Impact of Video Games on Children and Adolescents

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Background and Statistics
Positive Impacts
Violence in video games
Psychosocial Development
Policy and Regulation
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Video games popular activity and multibillion-dollar industry
Promotes learning and skills when played in moderation
Widespread concerns over violence and age-inappropriate material
Excessive playing time leads to socialization issues
Physical and psychological consequences present

Background and Statistics

Video game industry has reached $90 billion total revenue
164 million people in the U.S. play video games and 75% of households have an avid gamer
At least 91% of kids aged 2-17 play video games regularly
56-66% of teens aged 8-17 play for an average of 2-2.5 hours per day
90% of parents pay attention to children’s gaming (ESA, 2019).

Positive Impacts

Gaming can be beneficial to children investing less than 1/3 of daily free time
Can stimulate pro-social behavior gaming with peers – improved teamwork
Individually, improves life satisfaction and less problems with peers
Emotionally healthy if age-appropriate, helps manage conduct problems
For some individuals can help with attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity (Shapiro, 2014)
Gaming contributes to meta-cognitive skills
Improving motor skills and coordination
Improving attention and building memory
Comparable to imaginative play vital to children
Can help with logical and strategic thinking in cognitive development (Schenk, Lech, & Suchan, 2017)

Violence in video games

Most top-selling video games currently rated Mature or 17+
Those rated Teen continue to have blood, suggestive themes and fantasy violence
Competition in most games such as Fortnite stems from and rewards “killing” other players
Mature games depict highly violent actions and crime
Modern technology allows for ultra-realistic graphics in-game
Actions are performed or observed by the human player from first-person perspective (Stuart, 2019)
APA notes violent video games not linked to mass shootings
Reliable association to behaviors such as yelling or pushing in children
Evidence shows aggressive or anti-social behavior (American Psychological Association, 2020)
Experts clarify aggression does not indicate violent action
Family environment plays a role on beliefs and exemplification of aggression (Shao & Wang, 2019)

Psychosocial Development

By observing video game violence, children may demonstrate desensitization to real-world violence
Emotional health, personality disorders, and situational decision-making impacted
Motivational behavior suffers with excessive gaming
Addiction to gaming is an APA DSM-5 qualification as a mental disorder
Psychosocial effects are both immediate and build up over time (Shapiro, 2014)
Video gaming, particularly excessive causes severe psychosocial issues
Clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety
Social isolation and decreased academic achievement
Stress and maladaptive disorder, poor functioning
Sedentary lifestyle and effects on physical health such as obesity (Heiden, Braun, Muller, & Egloff, 2019)

Policy and Regulation

Video games are evaluated by Electronic Software Ratings Board (ESRB)
Research is forcing governments to consider stronger regulation
Moral panic and politicizing arise
Proper policy limits minors’ access to violence
Predatory practices and addictive elements to promote spending regulated
Difficult with First Amendment issues (Reporters Committee, n.d.)

Conclusion

Video games a prevalent activity for kids currently
Can be healthy and beneficial, in moderation
Violence is concerning, but does not lead to violent behavior
Excessive gaming leads to addiction and psychosocial development problems
Regulation and parental guidance necessary to manage effects of the activity

References

American Psychological Association. (2020). APA Reaffirms Position On Violent Video Games And Violent Behavior. Web.

Esa. (2019). 2019 Essential Facts About The Computer And Video Game Industry. Web.

Heiden, J. M. V. D., Braun, B., Müller, K. W., & Egloff, B. (2019). The Association Between Video Gaming And Psychological Functioning. Frontiers In Psychology, 10. Web.

Reporters Committee. (N.D.). Regulation Of Violent Video Games Sales To Minors Violates First Amendment. Web.

Schenk, S., Lech, R. K., & Suchan, B. (2017). Games People Play: How Video Games Improve probabilistic learning. Behavioural brain Research, 335, 208–214. Web.

Shao, R., & Wang, Y. (2019). The Relation Of Violent Video Games To Adolescent Aggression: An Examination Of Moderated Mediation Effect. Frontiers In Psychology, 10. Web.

Shapiro, J. (2014). A Surprising New Study on how Video Games Impact Children. Forbes. Web.

Stuart, K. (2019). Video Games Do Not Cause Violence – But Makers Do Need To Think About It. The Guardian. Web.