 (blinded patient) were lowest because of unspecified information related to blinding for those criteria. Additionally, criteria 2 (concealed allocation) and 5 (blinding assessor) were low because only two articles specified that information. All articles met criteria 3 and 4 adequately.

Methodological quality of eligible studies.

Author	Year	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q8	Q9	Q10	Q11	Q12	Score
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	6
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	5
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	5
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	6
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	1	0	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	7
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	3
Roush [ ]	2013	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	0	0	7
West et al. [ ]	2017	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	9
West et al. [ ]	2018	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	7
Score		6	2	9	9	2	3	4	8	7	5

Q1, Random allocation; Q2, Concealed allocation; Q3, Similar baselines among groups; Q4, Eligibility specified; Q5, Blinded assessor outcome; Q6, Blinded care provider; Q7, Blinded patient; Q8, Intention-to-treat analysis; Q9, Detail of allocation method; Q10, Adequate description of each group; Q11, Statistical comparison between groups; Q12, Dropout report (1, specified; 0, unspecified).

3.2. Inclusion and Exclusion

Most studies included participants with little or no experience with gaming and excluded participants with psychiatric/mental, neurological, and medical illness. Four studies specified handedness of the participants and excluded participants with game training experience. The inclusion and exclusion criteria are presented in Table 4 .

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for eligible studies.

Author	Year	Inclusion			Exclusion
Author	Year	i1	i2	i3	e1	e2	e3	e4	e5
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	1
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	1	0	1	1	1	1	0	0
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	1
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	1	1	0	1	1	0	1	0
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	1
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	1
Roush [ ]	2013	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0
West et al. [ ]	2017	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	0
West et al. [ ]	2018	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	0
total		8	4	3	8	7	6	5	4

i1, Little/no experience in video gaming; i2, Right-handed; i3, Sex-specific; e1, Psychiatric/mental illness; e2, Neurological illness; e3, Medical illness; e4, MRI contraindication; e5, experience in game training.

3.3. Control Group

Nine eligible studies were categorized as three types based on the control type. Two studies used active control, five studies used passive control, and two studies used both active and passive control. A summary of the control group is presented in Table 5 .

Control group examined eligible studies.

Control	Author	Year
Active control	Lee et al. [ ]	2012
Active control	West et al. [ ]	2018
Passive control	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017
	Haier et al. [ ]	2009
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015
	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013
Active–passive control	Roush [ ]	2013
Active–passive control	West et al. [ ]	2017

3.4. Game Title and Genre

Of the nine eligible studies, four used the same 3D adventure game with different game platforms, which were “Super Mario 64” original and the DS version. One study used first-person shooting (FPS) shooting games with many different game titles: “Call of Duty” is one title. Two studies used puzzle games: “Tetris” and “Professor Layton and The Pandora’s Box.” One study used a rhythm dance game: Dance Revolution. One study used a strategy game: “Space Fortress.” Game genres are presented in Table 6 .

Genres and game titles of video gaming intervention.

Genre	Author	Year	Title
3D adventure	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	Super Mario 64 DS
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	Super Mario 64
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	Super Mario 64 DS
	West et al. [ ]	2017	Super Mario 64
FPS	West et al. * [ ]	2018	Call of Duty
Puzzle	Haier et al. [ ]	2009	Tetris
Puzzle	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	Professor Layton and The Pandora’s Box
Rhythm dance	Roush [ ]	2013	Dance Revolution
Strategy	Lee et al. [ ]	2012	Space Fortress

* West et al. used multiple games; other games are Call of Duty 2, 3, Black Ops, and World at War, Killzone 2 and 3, Battlefield 2, 3, and 4, Resistance 2 and Fall of Man, and Medal of Honor.

3.5. Participants and Sample Size

Among the nine studies, one study examined teenage participants, six studies included young adult participants, and two studies assessed older adult participants. Participant information is shown in Table 7 . Numbers of participants were 20–75 participants (mean = 43.67; S.D. = 15.63). Three studies examined female-only participants, whereas six others used male and female participants. Six studies with female and male participants had more female than male participants.

Participant details of eligible studies.

