Thesis
There are many examples in history where groundbreaking innovations were initially rejected by the public. For example, telephones were initially perceived as useless technology, but with time, society gradually developed an appreciation for the possibilities of remote communication technology. The initial idea to use personal computers for entertainment purposes was also unpopular at first.
Nowadays, the discussion of the negative impact of technology on humanity examines the impact of video games on children. Thus, modern research’s approach to video games’ influence on children primarily focuses on aggressive behavior. However, moderate use of video games can improve children’s cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social well-being.
Arguments
With the rapid development of technology, it has become accessible to more people in various age groups. Video games are “electronic or digital games that can be played across a wide variety of platforms,” which present one of the common forms of entertainment for many modern people (Halbrook et al., 2019, p. 1097). The immersive possibilities of video games can affect children, whose perception is more susceptible to external influences.
Thus, many studies conducted in the early 2000s pointed to the possible effects of video games in developing aggressive behavior in youth (Drummond et al., 2020). However, more recent findings show that the initial studies on the influence of violent video games on aggression in children did not consider individual and socio-contextual factors (Halbrook et al., 2019). Therefore, the public should consider the positive elements of video games’ influence on children’s health.
Annotated Bibliography
Halbrook, Y. J., O’Donnell, A. T., & Msetfi, R. M. (2019). When and how video games can be good: A review of the positive effects of video games on well-being. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(6), 1096–1104. Web.
In the article by Halbrook et al. (2019), the authors explore the positive effects of video games on well-being. The authors explain that the early research that connected video games with the development of aggressive behavior did not consider individual and socio-contextual factors or specific video game characteristics.
Moreover, previous studies did not pay attention to video games’ effects on prosocial behavior and their potential for improving physical activity. However, the article addresses the issue that in some cases of unregulated gaming taking a significant portion of individuals’ lives, the benefits of video games can be counteracted by the adverse effects. Some examples of harmful effects of excessive gaming include reduced physical activity, anxiety, and depression. Thus, the article proposes the concept of an ‘optimal gaming profile’ which can maximize benefits from gameplay experience for gamers. Therefore, the article provides valuable arguments supporting children’s moderate gaming.
Drummond, A., Sauer, J. D., & Ferguson, C. J. (2020). Do longitudinal studies support long-term relationships between aggressive gameplay and youth aggressive behavior? A meta-analytic examination. Royal Society Open Science, 7(7), 1–13. Web.
The article written by Drummond et al. (2020) argues against the common misconception that video games can cause aggressive behavior in youth. The authors explain that while defining the short-term effects of video games on children is complicated, longitudinal studies of long-term effects do not support the connection between youth aggression and aggressive game content. The article emphasizes that the discussion of video games’ effects on youth aggression has been active for more than four decades, but researchers have yet to reach a consensus.
Moreover, various studies show different statistics, which can be interpreted differently depending on the context. Thus, while some longitudinal studies suggest a small but statistically significant connection between video games and aggressive behavior in children, others conclude that there is no such effect. Overall, the authors determine that the connection between youth aggression and video games is sourced from methodological weaknesses in research.
Kaufman, E. (2019). Fact check: Are violent video games connected to mass shootings? CNN. Web.
The article written by Kaufman (2019) explains the reason behind the public’s negative perception of video games in associating them with mass shootings. The author comments on President Trump’s tendency to support the common misconception about the connection between violent video games and aggressive behavior in youth. Thus, video games are often associated with aggressive behavior in youth due to their element of dehumanization.
Furthermore, another significant reason behind the public’s negative stigmatism associated with video games is the Columbine shooters’ alleged connection to a shooter game. The statement that video games can be dehumanizing is partially correct in application to video games in the shooter genre. However, there are many other genres of video games that do not involve violence that can benefit children’s cognitive and social development. Moreover, there is no direct correlation between video game sales’ and aggressive behavior in youth.
Alanko D. (2023). The health effects of video games in children and adolescents. Pediatrics in Review, 44(1), 23–32. Web.
The article by Alanko (2023) focuses on defining the effects of video games on children’s and adolescents’ health. The author’s decision to focus specifically on the impact of video games on children’s health addresses the concerns about gaming disorder, which has been recently added to the International Classification of Diseases. Contrary to other articles that prioritize video games’ difference from normal play in children, Alanko positions video games as an essential part of childhood for modern children.
In addition to reviewing the epidemiology of gaming disorder and outlining potential screening methods, the article emphasizes the importance of moderate gaming. The article provides valuable information about video games’ effects on different aspects of children’s health, such as physical health, cognitive development, and socialization. Lastly, the article addresses the important topic of cyberbullying and explains strategies that can help parents protect their children.
Santos, I. K. D., Medeiros, R. C. D. S. C., Medeiros, J. A., Almeida-Neto, P. F., Sena, D. C. S., Cobucci, R. N., Oliveira, R. S., Cabral, B. G. A. T., & Dantas, P. M. S. (2021). Active video games for improving mental health and physical fitness-an alternative for children and adolescents during social isolation: An overview. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1641. Web.
The article written by Santos et al. (2021) discusses the benefits of video games for children in conditions of social isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic forced people to live in social isolation to reduce the spread of the virus. The pandemic was associated with high risks of reduced physical activity and mental health issues for children, whose development largely depends on socialization with peers during physically active games.
The article explains that active video games can improve mental and physical health in children in conditions of social isolation. Video games can have significant positive effects on children’s energy expenditure, body mass index, and self-esteem. Thus, the author emphasizes the benefits of video games for children who live in social isolation due to the conditions. In the case of children who have to live in social isolation due to health reasons, video games can allow them to communicate with peers.