The Effects of Video Games on People

In the last few decades, there has been an increase in the availability of and participation in video games. The proliferation of computers and personal electronics in recent years, as well as the ease of access to them, have contributed to this. When evaluating the success of video games and video game practices, technical progress is also a factor to consider. In today's world, video games can be accessed and played in a number of ways, which makes the practice much more popular and varied. The first three leading gaming markets in the world are the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom are the first three leading markets in the gaming field in the world. In the year 2010, video gaming hardware collectively sold in the United Kingdom. The increase in the interaction to video games has also led to the increase in the awareness and concerns about the content in the games and their effects. The effects of video games among others include effects on education, social interaction, brain development, etc.

Toppo, Gregg. Do Video Games Inspire Violent Behavior? 1 July 2015. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-video-games-inspire-violent-behavior/#. 17 October 2017.

This is an article by Gregg Toppo that was published on the Scientific American Website in July 2015. He articulates how a 20-year old male individual forced his way into a school and opened fire, killing 26 people. This was reported to have been contributed by the fact that he was involved in gaming due to the evidence found in his house and on his computer and also from the visits that he had frequently made to movie theatres. Some of the video games found in his possession included Grand Theft Auto, Dead or Alive and Call of Duty. Magazines addressing weapon handling were also found in his possession.

Cox, Katelynne . "Video Game Effects on Children." Artifacts Journal (2014). https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2014/03/video-game-effects-on-children/.

This article, prepared and presented by Goldie Katelynne Cox tackles the effect of video games on children. She states that violent games tend to have more sales, and therefore more impact on children since they are the ones that are mostly used. She argues that since most of these games have negative effects on individuals, and especially children, the violent video games should be addressed and have measures put in place. Once an individual gets into the game, it is like they are “in the game.” That the freedom in the game of allowing someone to have total control may lead to attaining of certain behaviors.

Gray, Peter . Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games. 20 February 2015. webpage. 17 October 2017.

Professor Peter Gray presents an argument that video games can have positive effects on individuals. He states that the positive effects include improvements in visual processes, improvements in concentration and attention and also skills that are job-related. An estimated amount of hours invested into video game playing leads to improvement in visual sensitivity in an individual’s visual capabilities. Improved attention is as a result of a concentration of an individual during activity in video gaming, attributed to the location of items and objects in the game. Improvements in mental capabilities is attributed to a person’s capability to allocate their mental resources during the game.

Park, Alice. http://time.com/34075/how-violent-video-games-change-kids-attitudes-about-aggression/. 24 March 2014. Webpage. 17 October 2017.

The writer of this article presents facts, during which two students were involved in the shooting. That resulted in some deaths. She states that the acts of violence have been attributed to video games and movies. Data that is presented in the article states that “approximately 90% of children in the United States are involved in the playing of video games, and that 90% of these games are made up of adult content, which sometimes included violence.” Arguments from such instances have led to the propositions of increased taxes on video games, an act that focuses on exerting restrictions to such games to reduce their impacts on individuals.

McLean, Lavinia and Mark Griffiths. "The psychological effects of videogames on young people: A review." 2013. Document.

In this article, the presenters argue on the effects of young people spending a good portion of their time on screens, more than in any other activity. Concern has been raised, that playing video game has a greater impact on individuals compared to other “on-screen” activities. A majority of these effects being negative towards children and young people. When young people are exposed to video games, violent video games, it may result to the development of their aggressive sides as individuals. It will also affect their lives in other perspectives such as culture and social characteristics. Therefore, access to such games need to be monitored, especially when the context revolves around children.



Bushman, Brad J and Bryan Gibson. "Violent Video Games Cause an Increase in Aggression Long After the Game Has Been Turned Off." Social Psychological and Personality Science (2011): 29-32. Document.

In this article, the authors, Brad Bushman and Bryan Gibson present their data in a way that supports the argument that video games lead to increased aggression. From their perspective, it is clear that, from experiments, the aggressiveness comes way after one is done with playing the game. They present a case in which participants of a video game were tested moments after the game. This was a case where after a competitive task, the winners of the task were allowed an opportunity to punish the losers by loud noises through headphones. It was proven that individuals who had taken part in violent games experienced increase in aggressiveness.

