Video Games Influence

Unlike most forms of art and media that have been around for longer than 100 years, video games are relatively young and new, coming to consumers in the 1970s. But in this short span of time, video games have developed immensely, and have become ingrained in pop culture and are the main passion and enjoyment of millions of people around the world. However, with how new video games still are, people do not see them as an art form, but just as a waste of time that corrupt the youth, similar to how rock music was perceived in America in the 1950s. The effects of them are still not fully known and studied, but throughout the years, the research that has been done, and effects on those who have played video games show that they are not a harmful

He insisted that he was only able to because of the knowledge he gained from the game America’s Army (65). Players of video games can gain knowledge and information that can be applied in the real world, such as with the situation that Galvanek found himself in. Without his prior play time, the victims of the collision could have died. In addition, according to Guarini, video games have helped stroke victims recover quicker than those who did traditional rehabilitation exercises. Benefits of this were increased hand strength, double the arm movement and use, and the use of “goal-directed” movements instead of repetitive exercises (Guarini). Also, in a separate study, gamers who played shooting focused games had improved vision and could better see subtle changes in brightness (Guarini). Video games have a positive effect on the physical bodies of people as they help the human body improve in the aspects of where it is used, causing in positive developments for the player. Games also help develop the mind, as according to Guarini, a study found that “[T]he gaming group had a rise in grey matter in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum-areas of the brain responsible for spatial navigation, memory formation,

For instance, “Many gamers today use gaming as a source to interact with other individuals creating a social community” (“Motivations”). 80% of respondents in a survey of First Person Shooter (FPS) gamers were in semi-professional clans or guilds (“Social”). Games give people opportunities to meet others online and allow for people to get together for the same reason and connect through it. Video games can help develop friendships, as according to Nakaya, “[I]n the ESA study more than half of most frequent gamers feel that video games help them connect with friends” (39). In a separate test, 39.9% of gamers said they discussed sensitive issues with their online friends that they would not share with their real-life friends (“Social”). People can develop friendships, connections, and trust with people they meet while gaming; these friendships can be stronger than ones they have in person. Games also can have a positive effect on social skills through the fact that video games can teach resilience against failure by helping children develop one through coping with in-game failures (Granic). Also, researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen studied social games and stated: “In these virtual social communities, decisions need to be made on the fly about whom to trust, whom to reject, and how to most effectively lead a group” (Nakaya 30). These things help with social skills such as interaction and