How Video Games Affect Health

 

Concerned about the effects of video games on your kids health? Or perhaps you’re just curious about this stuff or need to research it for a paper. Below you’ll find the information you’ll need on this topic with links at the bottom for further reading.

This whole article is about how video games affect people’s health in general. The general positive and negative effects on health are the main topic of discussion.

QuickSearch: how video games effect health

Positives of Video Games Effects on Health

Let’s start with how video games have positive effects on your health.

The strangest of the positive effects of video games can be seen in the healthcare sector. People (especially youngsters) who are undergoing painful treatment for ailments like cancer can use video games to distract themselves from the pain for extended periods.

Video games have positive psychological effects as well. Certain games that are used as part of a comprehensive program can further help autistic children and other children with developmental disorders.

Studies have also shown that playing video games can improve mental faculties, such as hand-eye coordination. More intelligent games such as strategy and puzzle games can also improve problem solving, and provide intellectual stimulation as well.

Negatives of Video Games Effects on Health

There is a wide range of reported negative effects of video games on health; however the actual evidence of games directly causing certain negative effects is very weak. Other negative effects are usually due to prolonged excessive play of video games. Parents concerned with the amount of time their children spend on video games should encourage them to balance the time out with other activities. Extremely adverse effects such as hallucinations are very rare and could be caused by other unknown factors.

People who are susceptible to epileptic seizures and photosensitive individuals could experience seizures when they see rapid flickering or rapid screen changes happening in the game. The amount of play doesn’t matter much, as people who are prone to seizures could experience one after even a few minutes of play.

People who live a sedentary lifestyle (poor exercise, rather inactive) and do mostly sitting activities such as playing video games usually suffer from some sort of ailment later on in life, such as heart and muscle problems and obesity. This is usually combined with a poor diet, such as genetically-modified foods and junk food.

There is also research that suggests that there is a link between violent games and increased aggression, however the research is rather limited and usually does not take other variables into account such as upbringing and environmental conditions.

Conclusion

Video games have both positive and negative effects on health. The effects however vary immensely depending on the types of games played and the frequency of play. Certain adverse effects can be caused by other factors in conjunction with excessive play of games, but can usually be corrected by living a healthier lifestyle. The positives of the effects of video games on health also vary depending on the type of game played and its frequency.

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Does Your Heart Rate IncreaseWhen You Play Video Games?

 

This article will answer the question of whether or not your heart rate increases when you play video games. In particular you will find out the differences of the effects on the heart rate between non-violent and violent video games. There are links at the bottom for further reading.

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What Happens to the Heart Rate When You Play Video Games

Numerous studies have concluded that yes, your heart rate does increase when you play video games. This is irrespective of the type of video games you play.

Results of the studies also indicate that violent games increase your heart rate more so than non-violent video games, which is not really surprising.

Conclusion

This is basically an open-and-shut case. No matter what video games you play, your heart rate will increase. The amount of increase seems to depend on how violent and “active” the game is.

For example: a relaxing puzzle game would cause much less of an increase on heart rate than a racing game, which in turn would cause less of an increase on heart rate than a first person shooter.

Video Games Affect the Brain—for Better and WorseBy Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D.July 23, 2009

We hear conflicting reports about how video games affect our brains. One study will suggest that video games help us learn; another might imply that they make young people more aggressive. Douglas A. Gentile argues that how games influence our brains is not an either-or proposition; games can have both positive and negative consequences, and which of these researchers find depends on what they are testing. Gentile proposes that researchers focus their investigations on five attributes of video game design to tease out these disparate effects.

Video gamers, parents, politicians and the press often lionize or attack video games, which opens the door to spin that obfuscates our understanding of how these games affect people. For example, the European Parliament has been debating whether to limit children’s access to video games. In a press statement about the report that resulted from its deliberations, the parliament concluded that games could have “harmful effects on the minds of children.” Reporting on this statement, however, the headline in the   Guardian read, “Video games are good for children.”

Psychologists and neuroscientists conducting well-designed studies are beginning to shed light on the actual effects of video games. These studies show a clear trend: Games have many consequences in the brain, and most are not obvious—they happen at a level that overt behaviors do not immediately reflect. Because the effects are subtle, many people think video games are simply benign entertainment.

Research projects of variable strength have substantiated claims of both beneficial and harmful effects. Too often the discussion ends there in a “good” versus “evil” battle, reminiscent of the plots of the violent video games themselves.

Games May Teach Skills—or Desensitize Us to Violence

Well-designed video games are natural teachers.1 They provide immediate feedback on the player’s success by distributing reinforcements and punishments, assist in learning at different rates, and offer opportunities to practice to the point of mastery and then to automaticity. Video games also can adapt themselves to individual learners and train players in a way that helps them transfer knowledge or skills to the real world. Gamers repeat actions as they play, and repetition is one precondition for long-term potentiation—the strengthening of brain-cell connections (synapses) through repeated use that is thought to underlie memory storage and learning. To cite a mnemonic that Canadian psychologistDonald Hebb coined in 1940, “Neurons that fire together wire together.”

Several lines of research suggest that playing video games can lead to different types of benefits. For example, a 2002 U.S. Department of Education report presented evidence on the effectiveness of educational games.2 One neuroscience study, published in Nature, showed that playing action video games can improve visual attention to the periphery of a computer screen.3 Another study, which appeared in Nature Neuroscience, demonstrated that action games can improve adults’ abilities to make fine discriminations among different shades of gray (called contrast sensitivity), which is important for activities such as driving at night.4 Other research suggests that games requiring teamwork help people develop collaboration skills.5

Several types of studies provide evidence that video games that include “pro-social” content—situations in which characters help each other in nonviolent ways—increase such conduct outside

of game play, too. In one study, 161 college students were randomly assigned to play one of several violent games, neutral games, or pro-social games (in which helpful behavior was required). After playing, the students completed a task in which they could either help or hurt another student. Those who had played the violent games were more hurtful to other students, whereas those who had played the pro-social games were more helpful.6 

Games may be beneficial for doctors, too. A study involving 33 laparoscopic surgeons—doctors who conduct minimally invasive surgery by using a video camera to project the surgical target area onto a screen as they work—linked video game play to improved surgical skill, as measured in a standardized advanced-skill training program. In fact, the surgeons’ amount of game time was a better predictor of advanced surgical skill in the training drills than their number of years in practice or number of real-life surgeries performed.7 

While some reports have linked video games to negative consequences such as obesity, attention problems, poor school performance and video game “addiction,” most research has focused on the effects of violent games. Dozens of psychological studies indicate that playing violent games increases aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviors, in both the short term8 and the long term.9This makes sense from psychological and cognitive neuroscience perspectives: Humans learn what they practice. But what reallyhappens in our brains when we play violent video games?

A decade ago, in an imaging study using positron emission tomography (PET), eight men undertook a goal-directed motor task for a monetary reward: They played a video game in which they moved a tank through a battlefield to destroy enemy tanks. Researchers found that a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which is involved in learning and feelings of reward, was released in the brain’s striatum as the men played.10 This and other studies suggest that the release of dopamine and stress hormones may be related not only to ideas of violence and harm, but also to motivation and winning.

