Various Cause Effects Of Video Games Psychology Essay

The most successful aspect of video games is that they provide a huge amount of human interaction through imagery and audio, thus encouraging the player to think and act quickly(Wolf, 2001, p15). This aspect makes video games different from any other forms of non-interactive media like television or radio. Video games give clear instructions about actions to be performed to reach particular levels in the game and instils a level of confidence and spirit of victory in its players. They also serve academic purposes and can be utilised as a powerful medium for educating children and youth in a very interesting and powerful manner. For example, video games involving driving can be used as a medium to teach players the traffic rules and penalties imposed if the rules are violated. Puzzle based video games give valuable practice lessons of time management, helps to sharpen specific skills needed to succeed in the game, encourages critical analysis and thought and improves cognitive abilities (Wolf, 2001, p17; Seller, 2006, p20).

Social

Video games have a part in influencing the social behaviour of young players especially children. The interactive gaming gives a virtual environment involving the player and his opponent which is essentially the computer system. In addition to promoting a level of healthy competition among players, the penalties imposed help to give due respect to fellow participants and encourages sportsman spirit to a great extent. Games which involve military contents can help to inculcate patriotism in youngsters as they are made to believe that they are protecting their country from rival attacks. Though there has been criticisms regarding the effect of video games in sparking criminal behaviour among youth, Jenkins (n.d.) observes that the hostile factors contributing to these acts are coming from unsound minds and disrupted families rather than interactive media. In fact, James Gee’s work highlights the benefits of using video games as effective media for logical problem solving and continuous improvement, thus improving the qualitative skills (Gee, 2001).

Psychological

Apart from providing relaxation and enjoyment, video games boost the player’s confidence level and raises curiosity as in most games, each level is exciting and cannot be seen unless the players pass all the previous stages. In children, the level of psychological development obtained leads to sharpening of memory and logical skills, increased mental development and simulation, making them tougher to face the challenges of the real world.

Vices

Contrary to the popular belief that video game players are just youngsters, Entertainment Software Association(ESA) has shown that 49% of game players are in the age range of 18-49 while the demographic statistics give 52% male and 48% female players (ESA, 2009, p3). The revenue obtained by video game sales in US was $11M in 2008 with Wii console games at the top according to NPD statistics (ESA, 2009, p10).

Though the video game industry has flourished and sales figures have been accelerating over the last few decades, a lot of negative publicity has affected the popularity of interactive games to a large extent. Though there are many pros, the bad effects are so obvious and derogatory that they outweigh the advantages to a large extent.

Medical

The increasing popularity of video games is making more and more youngsters spend considerable amount of time and money in front of the gaming console or computer which has harmful medical effects arising due to addiction (Gunter, 1998, p31). The addiction can lead to childhood obesity as children will find no time for outdoor games which are healthy and provides relaxation and exercise to brain, mind and body. The strain caused by continuous exposure to harmful radiation from television affects a significant number of youngsters by ending up having problems with their eyes. The adult players are even more in danger as the addiction causes a change in lifestyle which trigger a variety of fatal illnesses from high cholesterol to heart attacks in addition to causing spinal alignment problems due to wrong posture.

Psychological

Most of the video games depict violence and the motto is to kill and succeed. Young minds are particularly interested in games involving violent attacks, abusive language and homicide. Different researches have been conducted in psychological aspects due to violent video games. Anderson et al. (2007, p12-39, p40-60) has described about the different kinds of aggressive behaviour exhibited by children based on which an aggression model is created. 

The effects of violence can arise from thefts for buying video games to thrills obtained from imitation of the shootings and attacks on innocent subjects. Continuous exposure to violent media has a profound influence on the mental balance of the young player, giving a very wrong impression that ‘killing is winning’.

Social

Recent reports have shown that an average time spent by a child playing console, arcade or home video games is almost 11-13 hours/week (Gentile, 2004, p1; Olson et al.,2007, p1). It means that they get little time for social interactions, academic reading and outdoor games. 

