Video Games and Academic Success At the Post-Secondary Level

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The market for video games targets people of all ages, these games however are not just for recreation but are also making headway in the academic world gearing more towards learning through play on the educational level. With a recent spike in popularity and availability video games have become something of interest with academic scholars, teachers and concerned parents wondering how an increased exposure to video games will affect their students academic success. In theory, one would believe that recreational video games are detrimental to academic success but when video games are used for educational purpose’s they can be very effective. Before we can begin to understand how video games affect student success, there must first be an understanding in what constitutes as problem gaming, or an addiction to video games. According to the article ‘Recognizing problem video game use’ the authors point out that these games often provide an alternative or way to escape everyday life and for some people being able to disappear into an alternate reality is worth the consequences associated with avoiding real-life socialization and responsibilities (Porter, Starcevic, Berle, & French, 2010) . According to their study, the criteria for problem use are characteristics such as having a strong need to play, playing when one knows they shouldn’t, playing for extended hours, interference with social activities and responsibilities, lack of sleep, physical pains as well as in increased consumption of caffeine most often endorsed by 70% of participant’s who reported problem game use (Porter, Starcevic, Berle, & French, 2010). Many mental health professionals have responded by suggesting that video game/internet addiction should be formally ... ... middle of paper ... ...ement: The Correlation between Video Game Usage and Academic Performance Markers. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10(4), 552-559. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9991 Annetta, L. A. (2008). Video Games in Education: Why They Should Be Used and How They Are Being Used. Theory Into Practice, 47(3), 229-239. doi:10.1080/00405840802153940 Ip, B., Jacobs, G., & Watkins, A. (2008). Gaming frequency and academic performance. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(4), 355-373. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Porter, G., Starcevic, V., Berle, D., & Fenech, P. (2010). Recognizing problem video game use. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 44(2), 120-128. doi:10.3109/00048670903279812 Sharif, I., & Sargent, J. (2006). Association between television, movie, and video game exposure and school performance. Pediatrics, 118(4), e1061-70. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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