Category	Author	Year	Age			Sample Size	Ratio (%)		Detail
Category	Author	Year	Lowest	Highest	Range	Sample Size	Female	Male	Detail
Teenager	Haier et al. [ ]	2009	12	15	3	44	70.45	29.54	Training ( 24) Control ( 20)
Young adult	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	18	36	18	26	100	0	Training ( 15)
	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	18	36	18	26	100	0	Control ( 11)
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	19	29	10	48	70.8	29.2	Training ( 23)
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	19	29	10	48	70.8	29.2	Control ( 25)
	Lee et al. [ ]	2012	18	30	12	75	61.4	38.6	Training A ( 25)
									Training B ( 25)
									Control ( 25)
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	19	27	8	50	72	28	Training ( 25
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	19	27	8	50	72	28	Control ( 25)
	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	16	21	5	20	100	0	Training ( 10)
	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	16	21	5	20	100	0	Control ( 10)
	West et al. [ ]	2018	18	29	11	43	67.4	32.5	Action game ( 21)
	West et al. [ ]	2018	18	29	11	43	67.4	32.5	Non-action game ( 22)
Older adult	Roush [ ]	2013	50	65	15	39	100	0	Training ( 19)
									Active control ( 15)
									Passive control ( 5)
	West et al. [ ]	2017	55	75	20	48	66.7	33.3	Training ( 19)
									Active control ( 14)
									Passive control ( 15)

3.6. Training Period and Intensity

The training period was 4–24 weeks (mean = 11.49; S.D. = 6.88). One study by Lee et al. had two length periods and total hours because the study examined video game training of two types. The total training hours were 16–90 h (mean = 40.63; S.D. = 26.22), whereas the training intensity was 1.5–10.68 h/week (mean = 4.96; S.D. = 3.00). One study did not specify total training hours. Two studies did not specify the training intensity. The training periods and intensities are in Table 8 .

Periods and intensities of video gaming intervention.

Author	Year	Length (Week)	Total Hours	Average Intensity (h/Week)
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	8	49.5	6.2
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	12	18	1.5
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	8	46.88	5.86
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2012	8	28	3.5
Lee et al. [ ]	2015	8–11 *	27	n/a
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	4	16	4
Roush [ ]	2013	24	ns	n/a
West et al. [ ]	2017	24	72	3
West et al. [ ]	2018	8.4	90	10.68

The training length was converted into weeks (1 month = 4 weeks). ns, not specified; n/a, not available; * exact length is not available.

3.7. MRI Analysis and Specifications

Of nine eligible studies, one study used resting-state MRI analysis, three studies (excluding that by Haier et al. [ 40 ]) used structural MRI analysis, and five studies used task-based MRI analysis. A study by Haier et al. used MRI analyses of two types [ 40 ]. A summary of MRI analyses is presented in Table 9 . The related resting-state, structural, and task-based MRI specifications are presented in Table 10 , Table 11 and Table 12 respectively.

MRI analysis details of eligible studies.

MRI Analysis	Author	Year	Contrast	Statistical Tool	Statistical Method	Value
Resting	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	(post- > pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	MATLAB; SPM8	TFCE uncorrected	<0.005
Structural	Haier et al. * [ ]	2009	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	MATLAB 7; SurfStat	FWE corrected	<0.005
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	VBM8; SPM8	FWE corrected	<0.001
	West et al. [ ]	2017	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	Bpipe	Uncorrected	<0.0001
	West et al. [ ]	2018	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	Bpipe	Bonferroni corrected	<0.001
Task	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	SPM12	Monte Carlo corrected	<0.05
	Haier et al. * [ ]	2009	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	SPM7	FDR corrected	<0.05
	Lee et al. [ ]	2012	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	FSL; FEAT	uncorrected	<0.01
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	SPM8	Monte Carlo corrected	<0.05
	Roush [ ]	2013	post>pre-training	MATLAB 7; SPM8	uncorrected	=0.001

* Haier et al. conducted structural and task analyses. + Compared pre-training and post-training between groups without using contrast. TFCE, Threshold Free Cluster Enhancement; FEW, familywise error rate; FDR, false discovery rate.

Resting-State MRI specifications of eligible studies.

Author	Year	Resting State				Structural
Author	Year	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)	Slice	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)	Slice
]	2013	gradient-echo planar image	3	28.1	36	T1-weighted	0.92	4.2	158

Structural MRI specifications of eligible studies.

