Video Games
Chester J. Zelasko, Ph.D. |
December 15, 2006
If you ever watch
television, you know the airwaves are saturated with commercials about video
games. Based on what I’ve seen, these are not the “Pong” or “Pac Man” of
years ago--the graphics are realistic, and most of the games advertised are
violent. The question in many people’s minds is simple: does seeing and
participating in all this virtual violence have an effect on the kids
playing the games? Recent research seems to indicate that the answer may be
yes.
Recent Research
At the national conference of the Radiological Society of North America, one
of the papers presented addressed the issue of neurological patterns in the
brains of teenagers playing video games (1). The researchers used functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to determine if there were
differences in the brain patterns of teens playing violent video games
versus those playing a non-violent game.
Subjects were 34 healthy adolescents with no differences in age, gender, or
IQ. The subjects were randomly assigned to play either a violent or
non-violent video game for 30 minutes. After playing the game, fMRIs were
used to see if there were any differences in brain patterns while performing
two different Stroop Tasks, psychological tests of mental vitality and
flexibility.
The results indicated that when playing violent video games, subjects
produced less activation in regions associated with executive function
(inhibition, concentration, and self-control) but more activation in regions
associated with emotional arousal. How about plain English? The areas of the
brain associated with the ability to make decisions were not stimulated, but
those associated with emotion were.
What’s the short-term implication? It’s possible that they were reacting to
the violence with a restricted ability to limit their response. Long-term
implication? Who knows? But it’s a scary image: a bunch of adolescents
whipped to an emotional frenzy, but with diminished inhibition and
self-control.
This study indicates that the exposure to violence--even simulated violence
in video games--is not benign. It may have long-term implications for
violent behavior, even in teens who appear otherwise mentally healthy.
Bottom Line
In the past, we used the expression “Garbage in, garbage out.” In this case,
it’s much more ominous. It could be “Violence in, violence out.”
The answer for parents seems to be to take an active role in what your
children watch on television, what internet web sites they visit, and
especially what video games they play. You may want to re-think some of this
year’s video game gifts. Don’t assess the video games your children play by
a ratings sticker--sit down and play the game with them. You may lose, but
at least you’ll see what’s going on in their world. That’s the only real way
to help them achieve a healthy view of what’s good and bad--all part of
their better life.
References:
- Mathews VP et al. Short-term Effects of Violent Video Game Playing:
An fMRI Study. Presented at Radiological Society of North America,
November, 2006.
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