Playing computer games may actually be good for children, according to a government study that found no proof that even violent games triggered aggressive behaviour.
The games can improve children's decision-making and instil 'positive learning traits', some research suggests. At least one study argues that make-believe violence helps children 'conquer fears and develop a sense of identity', as gruesome fairytales once did.
The review was ordered by ministers over concerns about possible links between bloodthirsty games and real-life violence. The fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah, whose attacker was said to have been obsessed with a game called Manhunt, prompted a campaign by his mother to have violent titles banned.
The review concluded fears about violent games reflected deeper social concerns about 'the changing nature of childhood in a modern world'. Most research suggesting a link came from America and did not take into account the context in which children played.
Ministers have discussed age-labelling of games and are understood to be planning talks with the industry about helping parents choose titles.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/may/21/news.games
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Video games do no harm to children, insists Sims creator
One of the video games industry's most respected figures has called for an end to the debate over whether the games are harmful to children. Will Wright, the man behind the world's bestselling computer game, The Sims, said he believes that fears over the negative influence of video games are merely symptoms of a generation gap.
think there's always been a generational divide between people who play games and people who don't," he told the Guardian. "I think the cultural acceptance of games is inevitable just because people are going to have grown up having this technology." Mr Wright, 47, said that the opprobrium heaped on video games today was much like the drastic reactions meted out to cinema and literature in the past.
"It goes in fits and starts over time. If there's a school shooting, it's always a case of 'did they play games or not?'. You don't really hear much about what movies they watch or what books they read," he said. "But 50 years ago that's exactly what you heard - 'did they read To Kill A Mockingbird?' or whatever it was. They would blame social ills on anything that was at hand."
His comments came as the government this week opened its review into the effects of video games and the internet on Britain's children. The investigation, which is being headed by TV psychologist Tanya Byron, called for evidence from parents and children. "I really want to encourage children and young people to have their say about the internet and video games - what they love about them, what they think the risks might be and their ideas for the future," said Dr Byron.
Mr Wright - recently described by the New Yorker magazine as "the Zola of the form" - has a long history of producing detailed games which simulate the real world and contain important educational aspects. His first hit, Sim City, allowed players to build and manage entire towns and cities: a forthcoming version produced in association with BP will incorporate models of climate change. His biggest success to date, The Sims, lets players build families and live virtual lives. The Sims and its sequels have sold more than 30m copies worldwide since it launched in 2000, making it the most popular game in history.
His influence has led to mainstream recognition, and this week Mr Wright became the first representative of the gaming industry to be honoured with a fellowship of Bafta. His next game, Spore, lets players trace evolution and create lifeforms.
He said the industry should not just churn out games full of graphic violence. "I'm interested in how gaming can get people more involved in the real world," he said. "The industry hasn't even begun to realise its potential - in the meantime we need to be educating the public as to what this can eventually become."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/26/games.childrens
think there's always been a generational divide between people who play games and people who don't," he told the Guardian. "I think the cultural acceptance of games is inevitable just because people are going to have grown up having this technology." Mr Wright, 47, said that the opprobrium heaped on video games today was much like the drastic reactions meted out to cinema and literature in the past.
"It goes in fits and starts over time. If there's a school shooting, it's always a case of 'did they play games or not?'. You don't really hear much about what movies they watch or what books they read," he said. "But 50 years ago that's exactly what you heard - 'did they read To Kill A Mockingbird?' or whatever it was. They would blame social ills on anything that was at hand."
His comments came as the government this week opened its review into the effects of video games and the internet on Britain's children. The investigation, which is being headed by TV psychologist Tanya Byron, called for evidence from parents and children. "I really want to encourage children and young people to have their say about the internet and video games - what they love about them, what they think the risks might be and their ideas for the future," said Dr Byron.
