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Rebecca Knoeller, Shawn Staub, Caitlyn Stubbs, Bradley West
Video games have been the hot topic of debate for several years now and we determined this to be a good sign that video games do indeed have an affect on individuals’ social lifestyles, development, interpersonal relationships, as well as other factors of their lives. Because video games are a broad topic we have narrowed our focus to some of the main points generally up for recent deliberation and their effect on not only the individuals that play them but all others integrated into their lives.
Addiction, what actually defines such a focus and need for something that it affects your overall health and wellbeing in addition to the social relationships in your life? Video game addiction is a fairly new trend but one that should be cause of great concern for parents and individuals everywhere. Although not defined by the DSM, video game addiction shows startlingly similar symptoms and social intrusions as drug and alcohol addicts. Surprisingly many self proclaimed video game addicts describe themselves in the same language used by drug addicts currently undergoing rehabilitative treatment. Included will be a description of many common symptoms, as well as warning signs to watch for in loved ones and friends. A discussion of the differences in the manifestation of symptoms in adults and children/adolescents will also be presented. Because video games are addictive in nature research will show additional characteristics that make video games addictive as well as who is at risk for becoming addicted. In conclusion there are a few treatment options already available for video game addiction many of which parallel that of other behavioral addiction rehabilitation theories known for their success in dealing with those addictions.
We are all aware that video games have been known to have some negative effects. There has been a lot of research conducted on this, and the amount is growing. Much of the research focuses on the effects of violent video games. Numerous studies have confirmed that exposure to violent video games increases aggressive feelings, aggressive thoughts, and aggressive behavior (Anderson, 2004). The General Aggression Model has been used to explain how violent games affect those who play them. There may be individual personality differences and environmental factors that contribute to the effects of violent video games on players. Rewarding violent behavior within a game may also increase aggressive thoughts and behavior. Helping behavior is also affected from violent video game play, with those playing violent video games taking significantly longer to help an injured person. The technological advancement of video games may make the negative effects even stronger because games are becoming more engaging and realistic every day.
Conversely video games have given many positive benefits to both adults and children in many ways. There are educational benefits to playing video games in moderation (Schlimme, 2002) in which an individual becomes so immersed in a game that he/she will actually learn from the video game. Since video games are engaging (Kolko, Rickard-Figueroa, 1985), this characteristic is what allows one to become immersed in a game. Games such as Brain Age, Fire Emblem, and Advanced Wars provide many tactics in which one has many decisions to make before making the right move. He/she also goes through a story to learn about the characters and how the characters work best with others. The text-based story lines open doors to new vocabulary, and the tactical end of the games helps build decision making in complex situations. Also, many games require that participants work together in order to succeed in the game, which may improve players’ social (Schlimme, 2002) and emotion regulation skills (Smyth, 2007). Video games have even been developed for different university classes in a real time simulation
Additional Information
CBS news.com: Detox for Video Game Addiction
American Psychology Association
Iowa State University: Craig Anderson Professor of Psychology