Whitaker, Jodi L and Brad J Bushman. "Boom, Headshot!’ Effect of Video Game Play and Controller Type on Firing Aim and Accuracy." Communication Research (2012).

In this article, Jodi and Brad, the writers, present a scenario in which a team of individuals was involved in shooting games. The two games were designed in a way that one was violent oriented and the other wasn’t. The first team was given humanoid targets, and in which headshots were rewarded. The non-violent game involved shooting targets with bull’s eye as the main target. After the games, both the members of the two teams were involved in shooting real guns. Members of the team that was involved in a violent game turned out to be more accurate in their shooting than their counterparts, with better shooting skills and aggressiveness.





Roberts, Dr. Kim. "The Effect of Video Games on Memory: A Meta-Analysis." McNair Scholars Journal (2015): 186 - 197.

In this article, Dr. Kim Roberts presents an argument that despite the negative effects of video games on individuals (aggressiveness in children and teenagers), there is also a brighter side of the story from these activities. One of these is the memory enhancement in adults and children. In the research done by Dr. Kim, the results prove improvement in memory of the participants, regardless of the gender or age of the players.

Adel M.Agina, and Robert D.Tennyson. "Towards Understanding the Positive Effect of Playing Violent Video Games on Children's Development." Social and Behavioral Sciences 69 (2012): 780-789.

According to the authors of this article, much of the current literature focuses on the negative impacts of playing video games with little consideration on the positive ones. As such, Adel Agina and Robert Tennyson delve on the key benefits of video games on the children. Although children are negatively impacted by the video games, the authors established that the violent arousal is beneficial to their development, particularly in thinking aloud and self-regulation to express what is in their mind.

The source is credible and strives to fill a void in literature regarding the impacts of video games. It is also peer-reviewed; hence, approved by the different bodies that seek to confirm quality publications.



Isabela Granic, Adam Lobel, and Rutger C. M. E. Engels. "The Benefits of Playing Video Games." American Psychological Association (2014): 66-78. .

The article implies that video games are similar to the conventional games; hence, provide the same benefits as the other games. The authors provide a psychological perspective of video games. The video games promote socialization as children interact online across the globe regardless of the cultural differences. The article also asserts that the games are beneficial regarding the prevention and treatment of mental health issues among the youth. The games have cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social benefits.

The article is credible since it has been approved by the American Psychological Association. It also provides a clear picture of the current situation among the youth. The authors also acknowledge that more research is imperative within this field to ascertain other things that are still contentious.



Works Cited

Adel M.Agina, and Robert D.Tennyson. "Towards Understanding the Positive Effect of Playing Violent Video Games on Children's Development." Social and Behavioral Sciences 69 (2012): 780-789.

Bushman, Brad J and Bryan Gibson. "Violent Video Games Cause an Increase in Aggression Long After the Game Has Been Turned Off." Social Psychological and Personality Science (2011): 29-32. Document.

Cox, Katelynne . "Video Game Effects on Children." Artifacts Journal (2014). https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2014/03/video-game-effects-on-children/.

Gray, Peter . Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games. 20 February 2015. webpage. 17 October 2017.

Isabela Granic, Adam Lobel, and Rutger C. M. E. Engels. "The Benefits of Playing Video Games." American Psychological Association (2014): 66-78. .

McLean, Lavinia and Mark Griffiths. "The psychological effects of videogames on young people: A review." 2013. Document.

Park, Alice. http://time.com/34075/how-violent-video-games-change-kids-attitudes-about-aggression/. 24 March 2014. Webpage. 17 October 2017.

Roberts, Dr. Kim. "The Effect of Video Games on Memory: A Meta-Analysis." McNair Scholars Journal (2015): 186 - 197.

Toppo, Gregg. Do Video Games Inspire Violent Behavior? 1 July 2015. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-video-games-inspire-violent-behavior/#. 17 October 2017.

Whitaker, Jodi L and Brad J Bushman. "Boom, Headshot!’ Effect of Video Game Play and Controller Type on Firing Aim and Accuracy." Communication Research (2012).