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Negative Effects of Video Games (Free Essay Sample)

This is a free essay sample available for all students. If you are looking where to buy pre written essays on the topic “Negative Effects of Video Games”, browse our private essay samples .

The whole world has evolved and changed rapidly in the past few decades. Modernization of computer systems along with improved availability and accessibility of the internet has seen a rapid increase in the trend for online video games . Most recreational needs of teenagers and school-going children have now changed as they now prefer video games over playing outdoor games.

Smartphones, consoles, and personal computers have revolutionized the world of video games for children and teenagers. Many teenagers find violent video games to be more interesting as compared to other types. Studies and life experiences of gamers have revealed the positive and negative effects of video games. In this essay, we will discuss the negative effects of video games on the physical and mental health of teenagers along with their overall performance.

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Table of Contents

Negative Effects of Video Games on Teenagers – 700 Word Long Essay

Rapid advancements in technology in the last few decades have influenced and transformed every walk of life. These advancements have also influenced the lives of teenagers as most of the teenagers now prefer video games over outdoor physical games. According to a survey report, there were 2.7 billion video game players around the world in 2020. However, playing video games is not all good as many teenage video gamers are falling prey to physical and mental health challenges because of video game addiction.

Other than the health challenges, video game players are also experiencing social, career, and family problems which is cutting them off from the active world. In this essay, we will describe various negative effects of video games on teenagers.

Physical Health Problems

Addiction to video games is a major reason behind physical health problems in teenagers. Video games have become the only source of excitement, joy, and social connectivity for teenagers who like to sit and play using their PC or smartphone. Teenagers who don’t indulge themselves in physical activities easily fall prey to these addiction violent games. The less they move the more their body suffers and it results in obesity, weight gain problems, bad body posture, and muscle loss.

A very popular esports player named Jian Zihao who played an online video game named League of Legends was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes because of his fatty diet. Zihao was told by the doctor that playing excessive video games was the main cause of this problem. The player also blamed the addiction to the video game as the main cause of his Diabetes. Jian Ziaho retired as an esports player and started paying attention to his physical health.

Poor Sleeping Habits

Almost all esports players suffer from sleeping problems . Players never get adequate sleep as there is no specific time to play video games like football, cricket, and other physical sports. Anyone with a PC or smartphone along with a good internet connection can play video games any time and anywhere. This easy accessibility to online video games is the primary reason gamers are busy playing games all day and night. This negatively affects their sleep. Because of this reason, teenagers lose focus in studies and everyday work.

Sleep deprivation leads to memory problems, stress, and reduced quality of life. Not being able to pay attention to studies and social relationships further complicates this problem which results in stress and anxiety.

Problem With Concentration

Online gaming requires full attention from the player and needs a lot of concentration and focus. It means that the more you get involved in gaming the more it is difficult for you to concentrate on your office work or school work.

Pre-occupation is the term that generally describes the gaming disorder symptom. This means that the person finds himself constantly thinking about games even when they are not playing and lose focus on many tasks at hand.

Social Anxiety, Stress, and Depression

The studies that discuss the association of depression and anxiety with gaming are still underway and are yet to prove the direct relationship between the two. The research named Tortolero et al. from 2014, however, found a link between depression and video games. This study found that depressive symptoms developed in individuals who played video games for more than 2 hours daily.

Participants in this case study have reported a link between depression, social anxiety, and gaming disorder. The improvement in overall mental health was significant when excessive gaming was stopped and gaming addiction was overcome.

Lack of Motivation

The gaming addicts find it difficult to engage in any other activities except gaming due to their lack of motivation. Physical-world cannot compete with the hyper-stimulative activity that the gaming world provides. When you play games the brain produces a lot of dopamine, a chemical, which is the neurotransmitter that produces the feeling of pleasure. This heightened rush of dopamine causes issues with the brain as it only gets the rush when you are playing the game.

The brain thus finds less stimulating activities not interesting anymore. This is due to prolonged exposure to a high level of stimulation and the rush of dopamine that your brain gets when you play. So, the natural outcome for the brain is to not find motivation in activities that lack pleasurable experience for it, which is found only in gaming.

In conclusion, acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step towards improvement as you have accepted that the effects and symptoms you have are of gaming addiction. To get your life back you have to overcome gaming addiction, which takes a lot of dedication and time. You have to keep all the positives in your mind though that would improve your life once all the harmful effects of gaming are removed from your life.

The Negative Effects of Video Games on Children Essay – 300 Word Short Custom Essay

Advancements in technology have revolutionized each and every aspect of human life. It has even changed how children and teenagers spend their leisure time nowadays. Children nowadays prefer to interact with computers more than going outside and interacting with people of the real world. Games like call of duty, grand theft auto, mobile legends, and counter strike are some of the most famous online video games among teenagers. Playing violent video games has become a habit for teenagers and experts believe that the negative effects of playing video games surpass the positive effects. In this essay, we will discuss why children should not be allowed to waste excessive time on video games.

Video games are harmful to children and teenagers for many reasons. They negatively impact a child’s education as children tend to waste most of their time on video games. They don’t do homework, pay less attention to studies, lose focus, and ultimately lose academic grades. Another study has found out that video games promote violent and aggressive behavior in children and teenagers. Most kids cannot differentiate between right and wrong and blindly follow what’s happening in video games. Most of the video games children play use violence as a method to solve problems which is why children who play these games also use violence to solve their own problems.

NVideo games are harmful to children and teenagers for many reasons

Video games not only destroy a child’s physical health but also cuts them off from the real world. A study has proven that children who spend most of their time playing video games don’t have many friends in real life. This activity promotes antisocial behavior which is why they cant socialize when they grow up. Bad social life and adverse health effects can break a child’s confidence which results in low self-esteem and abusive behavior.

In conclusion, video games are not all bad but excessive use of anything is still bad. Parents should monitor what online games their children are playing and try to keep them away from violent video games. Parents should also make sure that their teenage kid is never able to play excessive video games.

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Are video games bad for me?

Playing video games for more than a specific amount of time is bad for everyone. If you play video games then you should also save time for exercise and for socializing with other people in the real world.

How to write negative effects of video games essay?

To write an essay on the negative and positive effects of video games first outline the most significant negative impacts, once you make a good outline start adding text in those headings to support your argument and end the essay with a conclusion.

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The Negative Impact Of Video Games On Children

References .

BBC, n. (2019, March 15). PUBG arrests. Retrieved from The Fortnite rival taking India by storm: https://www.bbc.com
Bevin, M. (2018, February 23). Trump says violent video games shape young minds. Retrieved from BBCS news: https://www.bbc.com Coughlan, S. (2014, February 4). Violent video games delay the development of moral judgment in teens. Retrieved from Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com
Gallinat, J. (2018, March 13). Does playing violent video games cause aggression. Retrieved from longitudinal intervention study: https://www.nature.com
Gentile, D. A. (2011, January 18). Do video games fuel mental health problems. Retrieved from Stuff. co.nz: https://stuff.co.nz
Hernandze. (2006). Video games and children. Retrieved from playing with violence: https://www.aacap.org
Palaus, M. (2017, January 23). Video games may change brain and behavior. Retrieved from Neuroscience: https://sci-news.com
Simone, k. (2019). Does playing violent video games cause aggression. Retrieved from Longitudinal intervention study: https://www.nature.com
The parliamentary office of science and technology. (2012, March 5). Retrieved from the post. parliament.UK: https://post.parliament.uk

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Effects of Video Games: 15 Articles for a Compelling Essay

Love video games? Hate them? Either way, if you want to write an essay about the effects of video games on players and support your ideas with strong evidence, then let’s get started!

In this blog post, I’ll give you a head start on your research by providing links to and descriptions of useful articles on the effects of video games. But before we can dive into these sources, there are some essay-writing strategies we should consider first!

Purpose and Approach

Most essays about the effects of video games are argumentative , so it’s a good idea to brush up on this style before you sit down to hammer out that first rough draft.

You need to think about your approach or stance on the issue. There are various ways to tackle this essay topic. You may want to discuss either the negative or positive effects of video games on players, for example. Or you may want to focus on the effects in a more specific and balanced context.

Below is a short list of possible topics to help you get started if you want to go beyond the more simplistic arguments that claim whether or not video games are either good or bad .

Effects of video games on:

Child and adolescent cognitive development
Physiological and psychological well being
Behavior (aggression, confidence, emotional distress, self-esteem, etc.)
Disabled individuals and the elderly (therapeutic application)
Gender identity and attitudes (feminist arguments can especially apply here)

Once you’ve settled on your topic, you’ll want to form a strong thesis that makes a clear claim.

Now, I love video games, so I would probably write about the positive effects (though I’d also be sure to address my audience – those who may be concerned about the negative effects), and this would be my tentative thesis:

While many concerns exist about excessive video game playing’s effects on one’s physiological and psychological health, there is substantial evidence to support that moderate video game use can improve players’ sense of self-worth, social abilities, and can even provide health benefits for those suffering physical or psychological traumas.