Mr Wright - recently described by the New Yorker magazine as "the Zola of the form" - has a long history of producing detailed games which simulate the real world and contain important educational aspects. His first hit, Sim City, allowed players to build and manage entire towns and cities: a forthcoming version produced in association with BP will incorporate models of climate change. His biggest success to date, The Sims, lets players build families and live virtual lives. The Sims and its sequels have sold more than 30m copies worldwide since it launched in 2000, making it the most popular game in history.
His influence has led to mainstream recognition, and this week Mr Wright became the first representative of the gaming industry to be honoured with a fellowship of Bafta. His next game, Spore, lets players trace evolution and create lifeforms.
He said the industry should not just churn out games full of graphic violence. "I'm interested in how gaming can get people more involved in the real world," he said. "The industry hasn't even begun to realise its potential - in the meantime we need to be educating the public as to what this can eventually become."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/26/games.childrens
Positive effects of video games
Entertainment video games are usually analyzed for their possible negative effects, and educational games are touted as the provider of more positive effects. Recent research has begun to suggest that both types of games can provide a wide array of positive effects to players. Many companies and organizations are turning to video games as easy and interactive ways to train individuals. The U.S. Army even utilizes the game, America’s Army, as a recruitment tool. They also help improve spatial skill development,cognitive ability development and academic performance & learning. Although studies on violent video games have found negative correlations with academic performance, a positive association with other types of games has also been found (Schie & Wiegman, 1997). Educational computer games are becoming more prevalent in primary and secondary schools as teaching tools for youths. The interactive nature allows for high levels of entertainment, but has not yet been shown to subtract from the educational lessons being taught.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_effects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_effects
Negative effects of video games
Research on aggressive behavior as an effect of playing violent video games began in the 1980s and 1990s and still continues today. Although under current debate, some researchers claim that these violent games may cause more intense feelings of aggression than nonviolent games, and may trigger feelings of anger and hostility. Several studies that have supported such findings (see Anderson & Bushman (2001) for a meta-analysis).The theoretical explanations for these types of effects can be explained by a myriad of theories;social cognitive theory,excitation transfer theory,priming effect and the general aggression model.
violent video games has been found to decrease prosocial behaviors. Prosocial behaviors include activities such as giving to charity, volunteering and overall "helping" behaviors(Chambers & Ascione, 1987; Wiegman & Schie, 1998). Other researchers have claimed that exposure to violent video games has predicted alcohol consumption, destruction of school property, and other delinquent behaviors (Anderson & Dill, 2000). Not only have video games have been shown to influence self perception (Funk, Buchman, & Germann, 2000), but they may have a link with body image assessment of the opposite gender. Female video game characters are often hypersexualized and unrealistic (Dietz, 1998; Jansz & Martis, 2003), and have been shown to play a factor in hard-core gamers’ perceptions of ideal beauty (Rask, 2007).
Many believe that an addiction can be formed from playing computer games. This addiction could lead to physical health problems, spending problems, and time displacement leading to missed work or school days. It has been said that in August of 2005, a South Korean adult gamer died after 50 hours of gameplay, yet no solid evidence has supported this “game-addiction” hypothesis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_effects
The rise in childhood obesity in the U.S. has raised awareness of media consumption in children. Not only are parents and organizations blaming the food industry for the problem, but they are turning to television and video games as a key factor. Displacement Theory supports the notion that the time that would normally be spent being active outdoors or in sports, children are now replacing with leisure and inactive time in front of the television. Others tend the blame the problem on parental enforcement.
violent video games has been found to decrease prosocial behaviors. Prosocial behaviors include activities such as giving to charity, volunteering and overall "helping" behaviors(Chambers & Ascione, 1987; Wiegman & Schie, 1998). Other researchers have claimed that exposure to violent video games has predicted alcohol consumption, destruction of school property, and other delinquent behaviors (Anderson & Dill, 2000). Not only have video games have been shown to influence self perception (Funk, Buchman, & Germann, 2000), but they may have a link with body image assessment of the opposite gender. Female video game characters are often hypersexualized and unrealistic (Dietz, 1998; Jansz & Martis, 2003), and have been shown to play a factor in hard-core gamers’ perceptions of ideal beauty (Rask, 2007).
