Positive And Negative Effects Of Playing Video Games

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There has been much controversy surrounding the effects video games have on the brain for many years and whether these are positive or negative effects. Many research, experiments and studies have been conducted to find a cohesive conclusion with regards to this topic.
A study conducted by the Global Market Research Firm showed that every nine in ten children are gamers, which is 64 million kids. It is shown through studies that a large amount of dopamine flood a gamers brain when they play video games. The amount of dopamine released is equivalent to a stimulant drug injection such as amphetamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that releases the “feel good” hormone. According to Dr David Greenfield, PhD, founder of the Centre for Internet …show more content…

This can be seen as a positive attribute to people in today’s society as it helps people in the world make quick decisions whilst being accurate. Another advantage on the brain from playing video games is the improvement in strategies as, in video games, gamers have strategies that deal with immediate problems yet still working towards their set goals. Not only that but according to the journal, Current Biology, playing video games helps improve a person with dyslexia, read faster and more …show more content…

Research shows a link between adolescents with aggressive personalities that play violent video games are more likely to develop violent tendencies and thoughts. A study was conducted having 28 adolescent play 30 minutes of a violent video games and 27 adolescent who don’t participate in playing violent video games. The results from this experiment showed a higher decrease in activity in the frontal cortex in the adolescent who had played violent video games than those that didn’t. During this research it was noticed by the researchers that within 10 to 20 minutes of violent video gaming, there was an increase in brain activity in the regions that is associated with arousal, anxiety and emotion reaction, however, there was a reduction in activity in the frontal lobe, which controls the emotion. The amount of dopamine released was so powerful that it could shut down the frontal lobe activities.
Therefore, from the above information it is clear to say that the effects video game has on a human brain is proven to have both beneficial and detrimental effects. Due to the vastness of video games and the difference in brain activity and personal perception it is rather difficult to come up with only one