Other studies have focused on how specific brain regions of players of violent games respond under varying circumstances. For instance, René Weber and his colleagues asked 13 experienced gamers to play a violent game while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans.11 The violence in the game was not continuous, so researchers coded the game play frame by frame. At various points the player’s character was fighting and killing, in imminent danger but not firing a weapon, safe with no threats, or dead.

By imaging players’ brain activity before, during and after each violent encounter, the investigators found that immediately before firing a weapon, players displayed greater activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. This area involves cognitive control and planning, among other functions. While firing a weapon and shortly afterward, players showed less activity in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and amygdala. Because interaction between these brain areas is associated with resolving emotional conflict, their decreased functioning could indicate a suppression of the emotional response to witnessing the results of taking violent action.

When playing a high-violence video game, players accustomed to such games showed lower activity (measured via signals from magnetic resonance imaging) in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), whereas players used to low-violence games displayed higher activity. This difference suggests that gamers who often play violent games may be desensitized to aggression and violence. (Courtesy of K. Thomas and D. A. Gentile)

Does this evidence prove that repeated play of violent games desensitizes players to aggression and violence? In a study we are still conducting, 13 late-adolescent male gamers played a game while undergoing fMRI scans. The game (Unreal Tournament) can be set either to include or not to include violent actions. The most interesting preliminary findings appear in the contrast between gamers who habitually play violent, first-person shooter games and those who play less violent games. The latter show increases in rACC activity (suggesting emotional responses) during violent episodes, as expected. We interpret this to mean that while people who are not used to seeing violent images show a strong emotional reaction when confronted with them, those who regularly play violent games do not simply lack an emotional reaction—they actively suppress it, as reflected in their rACC activity (see the figure). These players may have become desensitized to violence in video games. Another study has found a correlation between repeated exposure to violent games and desensitization, as well as increased aggressive behavior in the real world.12 

Researchers are continuing to investigate whether repeated exposure to violent games over time truly does desensitize players and increase their aggressive feelings and thoughts. Beyond that, we must find out whether such responses and behaviors become automatic.

Aspects of Video Games Illuminate Their Effects

If video games can be both beneficial and harmful to players, how can we predict their effects on individuals and populations? And how can scientists stay out of the polarizing debate while still reporting the results of their studies? The answer to the second question is that scientists must be precise. I see five aspects of video games that can affect players: amount, content, structure, mechanics and context. Together, these aspects can explain different research results.

Amount

We would expect that as people spend more time playing video games, their risk of performing poorly in school, becoming overweight or obese, and developing specific negative physical health outcomes (such as carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries) would increase. We may also correlate more time spent playing with a higher number of video-induced seizures in people with epilepsy or photosensitivity disorder.

These correlations might begin with gamers’ existing characteristics. For example, low-performing students are more likely to spend more time playing, which may give them a sense of mastery that eludes them at school. Nonetheless, every hour that a child spends on video games is not spent doing homework, reading, creating, or participating in other activities that might have more educational benefit. Longitudinal studies support the idea that children’s school performance worsens as their gaming time increases.

Furthermore, excessive video game play often reduces time for physical activity, which could account for the link between the amount of gaming and obesity. Movement games (such as Dance Dance Revolution and some Nintendo Wii games) may have the opposite effect, however. Finally, repetition of a game’s features may magnify the consequences of the four other aspects I cite.

Content

What a video game is about—its content—may determine what players take with them from the game to real life. Studies indicate not only that games that include educational content can improve related education skills,2 but also that games designed to help children manage chronic health problems (such as asthma or diabetes) are more effective than doctors’ pamphlets in training children to recognize symptoms and to take their medications.13Similarly, studies reporting that games with violent content increase aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviors suggest that these violent tendencies can extend into real-life situations.6

Learning that results from video games may last only for the duration of the game, for a few minutes after play ceases or for the long term. Many content-focused studies, such as those in which children learn information about their health, also show that in-game learning can transfer to the real world in the long term.

Studies of games with violent content also tend to demonstrate transfer of learning to real-world situations. Studies in several countries, including one consisting of 1,595 children in Japan and the United States, suggest that children who play violent games become more aggressive in their daily lives (as reported by their peers or teachers, for example).9 

The research question has shifted from whether game content transfers to nongame situations to how it does so. New studies are focusing on the cognitive and behavioral processes by which learning and transfer occur. Learning may transfer to other tasks as a result of fluid intelligence. This term refers to the ability to reason and to solve new problems independently of previously acquired knowledge. In one study, researchers had participants complete a gamelike computer

training task. They found that training designed to improve working memory (the temporary storage and use of information) leads to a transfer to fluid intelligence. Moreover, the extent of the gain was related to the amount of training.14 

Structure

A video game’s on-screen structure contributes to its effects. For example, some games require a player to scan the screen constantly for small changes, such as signals announcing the sudden appearance of an “enemy,” and to respond quickly to these changes. Effective scanning allows the player to shift attention swiftly and automatically from the center of the screen to the periphery.3 Such visual attention is analogous to the type of skill that an air-traffic controller needs: the ability to scan all screen areas, to detect minute changes and to respond quickly.

Some games require players to navigate three-dimensional virtual worlds on a two-dimensional screen. To navigate successfully, players must use multiple depth cues (such as interposition, in which closer objects obscure more distant ones, and motion parallax, in which objects move across the visual field faster if they are closer to the viewer). These games should improve a gamer’s ability to get 3-D information from 2-D depth cues and use it in other contexts. Because navigating a virtual world requires players to maintain awareness of orientation and landmarks, these games also could improve way-finding skills and mental rotation skills. Such transfer could explain the findings of the laparoscopic surgeon study, because the surgeons need to gather detailed 3-D information from a 2-D screen while maintaining awareness of both the screen’s periphery and objects that are not on the screen. The biological basis of how a game’s structure affects players requires further research.

Mechanics

We should anticipate that the mechanics of game play require gamers to hone particular motor skills, which may also transfer to related real-life situations. A game’s mechanics relate to its structure. Movements of the controller change what a player sees on the screen, which in turn affects how the player uses the controller. This feedback loop is consistent with hand-eye coordination.

We would expect to see improvements when gamers practice isolated movements or coordinate them between dominant and nondominant hands, in terms of both fine motor skills (such as making tiny adjustments with the thumb on a game pad) and gross motor abilities (such as practicing a baseball swing on the Nintendo Wii). This expectation also applies to the use of the devices required to play a game. For example, playing driving games with a wheel and pedals is likely to transfer to real-world driving more effectively than playing the same game with a keyboard and mouse.

Context

Finally, we should suppose that the social context of a game influences its effects on the brain and learning. Some games require cooperation and teamwork for success. For example, in some quests of the multiplayer online game World of Warcraft, players with different skills must work

together to solve puzzles and to overcome barriers. Other games, such as the battle simulator Call of Duty, require real-time coordinated action. Games that involve teamwork may improve players’ skills in cooperation and coordination, but scientists have conducted almost no research in this area.