Decrease in peer association hinders development of social etiquettes, family ties and character. The social and emotional commitments are disrupted by over indulgence in interactive media leading to a set of humans devoid of emotions, respect or self-esteem. The increasing amount of violence and destruction involved in most games and the lonely atmosphere provided acts as detrimental to good social conduct. Stromberg (n.d.) has shown that almost 50% of popular games depict either fantasy or human violence to the extent that they encourage players to become less caring and friendly. According to Gentile & Anderson (2003, p131-152), the tendency of aggressive behaviour is affected by repeated game play which often reward the players for violence.

Critical Analysis

Wirth et al. (2003) has given that the virtual environment created by video games is essential to establish a spatial presence. But the impression of world as given by games has very little relation with the original real circumstances or actions. The violence and plan of action depicted in these scenarios, if practised in actual circumstances give horrendous repercussions for both the doer and the society. Some researches show video game learning as better to classroom learning in terms of memory retention (Moreno & Meyer, 2000, p724) but it does not in any way substitute the knowledge obtained from books, classrooms or other interactive learning techniques but just complements them.

The reason for success of video games has been described as the level of “active control” involved (Greenfield, 1984, p102). Active control often enables the player to decide on the course of action to be taken to fight the circumstances which gives them an uneven control and pseudo confidence that may urge them to enact similarly in a real situation. Moreover, the points gained during shooting or killing tends to glorify the violence depicted in games. The addiction to video games often leads to fits of anger and rows between the children and parents. The first rehabilitation centre for teenagers addicted to video games has been set up in London following the urge of parents (Taylor, 2010, p9).

Parents have expressed concerns on the influence on video games on the psychological and social behaviour of children (Gunter, 1998, p35). Most video games have parental control through which the type, intensity and mode of play can be controlled by parents. But recent research has shown that only one-fifth of the parents are exercising their control over purchase of video games, with 55% of stores educating them on ratings (Walsh et al. 2003).

Lee et al. (2009, p562) have put forward that the technological aspect has an influence on violent psychological behaviour in a way that a game played using less sophisticated graphics and audio do less harm. But here also, time is the deciding factor as continuous exposure to the virtual world even in low resolution graphics can cause psychological imbalance and health problems.

Even though clear correlation between violent shooting attacks by teenagers and interactive gaming has not been established in all cases, the increase in vocal abuse and insensitiveness towards crime itself are appalling. American Health Association’s research has given results stating that time spend by teenagers belonging to lower socio-economic status playing games was almost five fold than those of their educated and rich counterparts (ScienceDaily, 2008). This shows that education, and not money is the judging factor for use of technology.

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Touchscreen interface for seamless data transfer between the real and virtual worlds

Diginfo.tv - 15 april, 2013.

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a next generation user interface which can accurately detect the users finger and what it is touching, creating an interactive touchscreen-like system, using objects in the real word.

"We think paper and many other objects could be manipulated by touching them, as with a touchscreen. This system doesn't use any special hardware; it consists of just a device like an ordinary webcam, plus a commercial projector. Its capabilities are achieved by image processing technology."

Using this technology, information can be imported from a document as data, by selecting the necessary parts with your finger.

This technology measures the shape of real-world objects, and automatically adjusts the coordinate systems for the camera, projector, and real world. In this way, it can coordinate the display with touching, not only for flat surfaces like tables and paper, but also for the curved surfaces of objects such as books.

"Until now, gesturing has often been used to operate PCs and other devices. But with this interface, we're not operating a PC, but touching actual objects directly, and combining them with ICT equipment."

"The system is designed not to react when you make ordinary motions on a table. It can be operated when you point with one finger. What this means is, the system serves as an interface combining analog operations and digital devices."

To detect touch accurately, the system needs to detect fingertip height accurately. In particular, with the low-resolution camera used here (320 x 180), if fingertip detection is off by a single pixel, the height changes by 1 cm. So, the system requires technology for recognizing fingertips with high precision.