Author	Year	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	3D T1 weighted MPRAGE	2.5	4.77
West et al. [ ]	2017	3D gradient echo MPRAGE	2.3	2.91
West et al. [ ]	2018	3D gradient echo MPRAGE	2.3	2.91

Task-Based MRI specifications of eligible studies.

Author	Year	Task	BOLD				Structural
Author	Year	Task	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)	Slice	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)	Slice
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	win–loss paradigm	T2 echo-planar image	2	30	36	T1-weighted	2.5	4.77	176
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	Tetris	Functional echo planar	2	29	ns	5-echo MPRAGE	2.53	1.64; 3.5; 5.36; 7.22; 9.08	ns
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	game control	fast echo-planar image	2	25	ns	T1-weighted MPRAGE	1.8	3.87	144
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	slot machine paradigm	T2 echo-planar image	2	30	36	T1-weighted MPRAGE	2.5	4.77	ns
Roush [ ]	2013	digit symbol substitution	fast echo-planar image	2	25	34	diffusion weighted image	ns	ns	ns

All analyses used 3 Tesla magnetic force; TR = repetition time; TE = echo time, ns = not specified.

4. Discussion

This literature review evaluated the effect of noncognitive-based video game intervention on the cognitive function of healthy people. Comparison of studies is difficult because of the heterogeneities of participant ages, beneficial effects, and durations. Comparisons are limited to studies sharing factors.

4.1. Participant Age

Video gaming intervention affects all age categories except for the children category. The exception derives from a lack of intervention studies using children as participants. The underlying reason for this exception is that the brain is still developing until age 10–12 [ 52 , 53 ]. Among the eligible studies were a study investigating adolescents [ 40 ], six studies investigating young adults [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 47 , 49 , 51 ] and two studies investigating older adults [ 48 , 50 ].

Differences among study purposes underlie the differences in participant age categories. The study by Haier et al. was intended to study adolescents because the category shows the most potential brain changes. The human brain is more sensitive to synaptic reorganization during the adolescent period [ 54 ]. Generally, grey matter decreases whereas white matter increases during the adolescent period [ 55 , 56 ]. By contrast, the cortical surface of the brain increases despite reduction of grey matter [ 55 , 57 ]. Six studies were investigating young adults with the intention of studying brain changes after the brain reaches maturity. The human brain reaches maturity during the young adult period [ 58 ]. Two studies were investigating older adults with the intention of combating difficulties caused by aging. The human brain shrinks as age increases [ 56 , 59 ], which almost invariably leads to declining cognitive function [ 59 , 60 ].

4.2. Beneficial Effects

Three beneficial outcomes were observed using MRI method: grey matter change [ 40 , 42 , 50 ], brain activity change [ 40 , 43 , 47 , 48 , 49 ], and functional connectivity change [ 41 ]. The affected brain area corresponds to how the respective games were played.

Four studies of 3D video gaming showed effects on the structure of hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), cerebellum [ 42 , 43 , 50 ], and DLPFC [ 43 ] and ventral striatum activity [ 49 ]. In this case, the hippocampus is used for memory [ 61 ] and scene recognition [ 62 ], whereas the DLPFC and cerebellum are used for working memory function for information manipulation and problem-solving processes [ 63 ]. The grey matter of the corresponding brain region has been shown to increase during training [ 20 , 64 ]. The increased grey matter of the hippocampus, DLPFC, and cerebellum are associated with better performance in reference and working memory [ 64 , 65 ].

The reduced activity of DLPFC found in the study by Gleich et al. corresponds to studies that showed reduced brain activity associated with brain training [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. Decreased activity of the DLPFC after training is associated with efficiency in divergent thinking [ 70 ]. 3D video gaming also preserved reward systems by protecting the activity of the ventral striatum [ 71 ].

Two studies of puzzle gaming showed effects on the structure of the visual–spatial processing area, activity of the frontal area, and functional connectivity change. The increased grey matter of the visual–spatial area and decreased activity of the frontal area are similar to training-associated grey matter increase [ 20 , 64 ] and activity decrease [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. In this case, visual–spatial processing and frontal area are used constantly for spatial prediction and problem-solving of Tetris. Functional connectivity of the multimodal integration and the higher-order executive system in the puzzle solving-based gaming of Professor Layton game corresponds to studies which demonstrated training-associated functional connectivity change [ 72 , 73 ]. Good functional connectivity implies better performance [ 73 ].

