A team of German researchers studied students in schools in central Germany. Of the students in the study, 1.3 percent met criteria for video game addiction, while an additional 2.65 percent were judged to be at risk (Vitelli). This is an insanely staggering number. Nearly four percent of these students meet criteria for video game addiction, or are at risk for addiction. Video game addiction is not a myth like some people think it is, it’s real. Ninth grade boys averaged two-hundred and seven minutes of video game playing each day (Vitelli). Many of our teens and pre-teens in America and across the globe are at risk for video game addiction. Although video game addiction is impossible to avoid, there are ways to help prevent video game addiction. Because of this video game pandemic, parents need to be more educated on why teens become addicted, how they become addicted, what makes video games so addicting, and how to prevent addiction from happening. Many teens become addicted or vulnerable to video game addiction because of the lack of successful experiences in real life (Vitelli). Because of this, many children and teens turn towards video games to avoid their real life problems, almost like how you’d take a vacation to relax. Some adolescents have difficulties coping with and in their lives (Vitelli). Not being able to cope with day to day activities and problems in real life make teens extremely vulnerable to video game addiction. “The lure of a fantasy world is especially pertinent to online role-playing games” (Rauh). The “lure” of the fantasy world in video games can be strong enough to distract gamers from their life with family, friends, school, hobbies, and work. It also distracts them from achieving their goals they m... ... middle of paper ... ...rovide aid to them. Without it, they may be stuck in a whirlpool of attempting to balance their lives. Works Cited Prepper, Libertarian. "Video Game Addiction - How You Can Regain Control of Your Life." Libertarian Prepper. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. Rauh, Sherry. "Video Game Addiction." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. Shapiro, Jordan. "4 Reasons Video Games Are Good For Your Health (According To American Psychological Association)." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. "Video Game Addiction." Internet Gaming Addiction. CRC Health Group, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. "Video Game Addiction." KidPointz. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. Vitelli, Romeo. "Are Video Games Addictive?" Psychology Today. N.p., 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. "What Makes Video Games Addictive?" The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
Kutner, Lawrence Ph.D. and Cheryl K. Olson, Sc.D. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do . 1st. Simon & Schuster, 2008.
All addictions can be dangerous and harmful to the addicted person and others around him; however, video game addiction can be particularly detrimental to children. Video games are becoming increasingly popular with children of young ages, which in turn may raise...
Making beautiful digital graphics, wonderful story-lines, and human graphic characters that can talk to an individual through certain scenarios. Although video games are a great revolution for the future, they have had a negative influence upon people of all ages with high problems leading to transition behaviors like addiction, violence, and signs of aggression. First of all, “addiction does not happen by accident and can be based on the interplay between chemical and biochemical processes along with psychological, while the emotional environmental factors that include objects and activities addicts use and how they regard gaming.” (Mcquade et al. 23)
“On Tuesday, November 2, while the rest of the country was voting, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Schwarzenegger v. EMA, the landmark case in which the state of California is petitioning for the re-instatement of a California law banning the sale of deviant or morbid violent video games to minors” (Macris). This case is a current example of the opponents of video games trying to prove video games are a bad influence on children and teenagers. Violent video game opponents have always tried to disprove the positive effects of video games. They also have been known to make up and mislead with tales of terrible side effects. This essay will prove to the reader that many of these various statements against video games and their creators are false. Contrary to opposition arguments, video games actually present benefits to gamers by reducing stress, providing entertainment, and helping to develop motivation that could not otherwise be achieved through conventional means.
Lee, M., and Laura Finley. “Counterpoint: Video Games are Addictive and Promote Irresponsible Behavior.” Points of View Reference Center. 2011. EBSCO. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.
Gallagher, Danny. “7 Health Benefits of Playing Video Games.” The WEEK. The WEEK Publications, Inc. 10 March 2013. Web. 3 May 2014.
Many kids like Tommy, who spend most of their childhood and adolescences emerged in imaginary lands rather than dealing with the real world at hand, become socially anxious and have low self-esteem later in life. Instead of thriving with a career and family, they relapse back to the same virtual interaction they had as a child. They float through life barely able to support themselves or result to living with their parents. Adulthood seems to them a mere task they must complete in order to continue their gaming. Excessive videogame play for children and adolescents cause social anxiety, depression, and aggression because more time is spent alone engrossed in dynamic storylines and complex situations than outside building face-to-face relationships and other healthy social skills that better prepare them for their future.
Social scientists have been examining the effect that video games have on behavior. From the introduction of video games in the 1980s, there have been numerous research studies to this effect (Andersen & Taylor, 2008). The issue has become even more significant in the modern context because these video games have become bloodier and more realistic than ever before. Even though boys play these games more than girls in America, the consumption of video games has generally been high. Carey (2013) indicates that 32% of these gamers are below the age of 18. Therefore, it would be crucial to evaluate the effects that these video games have on the behavior of such children.
Norcia, Andrea. "The Impact of Video Games on Children." Palo Alto Medical Foundation Apr 2007 20 Mar 2008 .
Tamsyn, Burgmann. "GAMING ADDICTION A GROWING CONCERN." Record, The (Kitchener/Cambridge/Waterloo, ON) n.d.: Canadian Reference Centre. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Several years ago, technology and child’s play were not such as extremely developed as today. Thousands of teenagers have video game as their primary form of entertainment at home. The disagreement about violent video games is because they focus on several subjects such as violence scenes, pornographic content, racism and other resources. For many years, researchers have been debating if video games can cause dependence or not. However, an expert, Jack Flanagan believes video games have a really negative effect on a person’s life and even for children. Jack states that video game addiction exists, and can have the same effects as drugs and alcohol (Netzley 36-37). This shows that video game addiction can be like other addictions
"Video game play may provide learning, health, social benefits." American Psychological Association. February 2014, Vol 45, No. 2
Video games are not considered as a serious addiction amongst teenagers and adults, often being compared to severe cases of addiction, such as drug abuse or alcohol abuse that may result in the appearance of a decrease in the severity of the addiction. However, video game addiction is a serious matter and has unhealthy consequences for an individual 's life and their health; spending too much time playing video games can take a great toll on one 's physical and mental well-being. Continuing unhealthy patterns of video game activity for prolonged periods of time can result in mental health issues, physical health problems, and a decline in a social life.
As the time passes, technology is expanding and developing many creative ideas. Unlike in the past, nowadays we have computers, TVs, internet, and many inventions that have bad and good effects on us. Children used to interact with society by hanging out and playing sports with each other, but now we can see a big percentage of children who play video games for many hours daily. Addiction controls the lives of people, there is addiction to drugs, cigarettes, alcohol or gambling, and there are some forms of addiction associated with modern life, such as the Internet and video games. Most people think that video games are harmful and a waste of time.
Video games are often portrayed in a negative manner because they are seen as having an "addictive" quality. Addiction has been defined as "A primary, chronic disease, characterized by impaired control over the use of a psychoactive substance and/or behavior. Despite the wonderful benefits games offer as diversions, spending too much time, to the neglect of normal life duties, and social development with direct contact with others can and often does happen. Clinically, the manifestations occur along biological, sociological, spiritual and especially psychological. Some psychological effects that affect the behaviors are failure to play outdoor games, difficulties in work or school, telling lies to everyone, decreased attention to personal hygiene, decreased attention to family and friends, and disturbances in the sleep cycle. Many video game addicts have strug...