A game’s social context may change other outcomes as well. For example, playing violent games with a group of friends who provide social support for aggressive actions might yield greater increases in aggressive behaviors in other contexts than playing the same games by oneself. Conversely, providing players with pro-social motives to help their friends might mitigate increases in aggressive behaviors. Because social context is more difficult to study than the consequences of game content or amount of play, researchers will need to design new experimental methods.

Examining these five aspects of video games has several benefits. It allows us to get beyond the dichotomous thinking of games as simply good or bad. It helps us understand why different types of studies have different outcomes. Finally, it tells us why these findings do not actually contradict each other but simply represent different levels of analysis.

With the exception of educational games, most video games’ effects on brain and behavior are unintentional on the part of both the designers and the players. Nonetheless, research suggests that the effects are real. Video games are neither good nor bad. Rather, they are a powerful form of entertainment that does what good entertainment is supposed to do—it influences us.

CommentsQuickly satisfied

D G S12/19/2011 2:46:23 PMI think the Comment by MH below, "What about fast and easy satisfaction," reflects an important trend in gameplay not mentioned in the article. I was recently reading Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" and came upon one of the more important messages in the book, which can be summarized as "success = work"; Inborn talent is useful if harnessed, but determined striving is far more important. I can't help but wonder if the "restart" button in Angry Birds keeps people from carefully considering other alternatives. Are ther similar trends in an individual's personal life? I.e., "I don't see a clear path to success so I quit." I would thus go farther than MH by saying not only does loss have less meaning, it can be actively prevented in some games, resulting in less creativity in finding a workable solution toward a goal.

This Help Me Allot!

JOMARI M. DELA CRUZ8/25/2011 6:21:06 PMI have been thinking about my Thesis Questionnaire and when I research about something that is for Computer Games it is the first one i see. I didn`t waste my time here. It helps me allot that other files can`t do. Thank you very much.

What about the fast and easy satisfaction?

M H5/20/2011 1:53:48 PMI have been thinking about this problem, when people play video games they often get fast satisfaction by winning or don't lose anything by losing. I think that long term this can create the need for fast satisfaction in the real world, which usually takes years of hard work, not as in games that takes a short time and not the amount of work, and can create a desensitization for real loss in the real world, since in a game you don't lose anything by losing. So gamers when faced with real problems might (I think) get impatient and distressed really fast, making them feel impotent and depressed, and they also might not feel any or very low risk on the real life challenges, since in a game when you lose nothing really happens, but in life it can mean disaster if you fail.

Gaming on society

CHARLES MINOR9/28/2010 2:34:36 PMI have looked all over the internet for information about the effects and the outcome of games on society for a paper that I am writing for a college class. I am in criminal law - law enforcement. I found that of all the information that I have looked at, this one gave me the best insight, and in the end my final grade was 110%. I would like to thank Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D., for the time it took to write this. My teacher also did some research of his own and he agrees that this was the best one he found for information. Again, thank you.

Games do influence us

RAMON4/27/2010 9:29:41 AMGames are really a tool of learning. I am a racing fan and I play them whenever I have free time. When I was younger I'd play racing games for hours, like maybe four to five ,and never realize it. The point is that racing games taught me how to drive even before I got behind my father's Acura for the first time when I was 15 yrs old. Passing my divers license was a no-brainer XD

Games May Teach Skills

SEAN7/28/2009 4:36:21 PMGames can really teach skills, enhance minds and sharpens eyes. And sometimes, games can also help us from our financial problem, like what I've read here: http://www.articletechie.com/WOW-GOLD-SAVES-THE-DAY-How-RMT-helped-a-Starving-Student/a8982_1 which tackled about how RMT helped a starving student.

Video game controversy

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Violent video game debates in video game culture often center on topics such as video game graphic

violence, sex and sexism, violent and gory scenes, partial or full nudity, portrayal of criminal behavior, racism,

and other provocative and objectionable material. Video games have been studied for links

toaddiction and aggression. Earlier meta-analyses (an analysis of several studies) were conflicting. A 2001

study found that exposure to violent video games causes at least a temporary increase in aggression and that

this exposure correlates with aggression in the real world. A decrease in prosocial behavior (caring about the

welfare and rights of others) was also noted.[1] Another 2001 meta-analyses using similar methods[2] and a

more recent 2009 study focusing specifically on serious aggressive behavior[3] concluded that video game

violence is not related to serious aggressive behavior in real life. Many potential positive effects have even

been proposed.[4] Recent research has suggested that even some violent video games may actually have a

prosocial effect in some contexts for example, team play.[5] It has been argued there is generally a lack of

quality studies which can be relied upon and that the video game industry has become an easy target for the

media to blame for many modern day problems.[6][7][8] The most recent large scale meta-anlysis-- examining 130

studies with over 130,000 subjects worldwide-- concluded that exposure to violent video games causes both

short term and long term aggression in players and decreases empathy and prosocial behavior. However, this

meta-analysis was severely criticized in the same issue of the same journal for a number of methodological

flaws, including failure to distinguish clinically valid from unstandardized aggression measures and for failing to

solicit studies from researchers who have questioned whether causal links exist, thus biasing the sample of

included studies.[9]

Contents

  [hide] 

1     Demographics   

o 1.1      Age   

o 1.2      Gender   

2     Controversial topics   

o 2.1      Crime and violence   

o 2.2      Biological links to aggressive behavior   

o 2.3      Sexual themes   

2.3.1      Nudity   

2.3.2      Portrayal of gender   

2.3.3      LGBT characters   

o 2.4      Social development   

o 2.5      Addiction   

3     Publicized incidents   

o 3.1      Theories of Video Game Effects   

4     Regulation of video games   

5     Potential positive effects of video games   

6     See also   

7     References   

[edit]Demographics

[edit]Age

The Entertainment Software Association states that 20% of video game players are boys under the age of 17,

26% are over 50 (regardless of gender), and that the average game player is 37.[10] In a survey of 1,102

teenagers aged 12 to 17, 97% of them said that they play video games; moreover, half of the survey

respondents said that they had played a video game in the last day. Three-quarters of parents who were

surveyed said that they check the ratings on their kid's games. However, half of the boys who were asked

about their favorite game listed a game with an “M” or “AO” rating as their favorite, compared with 14% of

girls. [11] The adult demographic is the fastest-growing segment of the American video games market with 32%

of adults playing video games,[12] although critics have suggested that such statistics are often used to deflect

from the fact that almost all American children are exposed to video games.[12]

[edit]Gender

While nearly 40% of players are female,[10] a 1998 study conducted at the University of Central Florida found

that of the 33 games sampled, 41% do not feature female characters, 28% portrayed women as sex objects,

21% depicted violence against women, and 30% did not represent the female population at all. Furthermore,

characterizations of women tended to be stereotypical: highly sexualized ("visions of beauty with large breasts

and hips"), dependent ("victim or as the proverbial 'Damsel in Distress'"), opposed ("evil or as obstacles to the

goal of the game"), and trivial ("females depicted [...] in fairly non-significant roles").[13]

However, this report has been criticized[14] for not representing a wide range of video games, and that the

games analysed, being up to 20 years old, do not represent the current status of the video game industry,

[15] and that strong female characters are now increasingly more prevalent.[16]