Just remember, for whatever approach you take, it’s always best to be specific in your thesis statement!

Time for Research: Finding Your Articles

Whether each of your sources are popular or scholarly , you’ll want to make sure that they are credible . (For more info on credibility, read How to Apply the CRAAP Test to Your Essay Sources .)

It’s also a good idea to find articles written within the last five years or so because this topic deals with technology, meaning that the scope of its subject matter changes by leaps and bounds every few years).To make sure your sources are relevant, especially because video games are so much more complex now than they were at the turn of the century, try to focus on the most recent sources to best support your argument.

If you have older sources that still apply to the current argument, then that’s fine, too, but it’s best to be 100% sure!

Your articles should effectively support your thesis, so you’ll also want to make sure that they provide strong ethos, logos, and pathos. Good news: I’ve made sure that the articles I found for you meet this requirement!

To make things easy for you, I’ve broken down the following list of articles into three categories: Positive , Neutral (Informative) , and Negative.

Positive Effects of Video Games Articles

Positive Effects Article 1: “9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You”

This article starts off with a bit of humor with the line, “Your mother was wrong. Video games aren’t bad for you. They’re actually making your life better.” But it still offers valid information as it comes from the Huffington Post , an established news source. There are also great sources in the article about the positive effects of video games that support the argument in the title above, including how they can make you smarter , slow the brain’s aging process , and even improve your vision .

MLA Citation

Guarini, Drew. “9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You.” Huffingtonpost.com . TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc . 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Positive Effects Article 2: “Game Reward Systems: Gaming Experiences and Social Meanings”

Researchers Hao Wang and Cheun-Tsai Sun use examples of rewards systems from many popular and iconic video games from various genres to support their argument that these systems have positive social effects on players. From more serious real-world applications, to the idea of people needing to “just have fun,” this scholarly conference proceeding covers a lot of ground on video games’ ability to improve people’s moods, self-worth, and social abilities through multiple play-mechanic approaches. The authors provide a solid list of references that reinforces their research, which you could also use.

Wang, Hao, and Cheun-Tsai Sun. “Game Reward Systems: Gaming Experiences and Social Meanings.” Proceedings of 5 th International DiGRA Conference: Think Design Play. Sept. 2011, Utrecht School of the Arts – Netherlands. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Positive Effects Article 3: “Are There Benefits in Playing Video Games?”

This article is written by Romeo Vitelli, who holds a PhD in psychology and currently practices in Toronto, Canada. Vitelli focuses on the positive effects of video games and helps to dispel the myths behind “gamer nerd” stereotypes while also criticizing the current research language for being overly-generalized, which could be useful for a pro-gaming approach to your essay. He also draws on examples from well-known video games and provides background information and links to various psychological terms and video game psychology-related studies .

Vitelli, Romeo. “Are There Benefits in Playing Video Games?” PsychologyToday.com . Sussex Publishers , LLC. 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Positive Effects Article 4: “Exploring gaming technology. So amputees can learn to touch again.”

Research associate Ivan Phelan provides insight into a collaborative project between game designers, engineers, and healthcare specialists that helps amputee patients learn to use their prosthetic limbs in controlled virtual environments.

The article introduces the problems amputees experience, and then details the project results and how patients positively responded to the treatment, which uses video game technology. Interesting and helpful YouTube videos accompany the article to provide extra information on the project.

“Exploring gaming technology. So amputees can learn to touch again.” Changing Lives . Sheffield Hallam U, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Positive Effects Article 5: “Game Play Has No Negative Impact on Kids, UK Study Finds”

This article comes from gamesandlearning.org , a website dedicated to video games’ educational use and marketability. This source focuses on the UK Millennium Cohort Study, which tracked over 11,000 children’s behavior in relation to media exposure between the years 2000 and 2002.

The study draws on a large and diverse subject pool, which is great for data/logos purposes. The article also links to scholarly work that provides in-depth information about the study, including the effects of both TV and video games on this population.

“Game Play Has No Negative Impact on Kids, UK Study Finds.” gamesandlearning.org. Joan Ganz Cooney Center , 15 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Neutral (Informative) Effects of Video Games Articles

Neutral Effects Article 1: “Game Theory: How do video games affect the developing brains of children and teens?”

This useful article is written by Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H., who provides information on the positive and negative effects of video games on both the learning and vulnerable brain throughout childhood and adolescent development. You can also find useful anecdotal evidence and information about gaming addiction and parental strategies to combat childhood gaming overindulgence in this article.

Paturel, Amy. “Game Theory: How do video games affect the developing brains of children and teens?” Neurology Now 10.3 (2014): 32-36. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Neutral Effects Article 2: “Effect of Video Games on Children’s Aggressive Behavior and Pro-social Behavior: A Panel Study with Elementary School Students.”

This source is great for logos as it mainly provides facts based on a study conducted among a targeted elementary school student group who played both violent and pro-social video games. Nobuko Ihori and three other authors take a more neutral approach in this scholarly conference proceeding in that they just show you the results of their research.

You could likely use this for either a positive or negative approach because while the study finds that violent video gameplay doesn’t affect aggression, pro-social behavior decreased among subjects who played violent video games.

Ihori, Nobuko, et al. “Effect of Video Games on Children’s Aggressive Behavior and Pro-social Behavior: A Panel Study with Elementary School Students.” Proceedings of DiGRA Conference: Situated Play. Sept. 2007, U of Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Neutral Effects Article 3: “Shooting in the Dark”

Benedict Carey, a New York Times science column writer, keeps his approach neutral by reporting on studies that consider effects of not only violent, but also non-violent video games on player behavior. Carey questions whether or not increased aggression will lead to violent real-life events and provides references to reports that both support and refute the link between violent media exposure and increased aggressive action.

Carey, Benedict. “ Shooting in the Dark.” NYTimes.com . The New York Times Company. 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Neutral Effects Article 4: “Keeping a Balance With Real Life When Gaming Online”

This article is mainly informative as it comes from ikeepsafe.org, a nonprofit organization site that provides help to educational and government agencies. It covers important information about effects of video games without bias, such as gaming popularity, addiction identification, and social and cognitive skills, while providing links to outside sources on the topic.

“Keeping a Balance With Real Life When Gaming Online.” ikeepsafe.org. iKeepSafe, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Neutral Effects Article 5: “Electronic Gaming and Psychosocial Adjustment”

This is a great scholarly article if you’re looking to take the middle road on the effects of video games because it focuses on both the positive and negative effects, particularly in relation to average play time. Author Andrew K. Przybylski holds a PhD in psychology and uses sound data and strong logic to support his assertions throughout the article. This source will definitely come in handy if you’re studying psychosocial effects of video games, especially that of children and adolescents.

Przybylksi, Andrew K. “Electronic Gaming and Psychosocial Adjustment.” Pediatrics 154.3 (2014): 1-7. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Negative Effects of Video Games Articles

Negative Effects Article 1: “Violent Video Game Effects on Aggression, Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior in Eastern and Western Countries: A Meta-Analytic Review”

This is a scholarly article published by the American Psychological Association and written by Craig Anderson and seven other reputable researchers in the psychology field. It combines various meta-analytic studies into a robust 23-page research study article packed full of useful information that supports the argument that violent video games create risk factors for aggressive behavior and lack of empathy.

Anderson, Craig, et al. “Violent Video Game Effects on Aggression, Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior in Eastern and Western Countries: A Meta-Analytic Review” Psychological Bulletin 136.2 (2010): 151-173. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Negative Effects Article 2: “Violent Video Games: More Playing Time Equals More Aggression”

Jeff Grabmeier of Ohio State University discusses and provides links to a study and other useful information in this article that shows new research linking increased play time of violent video games to increased aggressive behavior. This article is useful because it describes the study in detail and highlights the ethical considerations behind players of both violent and non-violent games and their behaviors and expectations.

Grabmeier, Jeff. “Violent Video Games: More Playing Time Equals More Aggression.” ResearchNews.OSU.Edu. The Ohio State University. 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Negative Effects Article 3: “Feminist Critics of Video Games Facing Threats in ‘GamerGate’ Campaign”

This news article reports on the threatening male gamer behavior towards feminist video game critic, Anita Sarkeesian. The info here can help you argue about negative video game effects and how gender stereotyping in games has fostered a generation of players who exhibit misogynistic behavior and ideologies.

Because not all of your sources need to be based on statistics alone, this article will help you provide useful pathos by including a true story of a woman’s victimization within the gaming community.

Wingfield, Nick. “Feminist Critics of Video Games Facing Threats in ‘GamerGate’ Campaign.” NYTimes.com . The New York Times Company, 15 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Negative Effects Article 4: “Negative Potential of Video Games”

Russell Subella, who holds a PhD in Counselor Education, mainly focuses on the negative psychological and physiological effects of video game overindulgence. He also cites his sources at the end of the article, which allows you to explore the topic further. This source is useful to you if you’re focusing on the negative effects of video games but want a source that is well supported by logic and approaches the topic fairly.