"Using a low-res webcam gives a fuzzy picture, but the system calculates 3D positions with high precision, by compensating through image processing."

This system also includes technology for controlling color and brightness, in line with the ambient light, and correcting for individual differences in hand color. In this way, it can identify fingertips consistently, with little influence from the environment or individual differences.

Also, in situations that don't use touch, the system can be operated by gesturing. In this demo, when you move your fist, you can manipulate the viewpoint for 3D CAD data. So, there could be applications for this touch system by combining it with current gesture systems.

"For example, we think this system could be used to show detailed information at a travel agent's counter, or when you need to fill in forms at City Hall."

"We aim to develop a commercial version of this system by fiscal 2014. It's still at the demonstration level, so it's not been used in actual settings. Next, we'd like to get people to use it for actual tasks, see what issues arise, and evaluate usability. We want to reflect such feedback in this system."

Posted By Don Kennedy and Ryo Osuga

SPARX: Video Game Helps Teens Battle Depression

SPARX: Video Game Helps Teens Battle Depression
By TRACI PEDERSEN Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on April 23, 2012

Shooting down negative thoughts in a video game may alleviate depression just as well as traditional talk therapy, a new study shows. (About SPARX)

The game, developed by researchers and teachers in New Zealand, is called SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts).

Based in a 3D fantasy world, the game leads players through seven realms (each about 30 minutes long) that teach mental behavioral skills for battling depression. For example, in one level, gamers battle their way through a swamp where they’re attacked by black, smoldering balls called GNATS (Gloomy Negative Automatic Thoughts). “These GNATS fly at the avatar and say negative things like ‘you’re a loser,’” said researcher Sally N. Merry, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Auckland.

Players shoot the GNATS and then put them into barrels that label them as particular kinds of negative thoughts. If the answer is correct, the GNATS turn into SPARX—glowing balls that compliment the players and restore balance. “We used a lot of allegory,” Merry said.

Players complete one or two levels in the game each week for three to seven weeks. To test the game, researchers recruited 187 teens with mild to moderate depression and assigned them to one of two groups: the first group played the video game and the other group received typical treatment from trained counselors at schools and youth clinics. More than 60 percent of the participants were girls with an average age of 16.

Researchers used psychological tests to assess depression before, during, and three months after the study.

In both groups, levels of anxiety and depression were reduced by about one-third. The video game, however, helped more kids recover from their depression. About 44 percent achieved remission in the SPARX group compared to 26 percent in usual care.

“Around 80 percent of young people with depression never get treatment,” said Merry. “When you do the calculations of how many therapists you need to meet that need, it’s enormous.”

Merry believes that a video game like SPARX, which doesn’t require supervision, could help fill treatment gaps, especially in underserved areas. It’s also a private way for kids to get help when they may not want to talk to an adult. Merry is working with the University of Auckland to make SPARX more widely available.

The study is published in the journal BMJ. Research here.

What is SPARX?

Pixel Logic: How the Next 10 Years Will Reinvent Your Life.

Russel Smith & Michael Foster. Huff Post Tech. 17/04/2012.

As a culture, we are living in an age of digital and cultural reinvention. The world will look back upon the two decades before and after the millennium as a fascinating time to be alive, and we get to experience it firsthand. What's driving the changes we're all experiencing? The main factor is technology. Current technology can already process our experiences faster than we can think about them. Whether we welcome it or not, it's unavoidable, and greater digital acceleration will happen.

All around us, the future is unevenly spread out in expanding digital cities, and dense pockets within these cities -- and in other parts of the world, dollops of the future have been squeezed out more sparingly, in small towns and distant regions barely on the digital map.

Fluid Identities and Connecting to the Universe Next Door

Human identities change greatly over the course of a lifetime, and the near future asks us to reinvent ourselves many more times -- with each reinvention based on a mixture of internal adaptations, individual desires, and external cultural forces.

