Teens and Video Games
Some Research
Literature Review: How are High School Students Affected by Video Games?
- Video games and computer games hold an increasing amount of interest for teens
- Is the time teens spend playing video games a waste of time or are there benefits?
- The studies and reports that were discovered tended to have mixed results, with no real conclusion as to what the effects were on teens
- Video games (defined by the American Medical Association) as any type of electronic gaming, to include, computer games, console games, and games that can be played on mobile devices
- In a population-based study in England it was found that video games could:
- Trigger epileptic seizures
- Contribute to violent behavior
- Video game overuse in minors could cause disruptions in family life and schoolwork
- A study that was completed in 2007 that surveyed 1,178 American youth between the ages of 8 and 18
- The results:
- Almost 90 percent of people played video games
- Boys, on average, played video games for 16.4 hours a week
- Girls spent about 9 hours a week playing video games
- The gamers who over-used video games spent about 24 hours a week playing video games
- About 8.5 percent of young gamers who were considered to be “addicted”
- 20 percent of the respondents acknowledged that their schoolwork has suffered due to video games
- Addiction: The person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep him going. If the person does not get more of the substance or behavior, he becomes irritable and miserable
- Video game addiction has not been defined, but by the definition of addiction, experts are able to tell if a child is having serious problems due to spending too much time playing video games
- Benefits:
- Fewer behavior problems
- Less violence
- Better scores on standardized academic testing
- There is an indication that video games could help people with disabilities and promote socialization
- In future studies keep an open mind and see if video games can have positive benefits
- Authors and researchers agree
- More research needs to be conducted
- Possible benefits could include better brain function
- Possible negative effects could be social or educational
- Any media being used by teens should be used in moderation