Subella, Russell A. “Negative Potential of Video Games.” education.com . Education.com, Inc. 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Negative Effects Article 5: “The Effects of the Sexualization of Female VideoGame Characters on Gender Stereotyping and Female Self-Concept”

This scholarly article provides a unique insight into the effects of video games on players’ concepts of gender and race, highlighting that the gaming industry has a long way to go in order to make up for its inequities in both categories. The study remains unbiased and notes what problems exist within the research and where future studies may be able to provide valuable awareness of areas within this topic that are relatively unexplored.

The article and its references will definitely help you argue that video games have negative effects, particularly on race and gender issues.

Behm-Morawitz, Elizabeth, and Dana Mastro. “The Effects of the Sexualization of Female VideoGame Characters on Gender Stereotyping and Female Self-Concept.” Sex Roles 61 (2009): 808-823. Web 10. Apr. 2015.

Venturing Out On Your Own:

Now, I’ve only given you a small amount of sources to help you start your research process. Whether you’re arguing that the effects of video games are positive or negative, or if you’re refining your argument to a more specific topic, you can find some awesome material out there to support your essay!

A simple Google search can help yield some great results, but if you’re a university student, then you also likely have access to major scholarly databases through your school’s library. Use well-known databases, such as JSTOR and ProjectMuse , or academic search engines such as ProQuest and EBSCOhost to find in-depth scholarly publications that will provide stellar support for your essay!

To make sure that both your sources and argument are effective from the start:

Create a strong thesis statement that clearly indicates your stance on the effects of video games – typically positive or negative .
Find popular or scholarly sources that are credible and provide solid ethos , logos , and pathos (note that some sources may lean more towards logos or pathos, and that’s fine, so long as you find a balance in your overall research).
Make sure your research is up-to-date. Try to mostly find articles written within the last five years, and even then, be sure that the information in these is current.

When you’ve finished writing your essay, be sure to proofread it, and think about having one of the pros at Kibin help edit your work to make sure it’s the best it can be!

Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays .

About the Author

Ryan G. has an MFA in Fiction Writing from a literature-based program. He teaches English composition courses, tutors a diverse student body in a writing center, and designs online learning modules for comp and business writing. He is also a Kibin editor .

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5 benefits of video games for health and education

Video games for depression.

🤩Video games can make you happier. They are often designed to encourage the production of dopamine (the happiness hormone) with stimulating sounds and colours rewarding your achievements. A study conducted in New Zealand even showed that video games can help relieve depression!

Video games for learning

📚Video games can help children with dyslexia to read better and can encourage children with dyscalculia to count better. Action games develop attention and concentration while serious games are built with the aim of helping players learn new skills!

Play to become smarter

💡Video games make you smarter. Strategy games like Starcraft require players to exercise great brain flexibility and make quick decisions while having to process a lot of information.

Improved concentration

🚀Video games develop your concentration and memory skills, often in high-pressure situations where every second counts!

Video games stimulate our brain

👍 Video games promote engagement and motivation, and there are many educational games available. Video games are designed to stimulate players over a longer period of time.

Problems with video game addiction

📵One of the main negative effects of video games on young people is addiction. Indeed, addiction to video games, as well as cyberaddiction, can have serious consequences: isolation, loss of social ties , and feeling cut off from the real world.

The danger of video games to the brain

Among the effects of video games on the brain, it is important to be aware of the risk of developing serious mental condition s, such as schizophrenia or depression . 🤧

In addition, at an age when the brain is still developing, overconsumption of video games (especially combat games) can lead to underdevelopment of certain areas of the brain , such as the hippocampus, a region of the brain that manages short-term memory. ⚠️

The effects of video games on health

There are many effects of video games on the eyes, such as headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, etc. Above all, we should be wary of blue light from screens as it is toxic to the retina ! 👁

Another physical effect of video games is obesity. When not accompanied by regular physical activity , video games promote a sedentary lifestyle and therefore increase the risk of overweight and obesity.

The behavioural benefits of video games

Multiplayer video games develop sociability. When your child plays online, they often need to communicate and cooperate with other gamers. 🤝

Because video games encourage you to solve problems, develop strategies or make quick decisions, your child develops a sense of autonomy and independence.

Playing games allows you to take a break and let off steam, so they can help reduce stress - a bit like a meditation session! 🧘

Video games can have negative effects on sleep , especially when children play late at night. The stimulation of the game disturbs their circadian rhythms and may lead to sleeplessness. 🛏
A child who has low self-esteem, victims of bullying or kids who have trouble making friends can find refuge in video games. However, immersing themselves in a virtual world means that they can also completely lose contact with reality.
One of the biggest worries about video games is that they might lead to aggressive behaviour in children. 👹

Video games have multiple effects on young people and, as with many things, it's all about balance. ⚖️

On the one hand, video games improve concentration, stimulate the brain and increase happiness . With this in mind, they can help improve school results. If you see that your child is starting to become addicted to video games or if their school work is taking a back seat or their grades are falling , it's time to act! ⚠️

If you notice any negative effects as a result of playing video games, reduce their game time. You might want to consider an online session with one of GoStudent’s expert tutors to help your child reconnect with academic success!

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Video Games and Their Impact on Teens’ Mental Health

First Online: 02 March 2018

Cite this chapter

Melissa E. DeRosier Ph.D. 3 &
James M. Thomas Ph.D. 3

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The role that video games play in the lives of teenagers has grown dramatically and without pause for the past generation or two. Between computers, smart phones, and dedicated game consoles, not only are individual adolescents spending more of their days playing video games, but the percentage of teens whose daily lives include video games is quickly approaching universality. In this chapter, we first review recent trends in video gaming and explore the various and myriad video games that teens tend to play as well as their motivations to play video games. Then, we review the literature regarding the influence of playing different types of commercial video games on mental health. And last, we explore recent innovations in game development whereby video games are specifically developed to improve mental health symptoms or psychosocial adjustment, including a review of the research supporting use of these “impactful video games.” It is hoped that the information presented in this chapter will provide practitioners with greater understanding of the diversity and breadth of experiences that fall under the umbrella term “video gaming” in order to help foster more open and productive conversations with teens about their video gaming behavior. We also hope the research evidence presented in this chapter will encourage practitioners to integrate the use of video games into their treatment of teen patients, both as a means of fostering the therapeutic alliance and as an innovative accompaniment to traditional therapeutic methods to enhance teens’ mental and behavioral health.

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Making the Case for Video Game Addiction: Does It Exist or Not?

Helping parents make sense of video game addiction.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank their three sons—Jefferson Thomas, Benjamin Thomas, and Lincoln Thomas—who provided considerable input (and fact-checking) for this chapter regarding popular commercial video games, video game genres, and video gaming experiences. Their feedback and sharing were integral in helping the authors conceptualize teens’ gameplay experiences when writing the first section of this chapter. The authors would also like to thank Mary Whatley who aided considerably in conducting a literature search and compiling the citations included in this chapter.

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DeRosier, M.E., Thomas, J.M. (2018). Video Games and Their Impact on Teens’ Mental Health. In: Moreno, M., Radovic, A. (eds) Technology and Adolescent Mental Health . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69638-6_17

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Modern (1940’s-present)

79 The Effects of Video Games on Mental Health

Ben Hollingsworth

Introduction

Video games have become an essential part of modern culture, captivating millions worldwide. Their influence extends beyond entertainment, with discussions and debates on their impact on mental health. This chapter delves into the intricate relationship between video games and mental well-being, acknowledging that video games can have both positive and negative effects on individuals’ mental health in society. A balanced understanding of these effects is critical for fostering responsible gaming habits and enhancing overall mental health.

Science, Technology, and Society Connection

The study of the effects of video games on mental health sits at the intersection of science, technology, and society. Scientific research delves into the cognitive, psychological, and social implications of gaming, informing our understanding of the technology’s impact on individuals. Simultaneously, the pervasive integration of video games into society raises questions about their broader effects, highlighting the dynamic relationship between technological innovations, individual behaviors, and societal norms. Examining this relationship helps us navigate the evolving landscape where technological advancements and societal influences intersect, shaping our collective well-being.

The Positive Effects of Video Games on Mental Health

Video games can offer a multitude of positive effects on mental health. One significant benefit is their potential to enhance cognitive skills. Many video games demand players to solve complex problems, make quick decisions, and navigate intricate virtual worlds. These mental challenges can result in improved critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and heightened spatial awareness. Research such as the study by Green and Bavelier (2003) has shown the cognitive benefits of action video games.

Furthermore, video games can provide a platform for social interaction and connection. Online multiplayer games and virtual communities create opportunities for individuals to collaborate with like-minded players, form friendships, and establish a sense of belonging. Research, as exemplified by Reinecke and Eden (2018), underscores the importance of these online gaming communities as sources of social support.

