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Video Games
Intro
Gaming is an easily debatable topic, a lot of people disagree with it and they say that it’s a waste of life.
Funny enough the majority of these people happen to be parents who have never even played a game in their life, this causes their argument to be very biased. In this report there are facts from research done by scientists, things that can't really be argued unless you're a verified pro on the topic. So is gaming really a big waste? And how can we enhance the positive effects to make gaming even better?
Why do we want to play video games
A reason why we play video games is that they are fun and are an easy way to pass time. It is very easy to just pick up a device and start playing. Another reason why we play video games is because you can be anyone or anything you want to be. You can be animals , aliens, people, monsters and many more. Video games also have a sneaky system to keep you playing. They make use of dopamine in your brain.
Dopamine is a hormone released in your brain when you accomplish something. It can make you feel good,give you pleasure and motivate you to do what you did for example when playing video games. Video games make you feel good because you accomplished something. It does that by giving you rewards after rewards, so that you get a new wave of dopamine before the other one runs out. Your brain also measures the amount of pain it has to take to get those waves of dopamine. Your brain thinks it is not worth it when you work so hard to get a reward. Unlike most other stuff video games give you rewards in big portions which means more dopamine for very little effort.
How long should you be on a device?
Screen time is a big thing all around the world. Specialists say that kids from 8 - 18 are spending too much time on a device.They firmly encouraged Parents to limit the time their kids spend on screens and even set limits like “No device’s in the living room or the kitchen” and “No screen time after 6 o’clock. Kids can damage their eyesight by looking at a device for too long.
The blue light the device gives off makes a fluid in your eye poisonous, which can lead to you going blind.
When looking at a screen for too long can cause what is called the “computer vision syndrome”. It can cause you to have strained and dry eyes,blurred vision and headaches. This can happen when you have poor lighting or some glare on a digital screen, improper viewing distances, poor sitting posture, uncorrected vision problems or a combination of these factors. A limit that the professor set himself is 1hour on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends per day.
Addiction
A lot of people say video games are bad because it's easy for anyone to get addicted and then start playing an unhealthy amount of games a day. This is true and it can be a big problem with people wasting their life and a lot of people become depressed and even suicidal.
This is called gaming disorder.
The point is people do become addicted but there is always a reason or another factor for them being addicted, something that pushes them into gaming, this is evident because a lot of other people play games and don't become addicted.
These factors can be bullying, mental instability or any pre existing life problem. These problems make people become insecure and they escape towards gaming. Once this happens you might drop out of school or even your job. You lose touch with your family and friends and both your mental and physical health will suffer.
People who have had this happen to them say that they are now comfortable going back and playing a few games because they know how to not get addicted after seeking out help.
The point games don't have to be played 24/7 and the majority of people who play don’t get addicted because they have friends, play sports and have other things to do because they understand games are just fun activities to pass time.
It is true that not all ages should play video games for various reasons. Obviously age restricted games shouldn't be played by a five year olds, but also the younger you are the easier it is to get addicted. There are many reasons for this but a big one is that when your about four or five video games will be the most exciting and funnest thing you will have ever come across, you won’t want to learn about other things because you have video games. But if you were fourteen for example you went to school and had friends, you wouldn't be so attracted to video games.
Do playing Video games change your iq?
Video games can change different areas of your brain. Whether it's better or worse depends on what games you play.
Logic games, puzzle games and platform games all expand an area of the brain called the Entorhinal Cortex, where role playing games, and action games actually make it smaller. The Entorhinal Cortex is important because it works with the Hippocampus to make memories and maps of important events in your life as well as how it fits in with previous days.
Action gamers also have a less robust Striatum Nucleus which is important because it helps with your voluntary movement.
All gamer’s Hippocampus and gray matter in their brain had better brain learning plasticity. Gamers' eye sites are better in terms of attention to detail and seeing different shades of gray which is important.
In some tests people who play games have better attention capabilities and are even better at multitasking.
In terms of actual IQ it is impossible for video games to make you less intelligent but it can change areas of your brain and also change your personality. Video games however can make you smarter by keeping your brain active, games can also help with critical thinking and a combination of this and extended brain plasticity makes the average gamers IQ to above average with a medium of 115 to 120 which puts them 15% above the average world population.
This not only proves that gaming doesn't rot the brain but it actually improves IQ.