A UK survey of 200 women by an online game rental company suggested that female gamers have 34% more

sex than female non-gamers.[17]A similarly non-scientific poll suggests that men who play video games are 3

times more likely to admit to masturbating than their non gaming counterparts.[18]

Historically, the video game market has been predominantly male. However, the percentage of women playing

games has steadily increased over the past decade. Women now slightly outnumber men playing Web-based

games.[19][dead link]

[edit]Controversial topics

[edit]Crime and violence

One of the most common criticisms of video games is that they increase the violent tendencies among youth.[1]

[20][21] However, several major studies by groups such as The Harvard Medical School Center for Mental

Health, The Journal of Adolescent Health, and The British Medical Journal have shown no conclusive link

between video game usage and violent activity."[22][23][24] One study did find an increase in reports of bullying,

noting, "Our research found that certain patterns of video game play were much more likely to be associated

with these types of behavioral problems than with major violent crime such as school shootings.[22][23] One of the

first widely accepted controversial video games was developer Exidy's 1976 title Death Race, in which players

controlled cars that ran over pixelated representations of "gremlins". The game caused such an outcry that it

was pulled from store shelves and profiled on 60 Minutes. Long Island PTA president Ronnie Lamm pushed for

legislation in the early 1980s to place restrictions on how close video game arcades could be to schools,

asserting that they caused children to fight.[25] Portrayals of violence allegedly became more realistic with time,

and so politicians such as U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman conducted hearings during the 1990s regarding what

he referred to as "violent video games" which, in his opinion, included such games as Mortal Kombat. His

sentiments have been echoed by certain researchers, such as Dr. Craig A. Anderson who testified before the

Senate, "Some studies have yielded nonsignificant video game effects, just as some smoking studies failed to

find a significant link to lung cancer. But when one combines all relevant empirical studies using meta-analytic

techniques it shows that violent video games are significantly associated with: increased aggressive behavior,

thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased pro-social (helping) behavior."[26]

[27] Anderson himself was later criticized in a 2005 video game court case for failing to cite research that differed

from his view.[28]

Disbarred attorney Jack Thompson has filed lawsuits against the makers of violent games, alleging the simulated violence causes real-world violence.

An example of video game controversy Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came under similar criticism, also for

implying allegedly racist hate crimes: The game, taking place in "Vice City" (a fictionalMiami) in 1986, involves

a gang war between Haitians and Cuban refugees, and the player often serves both gangs to plot against one

another. Haitian and Cuban anti-defamation groups highly criticized the game for these actions, including using

phrases such as "kill the Haitian dickheads" (a phrase used in the game, referring to the Haitian gang with

which the character is having a shoot-out). After the threat of being sued by the Haitian-American Coalition,

Rockstar removed the word "Haitians" from this phrase in the game's subtitles.

Lt. Col. David Grossman, a former West Point psychology professor, has written several books that pertain to

the subject of violence in the media, including On Killing and Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill. During heights of

video game controversy he has been interviewed on the content of his books, and has repeatedly used the

term "murder simulator" to describe first-person shooter games. He argues that video game publishers

unethically train children in the use of weapons and, more importantly, harden them emotionally to the act of

murder by simulating the killing of hundreds or thousands of opponents in a single typical video game.

Grossman's conclusions have been criticized by some scholars, however, as highly selective and misleading.[29]

Research published in 2001 suggested that violent video games may increase mild forms of aggressive

behavior in children and young adults. Analyses also showed that exposure to violent video games results in

increased physiological arousal, aggression-related thoughts and feelings as well as decreased prosocial

behavior. The research comprised a meta analysis, laboratory and field studies.[1] However meta-analyses by

other groups have not replicated these findings [2][3] and these other groups have been critical of attempts to link

violent games with aggression. For instance John Sherry has said (2007) "Further, why do some researchers

(e.g. Gentile & Anderson, 2003) continue to argue that video games are dangerous despite evidence to the

contrary?” (p. 244).

A study by Dr. Craig A. Anderson et al. compared the effects of violent video games to those of smoking on

lung cancer [30][31] This view has been challenged, however. For instance, Ferguson (2010) has ruled out a

relationship between video game violence and serious aggression, concluding "Taken together these meta-

analyses range from those which argue against meaningful effects to those which find weak effects. Thus the

debate on video game violence has been reduced to whether video game violence produces no effects…or

almost no effects." [32]

Other studies reach the conclusion that violence in video games is not causally linked with aggressive

tendencies. This was the conclusion of a 1999 study by the U.S. government, prompting Surgeon

General David Satcher to say, "We clearly associate media violence to aggressive behavior. But the impact

was very small compared to other things. Some may not be happy with that, but that’s where the science

is."[33] Ameta-analysis by psychologist Jonathan Freedman, who reviewed over 200 published studies and

found that the "vast and overwhelming majority" did not find a causal link, also reached this conclusion.[34] A US

Secret Service study found that only 12% of those involved in school shootings were attracted to violent video

games, while 24% read violent books and 27% were attracted to violent films.[35] An Australian study found that

only children already predisposed to violence were affected by violent games.[36] A recent long-term outcome

study of youth found no long-term relationship between playing violent video game and youth violence or

bullying [37]

A recent longitudinal study of youth in Germany found that aggressive children tend to select more violent video

games, not the inverse. This study found no evidence violent games are psychologically harmful to minors. The

authors further speculated other studies may have found spurious effects due to focusing on youth self-report

of aggression rather than reports by parents or teachers, the so called "single responder bias" .[38]

In Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do,

researchers/authors Lawrence Kutner, PhD, and Cheryl K. Olson, ScD, refute claims of violent behavior

increase caused by violent video games. The researchers' study shows that adolescents that don't play video

games at all are most at-risk for violent behavior (but without statistical significance), claiming that video game

play is part of an adolescent boy's normal social setting. However, they do not completely deny violent (M-

rated) video games' negative influences on pre-teens and teenagers.[39][40] Kutner and Olson say the views of

both alarmists and the video game industry are often supported by flawed or misconstrued studies. The real

risks according to them are not just about exposure to violence, gore and sex but are more subtle with some

children at greater risk than others.[41]

Official records show that violent crime rates have declined dramatically since the early 1990s in the USA,

among both juveniles[42] and adults.[43][44] This is despite sales of violent video games exploding and their

content becoming increasingly graphic during the same period.[45][46]Video game violence is not the primary

contributor to societal violence, however, as there are many other factors at play.[26]

According to media scholar Henry Jenkins:

According to federal crime statistics, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low.