Additionally, video games can serve as a valuable means of stress relief and relaxation. Immersive gameplay offers players a temporary escape from real-life stressors, enabling them to unwind and recharge. Studies such as the one conducted by Russoniello et al. (2009) have explored the therapeutic potential of video games in reducing stress and anxiety.

The Negative Effects of Video Games on Mental Health

While video games offer numerous advantages, it’s essential to acknowledge the potential negative consequences on mental health. Excessive gaming, in particular, poses significant risks. Gaming addiction, or gaming disorder, involves a loss of control over gaming habits, which can lead to the neglect of responsibilities, academic or work-related problems, and strained interpersonal relationships. Anderson et al. (2010) have addressed pathological video game use and its adverse effects on mental well-being.

The link between violent video games and an increase in aggressive thoughts and behaviors remains a subject of ongoing debate. Studies such as those by Anderson and Dill (2000) suggest that exposure to violent content in video games can lead to elevated aggressive thoughts and behaviors. However, it’s important to consider that individual differences and contextual factors play a significant role in these effects.

Moreover, prolonged, sedentary gaming can have physical health implications, which can indirectly affect mental well-being. A sedentary lifestyle, often associated with excessive gaming, can lead to issues like obesity, cardiovascular complications, and musculoskeletal disorders. These physical health concerns can manifest as feelings of lethargy, discomfort, and depression, ultimately impacting overall mental well-being.

The Missing Voices of Video Games

Women play a significant role in the gaming community, participating as both players and developers. However, they often face unique challenges and experiences within the gaming world. The representation of women in video games has been a point of concern, as many games perpetuate gender stereotypes and lack diverse female characters. This underrepresentation can contribute to feelings of exclusion and discomfort among women gamers, potentially affecting their overall gaming experience and mental health.

Online harassment is another issue frequently encountered by women in the gaming community. Sexist comments, threats, and exclusion can have severe mental health consequences. A study by Dill et al. (2008) explored the impact of exposure to sexist video game content on women’s mental health, revealing that harassment and gender-based discrimination in gaming environments can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and decreased self-esteem. Addressing these issues and fostering an inclusive and supportive gaming environment is crucial to ensure that women feel welcome and safe in the gaming world, ultimately benefiting their mental health and overall well-being.

In conclusion, video games wield a dual-edged sword, influencing mental health in both positive and negative ways. Understanding this complexity is vital for individuals, researchers, and society at large. While video games offer cognitive stimulation, social connection, and stress relief, their potential for addiction, aggression, and exclusionary practices necessitates careful consideration. By acknowledging these facets, we can foster a balanced approach to video game engagement, promoting mental well-being in an increasingly digital age.

AI Use Disclosure

I used ChatGPT to help me find information about the effects of video games on mental health that fits the goal of this textbook chapter. It provided the sources that I used in this chapter.

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Works Cited

Anderson, C. A., & Dill, K. E. (2000). Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 772-790.

Anderson, C. A., Sakamoto, A., Gentile, D. A., Ihori, N., Shibuya, A., Yukawa, S., … & Kobayashi, K. (2008). Longitudinal effects of violent video games on aggression in Japan and the United States. Pediatrics, 122(5), e1067-e1072.

Dill, K. E., Gentile, D. A., Richter, W. A., & Dill, J. C. (2008). Violence, sex, race and age in popular video games: A content analysis. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 41, pp. 165-203).

Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2003). Action video game modifies visual selective attention. Nature, 423(6939), 534-537.

Reinecke, L., & Eden, A. (2018). The good, the bad and the ugly: A meta-analytic review of positive and negative effects of violent video games. Psychiatry Research, 269, 637-648.

Russoniello, C. V., O’Brien, K., & Parks, J. M. (2009). The effectiveness of casual video games in improving mood and decreasing stress. Journal of CyberTherapy and Rehabilitation, 2(1), 53-66.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is one cognitive benefit associated with playing video games?

a) Decreased attention span

b) Enhanced problem-solving skills

c) Improved social awareness

d) Reduced critical thinking

2. How can video games serve as a source of stress relief and relaxation?

a) By increasing stress and anxiety

b) By creating social pressure

c) By offering a temporary escape from real-life stressors

d) By inducing a sense of competition

3. What is gaming addiction, also known as gaming disorder?

a) A healthy gaming habit

b) A controlled and moderate approach to gaming

c) A loss of control over gaming habits leading to negative consequences

d) A professional career in game development

4. What is a potential negative effect associated with excessive gaming?

a) Improved academic and work performance

b) Enhanced interpersonal relationships

c) Neglect of responsibilities and strained relationships

d) Improved mental well-being

5. How does underrepresentation of women in video games affect their mental health?

a) It has no impact on their mental health

b) It can contribute to feelings of exclusion and discomfort

c) It improves their overall gaming experience

d) It leads to increased social support

6. What is a consequence of online harassment experienced by women in the gaming community?

a) Improved self-esteem

b) Enhanced mental well-being

c) Increased anxiety and depression

d) A sense of belonging and inclusion

To the extent possible under law, Ben Hollingsworth has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to Science Technology and Society a Student Led Exploration , except where otherwise noted.

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Violence in the media: Psychologists study potential harmful effects

Early research on the effects of viewing violence on television—especially among children—found a desensitizing effect and the potential for aggression. Is the same true for those who play violent video games?

Video Games
Physical Abuse and Violence

Television and video violence

Virtually since the dawn of television, parents, teachers, legislators, and mental health professionals have wanted to understand the impact of television programs, particularly on children. Of special concern has been the portrayal of violence, particularly given psychologist Albert Bandura’s work in the 1970s on social learning and the tendency of children to imitate what they see.

As a result of 15 years of “consistently disturbing” findings about the violent content of children’s programs, the Surgeon General’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior was formed in 1969 to assess the impact of violence on the attitudes, values, and behavior of viewers. The resulting report and a follow-up report in 1982 by the National Institute of Mental Health identified these major effects of seeing violence on television:

Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others.
Children may be more fearful of the world around them.
Children may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others.

Research by psychologists L. Rowell Huesmann, Leonard Eron, and others starting in the 1980s found that children who watched many hours of violence on television when they were in elementary school tended to show higher levels of aggressive behavior when they became teenagers. By observing these participants into adulthood, Huesmann and Eron found that the ones who’d watched a lot of TV violence when they were 8 years old were more likely to be arrested and prosecuted for criminal acts as adults.

Interestingly, being aggressive as a child did not predict watching more violent TV as a teenager, suggesting that TV watching could be a cause rather than a consequence of aggressive behavior. However, later research by psychologists Douglas Gentile and Brad Bushman, among others, suggested that exposure to media violence is just one of several factors that can contribute to aggressive behavior.

Other research has found that exposure to media violence can desensitize people to violence in the real world and that, for some people, watching violence in the media becomes enjoyable and does not result in the anxious arousal that would be expected from seeing such imagery.

Video game violence

The advent of video games raised new questions about the potential impact of media violence, since the video game player is an active participant rather than merely a viewer. 97% of adolescents age 12–17 play video games—on a computer, on consoles such as the Wii, Playstation, and Xbox, or on portable devices such as Gameboys, smartphones, and tablets. A Pew Research Center survey in 2008 found that half of all teens reported playing a video game “yesterday,” and those who played every day typically did so for an hour or more.

Many of the most popular video games, such as “Call of Duty” and “Grand Theft Auto,” are violent; however, as video game technology is relatively new, there are fewer empirical studies of video game violence than other forms of media violence. Still, several meta-analytic reviews have reported negative effects of exposure to violence in video games.

A 2010 review by psychologist Craig A. Anderson and others concluded that “the evidence strongly suggests that exposure to violent video games is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, and aggressive affect and for decreased empathy and prosocial behavior.” Anderson’s earlier research showed that playing violent video games can increase a person’s aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior both in laboratory settings and in daily life. “One major conclusion from this and other research on violent entertainment media is that content matters,” says Anderson.

Other researchers, including psychologist Christopher J. Ferguson, have challenged the position that video game violence harms children. While his own 2009 meta-analytic review reported results similar to Anderson’s, Ferguson contends that laboratory results have not translated into real world, meaningful effects. He also claims that much of the research into video game violence has failed to control for other variables such as mental health and family life, which may have impacted the results. His work has found that children who are already at risk may be more likely to choose to play violent video games. According to Ferguson, these other risk factors, as opposed to the games, cause aggressive and violent behavior.

APA launched an analysis in 2013 of peer-reviewed research on the impact of media violence and is reviewing its policy statements in the area.

Anderson, C.A., Ihori, Nobuko, Bushman, B.J., Rothstein, H.R., Shibuya, A., Swing, E.L., Sakamoto, A., & Saleem, M. (2010). Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in Eastern and Western countries: A Meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin , Vol. 126, No. 2.