Personality
A lot of people say playing lots of video games affects your personality and emotions. This is mainly around violent games and how they make you into violent psychopathic people. This is generally not true if this was to happen the gamer would have to have had a pre existing health problem because it’s impossible for a video game to do that. When you're playing a game you don’t think about the person you're “killing” you think about winning and defeating your opponent which is the same as playing any game including non violent games like paper io for example. The aim is to defeat your opponent by breaking their line and essentially “killing” them. The difference is the graphics and the way the game is played which is a lot less realistic and explicit then what is already seen in movies, which i see no one complaining about. So when people see video games like Call of Duty and Fortnite where you “kill” other players they automatically assume that the people who play them must be violent. It is true though that some people do get aggressive when playing video games but recent science has proven that this only comes from frustration when losing or when you can't do a challenge or something. There isn't a link between the violence on the screen and the violence of the person playing the game. This same frustration can be seen in many things including physical sport. There is also a theory that seeing all the things on screen can make you less sensitive to real life matters, the truth is though people don’t see the connection. Most people understand that life isn’t a game with respawns, but if they have a mental problem already violent games wouldn’t help. It’s the same with watching a movie you know the person you're watching really didn't die; they were only actors.
Money making
Your success of playing video games to make money all depends on how many views and subscriptions you have. The more views and subscriptions you have the more money you tube will pay you.
So to get more money you want a lot of subs. This is not easy to accomplish since it takes most gamers a few years to get there Chanel to 10k subs. Some on the other hand are more successful and become very popular. You have to upload videos that your viewers like and are interested in. It takes time and patience to achieve this but it can also be a lot of fun.
Another way to make money playing video games is to stream.
A stream is where you play video games but your viewers can see you playing live. They can also write something in your chat which you and other viewers can see. The way you can make money off this is when your viewers donate sums of money to you. They usually can write a text or put a sticker underneath it. When you stream you also get money from youtube for the constant stream of viewers watching your live stream. The amount of money you get from this again depends on how many people are watching you.
So this method is reliable depending on how many subs and popular you are.
Spending money
Spending money on games brings you the pleasure of having an advantage or better gear than others. It will give you a little advantage but is it really worth it?
Different games that you spend money on give different things in return. So in one game it might seem to give you more for money than others. Games are different and it's hard to compare them. Two games might have different currencies and values.
Another thing that you automatically do when you pay money in video games is that you support the game developers.
I believe that it is not worth it paying money in video games because they only give you a little boost and it's only virtual.
But if you play to make content for money or you get sponsored and for some reason really want to help the game developers or any of the above then I think it is worth it.
Video games in life
People say that video games can get in the way of life and for some people they can. It's true that you can get addicted and play too much but it can also not only help you personally but also it can help shape society. For example video games are already being used as a tool in businesses, schools, environmental associations and can even be used in science. This is only naming a few things and pretty soon in the future video games will revolutionize society. On a personal level video games can boost self esteem, increase social skills and if you're good it can even earn you money. Video games can be a fun way to hang out with friends but it can also hold you back in some circumstances. But the majority of situations where people have played video games it has helped rather than hindered.
PMI Analysis
1) Add in at least 3 possible solutions to your problem
2) Add in any Positives, Minuses (negatives), and other Interesting points for each solution. Use Cmd+Enter to add additional rows.
Pluses
Minuses
Interesting Points
Only play educational games
It will almost garuntee no addiction, And it will help the positives in all areas of health and mentalness
no one will play them and the will just go back to action games
It is almost perfect
The game developers need to make games less addictive
Everyone wins
The game devalpers will never do this becuase it will be bad for there buisness.
Its pretty unrealistic
Work on a game that has less "choclate features"
You first have to define the chocolate features and spend a while solving them
It is diffucult
try to find the right balance between fun and education
we have to do one we think is right!!!!!
Problem Solution Matrix
3) If you had to choose between these options or initiatives, what five criteria could you use to judge which option was the best?
4) Give each option a grade from 1 to 5 (1 is best, 5 is worst), to rate the option for each criteria. Add up the total grades for each option. The option with the lowest total is the best one.
Only play educational games
The game developers need to make games less addictive
Work on a game that has less "choclate features"
3
2
5
Effectiveness
2
5
2
Labour required
5
5
1
health benefits
5
2
2
Possability of happening
3
2
1
Total
18
16
11
Trying to find the right balance between fun and education.
cost
3
Effectiveness
4
Labour required
3
health benefits
4
Possability of happening
5
Total
19
Conclusion
Is there a way to enhance the positive effects of gaming? Well scientists are currently working on a way to increase the “broccoli” features of gaming. Broccoli features are the all the positive effects of gaming and chocolate features represent the fun and sometimes negative effects of gaming. There is a bit of a dilemma though, they can't remove chocolate features because no one would play the game but they cant over increase the broccoli either because chocolate and broccoli dont mix.
They have to formulate a ratio that lets both qualities in but it’s still a working game. Once they have thought of this the only problem is getting it to game developers.
Until then we have to enjoy what we have which to be honest isn’t even bad.
Bibliography
H o w Longshould you be on a device W h y do we play video games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwv_wTUNwLs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=868BlSS8Wg0&t=3s
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