Videogames On Your Brain: Can They Help Us Or Hurt Us?
How many people do you know that play videogames? Probably a lot, right? But what kind of games do they play? Do more of your aggressive friends prefer fighting games over a puzzle solving game? Most of the time the type of games we like can reflect who we are. Nut what if video games can actually control our personalities and how we act. There has been research that backs this theory up. But what is it about videogames? Is it the games that change the player or the games that aren’t meant for certain people to be played? Videogames can affect all of our minds differently, but is it the type of game, what you’re doing in the game, or what audience the game is intended for that affects us the most.
“As far back as the early 1990s, scientists warned that because video games only stimulate brain regions that control vision and movement, other parts of the mind responsible for behavior, emotion, and learning could become underdeveloped (Johnson).” People talk about how video games affect our brains, while others will say that video games help us learn; another might imply that they make young people more aggressive. Playing violent video games like Doom, or Mortal Kombat can increase a person’s aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior. Other video games such as Portal and Minecraft challenge the mind by forcing you to use your brain; by making you think more creatively to solve problems. Video games make people more aggressive and violent. Many studies have shown that people who play violent video games are more aggressive, more likely to commit violent crimes.
Also violent videogames show so much gore and blood that the player becomes use to this and actually wants to see more. In many videogames the player gets to choose the fate of the character, but most players often choose the more bloody violent choices. Violent video games may be more harmful than violent television and movies because they are interactive. By letting the players choose his or hers actions in a place where there are no consequences is a very bad idea. Children will get used to breaking the rules and acting as they please and this might carry out into the real world making them more violent and carefree. Video games can also help your mind.
Research demonstrates that video games can influence our brains in both beneficial and harmful ways. Well- designed games can act as teachers. Many adults that first start playing video games find it hard to play because their brains haven’t been used to learn anything new. Video games allow minds to learn in an all new way with puzzle solving and strategy games involved. Also many puzzle solving games push the brain harder in order to solve the game. Furthermore there are many games that allow you to complete a mission in different ways so you can get more creative with what you do.
Every videogame can help you and hurt you in some way. As I’ve said before violent video games can make you more aggressive and violent, but they can also make you more intelligent and creative. It all depends on the type of games you play. Many younger kids often play more creative games that let them use their minds to the fullest. This allows their minds to expand to think more creatively, but they can also consume a large amount of time playing games such as these.
Older kids often play more fighting first person shooters games, now these games can help with your hand eye coordination and quick reflex skills. The down side you could start getting more use violence. Finally video games can affect our minds for better or worse. It’s true not everyone plays videogames, but for those of you that do consider what you are playing. You can help your mind grow and become more intelligent, or damage your mind and become more violent and aggressive either way the choice is up to you.
Lastly how could this help us in the future? If video games affect who we are then what would happen if there were more and more violent video games. We would have a world full of violent people, more criminals, but if we have more educational video games it could also help the generations that come.