Anderson, C. A., Carnagey, N. L. & Eubanks, J. (2003). Exposure to violent media: The effects of songs with violent lyrics on aggressive thoughts and feelings. Journal of Personality and Social Psycholog y, Vol. 84, No. 5.

Anderson, C. A., & Dill, K. E. (2000). Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Vol. 78, No. 4.

Ferguson, C.J. (2011). Video games and youth violence: A Prospective analysis in adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence , Vol. 40, No. 4.

Gentile, D.A., & Bushman, B.J. (2012). Reassessing media violence effects using a risk and resilience approach to understanding aggression. Psychology of Popular Media Culture , Vol. 1, No. 3.

Huesmann, L. R., & Eron, L. D. (1986). Television and the aggressive child: A cross-national comparison. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Huesmann, L. R., Moise-Titus, J., Podolski, C. L., & Eron, L. D. (2003). Longitudinal relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1977–1992. Developmental Psychology , Vol. 39, No. 2, 201–221.

Huston, A. C., Donnerstein, E., Fairchild, H., Feshbach, N. D., Katz, P. A., Murray, J. P., Rubinstein, E. A., Wilcox, B. & Zuckerman, D. (1992). Big world, small screen: The role of television in American society. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Krahe, B., Moller, I., Kirwil, L., Huesmann, L.R., Felber, J., & Berger, A. (2011). Desensitization to media violence: Links with habitual media violence exposure, aggressive cognitions, and aggressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Vol. 100, No. 4.

Murray, J. P. (1973). Television and violence: Implications of the Surgeon General’s research program. American Psychologist , Vol. 28, 472–478.

National Institute of Mental Health (1982). Television and behavior: Ten years of scientific progress and implications for the eighties, Vol. 1. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Does Video Gaming Have Impacts on the Brain: Evidence from a Systematic Review

Denilson brilliant t..

1 Department of Biomedicine, Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences (i3L), East Jakarta 13210, Indonesia

2 Smart Ageing Research Center (SARC), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; pj.ca.ukohot@iur (R.N.); pj.ca.ukohot@atuyr (R.K.)

3 Department of Cognitive Health Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan

Ryuta Kawashima

4 Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan

Video gaming, the experience of playing electronic games, has shown several benefits for human health. Recently, numerous video gaming studies showed beneficial effects on cognition and the brain. A systematic review of video gaming has been published. However, the previous systematic review has several differences to this systematic review. This systematic review evaluates the beneficial effects of video gaming on neuroplasticity specifically on intervention studies. Literature research was conducted from randomized controlled trials in PubMed and Google Scholar published after 2000. A systematic review was written instead of a meta-analytic review because of variations among participants, video games, and outcomes. Nine scientific articles were eligible for the review. Overall, the eligible articles showed fair quality according to Delphi Criteria. Video gaming affects the brain structure and function depending on how the game is played. The game genres examined were 3D adventure, first-person shooting (FPS), puzzle, rhythm dance, and strategy. The total training durations were 16–90 h. Results of this systematic review demonstrated that video gaming can be beneficial to the brain. However, the beneficial effects vary among video game types.

1. Introduction

Video gaming refers to the experience of playing electronic games, which vary from action to passive games, presenting a player with physical and mental challenges. The motivation to play video games might derive from the experience of autonomy or competing with others, which can explain why video gaming is pleasurable and addictive [ 1 ].

Video games can act as “teachers” depending on the game purpose [ 2 ]. Video gaming has varying effects depending on the game genre. For instance, an active video game can improve physical fitness [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], whereas social video games can improve social behavior [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The most interesting results show that playing video games can change cognition and the brain [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].

Earlier studies have demonstrated that playing video games can benefit cognition. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated that the experience of video gaming is associated with better cognitive function, specifically in terms of visual attention and short-term memory [ 14 ], reaction time [ 15 ], and working memory [ 16 ]. Additionally, some randomized controlled studies show positive effects of video gaming interventions on cognition [ 17 , 18 ]. Recent meta-analytical studies have also supported the positive effects of video gaming on cognition [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. These studies demonstrate that playing video games does provide cognitive benefits.

The effects of video gaming intervention are ever more widely discussed among scientists [ 13 ]. A review of the results and methodological quality of recently published intervention studies must be done. One systematic review of video gaming and neural correlates has been reported [ 19 ]. However, the technique of neuroimaging of the reviewed studies was not specific. This systematic review reviewed only magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in contrast to the previous systematic review to focus on neuroplasticity effect. Neuroplasticity is capability of the brain that accommodates adaptation for learning, memorizing, and recovery purposes [ 19 ]. In normal adaptation, the brain is adapting to learn, remember, forget, and repair itself. Recent studies using MRI for brain imaging techniques have demonstrated neuroplasticity effects after an intervention, which include cognitive, exercise, and music training on the grey matter [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ] and white matter [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. However, the molecular mechanisms of the grey and white matter change remain inconclusive. The proposed mechanisms for the grey matter change are neurogenesis, gliogenesis, synaptogenesis, and angiogenesis, whereas those for white matter change are myelin modeling and formation, fiber organization, and angiogenesis [ 30 ]. Recent studies using MRI technique for brain imaging have demonstrated video gaming effects on neuroplasticity. Earlier imaging studies using cross-sectional and longitudinal methods have shown that playing video games affects the brain structure by changing the grey matter [ 31 , 32 , 33 ], white matter [ 34 , 35 ], and functional connectivity [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Additionally, a few intervention studies have demonstrated that playing video games changed brain structure and functions [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ].

The earlier review also found a link between neural correlates of video gaming and cognitive function [ 19 ]. However, that review used both experimental and correlational studies and included non-healthy participants, which contrasts to this review. The differences between this and the previous review are presented in Table 1 . This review assesses only experimental studies conducted of healthy participants. Additionally, the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies merely showed an association between video gaming experiences and the brain, showing direct effects of playing video games in the brain is difficult. Therefore, this systematic review specifically examined intervention studies. This review is more specific as it reviews intervention and MRI studies on healthy participants. The purposes of this systematic review are therefore to evaluate the beneficial effects of video gaming and to assess the methodological quality of recent video gaming intervention studies.

Differences between previous review and current review.

Difference	Previous Review	Current Review
Type of reviewed studies	Experimental and correlational studies	Experimental studies only
Neuroimaging technique of reviewed studies	CT, fMRI, MEG, MRI, PET, SPECT, tDCS, EEG, and NIRS	fMRI and MRI only
Participants of reviewed studies	Healthy and addicted participant	Healthy participants Only

CT, computed tomography; fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging; MEG, magnetoencephalography MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PET, positron emission tomography; SPECT, single photon emission computed tomography; tDCS, transcranial direct current stimulation; EEG, electroencephalography; NIRS, near-infrared spectroscopy.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. search strategy.

This systematic review was designed in accordance with the PRISMA checklist [ 44 ] shown in Appendix Table A1 . A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies. The keywords used for the literature search were combinations of “video game”, “video gaming”, “game”, “action video game”, “video game training”, “training”, “play”, “playing”, “MRI”, “cognitive”, “cognition”, “executive function”, and “randomized control trial”.

2.2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

The primary inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trial study, video game interaction, and MRI/fMRI analysis. Studies that qualified with only one or two primary inclusions were not included. Review papers and experimental protocols were also not included. The secondary inclusion criteria were publishing after 2000 and published in English. Excluded were duration of less than 4 weeks or unspecified length intervention or combination intervention. Also excluded were studies of cognition-based games, and studies of participants with psychiatric, cognitive, neurological, and medical disorders.

2.3. Quality Assessment

Each of the quality studies was assessed using Delphi criteria [ 45 ] with several additional elements [ 46 ]: details of allocation methods, adequate descriptions of control and training groups, statistical comparisons between control and training groups, and dropout reports. The respective total scores (max = 12) are shown in Table 3. The quality assessment also includes assessment for risk of bias, which is shown in criteria numbers 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 12.

2.4. Statistical Analysis

Instead of a meta-analysis study, a systematic review of the video game training/video gaming and the effects was conducted because of the variation in ranges of participant age, video game genre, control type, MRI and statistical analysis, and training outcomes. Therefore, the quality, inclusion and exclusion, control, treatment, game title, participants, training period, and MRI analysis and specification of the studies were recorded for the respective games.

The literature search made of the databases yielded 140 scientific articles. All scientific articles were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of those 140 scientific articles, nine were eligible for the review [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Video gaming effects are listed in Table 2 .

Summary of beneficial effect of video gaming.

