The Effect Of Video Games On The Brain! What Do You Think?

[Art2ro]

http://serendip.bryn...hange/node/1742 The Effect of Video Games on the BrainThe effect of video games on the brain is a research area gaining popularity as the percentage of children and adults who play video games is on the rise. Some people believe violence in video games and in other media promotes violent behavior among viewers. While there is not sufficient data to validate this claim, there are a number of studies showing that video games can increase aggressive behavior and emotional outbursts, and decrease inhibitions. From a few of these studies, and from my own observations of children playing video games, it is quite obvious that the video games do have at least some effect on the behavior of the player. The extent and long range consequences of these behavior changes after one has turned off the video game are not so easily deduced. One source states that "While research on video games and aggressive behavior must be considered preliminary, it may be reasonably inferred from the more than 1,000 reports and studies on television violence that video game violence may also contribute to aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence". Another study reports that "Hostility was increased both in subjects playing a highly aggressive video game and those playing a mildly aggressive video game. Subjects who had played the high-aggression game were significantly more anxious than other subjects".

[i am bob]

I remember when Pong first came out... (Hey! Watch the old cracks!)...There was a news report that showed a professional Table Tennis player who, after failing miserably at Pong, destroyed every table in his home club.Nah, video games doesn't affect people.... :36_6_3[1]:

[Jollygoodfellow]

Parents affect ones up bringing.Blame video games or the people who allowed one to use them . :36_6_3[1]:

[volstateguy]

Parents affect ones up bringing.Blame video games or the people who allowed one to use them . :36_6_3[1]:

The problem is parents want to blame everything but themselves. I have seen reports that blame everything from violent cartoons to music. I grew up watching bugs bunny beat elmer fudd and the road runner beat up wiley coyote and tom and jerry and they didn't make me violent. But my parents taught me wrong from right and taught me responsibility. Parents today just seem scared to take control and teach their kids right from wrong.

[Dave Hounddriver]

I remember when Pong first came out... (Hey! Watch the old cracks!)...

I'm chuckling now. My father was old English and he was the only other person I can recall talking about Pongs coming out. Thanks for the memories: pong noun

• an unpleasant smell. Australian, British, and New Zealand slang.
  What's that horrible
  pong
  ?

[Steve & Myrlita]

Parents affect ones up bringing.Blame video games or the people who allowed one to use them . :89:

The problem is parents want to blame everything but themselves. I have seen reports that blame everything from violent cartoons to music. I grew up watching bugs bunny beat elmer fudd and the road runner beat up wiley coyote and tom and jerry and they didn't make me violent. But my parents taught me wrong from right and taught me responsibility. Parents today just seem scared to take control and teach their kids right from wrong.

It all started when it became illegal to correct your children. Heck even the schools teach the kids to call 911 if Mom or Dad spanks you or violate your rights. Society went down hill from that moment on. Some of you may disagree but this is my humble opinion.

[Dave Hounddriver]

Heck even the schools teach the kids to call 911 if Mom or Dad spanks you or violate your rights.

True story, I kid you not, my 12 year old daughter was acting up on the school bus (10 years ago now) and got herself kicked off . . . so I told her she had to walk to school. She called the Child Abuse Hotline, right in front of me, and they told me I would be charged with abuse if I made her walk in winter, EVEN if I agreed to follow her in our minivan in case of any problems. I had to give her a ride. God knows what people without vehicles were supposed to do.

[Mike S]

Thanks Art for a very thought provoking post ......Well I for one play video games and only the violent ones and have for about 10 or so years ...... I don't feel that I have gotten any more violent ........ I have also watched porn movies and read naughty magazines ..... and I haven't raped anyone or committed any sex crimes ....... I was in the Marine Corps where they taught you to kill people but I haven't killed anyone lately ......One of the big problems in today society and especially here in the Philippines is that no one wants to take the responsibility for their own actions ..... according to surveys if you turn out bad it was because you were abused by your family as a child ..... violence on TV (that was a biggy years ago .... has TV changed ... nope) and now video games causes you to have a violent attitude ..... watching naughty movies and looking at men's magazines causes you to become a sex pervert ...... (or blind ..... oooops wait ... that's something else that will make you go blind ... never mind) ......I used to think that the break down of the family unit was the cause of my behavioral problems but after living here in the Phils and observing how close the family unit is here I have changed my mind ...... I feel as Steve and others have said above ..... it all happen when you could no longer discipline your children ..... but are still held accountable for what they do ...... not the government that made the new rulings or the physiologists that persuaded them to do it or the do-gooders that have no children but can tell you how to raise yours ...... these are the people to blame ..... but they don't want to take the blame when your child screws up ..... you get the blame because YOU didn't discipline your child ....... duh .....I'm going to give you the best example of what I'm talking about ..... I was watch a talk show one day and it had to do with disciplining your child ...... a woman said she could do nothing with her kid as he didn't pay any attention to her ..... there was a world renown child physiologist who told her " you need to say everything in a normal calm voice to him ...... if he is throwing his food on the floor say in a calm voice Little Johnny please don't throw your food on the floor and if he keeps on just keep repeating it if it takes 100 times until he stops ...... BS ..... Little Johnny should have gotten his butt spanked (not beaten) after the 2nd toss ....... funny thing about butt spanking discipline ..... it doesn't make you want to do that same thing again ...... Now I know there are those that aren't going to agree with me and that's fine ..... there are SOME kids that giving them a time out or taking away a privilege will cause good if not great results ..... but as I said that may work for SOME ...... the above is what I see causes some people to do what they do not video games ... TV .... or porn ...... IMHO ...... :hystery:... :89:

[Tatoosh]

Okay, I love video games, most of them pretty violent though not all. None the less, I do agree with the premise that long periods playing violent video games are not good for kids. Why, because I am studying behavior analysis, education, and how to deal with (and what causes) aberrant behavior. Acquired Violence Immune Deficiency is one term for the problem. But do I think that means playing a violent game automatically turns you into a psychopath? No. One, we are talking about children who are still in the process of formation and developing decision making skills. Two, people react to positive and negative stimuli (young or old) and constant reinforcement will have some effect, good or bad. If they spend significant time playing games, they are not doing other things that help them develop typically. It's simply another form of letting them be a couch potato and then wondering why your kid fails their physical. I agree with the loss of parenting control is a bad thing. It is the "humanist" school of psychology and child rearing taking over. And to be honest, I've often found myself on their side, at least intellectually. But, I believe a good spanking is sometimes required. Not to relieve the stress of the parent as some will pretend, but to act as a negative consequence for bad behavior. That has most "humanist" based educators and professionals freaking out, but not me. So, yeah, you should be able to make your kid walk to school in the winter, provided they are properly dressed. Hell, I walked to school in 10 degree weather when I was in elementary school. I probably looked like a ball of wool, but I was walking all the way. And it wasn't a punishment. The punishment happened if I didn't make it to school. I don't think games need to banned. They just need to be controlled by the parents, who should understand the potential effect of "over-saturation" and time management. But some horrible "content" is not gonna stain them forever. Heck, we grew up with some horrible stories told to us a toddlers, Hanzel and Gretel (cook and eat them kiddies) and so forth. Bad stories, violence and so forth shouldn't be "forbidden" but you should be aware of how it effects your kid and regulate the amount and situation where they experience exposure to it.If you kid gets more praise for being good at Grand Theft Auto by his peers than he does from being on time to school or doing their assignments, you're setting them up for bumps in life. Like it or not.And being trained as a Marine or any front line armed service does break down normal social mores against killing people. The Civil War and WWI had very significant portions of the front line units that never pulled their trigger even in direct combat. The military started specifically training to overcome that by the time of Korea and even more by Vietnam. A very good book by a soldier-scholar that "mustanged" his way up the ranks is On Killing by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman can provide some illumination for this thread. Check out the "Introduction to Paper-Back Edition" section for his views if you are interested.

Edited January 28, 2012 by Tatoosh

[Jake]

Well I for one play video games and only the violent ones and have for about 10 or so years ...... I don't feel that I have gotten any more violent ........ I have also watched porn movies and read naughty magazines ..... and I haven't raped anyone or committed any sex crimes ....... I was in the Marine Corps where they taught you to kill people but I haven't killed anyone lately ......

Hey Mike S,I didn't know that you're a grunt. And I like your way of thinking and reasoning. I could remember when I wasjust a freshman in HS, I was instructed to bend over wet naked and brace myself. The HS coach took a fullswing of his customized wooden paddle (with air holes) and whacked my butt 3 times. I thoroughly deserved it --was caught throwing spit balls in the gym shower. And now as a parent, I thoroughly still believe in domesticand school corporal punishment, although it's been overly PC'd from ultra conservatives.Nothing wrong with video games except it often times affect the school study habits. Same thing with cell phonesand other "privileged" items for the spoiled little brats....he, he.I salute you sir -- you and I need to get together and swap some sea stories about my hometown of Olongapo!Old navy puke -- Jake Edited January 28, 2012 by Jake
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