Do Violent Games Make You Smarter Essay

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Do violent games actually make you smarter?

“Violent video games have the potential to send the message that violence is the way to handle disputes and problems” This statement was made by a Doctor at the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Southern California in 2011 regarding the release of the game Bulletstorm.
Statements such as this have been made about the gaming industry since the 1970’s when the pixelated arcade game Death Race was released. The game was a driving simulation in which the objective was to run over and kill zombie like creatures. The game was featured on 60 minutes at the time and eventually launched the study of the psychological effects of violent games.
And Of course, we can’t forget about the arcade game Chiller, which many arcades refuse to support. This gruesome game is hard to watch even by today’s standards (look it up at your own risk).
Since then much of the senseless violence have been removed from video games, yet the gaming industry still receives criticism regarding the amount violence players are exposed to during gameplay. Many “experts” believe that these games make people more violent in real life. Although this aspect of gaming should be studied, what many of these critics don’t tell you is that these same violent first person shooter …show more content…

The studies conclude that they could actually improve learning and critical thinking in children. Not only do these games make you smarter, they can also improve your eyesight. This was discovered in a study by McMaster University in Ontario. The study observed patients who had cataracts. After weeks of observation, the study concluded that a significant improvement was made in their condition after playing first person shooters. Scientists believe that this was due to the attention to detail required to play these games, which trained and strengthened the