Researchers find that people serving time for violent crimes typically consume less media before committing

their crimes than the average person in the general population. It's true that young offenders who have

committed school shootings in America have also been game players. But young people in general are more

likely to be gamers — 90 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls play. The overwhelming majority of kids who

play do NOT commit antisocial acts. According to a 2001 U.S. Surgeon General's report, the strongest risk

factors for school shootings centered on mental stability and the quality of home life, not media exposure. The

moral panic over violent video games is doubly harmful. It has led adult authorities to be more suspicious and

hostile to many kids who already feel cut off from the system. It also misdirects energy away from eliminating

the actual causes of youth violence and allows problems to continue to fester.[19]

Fears have been expressed about exposure to violent video games. For example, politicians[who?] and other

people and organizations[who?] have considered video games effects on society, where the causative factor was

not clear, "there has been some fears specially from UK news service that hijackers may have used flight

simulator software to practice flying jet planes, also, Beam Breakers removed all references to theWorld Trade

Center already used in the game 1".[47]

[edit]Biological links to aggressive behavior

Some researchers believe that while playing violent video games leads to violent actions, there are also

biological influences that impact a person's choices. According to Sean P. Neubert of Rochester Institute of

Technology, a person who is biologically predisposed to aggression will be more strongly influenced by violent

scenes and thus will have a greater risk for carrying out destructive actions. For example someone

with Antisocial personality disorder has a greater risk of going out and shooting someone after playing hours of

Grand Theft Auto or a game of a similar nature.[48][49]

Other biological theories of aggression and violence have specifically excluded video game and other media

effects. For instance the Catalyst Model proposed by Ferguson and Beaver [50] specifically exclude media

violence as a contributor to violence, arguing research evidence for such effects have been weak, and media

violence is too distal a factor to have much influence.

[edit]Sexual themes

Sexual themes in video games are much less tolerated in the US than violent themes; the most well-known

example of this is the Hot Coffeecontroversy. In June 2005, an entire portion of unused code was found within

the main script of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, allowing the player to simulate sex with the main character's

girlfriends. The game could be accessed in the PC version via a mod, and through Action Replay codes in

the PS2 and Xbox versions.[51] The fact that the scene was left on the disc, and could be accessed by altering a

few bytes of the game's code via a hex editor, prompted the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to

change the rating of San Andreas to "Adults Only" on July 20, 2005. The game was pulled from many

stores; Rockstar Games posted a loss of $28.8 million that quarter.[52]

[edit]Nudity

Almost no North American video games display full frontal nudity.[citation needed] Sexual themes are more common

in Japanese PC games, but console companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony do not license adult-

only content games for their systems.[citation needed]

[edit]Portrayal of gender

See also: Portrayal of women in video games

Bias of gender exists in games. Terry Flew [53]  writes that generally representations of gender in digital games

are stereotyped. In many games, male characters are portrayed as hard bodied, muscled men, and female

characters are portrayed as soft bodied, nearly naked women with large breasts. Such depiction can be

observed in games such as StarCraft and World of Warcraft. In StarCraft, female characters are not as strong

as male characters in battle and are designed to cure damaged soldiers, but not to fight. Nonetheless they

appear as tall, slender, long haired human females. Similarly, male characters in World of Warcraft are big,

masculine and have hard muscled bodies. In addition, Flew also believes that female characters in games are

usually portrayed in a narrowly stereotypical manner. Females are usually constructed as visual objects who

wait for male rescue and need to be protected, whereas men are portrayed with more power. Such depiction of

females in games reflects underlying social ideas of dominance of male over female and themes of masculinity.

Although not all video games contain such stereotypes, there are enough to make it a general trait. Ultimately,

Flew ends with the statement of the broad demographic's excessive demands, in that '...different genders have

different gaming.'

However, it can be argued that video games do not conform to traditional gender roles such as the male being

dominant and the female being submissive. One such example would be the protagonist Lara Croft in

the Tomb Raider video game series, who is presented as a beautiful, clever, athletic, and brave English

archaeologist-adventurer. Lara Croft has achieved popularity with both males and females as an action-

heroine, although depending on what feminist perspective is applied she can either represent 'a positive role

model for young girls' or a 'combination of eye and thumb candy for the boys'.[54] Recently the emergence of

female gamers and developers in the industry has led to overall changes in video games to accommodate this

demographic, In the context of Lara Croft, her traditional 'DD' cup size and distorted female figure has been

toned down to a more modest 'C' cup and with more realistic proportions in Tomb Raider: Legend.[55] While

there are video games which emphasize a hypermasculine identity for male characters, this may in fact reflect

current [gender roles] and [stereotypes] found inWestern society and should not be a generalization of video

games as a whole but rather reflecting cultural norms. For example, video games originating from Asia with

narrative RPG elements and anime influences often include male characters with androgynous physical

characteristics with narrow bodies, softer faces, big eyes, porcelain skin and long hair often associated

with femininity, such as the iconic characters of Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII and Link in the Legend of Zelda.

Reinforcement of sexist stereotypes has also been claimed as an effect of violent video games.[56]

[edit]LGBT characters

Further information: LGBT themes in video games and List of LGBT characters in video games

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters have been depicted in some video games since the

1980s. LGBT content has been subject to changing rules and regulations by game companies,[57] which are

generally examples of heterosexism in that heterosexuality is normalized while homosexuality is subject to

additional censorship or ridicule.[58][59] Sexual orientation and gender identity have served a significant role in

some console and personal computer games, with the trend being toward greater visibility of LGBT identities, in

special in Japanese popular culture [60]  and games marketed to LGBT consumers.[61][62][63]

[edit]Social development

Over two hundred studies have been published which examine the effects of violence in entertainment media

and which at least partially focus on violence in video games in particular. Some psychological studies[64] have

shown a correlation between children playing violent video games and suffering psychological effects, although

many other studies find no such link causation.

In 2004 the American Psychological Association summarized the issue as "Psychological research confirms

that violent video games can increase children's aggression, but that parents moderate the negative

effects."[65] A more recent press release by the APA in 2010 summarized recent research findings as "Bad

effects depend on certain personality traits; games can offer learning opportunities for others".[66] Craig

Anderson has conducted meta-analysis of previous studies and claimed they have demonstrated five effects:

"increased aggressive behavior, thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased pro-

social (helping) behavior".[67] Nevertheless, other studies have explicitly denied that such a connection exists,

most notably Anderson and Ford (1986), Winkel et al. (1987), Scott (1995), Ballard and Lineberger (1999), and

Jonathan Freedman (2002).[68] More recently, Block and Crain (2007) claim that in a critical paper by Anderson

(and his co-author, Bushman), data was improperly calculated and produced fallacious results.[69] Other meta-

analyses by other groups, such as by Ferguson and Kilburn (2009) and Sherry (2007) have repudiated any

links between video game violence and aggression, as have recent reviews by the Australian Government

(2010) and the US Supreme Court (June, 2011).

After conducting a two-year study of more than 1,200 Middle School children about their attitudes towards

video games, Harvard Medical School researchers  Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson found that playing video

games did not have a particularly negative effect on the researched group.[70]

The portrayal of race in video games has also recently become an issue, seen in games such as the Grand

Theft Auto   series , 50 Cent: Bulletproof, and Def Jam: Fight for NY. In 2009, the issue of race emerged with the

release of Resident Evil 5, which has the player kill numerous African enemies, resulting in arguments from

both sides of the issue. Supporters of Resident Evil 5 argued however that to censor the portrayal of black

antagonists was discrimination in itself.[71] A similar outrage also occurred when it was revealed that "Left 4

Dead 2", set in New Orleans, would include African-American zombies. These and other games demonstrate

an interesting trend towards the increased presence of racial differences in video games. Indeed, it is true that

“Significantly, these games, and particularly their questionable claims of authenticity, establish compelling

learning environments that help facilitate how young gamers develop their knowledge of and familiarity with

popular views of race and urban culture.”[72]

[edit]Addiction

Main article: Video game addiction

Video game addiction is excessive or compulsive use of computer and video games that interferes with daily

life. Instances have been reported in which users play compulsively, isolating themselves from family and

friends or from other forms of social contact, and focus almost entirely on in-game achievements rather than

broader life events.[73][74]

[edit]Publicized incidents

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (July 2011)

Several incidents speculated to be related to video games in recent decades have helped fuel controversy.

