Playing video games is fun but did you know that they actually are more than just a source of entertainment for us? Whether you play video games or not, I’m positive there is someone you know who does. Video games have been around for years now, since the late 1950s with the first game being a simple tennis game called “Tennis for Two.” In its time it was a huge hit. Over the years video games became more and more popular beginning in the 70s and 80s. Throughout the years games have become more advanced with better graphics, different controls, and even creating different genres of games. There are action games, RPGs, simulation, sports, shooter, adventure, and many more. Most of these games include some kind of skill or strategy that’s used and this is where the effects on the brain come in. We will be using video games that are most popular amongst us nowadays as examples. Let’s break it down.

According to tons of studies and reports such as a study done by MedicalNewsToday has reported that shown these games are actually very engaging to the brain in many ways, like teaching people about history and culture, and also enhancing creative thinking by engaging the brain to solve problems and think quickly, which is especially used in games that involve being able to think creatively like MineCraft, a popular game where creativity is essential. Another example of skills used while playing is leadership skills, which is very helpful in the real world. These are only a few examples.Many argue, mainly concerned parents, “Are these video games damaging my child's brain development or affecting them negatively?” Some even might go on to say that these games encourage negative behaviors, like aggression and becoming anti-social. In some instances there have been reports of people confusing fantasy with reality, implying that a person can not tell the difference, either by dissociating from reality or creating a sense of false reality.

Politicians are quick to blame video games for mass shootings that have occured around the United States. A study by Agne Suziedelyte, looking at boys aged 8 to 18, the group most likely to play violent video games, examined two types of violence: aggression against other people, and destruction of things/property. After gathering information Suziededelyte stated: "[t]aken together, these results suggest that violent video games may agitate children, but this agitation does not translate into violence against other people – which is the type of violence which we care about most.” Suzidedelyte also brought up that other experts suggested that other factors to such violence might be mental illness and/or easy access to guns. These are more likely explanations for mass shootings. It’s possible you might get statements that you may believe are biased depending on who you ask but I do believe this recent study does an excellent job at backing up people who like playing video games. They might be labeled as aggressive individuals, but not everyone will fall into that category. Most individuals who play video games are very passionate about video games and kind. We love sharing our experiences with our friends, especially playing together or even just talking about them.

On the other hand, it’s understandable why parents are concerned for their children and what they are consuming for hours, especially when the content can be pretty violent or gory at times. Aside from violence, there are other factors that might be considered unhealthy habits like having a poor sleep schedule, exhaustion, dehydration, obesity, heart problems, and in some cases, even depression and lack of motivation for anything else. Playing video games for more hours than you should be is the main factor to all those issues, but as long as you are regulating your game time there should be little to none of those issues.

Playing Video games definitely has a lot more to it than what it might seem. Most people have the stereotypical mindset that videogames are just shooting people and more violence. As the author of this article, based on my own experiences with videogames, I have been playing ever since I was seven years old and playing video games has impacted my life in so many positive ways. I have even grown attachments to certain games, like my favorite game “The Walking Dead” by Telltale, where throughout the game your story is based on the decisions you make. Although It does involve violence at some points, I see it as more than that. It enhances my abilities to make quick decisions and uses my leadership skills while I enjoy the amazing plot with the most interesting characters. It is honestly a masterpiece. I loved being able to grow with these characters and seeing the game itself develop over the years. I truly do feel like this game has had a huge impact on my life and I am so thankful I was able to experience the start and finish of it in my lifetime. These video games definitely have a huge impact on our brains and hearts regardless of what you might think about them. I hope this article helped you have a better understanding of them and how they affect gamers.