Introduction
The effects that video games supposedly have on the psychological development of young people has been the focus of close attention and growing concerns of parents and general audiences. Video games have been seen as the cause of violence for decades, especially those that incorporate scenes of graphic violence and encourage the player to participate in violent acts occurring on screen (Greitemeyer, 2018). At the same time, the inconsistency between the extent of exposure to violent games and the rates of violence perpetrated by the people playing them raises the question of whether the correlation between the factors in question, indeed, exist (Halbrook et al., 2019; Villani et al., 2018). Moreover, apart form the perception of violence as an acceptable type of behavior, other negative effects on the psychological, psychosocial, and emotional development of young people, including challenges in managing anxiety, increasing depression, and insomnia, need to be studied in greater depth (Addo et al., 2021). Although video games are typically regarded by their players as entirely innocuous experiences completely unrelated to reality, the increase in exposure to online violence, even in a video game format, causes children and young people to underestimate the effects of violence, therefore, contributing to a rise in its levels among the target demographic.
Description
The question of whether violent video games contribute to a rise in aggression in players has been asked for quite long. Recently, several studies have pointed to the correlation and even possible causation between the cases of poor psychological functioning and active use of videogames (Addo et al., 2021). The specified discovery calls for a more detailed and nuanced analysis of the problem since, with the rise in the accessibility of video gaming, the threat to the mental health of children and young people nay have increased. This paper will study the effects of video games on children’s psyche by exploring recent studies and their outcomes.
Plan
The primary research for this project will consist of examining and evaluating primary and secondary evidence obtained from respective research papers. Namely, credible and relevant sources published in peer-reviewed journals no earlier than five years ago will be included into the analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of gaming on the psychosocial and psychoemotional development of children and adolescents, as well as their emotional well-being, in general, will be examined. The working library for this project is provided below.
Schedule
The project will be divided into the following stages:
- Collecting the key resources and arranging them according to their role and evidence type (1 week);
- Preparing the located sources and references for the analysis (1 week);
- Developing paper outline (1 day);
- Producing the first draft of the paper (2 days);
- Developing the second draft of the paper (1 day);
- Completing the project (2 days);
- Evaluating the result and considering the implications for the next project (1 day).
Approval Request
Dear Sir/Madam, I would like to ask you to consider this project for your approval since I believe that it holds academic and scientific relevance for the modern community.
References
Addo, P. C., Fang, J., Kulbo, N. B., Gumah, B., Dagadu, J. C., & Li, L. (2021). Violent video games and aggression among young adults: the moderating effects of adverse environmental factors. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 24(1), 17-23. Web.
Greitemeyer, T. (2018). The spreading impact of playing violent video games on aggression. Computers in Human Behavior, 80, 216-219. Web.
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.
Villani, D., Carissoli, C., Triberti, S., Marchetti, A., Gilli, G., & Riva, G. (2018). Videogames for emotion regulation: A systematic review. Games for Health Journal, 7(2), 85-99. Web.
Annotated Bibliography
Addo, P. C., Fang, J., Kulbo, N. B., Gumah, B., Dagadu, J. C., & Li, L. (2021). Violent video games and aggression among young adults: The moderating effects of adverse environmental factors. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 24(1), 17-23. Web.
Addo et al. (2021) adders a popular statement about video games being the cause o aggression in children, adolescents, and young adults. The research proves that, while violent video games do have a tangible effect on adolescents’ perception of violence and aggression, the effects of the social environment in which the target audience is raised also plays a tremendous role in the increase e in violence rates. Being a credible source published in a peer-reviewed journal, this study will be used as the basis for the argument.
Greitemeyer, T. (2018). The spreading impact of playing violent video games on aggression. Computers in Human Behavior, 80, 216-219. Web.
Greitemeyer (2018) provides several important discoveries in his study, proving that the changes in behaviors and psychosocial development of adolescents correlates not only to them playing violent video games but also participating I the social network of like-minded players, who reinforce and endorse aggressive behaviors in one another. This study was published in an academic peer-reviewed journal, which adds to its credibility, and it will be used to support the assumption regarding the effects of video games on adolescents.
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.
This study introduces an opposing opinion to the general assumption of violence in videogames being transferred to real life. Halbrook et al. (2019) point to some of the beneficial effects of video games, particularly, the opportunity for releasing emotional tension in children and adolescents. Published in a peer-reviewed journal, the research has quite a lot of credibility to it. The study can be used to introduce objectivity into the research and consider the opposing opinion.
Villani, D., Carissoli, C., Triberti, S., Marchetti, A., Gilli, G., & Riva, G. (2018). Videogames for emotion regulation: A systematic review. Games for Health Journal, 7(2), 85-99. Web.
Finally, the paper by Villani et al. (2018) proves that video games can also be used to create the environment for better emotional regulation, which is vital for adolescents’ and children’s development. Overall, the study shows that, while being typically perceived as solely negative, the effects of video games can be managed and transformed into a positive experience for children’s psychosocial development. Published in a peer-reviewed journal and based on the overview of primary studies, the paper in question will serve as a guide to how video games can be used to support the development in young people and children.