Computer games can have several different effects on society both good and bad. In this post I will be describing the various good and bad effects of video games, how they can affect society and how they affect you psychologically.
The Good Effects
Improves Eyesight. Some people are born with eye problems that affect the way they see but playing video games could help improve their sight by teaching the brain to spot small details, follow movements and spot light changes. Even people with normal sight can have theirs improved. Having improved eyesight allows you to see problems far away (e.g. a traffic jam) and avoid them before you reach them.
Quick thinking. Playing shooter games can improve the ability to translate the information you sense, quickly to your brain. Improving your reaction time can help you to make tough decisions quickly and even save your life.
Video games develop real-life skills. Many games have thriving online and offline fan-bases, and a community component that strongly encourages social interaction. MMOs involve you talking to people in groups and can be practice for real life. Learning social skills through games can have wondrous effects on your real life. In games that require communication you can learn leadership, teamwork and general social skills.
Games can teach people the beauty of games. Video games have artwork, music, sounds and stories unlike any other form of art in existence, they offer the combination of all of these different aspects combined. Playing games that include these factors can inspire people to make games or generally be creative.
Problem solving/decisions making. Tests have shown that action and shooter games improve the inference process that our brain goes through. This means that gamers can learn to make better and smarter decisions and create clever strategies in jobs and everyday life.
Accepting failure. Games such as the Dark Souls series put gamers through constant failure until they reach that moment of success. This is because the more you fail, the more you learn from your mistakes and improve. It also means that you can accept when you’ve failed and begin fixing your problems.
Video games may slow the aging process. Playing even two hours of brain training or puzzle game a week can slow down the rate at which your brain mentally decays. This means that games that make you think such as puzzle and strategy, can help to keep your brain active in old age.
Improves motor skills. Studies have shown that playing games that involve controlling movements such as kicking, catching or throwing a ball can improve object control and locomotor skills. This means that playing racing games and simulators can help people to learn how to drive in real life. Learning when to accelerate, brake and switch gear are vital factors of driving and games like “Gran Turismo” teach that.
Bring families together. Playing video games with the family can bring them together and is a great way to improve the amount of quality time they spend together. This means that video games that can be played by more than two people at a time can help to develop social skills and improve relationships in families. These games also have the potential to improve relationships with women and fellow workers.
The Bad Effects
Violent games can make you aggressive. Studies have shown that playing difficult games or games with unplayable controls can make the player angry and aggressive. This can even lead to kill gamers killing their relatives or random people in society.
Playing video games increases obesity risk. Scientists have claimed that games make teenagers hungry. They increase their appetites and cause them to eat. This means that there is the potential for gamers to become obese and housebound.
Video games can interfere with your sleep. Video games can affect how much children sleep. Having computers in a child's room can cause them to play more and sleep less. If gamers play for too long it can make it hard for them to sleep and can even reduce the amount of time that they spend sleeping. Having less than seven hours sleep can cause various problems to your brain and body.
They restrict movement. Most games involve you sitting in the same place for hours and this can cause delayed development of your limbs. Not moving for too long can cause various problems to your life such as blood clots, numbness and sometimes - in rare cases - amputation.
Playing too much can cause mental illnesses. Studies have shown that becoming addicted to video games can cause anxiety, depression and social phobias. This means that playing games in certain conditions and including certain content can potentially cause illnesses that can make your work life and everyday life difficult.
Slows brain growth for 0-2 year olds. Too many video games for toddlers have been shown to negatively affect early brain development and cause attention deficit, impaired learning and increased impulsivity. This means that playing too many games at an early age can affect the way your mind and body grows, and this can make it harder to learn in later life.
Decreased concentration and memory. Studies have shown that video games both hurt and help childrens attention by boosting it short term but damaging it in the long-term. This means that children playing video games can concentrate and remember important information at an early age but it could potentially become weaker at a later age when you need to get a job or study for qualifications.
They can make you addicted. Children who do not have a strong parental attachment to the their parents, attach to devices, resulting in addiction. This means that people who play video games too long have the potential to disconnect themselves from real-life. Gamers can feel like playing games or reading through social networks is the only way to fill up time and some people have been known to do this at dinnertime with the family or whilst watching television.
Wireless devices emit radiation. It is said that mobile phones and other devices emit radiation that is harmful to children who are still developing their brains and immune systems. This means that being with electronic devices for too long can potentially cause long term and short term effects to your health.
They can cause headaches and migraines. Sitting in the same place and playing games for hours can cause headaches and aid in creating migraines. This means that sitting in front of a screen for too long can cause problems to your eyes and if left untreated could ruin your eyesight in many ways.
The Psychological Effects
Music and sounds that trigger emotions. In nearly all games there are sounds that invoke different emotions in us, whether it's a crunching sounds that plays when you hit someone with a baseball bat or a splat noise that happens when you die in a childs game. But music and soundtracks can make the biggest difference to how we feel whilst playing games. For example, in "Dark Souls II" whenever you enter a new area that you've never seen before you get relevant music that will invoke the emotions to put you in the right mood for the area.
High-scores and competition. In most video games now a days there is competition between friends and players around the world. This competition gives players a reason to continue playing, as beating most gamers around the world or even just your friends can be satisfying.
Peer pressure. Sometimes people will only buy games because their friends have it or their friends say "You have to get it". The same thing can also happen whilst playing; many people are pressured into playing games for hours because their friends want them to improve or beat them.
Levelling in games. Video games that involve levelling (like "World of Warcraft" or MMO's in general) can have several effects on gamers, both good and bad. Levelling can become an addiction meaning that they'll play for hours and hours trying to get to the next level because their friends are too high for them. Sometimes people have been known to miss education because they feel that getting to the next level in their game is more important. However, levelling can also make the player feel like he's achieving and doing well at something in life and can make them feel good about themselves.
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