Why Video Games Are Good for You Essay Example
[Type the company name] | Why Video Games Are Good For You | Playing With the New Generation | | Beverley Corey | |
Contents
Introduction 2
How video games can make you smarter 2
Providing an outlet for stress and aggression 3
Influences on business and career choices 4
Cooperation and social interaction in gaming 4
Conclusion 6
References 7
Introduction
“Currently there are more than half a billion people worldwide playing online games at least an hour a day -- and 183 million in the US alone.” (McGonigal, 2011) There is an extensive anti-game lobby that believes video games promote violence, anti-social behaviour, and zoned-out teenagers. However, there is ample evidence to support my theory that video games have been unfairly maligned. In this paper I will examine research and anecdotal evidence to illustrate why video games are good for you.
How video games can make you smarter
Since the late 1980’s occupational and physical therapists have been using video games to treat both physical and cognitive problems. They not only improve skills such as attention and working memory, but also fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. These benefits are transferable to real life. (Steffens, 2009) “The brain has the amazing ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections between brain cells.” (Michelon) This happens whenever we learn something new. According to Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, "It seems that there is a lot more plasticity you can induce by playing video games than by training people with more classical methods.” (Steffens, 2009)
In “Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter”, Steven Johnson suggests that the mind explores games the same way one conducts science experiments. This is done by exploring rules and determining what works. (M.Steffens) Playing video games myself, and with my children, I have
Contents
Introduction 2
How video games can make you smarter 2
Providing an outlet for stress and aggression 3
Influences on business and career choices 4
Cooperation and social interaction in gaming 4
Conclusion 6
References 7
Introduction
“Currently there are more than half a billion people worldwide playing online games at least an hour a day -- and 183 million in the US alone.” (McGonigal, 2011) There is an extensive anti-game lobby that believes video games promote violence, anti-social behaviour, and zoned-out teenagers. However, there is ample evidence to support my theory that video games have been unfairly maligned. In this paper I will examine research and anecdotal evidence to illustrate why video games are good for you.
How video games can make you smarter
Since the late 1980’s occupational and physical therapists have been using video games to treat both physical and cognitive problems. They not only improve skills such as attention and working memory, but also fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. These benefits are transferable to real life. (Steffens, 2009) “The brain has the amazing ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections between brain cells.” (Michelon) This happens whenever we learn something new. According to Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, "It seems that there is a lot more plasticity you can induce by playing video games than by training people with more classical methods.” (Steffens, 2009)
In “Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter”, Steven Johnson suggests that the mind explores games the same way one conducts science experiments. This is done by exploring rules and determining what works. (M.Steffens) Playing video games myself, and with my children, I have