Time travel or teleportation aren't on the near horizon, but scientists are inching closer to finding proof of life on distant planets. While the theory of living in a multiverse, where other universes exist next door (unseen) and connect to our universe isn't close to being proven, it is now in the cultural zeitgeist as a theory to consider. The TV program Fringe presented us with the challenges involved in having a funhouse mirror universe right next door, especially if your doppelganger had your face and your job. And of course, having a similar hair color, so it's easy to dye-to-match, helps when one must take over another's identity in an alternate universe.

Novelty, Fractal Patterns, and Quantum Physics

The exposure to moments of novelty will increase, until humans adapt to this ongoing pattern of hyper-contextualized-awareness. The world of hyper-meaning will become standard fare, and carrying on hyper-connected games and multi-sensory artistic experiences will become a part of one's daily life. A segment of each day could be centered around connecting to the world of fractals and going on a hyper-dimension mini-vacation, which might be similar to taking a walk inside a Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning painting.

Computers will become more sensitive to modeling and finding patterns, and quantum computing will help people make the leap to connecting seemingly unrelated fields such as: poetry, economics, biology and politics. By getting closer to the experience of serendipity in computing and farther away from predictability, the easier it will become for the human mind to increase its understanding of complex systems.

Fully Immersed in a Gaming Universe

The gaming culture has become more interactive, more realistic, and will eventually become more fully immersive. One can easily picture gamers entering a pod (perhaps in the shape of the human form), or a room devoted exclusively to the world of the game. Advances in motion technology and voice capture will refine the multiple layers, lives, and selves one can inhabit and interact with inside the game.

The early 1990s dream of virtual reality was delayed, but it has stayed on track to becoming a reality by making gaming culture mainstream culture. When the military aims to recruit young people with superior hand-eye coordination and a sharp mind, they now search for able-bodied recruits who have spent countless hours merged with a gaming console, and find just the skills and high-tech adaptability required for facing life and death in situations that call for immediate decision-making capabilities, since this is the focal point of a vast majority of games.

The Point System Paints a Bull's-eye on Your Heart

Have you been getting enough sleep lately? No? Sorry, that's going to cost you some points. Had an orange and some whole grain cereal for breakfast? Points added. We're on the verge of the health care industry meets Moneyball. And in the near future, your health statistic could be updated on a weekly or hourly basis, and payments on your monthly premium could fluctuate like the stock market.

An unhealthy lifestyle will affect the points you accumulate, and if your numbers fall below a set level, you could be dropped off the charts, as far as major health insurance providers are concerned. Forget Powerball, the real lottery system will be your ability to pay for a ticket to get in and stay in to a health care system that truly has your best interests at heart, as long as you subscribe to a heart-healthy diet.

Over the next decade, these ideas, trends and systems will increasingly affect how our society shifts and evolves.

Violent video game exposure and aggression

Violent video game exposure and aggression.
N. L. Carnagey, C. Anderson.

Department of Psychology
Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
Minerva Psichiatric 2004;45:1-18

Over the last 30 years, the video game industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar business. More children and adults are spending time playing computer games, consoles games, and online games than ever before. Violence is adominant theme in most of the popular video games. This article reviews the current literature on effects of violent video game exposure on aggression-related variables. Exposure to violent video games causes increases in aggressive behavior, cognitions, and affect. Violent video game exposure also causes increases in
physiological desensitization to real-life violence and decreases in helping behavior. The current video game literature is interpreted in terms of the general aggression model (GAM). Differences between violent video game exposure and violent television are also discussed.
Key words: Child - Video games - Violence - Aggression.
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Open publication - Free publishing - More aggression

Chile: Prueba SIMCE TIC, 46% de los estudiantes realiza tareas básicas en un PC.