Author	Year	Participant Age	Game Genre	Control	Duration	Beneficial Effect
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	18–36	3D adventure	passive	8 weeks	Increased activity in hippocampus
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	18–36	3D adventure	passive	8 weeks	Decreased activity in DLPFC
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	12–15	puzzle	passive	3 months	Increased GM in several visual–spatial processing area
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	12–15	puzzle	passive	3 months	Decreased activity in frontal area
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	19–29	3D adventure	passive	8 weeks	Increased GM in hippocampal, DLPFC and cerebellum
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	18–30	strategy	active	8–10 weeks	Decreased activity in DLPFC
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	18–30	strategy	active	8–11 weeks	Non-significant activity difference
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	19–27	3D adventure	passive	8 weeks	Preserved activity in ventral striatum
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	16–21	puzzle	passive	4 weeks	Functional connectivity change in multimodal integration system
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	16–21	puzzle	passive	4 weeks	Functional connectivity change in higher-order executive processing
Roush [ ]	2013	50–65	rhythm dance	active	24 weeks	Increased activity in visuospatial working memory area
				active		Increased activity in emotional and attention area
				passive		Similar compared to active control-
West et al. [ ]	2017	55–75	3D adventure	active	24 weeks	Non-significant GM difference
				passive		Increased cognitive performance and short-term memory
				passive		Increased GM in hippocampus and cerebellum
West et al. [ ]	2018	18–29	FPS	active	8 weeks	Increased GM in hippocampus (spatial learner *)
						Increased GM in amygdala (response learner *)
						Decreased GM in hippocampus (response learner)

Duration was converted into weeks (1 month = 4 weeks); DLPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; GM, grey matter; FPS, first person shooting. * Participants were categorized based on how they played during the video gaming intervention.

We excluded 121 articles: 46 were not MRI studies, 16 were not controlled studies, 38 were not intervention studies, 13 were review articles, and eight were miscellaneous, including study protocols, non-video gaming studies, and non-brain studies. Of 18 included scientific articles, nine were excluded. Of those nine excluded articles, two were cognitive-based game studies, three were shorter than 4 weeks in duration or were without a specified length intervention, two studies used a non-healthy participant treatment, and one was a combination intervention study. A screening flowchart is portrayed in Figure 1 .

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Flowchart of literature search.

3.1. Quality Assessment

The assessment methodology based on Delphi criteria [ 45 ] for the quality of eligible studies is presented in Table 3 . The quality scores assigned to the studies were 3–9 (mean = 6.10; S.D. = 1.69). Overall, the studies showed fair methodological quality according to the Delphi criteria. The highest quality score of the nine eligible articles was assigned to “Playing Super Mario 64 increases hippocampal grey matter in older adult” published by West et al. in 2017, which scored 9 of 12. The scores assigned for criteria 6 (blinded care provider) and 7 (blinded patient) were lowest because of unspecified information related to blinding for those criteria. Additionally, criteria 2 (concealed allocation) and 5 (blinding assessor) were low because only two articles specified that information. All articles met criteria 3 and 4 adequately.

Methodological quality of eligible studies.

Author	Year	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q8	Q9	Q10	Q11	Q12	Score
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	6
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	5
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	5
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	6
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	1	0	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	7
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	3
Roush [ ]	2013	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	0	0	7
West et al. [ ]	2017	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	9
West et al. [ ]	2018	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	7
Score		6	2	9	9	2	3	4	8	7	5

Q1, Random allocation; Q2, Concealed allocation; Q3, Similar baselines among groups; Q4, Eligibility specified; Q5, Blinded assessor outcome; Q6, Blinded care provider; Q7, Blinded patient; Q8, Intention-to-treat analysis; Q9, Detail of allocation method; Q10, Adequate description of each group; Q11, Statistical comparison between groups; Q12, Dropout report (1, specified; 0, unspecified).

3.2. Inclusion and Exclusion

Most studies included participants with little or no experience with gaming and excluded participants with psychiatric/mental, neurological, and medical illness. Four studies specified handedness of the participants and excluded participants with game training experience. The inclusion and exclusion criteria are presented in Table 4 .

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for eligible studies.

Author	Year	Inclusion			Exclusion
Author	Year	i1	i2	i3	e1	e2	e3	e4	e5
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	1
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	1	0	1	1	1	1	0	0
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	1
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	1	1	0	1	1	0	1	0
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	1
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	1
Roush [ ]	2013	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0
West et al. [ ]	2017	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	0
West et al. [ ]	2018	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	0
total		8	4	3	8	7	6	5	4

i1, Little/no experience in video gaming; i2, Right-handed; i3, Sex-specific; e1, Psychiatric/mental illness; e2, Neurological illness; e3, Medical illness; e4, MRI contraindication; e5, experience in game training.

3.3. Control Group

Nine eligible studies were categorized as three types based on the control type. Two studies used active control, five studies used passive control, and two studies used both active and passive control. A summary of the control group is presented in Table 5 .

Control group examined eligible studies.

Control	Author	Year
Active control	Lee et al. [ ]	2012
Active control	West et al. [ ]	2018
Passive control	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017
	Haier et al. [ ]	2009
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015
	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013
Active–passive control	Roush [ ]	2013
Active–passive control	West et al. [ ]	2017

3.4. Game Title and Genre

Of the nine eligible studies, four used the same 3D adventure game with different game platforms, which were “Super Mario 64” original and the DS version. One study used first-person shooting (FPS) shooting games with many different game titles: “Call of Duty” is one title. Two studies used puzzle games: “Tetris” and “Professor Layton and The Pandora’s Box.” One study used a rhythm dance game: Dance Revolution. One study used a strategy game: “Space Fortress.” Game genres are presented in Table 6 .

Genres and game titles of video gaming intervention.

Genre	Author	Year	Title
3D adventure	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	Super Mario 64 DS
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	Super Mario 64
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	Super Mario 64 DS
	West et al. [ ]	2017	Super Mario 64
FPS	West et al. * [ ]	2018	Call of Duty
Puzzle	Haier et al. [ ]	2009	Tetris
Puzzle	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	Professor Layton and The Pandora’s Box
Rhythm dance	Roush [ ]	2013	Dance Revolution
Strategy	Lee et al. [ ]	2012	Space Fortress

* West et al. used multiple games; other games are Call of Duty 2, 3, Black Ops, and World at War, Killzone 2 and 3, Battlefield 2, 3, and 4, Resistance 2 and Fall of Man, and Medal of Honor.

3.5. Participants and Sample Size

Among the nine studies, one study examined teenage participants, six studies included young adult participants, and two studies assessed older adult participants. Participant information is shown in Table 7 . Numbers of participants were 20–75 participants (mean = 43.67; S.D. = 15.63). Three studies examined female-only participants, whereas six others used male and female participants. Six studies with female and male participants had more female than male participants.

Participant details of eligible studies.

Category	Author	Year	Age			Sample Size	Ratio (%)		Detail
Category	Author	Year	Lowest	Highest	Range	Sample Size	Female	Male	Detail
Teenager	Haier et al. [ ]	2009	12	15	3	44	70.45	29.54	Training ( 24) Control ( 20)
Young adult	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	18	36	18	26	100	0	Training ( 15)
	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	18	36	18	26	100	0	Control ( 11)
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	19	29	10	48	70.8	29.2	Training ( 23)
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	19	29	10	48	70.8	29.2	Control ( 25)
	Lee et al. [ ]	2012	18	30	12	75	61.4	38.6	Training A ( 25)
									Training B ( 25)
									Control ( 25)
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	19	27	8	50	72	28	Training ( 25
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	19	27	8	50	72	28	Control ( 25)
	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	16	21	5	20	100	0	Training ( 10)
	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	16	21	5	20	100	0	Control ( 10)
	West et al. [ ]	2018	18	29	11	43	67.4	32.5	Action game ( 21)
	West et al. [ ]	2018	18	29	11	43	67.4	32.5	Non-action game ( 22)
Older adult	Roush [ ]	2013	50	65	15	39	100	0	Training ( 19)
									Active control ( 15)
									Passive control ( 5)
	West et al. [ ]	2017	55	75	20	48	66.7	33.3	Training ( 19)
									Active control ( 14)
									Passive control ( 15)

3.6. Training Period and Intensity

The training period was 4–24 weeks (mean = 11.49; S.D. = 6.88). One study by Lee et al. had two length periods and total hours because the study examined video game training of two types. The total training hours were 16–90 h (mean = 40.63; S.D. = 26.22), whereas the training intensity was 1.5–10.68 h/week (mean = 4.96; S.D. = 3.00). One study did not specify total training hours. Two studies did not specify the training intensity. The training periods and intensities are in Table 8 .

Periods and intensities of video gaming intervention.

Author	Year	Length (Week)	Total Hours	Average Intensity (h/Week)
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	8	49.5	6.2
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	12	18	1.5
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	8	46.88	5.86
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2012	8	28	3.5
Lee et al. [ ]	2015	8–11 *	27	n/a
Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	4	16	4
Roush [ ]	2013	24	ns	n/a
West et al. [ ]	2017	24	72	3
West et al. [ ]	2018	8.4	90	10.68

The training length was converted into weeks (1 month = 4 weeks). ns, not specified; n/a, not available; * exact length is not available.