Many believe that an addiction can be formed from playing computer games. This addiction could lead to physical health problems, spending problems, and time displacement leading to missed work or school days. It has been said that in August of 2005, a South Korean adult gamer died after 50 hours of gameplay, yet no solid evidence has supported this “game-addiction” hypothesis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_effects
The rise in childhood obesity in the U.S. has raised awareness of media consumption in children. Not only are parents and organizations blaming the food industry for the problem, but they are turning to television and video games as a key factor. Displacement Theory supports the notion that the time that would normally be spent being active outdoors or in sports, children are now replacing with leisure and inactive time in front of the television. Others tend the blame the problem on parental enforcement.
Effects of Other Characteristics of Video Games
Some adults believe that video games offer benefits over the passive medium of television. Among mental health professionals, there are those who maintain that in playing video games, certain children can develop a sense of proficiency which they might not otherwise achieve. However, other authorities speculate that performing violent actions in video games may be more conducive to children's aggression than passively watching violent acts on television. According to this view, the more children practice violence acts, the more likely they are to perform violent acts (Clark, 1993). Some educational professionals, while allowing that video games permit children to engage in a somewhat creative dialogue, maintain that this engagement is highly constrained compared to other activities, such as creative writing (Provenzo, 1992).
Another problem seen by critics of video games is that the games stress autonomous action rather than cooperation. A common game scenario is that of an anonymous character performing an aggressive act against an anonymous enemy. One study (Provenzo, 1992) found that each of the top 10 Nintendo video games was based on a theme of an autonomous individual working alone against an evil force. The world of video games has little sense of community and few team players. Also, most video games do not allow play by more than one player at a time.
The social content of video games may influence children's attitudes toward gender roles. In the Nintendo games, women are usually cast as persons who are acted upon rather than as initiators of action; in extreme cases, they are depicted as victims. One study (Provenzo, 1992) found that the covers of the 47 most popular Nintendo games depicted a total of 115 male and 9 female characters; among these characters, 20 of the males struck a dominant pose while none of the females did. Thirteen of the 47 games were based on a scenario in which a woman is kidnapped or has to be rescued.
Studies have indicated that males play video games more frequently than females. Television program producers and video game manufacturers may produce violent shows and games for this audience. This demand for violence may not arise because of an innate male desire to witness violence, but because males are looking for strong role models, which they find in these shows and games (Clark, 1993).
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/video.games.html
Another problem seen by critics of video games is that the games stress autonomous action rather than cooperation. A common game scenario is that of an anonymous character performing an aggressive act against an anonymous enemy. One study (Provenzo, 1992) found that each of the top 10 Nintendo video games was based on a theme of an autonomous individual working alone against an evil force. The world of video games has little sense of community and few team players. Also, most video games do not allow play by more than one player at a time.
The social content of video games may influence children's attitudes toward gender roles. In the Nintendo games, women are usually cast as persons who are acted upon rather than as initiators of action; in extreme cases, they are depicted as victims. One study (Provenzo, 1992) found that the covers of the 47 most popular Nintendo games depicted a total of 115 male and 9 female characters; among these characters, 20 of the males struck a dominant pose while none of the females did. Thirteen of the 47 games were based on a scenario in which a woman is kidnapped or has to be rescued.
Studies have indicated that males play video games more frequently than females. Television program producers and video game manufacturers may produce violent shows and games for this audience. This demand for violence may not arise because of an innate male desire to witness violence, but because males are looking for strong role models, which they find in these shows and games (Clark, 1993).
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/video.games.html
Effects of Violence in Video Games
The NCTV claims that there has been a steady increase in the number of video games with violent themes. Games rated as extremely violent increased from 53% in 1985 to 82% in 1988. A 1988 survey indicated that manufacturers were titling their games with increasingly violent titles (NCTV, 1990). Another survey found that 40 of the 47 top-rated Nintendo video games had violence as a theme.