FayerWayer - Abril/2012. Se dieron a conocer los resultados del primer Simce de las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (TIC) [PDF], realizado el año pasado a 10.000 estudiantes de Segundo Medio en 505 colegios del país. La prueba se realizó usando un PC, que daba instrucciones al estudiante para que realizara diferentes tareas, como buscar información en internet o enviar un correo electrónico.

Los resultados fueron calificados de “preocupantes”:

• El 46,2% sólo alcanzó un nivel “inicial” en el test, lo que significa que saben navegar en internet, escribir en un procesador de texto, y otras tareas básicas.
• 50,5% está en nivel “intermedio“, lo que significa que pueden buscar correctamente información en internet, analizarla y aplicarla.
• Sólo el 3,3% entró en la categoría “Avanzado“, que implica que pueden usar todas las herramientas de forma eficiente e integrar el uso de la tecnología al proceso de aprendizaje. También pueden identificar los peligros de internet.
• El puntaje promedio nacional fue de 249 puntos. La única región que muestra un puntaje promedio significativamente superior a la media nacional es la Región Metropolitana (258 puntos).
• En la Región de la Araucanía, los alumnos en nivel “básico” llegaron a 62%
• Los estudiantes de menor nivel socioeconómico obtuvieron peores resultados que los de niveles más altos.
• El 73% de los alumnos de estratos medio bajo y bajo quedó en el nivel “inicial”.
• El 53% de los estudiantes que fue calificado en nivel “inicial” no tiene internet en su casa

El ministro de Educación, Harald Beyer, dijo a Emol que los resultados son “preocupantes” y que para mejorar los resultados la idea es que la tecnología ”no se enseñen como un ramo separado” en las aulas, sino que “la tecnología se incorpore al aprendizaje, ése es el modelo que queremos”.

El Simce TIC no se toma en todos los colegios del país debido a la complejidad que implica realizar la prueba, sino que se hace una muestra representativa del país para realizar una medición que permita tomar mejores políticas públicas.

Issues for DSM-V: Internet Addiction

Issues for DSM-V: Internet Addiction
Jerald J. Block

Internet addiction appears to be a common disorder that merits inclusion in DSM-V. Conceptually, the diagnosis is a compulsive-impulsive spectrum disorder that involves online and/or offline computer usage (1, 2) and consists of at least three subtypes: excessive gaming, sexual preoccupations, and e-mail/text messaging (3). All of the variants share the following four components: 1) excessive use, often associated with a loss of sense of time or a neglect of basic drives, 2) withdrawal, including feelings of anger, tension, and/or depression when the computer is inaccessible, 3) tolerance, including the need for better computer equipment, more software, or more hours of use, and 4) negative repercussions, including arguments, lying, poor achievement, social isolation, and fatigue (3, 4).

Some of the most interesting research on Internet addiction has been published in South Korea. After a series of 10 cardiopulmonary-related deaths in Internet cafés (5) and a game-related murder (6), South Korea considers Internet addiction one of its most serious public health issues (7). Using data from 2006, the South Korean government estimates that approximately 210,000 South Korean children (2.1%; ages 6—19) are afflicted and require treatment (5). About 80% of those needing treatment may need psychotropic medications, and perhaps 20% to 24% require hospitalization (7).

Since the average South Korean high school student spends about 23 hours each week gaming (8), another 1.2 million are believed to be at risk for addiction and to require basic counseling. In particular, therapists worry about the increasing number of individuals dropping out from school or work to spend time on computers (5). As of June 2007, South Korea has trained 1,043 counselors in the treatment of Internet addiction and enlisted over 190 hospitals and treatment centers (7). Preventive measures are now being introduced into schools (9).

China is also greatly concerned about the disorder. At a recent conference, Tao Ran, Ph.D., Director of Addiction Medicine at Beijing Military Region Central Hospital, reported 13.7% of Chinese adolescent Internet users meet Internet addiction diagnostic criteria—about 10 million teenagers. As a result, in 2007 China began restricting computer game use; current laws now discourage more than 3 hours of daily game use (10).