Strategy gaming affects the DLPFC activity, whereas rhythm gaming affects the activity of visuospatial working memory, emotional, and attention area. FPS gaming affects the structure of the hippocampus and amygdala. Decreased DLPFC activity is similar to training-associated activity decrease [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. A study by Roush demonstrated increased activity of visuospatial working memory, emotion, and attention area, which might occur because of exercise and gaming in the Dance Revolution game. Results suggest that positive activations indicate altered functional areas by complex exercise [ 48 ]. The increased grey matter of the hippocampus and amygdala are similar to the training-associated grey matter increase [ 20 , 64 ]. The hippocampus is used for 3D navigation purposes in the FPS world [ 61 ], whereas the amygdala is used to stay alert during gaming [ 74 ].

4.3. Duration

Change of the brain structure and function was observed after 16 h of video gaming. The total durations of video gaming were 16–90 h. However, the gaming intensity must be noted because the gaming intensity varied: 1.5–10.68 h per week. The different intensities might affect the change of cognitive function. Cognitive intervention studies demonstrated intensity effects on the cortical thickness of the brain [ 75 , 76 ]. A similar effect might be observed in video gaming studies. More studies must be conducted to resolve how the intensity can be expected to affect cognitive function.

4.4. Criteria

Almost all studies used inclusion criteria “little/no experience with video games.” The criterion was used to reduce the factor of gaming-related experience on the effects of video gaming. Some of the studies also used specific handedness and specific sex of participants to reduce the variation of brain effects. Expertise and sex are shown to affect brain activity and structure [ 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 ]. The exclusion criterion of “MRI contraindication” is used for participant safety for the MRI protocol, whereas exclusion criteria of “psychiatric/mental illness”, “neurological illness”, and “medical illness” are used to standardize the participants.

4.5. Limitations and Recommendations

Some concern might be raised about the quality of methodology, assessed using Delphi criteria [ 45 ]. The quality was 3–9 (mean = 6.10; S.D. = 1.69). Low quality in most papers resulted from unspecified information corresponding to the criteria. Quality improvements for the studies must be performed related to the low quality of methodology. Allocation concealment, assessor blinding, care provider blinding, participant blinding, intention-to-treat analysis, and allocation method details must be improved in future studies.

Another concern is blinding and control. This type of study differs from medical studies in which patients can be blinded easily. In studies of these types, the participants were tasked to do either training as an active control group or to do nothing as a passive control group. The participants can expect something from the task. The expectation might affect the outcomes of the studies [ 81 , 82 , 83 ]. Additionally, the waiting-list control group might overestimate the outcome of training [ 84 ].

Considering the sample size, which was 20–75 (mean = 43.67; S.D. = 15.63), the studies must be upscaled to emphasize video gaming effects. There are four phases of clinical trials that start from the early stage and small-scale phase 1 to late stage and large-scale phase 3 and end in post-marketing observation phase 4. These four phases are used for drug clinical trials, according to the food and drug administration (FDA) [ 85 ]. Phase 1 has the purpose of revealing the safety of treatment with around 20–100 participants. Phase 2 has the purpose of elucidating the efficacy of the treatment with up to several hundred participants. Phase 3 has the purpose of revealing both efficacy and safety among 300–3000 participants. The final phase 4 has the purpose of finding unprecedented adverse effects of treatment after marketing. However, because medical studies and video gaming intervention studies differ in terms of experimental methods, slight modifications can be done for adaptation to video gaming studies.

Several unresolved issues persist in relation to video gaming intervention. First, no studies assessed chronic/long-term video gaming. The participants might lose their motivation to play the same game over a long time, which might affect the study outcomes [ 86 ]. Second, meta-analyses could not be done because the game genres are heterogeneous. To ensure homogeneity of the study, stricter criteria must be set. However, this step would engender a third limitation. Third, randomized controlled trial video gaming studies that use MRI analysis are few. More studies must be conducted to assess the effects of video gaming. Fourth, the eligible studies lacked cognitive tests to validate the cognitive change effects for training. Studies of video gaming intervention should also include a cognitive test to ascertain the relation between cognitive function and brain change.