On November 22, 1997, thirteen-year-old Noah Wilson died when his friend Yancy stabbed him in the

chest with a kitchen knife. The mother of Noah, Andrea Wilson, alleges that her son was stabbed to death

because of his obsession with the Midway game Mortal Kombat. She alleges that Yancy S. was so

obsessed with the game, that the child thought he was actually the character Cyrax. This character, Cyrax,

used a finishing move in which the character grabs the opponent in a headlock and stabs the character's

opponent in the chest. Wilson alleges that this is the maneuver in which Yancy S., killed her son. However,

despite the character's other varieties of finishing moves, the character Cyrax does not actually perform

this move at all. The conclusion of Wilson v. Midway games, Inc. was, according to the court case report,

"Wilson's complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The product liability counts fail

because Mortal Kombat is not a "product" within the purview-of the CPLA [...]"[75]

On April 20, 1999, 18-year-old Eric Harris and 17-year-old Dylan Klebold killed 12 students and a teacher

in the Columbine High School massacre. The two were allegedly obsessed with the video game Doom.

Harris also created WADs for the game, and created a large modnamed "Tier" which he called his "life's

work". Contrary to certain rumors, however, neither student had made a Doom level mimicking the

school's layout, and there is no evidence the pair practiced the massacre in Doom.[76]

In April 2000, 16-year-old Spanish teenager José Rabadán Pardo murdered his father, mother and his

sister with a katana, proclaiming that he was on an "avenging mission" by Squall Leonhart, the

main character of the video game Final Fantasy VIII.[77][78]

In November 2001, 21-year-old American Shawn Woolley committed suicide after what his mother claimed

was an addiction to EverQuest. Woolley's mother stated, "I think the way the game is written is that when

you first start playing it, it is fun, and you make great accomplishments. And then the further you get into it,

the higher level you get, the longer you have to stay on it to move onward, and then it isn't fun anymore.

But by then you're addicted, and you can't leave it."[79]

In February 2003, 16-year-old American Dustin Lynch was charged with aggravated murder and made

an insanity defense that he was "obsessed" with Grand Theft Auto III. Long time video game opponent and

former attorney Jack Thompson encouraged the father of victim JoLynn Mishne to pass a note to the judge

that said "the attorneys had better tell the jury about the violent video game that trained this kid [and]

showed him how to kill our daughter, JoLynn. If they don't, I will."[80] Lynch later retracted his insanity plea,

and his mother Jerrilyn Thomas commented, "It has nothing to do with video games or Paxil, and my son's

no murderer."[81]

On June 7, 2003, 18-year-old American Devin Moore shot and killed two policemen and a dispatcher after

grabbing one of the officers' weapons following an arrest for the possession of a stolen vehicle. At trial, the

defense claimed that Moore had been inspired by the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.[82]

On June 25, 2003, two American step brothers, Joshua and William Buckner, aged 14 and 16,

respectively, used a rifle to fire at vehicles onInterstate 40 in Tennessee, killing a 45-year-old man and

wounding a 19-year-old woman. The two shooters told investigators they had been inspired by Grand

Theft Auto III.[83]

On February 27, 2004 in Leicester, UK, 17-year-old Warren Leblanc lured 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah

into a park and murdered him by stabbing him repeatedly with a claw hammer and knife. Leblanc was

reportedly obsessed with Manhunt, although investigation quickly revealed that the killer did not even own

a copy of the game. The victim's mother Giselle Pakeerah has been campaigning against violent video

games in the UK ever since.[84] The police investigating the case have dismissed any link, as discussed in

the relevant articles.[85]

In October 2004, a 41-year-old Chinese man named Qiu Chengwei stabbed 26-year-old Zhu Caoyuan to

death over a dispute regarding the sale of a virtual weapon the two had jointly won in the game The

Legend of Mir 3.[86]

On December 27, 2004, 13-year-old Xiao Yi committed suicide by jumping from a twenty-four story

building in Tianjin, China, as a result of the effects of his addiction, hoping to be "reunited" with his fellow

gamers in the afterlife, according to his suicide notes. Prior to his death, he had spent 36 consecutive

hours playing Warcraft III.[87][88]

In August 2005, 28-year-old South Korean Lee Seung Seop died after playing StarCraft for 50 hours

straight. [89]

Controversy of speeding and evading the authority in racing games surfaced when a copy of Need for

Speed: Most Wanted was found on one of the street racers' car in Toronto on January 19, 2006, when two

18-year-olds, Alexander Ryazanov and Wang-Piao Dumani Rossracers, were involved in an accident

resulting in the death of taxi-driver Tahir Khan. Nevertheless, the police did not find any connection

between the game and the incident.[90]

In June 2007, 22-year-old Alejandro Garcia from Texas shot dead his cousin after arguing over whose turn

it was to play the game Scarface: The World Is Yours. He pleaded guilty for murder at his trial on April 6,

2011, and will serve 15 to 30 years in prison.[91][92]

In September 2007, a Chinese man in Guangzhou, China, died after playing Internet video games for

three consecutive days in an Internet cafe.[93][94]

In September 2007 in Ohio, 16-year-old Daniel Petric snuck out of his bedroom window to purchase the

game Halo 3 against the orders of his father, a minister at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington,

Ohio, U.S.[95] His parents eventually banned him from the game after he spent up to 18 hours a day with it,

and secured it in a lockbox in a closet where the father also kept a 9mm handgun, according to

prosecutors.[96] In October 2007, Daniel used his father's key to open the lockbox and remove the gun and

the game. He then entered the living room of his house and shot both of them in the head, killing his

mother and wounding his father. Petric is sentenced to life in prison without parole, which was

later commuted to 23 years in imprisonment.[97] Defense attorneys argued that Petric was influenced by

video game addiction, the court dismissed these claims. The judge, James Burge commented that while

he thought there was ample evidence the boy knew what he was doing, Burge thought the game had

affected him like a drug, saying "I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea at the time he hatched this

plot that if he killed his parents they would be dead forever."[98]

In December 2007, 17-year-old Lamar Roberts and 16-year-old Heather Trujillo were accused of beating a

seven-year-old girl to death. They are said to have been imitating the moves taken from the game "Mortal

Kombat". [99]

In December 2007, a Russian man was beaten to death over an argument in the MMORPG Lineage II.