In the United States, accurate estimates of the prevalence of the disorder are lacking (11, 12). Unlike in Asia, where Internet cafés are frequently used, in the United States games and virtual sex are accessed from the home. Attempts to measure the phenomenon are clouded by shame, denial, and minimization (3). The issue is further complicated by comorbidity. About 86% of Internet addiction cases have some other DSM-IV diagnosis present. In one study, the average patient had 1.5 other diagnoses (7). In the United States, patients generally present only for the comorbid condition(s). Thus, unless the therapist is specifically looking for Internet addiction, it is unlikely to be detected (3). In Asia, however, therapists are taught to screen for it.

Despite the cultural differences, our case descriptions are remarkably similar to those of our Asian colleagues (8, 13—15), and we appear to be dealing with the same issue. Unfortunately, Internet addiction is resistant to treatment, entails significant risks (16), and has high relapse rates. Moreover, it also makes comorbid disorders less responsive to therapy (3).

References:

1. Dell’Osso B, Altamura AC, Allen A, Marazziti D, Hollander E: Epidemiologic and clinical updates on impulse control disorders: a critical review. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2006; 256:464—475

 

2.

Hollander E, Stein DJ (eds): Clinical Manual of Impulse-Control Disorders. Arlington, Va, American Psychiatric Publishing, 2006

 

3.

Block JJ: Pathological computer use in the USA, in 2007 International Symposium on the Counseling and Treatment of Youth Internet Addiction. Seoul, Korea, National Youth Commission, 2007, p 433

 

4.

Beard KW, Wolf EM: Modification in the proposed diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction. Cyberpsychol Behav 2001; 4:377—383

 

5.

Choi YH: Advancement of IT and seriousness of youth Internet addiction, in 2007 International Symposium on the Counseling and Treatment of Youth Internet Addiction. Seoul, Korea, National Youth Commission, 2007, p 20

 

6.

Koh YS: Development and application of K-Scale as diagnostic scale for Korean Internet addiction, in 2007 International Symposium on the Counseling and Treatment of Youth Internet Addiction. Seoul, Korea, National Youth Commission, 2007, p 294

 

7.

Ahn DH: Korean policy on treatment and rehabilitation for adolescents’ Internet addiction, in 2007 International Symposium on the Counseling and Treatment of Youth Internet Addiction. Seoul, Korea, National Youth Commission, 2007, p 49

 

8.

Kim BN: From Internet to "family-net": Internet addict vs. digital leader, in 2007 International Symposium on the Counseling and Treatment of Youth Internet Addiction. Seoul, Korea, National Youth Commission, 2007, p 196

 

9.

Ju YA: School-based programs for Internet addiction prevention and intervention, in 2007 International Symposium on the Counseling and Treatment of Youth Internet Addiction. Seoul, Korea, National Youth Commission, 2007, p 243

 

10.

The more they play, the more they lose. People’s Daily Online, April 10, 2007

 

11.

Aboujaoude E, Koran LM, Gamel N, Large MD, Serpe RT: Potential markers for problematic Internet use: a telephone survey of 2,513 adults. CNS Spectr 2006; 11:750—755

 

12.

Block JJ: Prevalence underestimated in problematic Internet use study (letter). CNS Spectr 2007; 12:14

 

13.

Lee HC: Internet addiction treatment model: cognitive and behavioral approach, in 2007 International Symposium on the Counseling and Treatment of Youth Internet Addiction. Seoul, Korea, National Youth Commission, 2007, p 138

 

14.

Block JJ: Pathological computer game use. Psychiatric Times, March 1, 2007, p 49

 

15.

Ko CH: The case of online gaming addiction without other comorbid psychiatric disorders, in 2007 International Symposium on the Counseling and Treatment of Youth Internet Addiction, Seoul, Korea, National Youth Commission, 2007, p 401

 

16.

Block JJ: Lessons from Columbine: virtual and real rage. Am J Forensic Psychiatry 2007; 28:5—33