3.7. MRI Analysis and Specifications

Of nine eligible studies, one study used resting-state MRI analysis, three studies (excluding that by Haier et al. [ 40 ]) used structural MRI analysis, and five studies used task-based MRI analysis. A study by Haier et al. used MRI analyses of two types [ 40 ]. A summary of MRI analyses is presented in Table 9 . The related resting-state, structural, and task-based MRI specifications are presented in Table 10 , Table 11 and Table 12 respectively.

MRI analysis details of eligible studies.

MRI Analysis	Author	Year	Contrast	Statistical Tool	Statistical Method	Value
Resting	Martinez et al. [ ]	2013	(post- > pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	MATLAB; SPM8	TFCE uncorrected	<0.005
Structural	Haier et al. * [ ]	2009	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	MATLAB 7; SurfStat	FWE corrected	<0.005
	Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	VBM8; SPM8	FWE corrected	<0.001
	West et al. [ ]	2017	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	Bpipe	Uncorrected	<0.0001
	West et al. [ ]	2018	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	Bpipe	Bonferroni corrected	<0.001
Task	Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	SPM12	Monte Carlo corrected	<0.05
	Haier et al. * [ ]	2009	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	SPM7	FDR corrected	<0.05
	Lee et al. [ ]	2012	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	FSL; FEAT	uncorrected	<0.01
	Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	(post>pre-training) > (post>pre-control)	SPM8	Monte Carlo corrected	<0.05
	Roush [ ]	2013	post>pre-training	MATLAB 7; SPM8	uncorrected	=0.001

* Haier et al. conducted structural and task analyses. + Compared pre-training and post-training between groups without using contrast. TFCE, Threshold Free Cluster Enhancement; FEW, familywise error rate; FDR, false discovery rate.

Resting-State MRI specifications of eligible studies.

Author	Year	Resting State				Structural
Author	Year	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)	Slice	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)	Slice
]	2013	gradient-echo planar image	3	28.1	36	T1-weighted	0.92	4.2	158

Structural MRI specifications of eligible studies.

Author	Year	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)
Kuhn et al. [ ]	2014	3D T1 weighted MPRAGE	2.5	4.77
West et al. [ ]	2017	3D gradient echo MPRAGE	2.3	2.91
West et al. [ ]	2018	3D gradient echo MPRAGE	2.3	2.91

Task-Based MRI specifications of eligible studies.

Author	Year	Task	BOLD				Structural
Author	Year	Task	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)	Slice	Imaging	TR (s)	TE (ms)	Slice
Gleich et al. [ ]	2017	win–loss paradigm	T2 echo-planar image	2	30	36	T1-weighted	2.5	4.77	176
Haier et al. [ ]	2009	Tetris	Functional echo planar	2	29	ns	5-echo MPRAGE	2.53	1.64; 3.5; 5.36; 7.22; 9.08	ns
Lee et al. [ ]	2012	game control	fast echo-planar image	2	25	ns	T1-weighted MPRAGE	1.8	3.87	144
Lorenz et al. [ ]	2015	slot machine paradigm	T2 echo-planar image	2	30	36	T1-weighted MPRAGE	2.5	4.77	ns
Roush [ ]	2013	digit symbol substitution	fast echo-planar image	2	25	34	diffusion weighted image	ns	ns	ns

All analyses used 3 Tesla magnetic force; TR = repetition time; TE = echo time, ns = not specified.

4. Discussion

This literature review evaluated the effect of noncognitive-based video game intervention on the cognitive function of healthy people. Comparison of studies is difficult because of the heterogeneities of participant ages, beneficial effects, and durations. Comparisons are limited to studies sharing factors.

4.1. Participant Age

Video gaming intervention affects all age categories except for the children category. The exception derives from a lack of intervention studies using children as participants. The underlying reason for this exception is that the brain is still developing until age 10–12 [ 52 , 53 ]. Among the eligible studies were a study investigating adolescents [ 40 ], six studies investigating young adults [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 47 , 49 , 51 ] and two studies investigating older adults [ 48 , 50 ].

Differences among study purposes underlie the differences in participant age categories. The study by Haier et al. was intended to study adolescents because the category shows the most potential brain changes. The human brain is more sensitive to synaptic reorganization during the adolescent period [ 54 ]. Generally, grey matter decreases whereas white matter increases during the adolescent period [ 55 , 56 ]. By contrast, the cortical surface of the brain increases despite reduction of grey matter [ 55 , 57 ]. Six studies were investigating young adults with the intention of studying brain changes after the brain reaches maturity. The human brain reaches maturity during the young adult period [ 58 ]. Two studies were investigating older adults with the intention of combating difficulties caused by aging. The human brain shrinks as age increases [ 56 , 59 ], which almost invariably leads to declining cognitive function [ 59 , 60 ].

4.2. Beneficial Effects

Three beneficial outcomes were observed using MRI method: grey matter change [ 40 , 42 , 50 ], brain activity change [ 40 , 43 , 47 , 48 , 49 ], and functional connectivity change [ 41 ]. The affected brain area corresponds to how the respective games were played.

Four studies of 3D video gaming showed effects on the structure of hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), cerebellum [ 42 , 43 , 50 ], and DLPFC [ 43 ] and ventral striatum activity [ 49 ]. In this case, the hippocampus is used for memory [ 61 ] and scene recognition [ 62 ], whereas the DLPFC and cerebellum are used for working memory function for information manipulation and problem-solving processes [ 63 ]. The grey matter of the corresponding brain region has been shown to increase during training [ 20 , 64 ]. The increased grey matter of the hippocampus, DLPFC, and cerebellum are associated with better performance in reference and working memory [ 64 , 65 ].

The reduced activity of DLPFC found in the study by Gleich et al. corresponds to studies that showed reduced brain activity associated with brain training [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. Decreased activity of the DLPFC after training is associated with efficiency in divergent thinking [ 70 ]. 3D video gaming also preserved reward systems by protecting the activity of the ventral striatum [ 71 ].

Two studies of puzzle gaming showed effects on the structure of the visual–spatial processing area, activity of the frontal area, and functional connectivity change. The increased grey matter of the visual–spatial area and decreased activity of the frontal area are similar to training-associated grey matter increase [ 20 , 64 ] and activity decrease [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. In this case, visual–spatial processing and frontal area are used constantly for spatial prediction and problem-solving of Tetris. Functional connectivity of the multimodal integration and the higher-order executive system in the puzzle solving-based gaming of Professor Layton game corresponds to studies which demonstrated training-associated functional connectivity change [ 72 , 73 ]. Good functional connectivity implies better performance [ 73 ].

Strategy gaming affects the DLPFC activity, whereas rhythm gaming affects the activity of visuospatial working memory, emotional, and attention area. FPS gaming affects the structure of the hippocampus and amygdala. Decreased DLPFC activity is similar to training-associated activity decrease [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. A study by Roush demonstrated increased activity of visuospatial working memory, emotion, and attention area, which might occur because of exercise and gaming in the Dance Revolution game. Results suggest that positive activations indicate altered functional areas by complex exercise [ 48 ]. The increased grey matter of the hippocampus and amygdala are similar to the training-associated grey matter increase [ 20 , 64 ]. The hippocampus is used for 3D navigation purposes in the FPS world [ 61 ], whereas the amygdala is used to stay alert during gaming [ 74 ].

4.3. Duration

Change of the brain structure and function was observed after 16 h of video gaming. The total durations of video gaming were 16–90 h. However, the gaming intensity must be noted because the gaming intensity varied: 1.5–10.68 h per week. The different intensities might affect the change of cognitive function. Cognitive intervention studies demonstrated intensity effects on the cortical thickness of the brain [ 75 , 76 ]. A similar effect might be observed in video gaming studies. More studies must be conducted to resolve how the intensity can be expected to affect cognitive function.

4.4. Criteria

Almost all studies used inclusion criteria “little/no experience with video games.” The criterion was used to reduce the factor of gaming-related experience on the effects of video gaming. Some of the studies also used specific handedness and specific sex of participants to reduce the variation of brain effects. Expertise and sex are shown to affect brain activity and structure [ 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 ]. The exclusion criterion of “MRI contraindication” is used for participant safety for the MRI protocol, whereas exclusion criteria of “psychiatric/mental illness”, “neurological illness”, and “medical illness” are used to standardize the participants.

4.5. Limitations and Recommendations

Some concern might be raised about the quality of methodology, assessed using Delphi criteria [ 45 ]. The quality was 3–9 (mean = 6.10; S.D. = 1.69). Low quality in most papers resulted from unspecified information corresponding to the criteria. Quality improvements for the studies must be performed related to the low quality of methodology. Allocation concealment, assessor blinding, care provider blinding, participant blinding, intention-to-treat analysis, and allocation method details must be improved in future studies.