5. Conclusions

The systematic review has several conclusions related to beneficial effects of noncognitive-based video games. First, noncognitive-based video gaming can be used in all age categories as a means to improve the brain. However, effects on children remain unclear. Second, noncognitive-based video gaming affects both structural and functional aspects of the brain. Third, video gaming effects were observed after a minimum of 16 h of training. Fourth, some methodology criteria must be improved for better methodological quality. In conclusion, acute video gaming of a minimum of 16 h is beneficial for brain function and structure. However, video gaming effects on the brain area vary depending on the video game type.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all our other colleagues in IDAC, Tohoku University for their support.

PRISMA Checklist of the literature review.

Section/Topic	#	Checklist Item	Reported on Page #

Title	1	Identify the report as a systematic review, meta-analysis, or both.	1

Structured summary	2	Provide a structured summary including, as applicable: background; objectives; data sources; study eligibility criteria, participants, and interventions; study appraisal and synthesis methods; results; limitations; conclusions and implications of key findings; systematic review registration number.	1

Rationale	3	Describe the rationale for the review in the context of what is already known.	1, 2
Objectives	4	Provide an explicit statement of questions being addressed related to participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study design (PICOS).	2

Protocol and registration	5	Indicate if a review protocol exists, if and where it is accessible (e.g., Web address), and if available, provide registration information including registration number.	2
Eligibility criteria	6	Specify study characteristics (e.g., PICOS, length of follow-up) and report characteristics (e.g., years considered, language, publication status) used as criteria for eligibility, giving rationale.	2
Information sources	7	Describe all information sources (e.g., databases with dates of coverage, contact with study authors to identify additional studies) in the search and date last searched.	2
Search	8	Present full electronic search strategy for at least one database, including any limits used, such that it could be repeated.	2
Study selection	9	State the process for selecting studies (i.e., screening, eligibility, included in systematic review, and if applicable, included in the meta-analysis).	3
Data collection process	10	Describe method of data extraction from reports (e.g., piloted forms, independently, in duplicate) and any processes for obtaining and confirming data from investigators.	3
Data items	11	List and define all variables for which data were sought (e.g., PICOS, funding sources) and any assumptions and simplifications made.	3
Risk of bias in individual studies	12	Describe methods used for assessing risk of bias of individual studies (including specification of whether this was done at the study or outcome level), and how this information is to be used in any data synthesis.	2
Summary measures	13	State the principal summary measures (e.g., risk ratio, difference in means).	-
Synthesis of results	14	Describe the methods of handling data and combining results of studies, if done, including measures of consistency (e.g., I ) for each meta-analysis.	-
Risk of bias across studies	15	Specify any assessment of risk of bias that might affect the cumulative evidence (e.g., publication bias, selective reporting within studies).	-
Additional analyses	16	Describe methods of additional analyses (e.g., sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-regression), if done, indicating which were pre-specified.	-

Study selection	17	Give numbers of studies screened, assessed for eligibility, and included in the review, with reasons for exclusions at each stage, ideally with a flow diagram.	3,5
Study characteristics	18	For each study, present characteristics for which data were extracted (e.g., study size, PICOS, follow-up period) and provide the citations.	5-11
Risk of bias within studies	19	Present data on risk of bias of each study, and if available, any outcome level assessment (see item 12).	5,6
Results of individual studies	20	For all outcomes considered (benefits or harms), present, for each study: (a) simple summary data for each intervention group (b) effect estimates and confidence intervals, ideally with a forest plot.	4
Synthesis of results	21	Present results of each meta-analysis done, including confidence intervals and measures of consistency.	-
Risk of bias across studies	22	Present results of any assessment of risk of bias across studies (see Item 15).	-
Additional analysis	23	Give results of additional analyses, if done (e.g., sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-regression [see Item 16]).	-

Summary of evidence	24	Summarize the main findings including the strength of evidence for each main outcome; consider their relevance to key groups (e.g., healthcare providers, users, and policy makers).	12,13
Limitations	25	Discuss limitations at study and outcome level (e.g., risk of bias), and at review-level (e.g., incomplete retrieval of identified research, reporting bias).	13
Conclusions	26	Provide a general interpretation of the results in the context of other evidence, and implications for future research.	14

Funding	27	Describe sources of funding for the systematic review and other support (e.g., supply of data); role of funders for the systematic review.	14

For more information, visit: www.prisma-statement.org .