The man was killed when his guildand a rival one challenged each other to a real-life brawl.[100]

False reports initially claimed that Seung-Hui Cho, the killer in the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre was an

avid Counter-Strike player. However, police reports said that roommates of Cho had never seen him play

any video games.[101] Despite these discoveries, disbarred attorney Jack Thompson continued to

erroneously claim that video games were to blame.

In June 2008, four teens allegedly obsessed with Grand Theft Auto IV went on a crime spree after being in

New Hyde Park, New York. They first robbed a man, knocking his teeth out and then they stopped a

woman driving a black BMW and stole her car and her cigarettes.[102]

On August 2, 2008, Polwat Chinno, a 19-year-old Thai teenager, stabbed a Bangkok taxi driver to death

during an attempt to steal the driver's cab in order to obtain money to buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV. A

police official said that the teen was trying to copy a similar act in the game. As a consequence, officials

ordered the banning of the series, which led its distributor, New Era Interactive Media, to withdraw it,

including the aforementioned, then-upcoming installment, from shops across Thailand.[103][104][105]

On October 13, 2008, the disappearance of Brandon Crisp and his subsequent death involving, according

to his parents, obsessive playing ofCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has been referenced in discussions

about video game obsession and spawned a report aired by CBC's the fifth estate on video game

addiction and Brandon's story titled "Top Gun", subtitled "When a video gaming obsession turns to

addiction and tragedy".[106]

In December 2009, after losing three consecutive games of FIFA 2008, a 17-year-old schizophrenic boy

named James Callaghan went on a drunken rampage in which he attacked several teens with an axe,

threatened a cyclist and finally bludgeoned and stabbed to death a 65-year-old-woman. He also used to

play Grand Theft Auto.[107]

In January 2010, 9-year-old Anthony Maldonado was stabbed by relative Alejandro Morales after an

argument regarding Maldonado's recently purchased copy of Tony Hawk: Ride and PlayStation 3 console.

[108]

In January 2010, Gary Alcock punched, slapped and pinched his partner's 15-month-old daughter in the

three weeks leading up to her death before he delivered a fatal blow to the stomach which tore her internal

organs because she interrupted him playing his Xbox. She died from internal bleeding after suffering 35

separate injuries including multiple bruises, rib fractures and brain damage, which were comparable to

injuries suffered in a car crash. Alcock was jailed for life and must serve at least 21 years.[109][110]

In May 2010, French gamer Julien Barreaux located and stabbed a fellow player who had stabbed

Barreaux on the game Counter-Strike. The judge at his trial called him "a menace to society."[111]

On November 29, 2010 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 16-year-old boy Kendall Anderson

bludgeoned his mother to death in her sleep with a claw hammer after she took away his PlayStation.[112]

[113]

On April 9, 2011 in Alphen Aan Den Rijn, The Netherlands, 24-year-old Tristan van der Vlis opened fire in

a shopping mall, releasing more than a hundred bullets with a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun, killing 6

people and wounding 17 others, after which he also killed himself.[114] A fair amount of attention was given

to the fact that Van Der Vlis had been playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and to the alleged

similarities between the events in Alphen a/d Rijn and the controversial "No Russian" mission in the game

(also known as the 'Airport Massacre') where the player can choose to (or choose not to) partake in the

killing of a large group of innocent people inside an airport terminal.[115][116]

[edit]Theories of Video Game Effects

Several theoretical approaches have been applied to potential video game violence effects (or lack of effects).

These models compete, attempting to explain how video games may or may not have effects on players.

For example the Catalyst Model of aggression comes from a diathesis-stress perspective, implying that

aggression is due to a combination of genetic risk and environmental strain. [117] The Catalyst Model suggests

that stress, coupled with antisocial personalities is most salient in the creation of aggression. The Catalyst

Model does allow that proximal influences such as family or peers may influence aggressiveness. However the

Catalyst Model specifically states that media influences are too weak and distant to have much influence.

The General Aggression Model (GAM) models video games as having an influence on people, proposing that

a participant's thoughts, feelings and physical arousal can be affected by simulated violence. The GAM asserts

this creates an effect on an individual's interpretation of an aggressive or violent act.[118]

The GAM claims that video games have both short- and long-term effects. In the short-term the aggressive

cognitions, affects and arousal are posited to increase while long-term effects are asserted to be possible, but

not yet accurately determined. Anderson and Bushman claim violent video games promote violent behavior,

attitudes and beliefs by desensitizing an individual to aggression.

[edit]Regulation of video games

In response to concerns about video games, governments around the globe have enacted or attempted to

enact legislation regulating, prohibiting, or outright banning video games. Similarly, support for video game and

media regulation has been linked to moral panic.[119] To that end, different video game content rating

systems have been introduced across the globe.

Psychology professor Chris Ferguson discusses in an interview how these myths are perpetuated. When asked

to describe the nature of how negative propaganda is spread by activist against video games, Ferguson

explained that many respected academics and elected officials develop apprehension towards the media in

question and formulate disproportionate accusations of harm. Those claims are out in the public when expert

evidence proves them to be invalid, making it difficult to withdraw from such allegations. Possible motivations

for why activist claims are not retracted are “…there are certain financial incentives and political incentives. It’s

hard to get grant money arguing that something *isn’t* a problem…and some scholars take money from anti-

media lobbying groups. Politically scholars to support a government mandated censorship regimen naturally

intend to be in charge of that regimen themselves”. Ferguson adds that present research on violence in video

games confirms no valid link, “The best studies now coming out — those which take care to use well-validated

clinical outcome measures and which carefully control for other important risk factors — provide no support for

the belief that VVG contributes to youth violence”[120]

Voluntary rating systems adopted by the video game industry, such as the ESRB rating system in the United

States and Canada, as well as the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating system in Europe, that are

aimed at informing parents about the types of games their children are playing (or are asking to play). Certain

game publishers’ decision to have controversial games rated seems to show that they are not targeted at

young children. They are rated by the ESRB as "Mature" (M) or "Adults Only" (AO) in the US, or given British

Board of Film Classification (BBFC) ratings of 15 or 18 in the UK. The packaging notes that these games

should not be sold to children. In the US, ESRB ratings are not legally binding, but many retailers take it upon

themselves to refuse the sale of these games to minors. In the United Kingdom (UK), the BBFC ratings are

backed up by law, so it is actually illegal to sell the game to anyone under the indicated age, and many UK

retailers go beyond that and also enforce the PEGI ratings, which are not backed up by law. No video game

console manufacturer has yet to allow any game to be published in North America with the harshest ESRB

rating, "Adults Only", signaling that the game is only appropriate for ages 18 years and up. Additionally, no

major retailers are willing to set aside shelf space for AO-rated games. Although Grand Theft Auto San

Andreas was given a rating of AO after widespread surfacing of an add-on originally deleted from the game,

"Hot Coffee," in which the player controls a fully clothed sexual encounter. It was later fully removed and the

game retained the M rating. GTA San Andreas is the best selling game to ever receive the AO rating.

The sales of M- and AO-rated games to minors has been an issue of much concern to parent groups and

public officials, and bills have been submitted to government agencies, including the Video Games Ratings

Enforcement Act introduced to the US House of Representatives in both the 109th Congress and 110th

Congress. The proposed legislation would require an ID check for M- and AO-rated game purchases. The bill

was not passed into law, and other proposed bills were stopped[121] because of First Amendment violations.