An early study on the effects of video games on children found that playing video games had more positive effects on children than watching television. A conference sponsored by Atari at Harvard University in 1983 presented preliminary data which failed to identify ill effects. More recent research, however, has begun to find connections between children's playing of violent video games and later aggressive behavior. A research review done by NCTV (1990) found that 9 of 12 research studies on the impact of violent video games on normal children and adolescents reported harmful effects. In general, while video game playing has not been implicated as a direct cause of severe psycho-pathology, research suggests that there is a short-term relationship between playing violent games and increased aggressive behavior in younger children (Funk, 1993).
Because it is likely that there is some similarity in the effect of viewing violent television programs and playing violent video games on individuals' aggressive behavior, those concerned with the effects of video games on children should take note of television research. The consensus among researchers on television violence is that there is a measurable increase of from 3% to 15% in individuals' aggressive behavior after watching violent television. A recent report of the American Psychological Association claimed that research demonstrates a correlation between viewing and aggressive behavior (Clark, 1993).
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/video.games.html
An early study on the effects of video games on children found that playing video games had more positive effects on children than watching television. A conference sponsored by Atari at Harvard University in 1983 presented preliminary data which failed to identify ill effects. More recent research, however, has begun to find connections between children's playing of violent video games and later aggressive behavior. A research review done by NCTV (1990) found that 9 of 12 research studies on the impact of violent video games on normal children and adolescents reported harmful effects. In general, while video game playing has not been implicated as a direct cause of severe psycho-pathology, research suggests that there is a short-term relationship between playing violent games and increased aggressive behavior in younger children (Funk, 1993).
Because it is likely that there is some similarity in the effect of viewing violent television programs and playing violent video games on individuals' aggressive behavior, those concerned with the effects of video games on children should take note of television research. The consensus among researchers on television violence is that there is a measurable increase of from 3% to 15% in individuals' aggressive behavior after watching violent television. A recent report of the American Psychological Association claimed that research demonstrates a correlation between viewing and aggressive behavior (Clark, 1993).
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/video.games.html
Rating Video Game Violence
Ratings of video game violence have developed as an extension of ratings of television violence. Among those organizations that have attempted to rate television violence, the National Coalition on Television Violence (NCTV) has also developed a system to rate the violent content of video games. The NCTV system contains ratings that range from XUnfit and XV (highly violent) to PG and G ratings. Between summer and Christmas of 1989, NCTV surveyed 176 Nintendo video games. Among the games surveyed, 11.4% received the XUnfit rating. Another 44.3% and 15.3% received the other violent ratings of XV and RV, respectively. A total of 20% of games received a PG or G rating (NCTV, 1990).
The Sega company, which manufactures video games, has developed a system for rating its own games as appropriate for general, mature, or adult audiences, which it would like to see adopted by the video game industry as a whole. The Nintendo company, in rating its games, follows standards modeled on the system used by the Motion Picture Association of America.
A problem shared by those who rate violence in television and video games is that the definition of violence is necessarily subjective. Given this subjectivity, raters have attempted to assess antisocial violence more accurately by ranking violent acts according to severity, noting the context in which violent acts occur, and considering the overall message as pro- or anti- violence. However, the factor of context is typically missing in video games. There are no grey areas in the behavior of game characters, and players are rarely required to reflect or make contextual judgments (Provenzo, 1992).
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/video.games.html
The Sega company, which manufactures video games, has developed a system for rating its own games as appropriate for general, mature, or adult audiences, which it would like to see adopted by the video game industry as a whole. The Nintendo company, in rating its games, follows standards modeled on the system used by the Motion Picture Association of America.
A problem shared by those who rate violence in television and video games is that the definition of violence is necessarily subjective. Given this subjectivity, raters have attempted to assess antisocial violence more accurately by ranking violent acts according to severity, noting the context in which violent acts occur, and considering the overall message as pro- or anti- violence. However, the factor of context is typically missing in video games. There are no grey areas in the behavior of game characters, and players are rarely required to reflect or make contextual judgments (Provenzo, 1992).
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/video.games.html
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