Another concern is blinding and control. This type of study differs from medical studies in which patients can be blinded easily. In studies of these types, the participants were tasked to do either training as an active control group or to do nothing as a passive control group. The participants can expect something from the task. The expectation might affect the outcomes of the studies [ 81 , 82 , 83 ]. Additionally, the waiting-list control group might overestimate the outcome of training [ 84 ].

Considering the sample size, which was 20–75 (mean = 43.67; S.D. = 15.63), the studies must be upscaled to emphasize video gaming effects. There are four phases of clinical trials that start from the early stage and small-scale phase 1 to late stage and large-scale phase 3 and end in post-marketing observation phase 4. These four phases are used for drug clinical trials, according to the food and drug administration (FDA) [ 85 ]. Phase 1 has the purpose of revealing the safety of treatment with around 20–100 participants. Phase 2 has the purpose of elucidating the efficacy of the treatment with up to several hundred participants. Phase 3 has the purpose of revealing both efficacy and safety among 300–3000 participants. The final phase 4 has the purpose of finding unprecedented adverse effects of treatment after marketing. However, because medical studies and video gaming intervention studies differ in terms of experimental methods, slight modifications can be done for adaptation to video gaming studies.

Several unresolved issues persist in relation to video gaming intervention. First, no studies assessed chronic/long-term video gaming. The participants might lose their motivation to play the same game over a long time, which might affect the study outcomes [ 86 ]. Second, meta-analyses could not be done because the game genres are heterogeneous. To ensure homogeneity of the study, stricter criteria must be set. However, this step would engender a third limitation. Third, randomized controlled trial video gaming studies that use MRI analysis are few. More studies must be conducted to assess the effects of video gaming. Fourth, the eligible studies lacked cognitive tests to validate the cognitive change effects for training. Studies of video gaming intervention should also include a cognitive test to ascertain the relation between cognitive function and brain change.

5. Conclusions

The systematic review has several conclusions related to beneficial effects of noncognitive-based video games. First, noncognitive-based video gaming can be used in all age categories as a means to improve the brain. However, effects on children remain unclear. Second, noncognitive-based video gaming affects both structural and functional aspects of the brain. Third, video gaming effects were observed after a minimum of 16 h of training. Fourth, some methodology criteria must be improved for better methodological quality. In conclusion, acute video gaming of a minimum of 16 h is beneficial for brain function and structure. However, video gaming effects on the brain area vary depending on the video game type.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all our other colleagues in IDAC, Tohoku University for their support.

PRISMA Checklist of the literature review.

Section/Topic	#	Checklist Item	Reported on Page #

Title	1	Identify the report as a systematic review, meta-analysis, or both.	1

Structured summary	2	Provide a structured summary including, as applicable: background; objectives; data sources; study eligibility criteria, participants, and interventions; study appraisal and synthesis methods; results; limitations; conclusions and implications of key findings; systematic review registration number.	1

Rationale	3	Describe the rationale for the review in the context of what is already known.	1, 2
Objectives	4	Provide an explicit statement of questions being addressed related to participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study design (PICOS).	2

Protocol and registration	5	Indicate if a review protocol exists, if and where it is accessible (e.g., Web address), and if available, provide registration information including registration number.	2
Eligibility criteria	6	Specify study characteristics (e.g., PICOS, length of follow-up) and report characteristics (e.g., years considered, language, publication status) used as criteria for eligibility, giving rationale.	2
Information sources	7	Describe all information sources (e.g., databases with dates of coverage, contact with study authors to identify additional studies) in the search and date last searched.	2
Search	8	Present full electronic search strategy for at least one database, including any limits used, such that it could be repeated.	2
Study selection	9	State the process for selecting studies (i.e., screening, eligibility, included in systematic review, and if applicable, included in the meta-analysis).	3
Data collection process	10	Describe method of data extraction from reports (e.g., piloted forms, independently, in duplicate) and any processes for obtaining and confirming data from investigators.	3
Data items	11	List and define all variables for which data were sought (e.g., PICOS, funding sources) and any assumptions and simplifications made.	3
Risk of bias in individual studies	12	Describe methods used for assessing risk of bias of individual studies (including specification of whether this was done at the study or outcome level), and how this information is to be used in any data synthesis.	2
Summary measures	13	State the principal summary measures (e.g., risk ratio, difference in means).	-
Synthesis of results	14	Describe the methods of handling data and combining results of studies, if done, including measures of consistency (e.g., I ) for each meta-analysis.	-
Risk of bias across studies	15	Specify any assessment of risk of bias that might affect the cumulative evidence (e.g., publication bias, selective reporting within studies).	-
Additional analyses	16	Describe methods of additional analyses (e.g., sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-regression), if done, indicating which were pre-specified.	-

Study selection	17	Give numbers of studies screened, assessed for eligibility, and included in the review, with reasons for exclusions at each stage, ideally with a flow diagram.	3,5
Study characteristics	18	For each study, present characteristics for which data were extracted (e.g., study size, PICOS, follow-up period) and provide the citations.	5-11
Risk of bias within studies	19	Present data on risk of bias of each study, and if available, any outcome level assessment (see item 12).	5,6
Results of individual studies	20	For all outcomes considered (benefits or harms), present, for each study: (a) simple summary data for each intervention group (b) effect estimates and confidence intervals, ideally with a forest plot.	4
Synthesis of results	21	Present results of each meta-analysis done, including confidence intervals and measures of consistency.	-
Risk of bias across studies	22	Present results of any assessment of risk of bias across studies (see Item 15).	-
Additional analysis	23	Give results of additional analyses, if done (e.g., sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-regression [see Item 16]).	-

Summary of evidence	24	Summarize the main findings including the strength of evidence for each main outcome; consider their relevance to key groups (e.g., healthcare providers, users, and policy makers).	12,13
Limitations	25	Discuss limitations at study and outcome level (e.g., risk of bias), and at review-level (e.g., incomplete retrieval of identified research, reporting bias).	13
Conclusions	26	Provide a general interpretation of the results in the context of other evidence, and implications for future research.	14

Funding	27	Describe sources of funding for the systematic review and other support (e.g., supply of data); role of funders for the systematic review.	14

For more information, visit: www.prisma-statement.org .

Author Contributions

D.B.T., R.N., and R.K. designed the systematic review. D.B.T. and R.N. searched and selected the papers. D.B.T. and R.N. wrote the manuscript with R.K. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. D.B.T. and R.N. contributed equally to this work.

Study is supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 17H06046 (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas) and 16KT0002 (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)).

Conflicts of Interest

None of the other authors has any conflict of interest to declare. Funding sources are not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, or writing of the study report.

Effects of Video Games on Children Essay

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Introduction

Negative effects of video games, video games as a neutral factor, future studies.

Most of the popular video games in the market are characterized by their ability to allow players to role-play in various situations, unfortunately, most of these situations normally involve violence. There has been unease at the effect that this exposure could have on children, considering that video games are fast becoming a favorite past time for most children in the developed world. Studies have suggested the existence of a relationship between youth violence and video games and this could apply to children too.

The evidence that video games increase violence among children is overwhelming. For example, a study in 2001 found that a high number of violence cases in high schools and universities were orchestrated by persons who confessed to playing violent games regularly. An explanation for this is that aggression is mainly based on the learning function of the brain and as such, each violent episode is in essence one more learning opportunity, hence violence is increased with increased exposure to video games.

One of the factors that make video games prone to leading to violence is the high level of engagement and concentration required of gamers. Studies show that children who were exposed to violent video games engage in fantasy plays in which they emulate the actions of the violent characters. This effectively demonstrates that the high involvement of video games results in youths desiring to play out the violent actions in real life.

A logical consequence of exposure to violence is desensitization, a process whereby the cognitive, emotional, and even behavioral response to violence is eliminated in a gradual process. Therefore, engaging in violent video games results in an increase for tolerance of violent behavior in real life.

While advocates for video games argue that video games represent violence as ‘cool and fashionable’, it should be noted that video games are no the only media through which such notions arise from. Violence is an aspect of the mainstream media and hence violence in children should take into consideration these various media platforms.

Opponents of media violence point to the rise in crime wave during the 1970s and 1980s, which was largely attributed to violence in television. They say that the same could happen due to video game violence. This is a fallacy as statistics indicate that violent crimes in the US fell in the 1990s, a time when violent video games became popular.

While video games are meant to be educational or entertaining, content analysis shows that 89% of these contain some violent content. Since video games are so common among children, the effect of video games would be significant. It has been said that a relation exists between video game violence and real life violence, however, this is no absolute reality.

Proponents argue that violent children prefer to play violent video games. Research suggests otherwise, therefore we can conclude that while violent games are played by violent children, the aggression levels increase due to the exposure.

This paper examined the effects of violent video games on children and their inclination to violent behavior. From the study, it is evident that video games have an effect on the behavior of children.

Future studies should look at other forms of violence, not necessarily physical as children are likely to engage on these on a regular basis.

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