Author Contributions

D.B.T., R.N., and R.K. designed the systematic review. D.B.T. and R.N. searched and selected the papers. D.B.T. and R.N. wrote the manuscript with R.K. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. D.B.T. and R.N. contributed equally to this work.

Study is supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 17H06046 (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas) and 16KT0002 (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)).

Conflicts of Interest

None of the other authors has any conflict of interest to declare. Funding sources are not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, or writing of the study report.

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Persuasive Essay: Video Games

Teenagers today often spend a great deal of time playing video games. These games are fun and engaging and young people often feel like playing games is a great thing to do in their spare time. However, you shouldn’t spend too much time gaming and there are a number of reasons for this: it’s unhealthy, you should spend more time studying, and you need to socialize more.

The primary reason to cut down on gaming time has to be that youths that spend a long time on computers and games consoles are often not getting enough exercise. With high obesity rates, it’s very important for young people to spend as much time being active as possible, especially since studies show that people who are overweight during childhood and adolescence are far more likely to become overweight adults than those of a healthy weight when they’re young. There is just as much, if not more, fun to be had in getting out and about and being active. This doesn’t have to mean going for long runs if that’s not your thing; team sports are both fun and great exercise. Dance or fitness classes are also a good option for those not into sports.

Secondly, getting a good education is that best thing that you can do for your future. If every teenager cut down on their gaming time by 30 minutes per day and used this time to study, the whole of that generation would achieve better results and be more likely to have the career that they want. With education, you get out what you put in, so it’s really up to you to put in the additional effort. If you want to go to a good college, extra study in your own time will be completely vital, but gaming can reduce your concentration span and make this more difficult.

The third main reason that playing video games too often is that it’s no good for your social skills. Some teenagers may argue that because they can now play their games online with friends, they are socializing in their own way. However, you can’t beat face-to-face contact, and if you want to succeed in interviews and build good relationships in later life, you need to develop some proper communication skills. This shouldn’t be a chore, or difficult, because hanging out with friends is far more fun than sitting indoors playing on games all day anyway!

In conclusion, there can be no doubt that spending too much time gaming isn’t good for you. You don’t have to stop all together, but it’s all about moderation. Cut down and allocate your additional free time to doing things that are good for you, and you definitely won’t regret it in later life.

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Video Games — Pros And Cons Of Video Games

Pros and Cons of Video Games

Categories: Impact of Technology Video Games

About this sample

Words: 987 |

Published: Apr 29, 2022

Words: 987 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

Ferguson, C. J., & Colwell, J. (2018). Not worth the fuss after all? Cross-sectional and prospective data on violent video game influences on aggression, visuospatial cognition and mathematics ability in a sample of youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(3), 605-617.
Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. American Psychologist, 69(1), 66-78.
Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2006). Effect of action video games on the spatial distribution of visuospatial attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 32(6), 1465-1478.
Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., & Ortiz de Gortari, A. B. (2017). Videogames as therapy: An updated selective review of the medical and psychological literature. International Journal of Privacy and Health Information Management , 5(2), 71-96.
Kowert, R., & Oldmeadow, J. A. (2015). Playing for social comfort: Online video game play as a social accommodator for the insecurely attached. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 556-566.
Kutner, L., & Olson, C. (2008). Grand theft childhood: The surprising truth about violent video games and what parents can do. Simon and Schuster.
Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A large-scale test of the gaming-enhancement hypothesis. Psychological Science, 28(7), 947-961.
Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S., & Przybylski, A. (2006). The motivational pull of video games: A self-determination theory approach. Motivation and Emotion, 30(4), 344-360.
Subrahmanyam, K., Greenfield, P., & Gross, E. (2001). The impact of computer use on children's and adolescents' development. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 22(1), 7-30.
Van Rooij, A. J., Ferguson, C. J., Colder Carras, M., Kardefelt-Winther, D., Shi, J., Aarseth, E., ... & Bean, A. M. (2018). A weak scientific basis for gaming disorder: Let us err on the side of caution. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(1), 1-9.

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Benefits of Video Games

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Games essay

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Games

2. Advantages of Video Games

2.1. Cognitive Benefits

2.2. Social Benefits

2.3. Physical Benefits

3. Disadvantages of Video Games

3.1. Negative Effects on Health

3.2. Social Isolation

3.3. Violence and Aggression

4. Conclusion

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Works Cited

Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds

Are Video Games Good for You and Your Brain?

5. The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon