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Video games and child development
Video games and child development
Effect of video games on child development
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The common stance toward video games is that they lead to seclusion, anti-social behaviors, obesity, and even sometimes violent crimes; however, video games today can benefit many gamers. They can improve learning, promoting physical activity, and benefit the brain, as well as create a positive social environment. There are even video games that are used to train our armed forces as well as games that get people that live in nursing homes up and moving. Can video games really improve learning? The answer to this question is yes. According to an article by Kathleen McAuliffe, Neurochemicals that reinforce learning are made active by novelty, attention to detail and achieving goals. These are all common features in video games. These features could give gamers a learning advantage over someone who doesn’t partake in gaming. Both Katherine Walker and Micah Issitt stress that many games today even contain educational elements Players may be required to evaluate different challenges and strategize to gain an edge over another player. Some may also use historically accurate events to tell their plots. By working with the gaming community, educators could help create more historically accurate information into these types of games. Video games today can even improve critical thinking. Rhea R. Borja states that educational games have a large potential to improve critical thinking, help teach academic curricula, and examine what students learn. Though, it’s unlikely that schools will start investing in videogame as a form of teaching some educators are using video games as a learning tool (Video Game Play May). This quote by Don Blake perfectly sums up most opinions on education video game research: “All the research done and millions ... ... middle of paper ... ... 26.9 (2006): 12. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. Cool, Lisa. "Surprising Health Benefits of Video Games." Yahoo Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. Danforth, Liz. "Health through Gaming." Library Journal 136.9 (2011): 60. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. Issitt, Micah Walker, Katherine. "Point: Video Games Should Be Celebrated And Improved Rather Than Prohibited." Points Of View: Video Games (2013): 2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. McAuliffe, Kathleen. "Mental Fitness." Discover 29.9 (2008): 56-60. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. Preidt, Robert. "Video Gamers May Have Better Visual Recall." HealthDay Consumer News Service 14 June 2013: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. "Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds." http://www.apa.org. N.p., 13 Nov. 1925. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
Issitt, Micah, and Katherine Walker. “Point: Video Games Should Be Celebrated and Improved Rather than Prohibited.” Points of View Reference Center. 2011. EBSCO. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.
Videogames are amazing they promote creativity, team-work and social interaction. Video games actually work to increase how good your eyesight is. One study done by scientist’s Daphne Bavelier and her team found that playing five to fifteen hours of action games (e.g., Call of Duty) a week increased how good the participants vision was in two ways "The first way is that they 're actually able to resolve small detail in the context of clutter… The other way that they are better is actually being able to resolve different levels of grey”. Sure games have violence in them but honestly what doesn’t, films and TV are chock full of it, heck even Tom and Jerry promote violence and animal abuse plus there is a reason that those big shiny red “18” stickers are put on games so that it is clearly shown that children aren 't supposed to be given access to these specific types of game. As for the “waste of time” nothing is really a waste of time if you gain something from it such as
Snider, Mike. “ Video Games Actually can be Good for You.” USA Today. 27 Sep. 2005. Web.
Norcia, Andrea. "The Impact of Video Games on Children." Palo Alto Medical Foundation Apr 2007 20 Mar 2008 .
Studies have shown that there is a wide variety of physical and behavioral effects that video games can have on their players.
c. Preview of Main points: i. Certain video games can increase cognitive capabilities. ii. Studies indicate that video games can be link to increase problem solving skills.
Since the Early 70’s video games have been giving a bad name. Parents state that video games rot the minds of children and are influencing them do be violent. These accusations are far from the truth. In my research I found that there are many positive effects of gaming. Some of these effects are increased skills, creativity, general knowledge, and also help those in need. Parents can also take proper precautions and look into a game before buying it to see if it meets the criteria discussed in this paper.
There are several negative stereotypes associated with video games and those who play them; some of these may often hold true. However, there are plenty of learning opportunities in video games. While the direct purpose of some games is to educate or train, other games that do not directly have this purpose can still become a learning experience for the player. As Ntiedo Etuk, president of the educational video game company Tabula Digital said, “The traditional view of video games has been that they are distractions from the task of learning” (Electronic Education Report 1). Video games are an effective tool for learning and retaining skills both inside and outside the classroom environment. The basic cycle of game play--the introduction to the game, game play, collaboration, improvement of these between each round, and evaluation at the end of the game (Klievink and Janssen 159)--are nearly parallel to the traditional classroom learning cycle of reading a textbook or listening to a lecture, taking a quiz, studying, focusing on items missed on the quiz, and taking a test or exam. Within this cycle, there are many opportunities to develop and perfect both educational, life, and occupational skills.
I have been playing video games since I was in kindergarten and I believe that they have been invaluable to my intellectual development. I owe about one third of my English vocabulary to video games. Strategy games such as Age of Empires and Age of Mythology have taught me planning and resource management, as well as a great deal about the history and culture of human civilizations. Shooters such as Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament have taught me how to quickly make decisions while under stress, and have enhanced my hand-eye coordination and spatial orientation. Adventure and puzzle games such as Darksiders and Minesweeper have taught me problem solving and logical reasoning, in addition to improving my ability to concentrate and greatly increasing my perseverance.
Many people believe that video games change people and mislead them to do bad things, such as drugs and alcohol, but it is the opposite. Gaming prevents people from such acts and actually helps to keep them away from the substances. Lots of people, mainly parents, believe that video games harm people so they try to keep their children away from them. In reality, video games make your life better. Video games can provide many benefits to your lifestyle as “numerous academic studies indicate that playing video games has many psychological and even physical benefits” (Guarini). Gaming helps stimulate the brain and advances your problem solving abilities. There are disadvantages to gaming, which is true, but the amount of benefits outweigh them by far.
"Video game play may provide learning, health, social benefits." American Psychological Association. February 2014, Vol 45, No. 2
Bavelier and others at the University of Rochester did a study which shows that people who played action-based video and computer games are able to make decisions 25% faster than others while maintaining accuracy. This is extremely helpful in real life in situations such as driving, on the road you need to be weary of the other cars around you and being able to react faster could mean saving a life. Which is just one way that videogames could benefit you in your life.
One way in which video games can be beneficial is by supporting individuals’ intellectual development in the areas of problem solving and logic. Games like Cut the Rope, Angry Birds and The Incredible Machine require players to solve a puzzle under time limited conditions. When people are playing these games, they practice their critical thinking skills and creativity, which are both important components of intelligence.
First of all video games can benefit the person playing the game. Video games strengthen reading and visual skills. In the article “what video games can teach us” by Emily Sohn, Sohn says “because kids are interested in the game, they often end up reading at a level well above their grade.” This statement is true about anything, a person will do things as long as they think it benefits them. In a kids case they believe that reading during the game will help them beat the game. Therefore they will read even though they may not realize that they are improving their literacy skills at the same time as playing the game.A game may improve your visual skills as well. A study made by researchers from the University of Rochester came to the conclusion that video game players gain better visual skills than people that don’t play them. Video game players can keep track of more objects at a time. As well as pick out objects quicker out of a cluttered environment.
Video games not only affect your social skills but can deteriorate a person’s health. When you confine to yourself playing v...