The Influence of Videogames on Youth

The Influence of Videogames on Youth

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The Influence of Video Games on Youth: Implications for Learning in the New Millennium Karen E. Dill Lenoir-Rhyne College

The Influence of Videogames on Youth The Influence of Video Games on Youth: Implications for Learning in the New Millennium Like any medium, videogames are a channel of communication whose effects

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vary widely with the content of the specific game in question. Experimental, longitudinal and meta-analytic data indicate that playing violent video games increases aggression, hostility, and aggressive thoughts (Anderson, Buckley, & Gentile, 2007; Anderson & Bushman, 2001; Anderson, Carnagey, Flanagan, Benjamin, Eubanks & Valentine, 2004; Anderson & Dill, 2000). Games with positive content show positive effects. For example, playing a dancing video game can help children lose weight (Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution, 2007; O’Hannon, 2007; Epstein, Beecher, Graf & Roemmich, 2007). Video Games, Motivation, and Addiction Television is still the most popular form of media with youth (Roberts & Foehr, 2004). Although educational videos have been used for decades in the classroom, there are reasons to believe that interactive media are more powerful teachers on several levels. B. F. Skinner discovered many of the principles of a powerful learning paradigm called Operant Conditioning. The very nature of interactive media means they provide an excellent model for learning (Dill & Dill, 1998). Specifically, video games use mostly positive reinforcement on a schedule that is known to reinforce habit strength (Braun & Giroux, 1989; Dill & Dill, 1998). The Energization Theory of motivation and emotion (e.g., Brehm, Wright, Solomon, Silka, & Greenberg, 1983) predicts effort and energy mobilization to be greatest for a difficult, but possible task where success is rewarded. Videogames are an excellent example of what this theory of motivation predicts to be the most highly motivating tasks (Dill & Dill, 1998).

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