Although no law mandates ID checking for games with adult content, a 2008 secret shopper survey done by

the Federal Trade Commissionshows that video game retailers have voluntarily increased ID verification for M-

and AO-rated games, and sales of those games to underage potential buyers have been reduced from 83% in

2000 to only 20% in 2008.

In April 2011, the Federal Trade Commission undercover shopper survey found that video game retailers

continue to enforce the ratings by allowing only 13% of underage teenage shoppers to buy M-rated video

games, a statistically significant improvement from the 20% purchase rate in 2009.[122] By contrast, underage

shoppers purchased R-rated movies 38% of the time, and unrated movies 47% of the time.[123]

On January 7, 2009, Representative Joe Baca of California’s 43rd District introduced H.R. 231, the Video

Game Health Labelling Act. This bill called for labels to be placed in a “clear and conspicuous location on the

packaging” which states “WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has

been linked to aggressive behaviour.” The proposed legislation mandated that all video games with an ESRB

rating of T (Teen) or higher be subjected to the compulsory labelling.[124] The press release accompanying the

introduction of the bill referred to scientific studies from the Pediatrics Journal, Indiana University, University of

Missouri and Michigan State University which pointed to a “neurological link between playing violent video

games and aggressive behaviour in children and teenagers.”[125] The proposed legislation was referred on to

the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. On January 24, 2011; Rep. Joe Baca

reintroduced the Video Game Health Labelling Act as H.R. 400 of the 112th Congress.[126] The bill was once

again passed onto the Subcommittee.

On June 27, 2011, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on Brown v. Entertainment Merchants

Association, cited video games as protected speech under the First Amendment. The case centered on a

California law that sought to restrict sales of violent video games to minors. The video game industry, led by

the Entertainment Merchants Association and the Entertainment Software Association successfully obtained an

injunction on the bill, believing that definition of violence defined by the California law was too vague and would

not treat video games as protected speech. This opinion was upheld in lower courts, and supported by the

Supreme Court's decision. In the decision, the Court determined that there was no direct link between violent

video games and its influence on child, in as much as compared to other types of media like television and

pictures, and that they could not create a new class of restricted speech that is not applied to other forms of

media.[127][128]

[edit]Potential positive effects of video games

Numerous researchers have proposed potential positive effects of video games on aspects of social and

cognitive development and psychological well-being.[4] It has been shown that action video game players have

better hand-eye coordination and visuo-motor skills, such as their resistance to distraction, their sensitivity to

information in the peripheral vision and their ability to count briefly presented objects, than non-players. Video

games also develop the individual's intelligence, and in social games develop the social capabilities of the

individual. [129]

Another way in which the usage of video games might provide a benefit is in the relief of stress. There is a

study being conducted by Dr.Cheryl Olson and her team at Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) Center

for Mental Health and Media and Harvard to prove that violent games help students deal with stress and

aggression. She has found that over 49% of boys and 25% of girls use violent games such as Grand Theft

Auto IV as an outlet for their anger. Dr. Olson has come to the conclusion that violent games affect students

positively and not negatively because the violent crime rate is going down while the popularity of M-rated video

games has increased. She suggests that instead of stopping children from playing M-rated games completely,

parents should just monitor how much time their children spend playing games; parents should take

responsibility. [130]

Several studies have explored the possible benefits of multiplayer video games in a family setting. The most

recent study found that girls 11-16 who played video games with their parents had better mental health and

less aggressive behavior, with a stronger connection if they played age-appropriate games.[131]

Many studies have been done on gaming and its integration into the classroom in order to support the

educator. "The use of gaming has the ability to actively involve students in learning."[132] On-line gaming is

especially important in helping students build collaborative skills while completing given tasks.

To date, video game training appears to be one of the more interesting and promising means to improve

perceptual, attentional, and cognitive abilities. One of its promises is that, compared to traditional training, it can

be engaging and entertaining. This has led some companies to begin to market video games for the specific

purpose of improving cognition. For example, Nintendo advertises "Big Brain Academy" as a game that "trains

your brain with a course load of mind-bending activities across five categories: think, memorize, analyze,

compute, and identify".[133]

There are many positive effects of video games on some people as suggested by some researches; people

play because they want to get away from their everyday life, break routine, to relieve stress, allow them to cool

off when they are stressful, take out their anger through the game rather in real life because they are fun and

an interesting way to spend time.[134]

It enables players to explore with various aspects of their identity in a virtual world.[135]

Journalist and author, David Sheff, believes that many skills can be learned from the gaming experience, it

builds practical and intellectual skills, "by playing video games children gain problem solving abilities,

perseverance, pattern recognition, hypothesis testing, estimating skills, inductive skills, resources

management, logistics mapping, memory, quick thinking and reasonal judgements".[136]

Research at University of Rochester suggest that playing video games that contain high levels of action can

improve eyesight.[137]

Many authors disagree with the notion that suggests that the media can cause violence, they propose media

cannot cause violence because humans have the ability to recognize what is wrong, and what is right. They

suggest people are not going to mistake fiction for reality. Some people who criticize the proposed negative

effects based their research are Terry Flew, Sal Humphreys, Martin Barker and Jonathan Freedman.[135][138][139]

J.C. Herz argued that many so-called negative effects of video games, such as aggression and lack of pro-

social behavior, are both necessary and useful traits to have in a capitalistic society. Specifically, Herz argued

that many academic researchers have an anti-capitalist bias, and thus failed to notice the benefits of such

traits.[140]

Some authors also suggest that video games many have healthy and positive aspects effects; for example, it

can be a safe outlet for aggression and frustration.[141]

[edit]See also

Culture war   

First Amendment to the United States Constitution   

Folk devil   

For the Children   

Game brain   

Video game addiction   

Greek electronic game ban   

List of banned video games   

Examples:

Portrayal of women in video games   

Islamic Fun   

Super Columbine Massacre RPG!   

V-Tech Rampage   

List of controversial video games   

Media controversy    (disambiguation page)

Media influence   

Media violence research   

Moral panic   

Nanny state   

Video game content rating system   

Videogame Rating Council   

[edit]References

How do video games effect the human body?In: Video Games [Edit categories]

Answers.com > Wiki Answers > Categories > Entertainment & Arts > Games > Video Games > How do video games effect the human body?

Answer:  Improve

Well this is a contraversial area, and it's hard to distinguish the different effects from different games, some may be violent games, some may be games that require more thought and consentration.

In the case of violent games studies seem to suggest that the more frequently those games are played there is a rise in the aggressive response in those people, and a decrease in the sensitivity to violence.

Video games can cause increased pulse rate, mental focus and hand or arm cramps after prolonged use.

On the other hand, video games also can be used as a healing treatment suppliment in cancer patients.

Children with cancer sometimes play a video game where they are battling cancer cells, and feel empowered to deal with their illness, as to the actuall medical benifits, they probably aren't clear, but surely having a good attitude and participation in treatment, the games can help them battle their illness

It may also effect ur brain by effecting the brain..!:$

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