H/W Discursive writing assignment
Introduction
In this piece of discursive writing I will be explaining the good and bad points of video gaming. Video games have been out for a long time. They have been said to be out in the late 1950's but really nobody knows when video games were invented. Video games have had a huge impact to our human nature. Are video games a good or bad thing? It depends really they can be looked at in a bad way but also in a good way. Video games can be a good thing for children but also a bad thing it depends on how you view the evidence. Video games have boomed in the gaming industry and some video games more than others and we will see why. Video games have become an attraction in today's modern world and we will see why it has caught the eye for our entertainment. Computer games are very popular with young people, but they are also controversial. For example, some people argue that they are harmful to brain development, cause children to neglect reading and other social activities. Video games can encourage violent or anti-social behaviour. Other people claim that the games help to develop advanced thinking skills and are often played with other people rather than alone. What is the truth of the matter?
Research published in 2000 shows that computer games are damaging brain development and could lead to children being unable to control violent behaviour. Video games are creating a very low down generartion far closer to violence than their parents, according to a new study on modern video gaming. Losing control of your body to violent behavior is not due to the fact that young people are absorbing the agression in video games but is caused due to the stunting of a developing mind. Most of today's games contain violence even in a very cunning way.
Video games can keep you occupied for a long period of time and can be helping in some ways. Video games like 'Champion manager' and 'Simcity' are good for you and make you think clearly and help you in making decisions in your everyday lives. Most people often say that gaming is bad and stops you from reading but research shows that problem-solving and even maths and spelling all got better amongst gamers. When children play together with their friends it can be good for the growth of their communication skills. 'SimCity' teaches a kid that 'life is not simple' and Championship Manager shows how to use databases. These two games can be very helpful to a developing mind. Children like playing video games and so if they play educational games like these then they can get their heads really suck into these types of games and can improve their minds.
There have been a few worrying incidents due to the playing of violent video games. One of the incidents was when two normal school boys who were addicted to a violent video game, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and a teacher and wounded 23 others before shooting themselves at their high school in Little, Colorado, in April 1999. They were known to enjoy playing a violent video game which was out at that time. The game is called 'Doom', a game licensed by the US military to train soldiers to improve their aim and basically ...
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There have been a few worrying incidents due to the playing of violent video games. One of the incidents was when two normal school boys who were addicted to a violent video game, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and a teacher and wounded 23 others before shooting themselves at their high school in Little, Colorado, in April 1999. They were known to enjoy playing a violent video game which was out at that time. The game is called 'Doom', a game licensed by the US military to train soldiers to improve their aim and basically kill. Eric Harris had actually modified a version of the game Doom and placed it on his Website. In his version there were two shooters, extra weapons, and the other people in the game couldn't shoot back. He and Klebold essentially acted-out their version of Doom on innocent classmates.
Nintendo has sold nearly five million copies of its three Nintendo DS brain training games since the series launched in Japan in 2005. Brain training is said to improve your IQ. Brain Training is a fun way of improving your IQ. This game is good and does not have any violence in it and therefore cannot encourage violence. This game is perfectly safe to all ages and can be played amongst families and friends; it proves that video games can be a brain food console rather than a brain destroyer.
There was research on violent video games and it was tested out on college students, who played either a violent video game (Wolfenstein 3D) or a non-violent game (Myst). Following video game play the students took some tests and participated in a "Competitive reaction time task" where they were told that they were playing against another student. They were told that they could blast the other student with a noise if they won, and that they could vary the intensity and duration of the blast. Students in both groups blasted their opponent longer and louder following trials when they had lost and their opponent had just blasted them. Students who had played Wolfenstein 3D blasted their opponent longer and louder on such trials than students who had played Myst. Female students blasted their opponents longer and louder on all trials than male students. This concludes that females can be more aggressive than males. Children who become addicted to computer games may actually be more intelligent than the average and go on to university and higher-ranking jobs, according to a home office research review publish. Some gaming Geeks got into good schools and got very good jobs well over average. Video games can be encouraging to people with certain sicknesses like eczema, as instead of scratching you can keep your hands busy. Video games help distract you from your illness for an example cancer. A British Medical Journal reported that children suffering from cancer and other severe conditions were actually distracted from their pain by videogames under test conditions. Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University, said that patients distracted by games had "less nausea and lower systolic blood pressure than control patients (who were simply asked to rest) after treatment. An eight year-old boy who continually picked at his face, leading to scarring on his upper lip. "Previous treatments had failed so the boy was given a hand held video game to keep his hands occupied. After two weeks the affected area had healed." So this means that video games can help to distract you from illnesses.
Even non-violent video games have an effect on you, a simple Arcade racing game had a big impact on a boy. The boy spent 10 days in hospital in a Hypnotic trance having played a racing simulation game at a seaside amusement arcade. The youth, who has cerebral Palsy, was brought to reality by a retired clergyman. James Little who is aged 16 was admitted to the Devon district hospital believing he had crashed his car and his clothes were ablaze. He did not go to bed for seven days. This is a very bad thing that happened after playing in a video arcade. So video games have different effects on different people.
If you are really bored and you don't have anyone to play with and it is raining outside video games could come in handy. Video games are a big attraction in our world today as young people tend to like the feeling of winning and the sensational relaxing feeling. Most people play video games and you tend to learn more things by playing a game rather than watching a movie as when you play the game you are controlling the thing in that TV of yours unlike just sitting there watching a movie. Some research put some primary kids to the test, one group of children played non-violent games while the other group played violent games and after they had a questionnaire. In the research the boys who played the violent video games answered negatively. They asked what you would do if someone took your bag by accident, the answer was, I will give him a punch; however this evidence is not reliable. Another test showed similar results. Two young men played two different types of game one was violent the other one was non-violent. They then had a general knowledge quiz. The rule was that if you get the answer correct you get a jelly beans but if you get it wrong then you get punished by your opponent holding your hand in freezing water. The person who played the violent game held his opponents hand longer than the person who played the non-violent game. This is very similar to the test on primary school children. The UK study concluded that simulation and adventure games such as 'Sim City' and 'Rollercoaster Tycoon', where players create societies or build theme parks, developed children's strategic thinking and planning skills. Some parents and teachers thought that their children's mathematics, reading and spelling improved. The investigation into the habits of 700 children aged seven to 16 also found that, far from being a solitary activity, children preferred to play games in pairs or small groups. Children like to play together than alone. Here are some of the mentally stimulating games Age of Empires II, Championship Manager, City Traders, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Sim City 3000, The Sims, The Settlers and Worms United.
The killing of Stefan Pakeerah in Leicester in February 2004 was believed to be inspired by a game called ManHunt. Due to this incident they banned (Manhunt 2) which came out in January. If you play for a very long time without taking breaks you could end up with developing signs of RSI, particularly in your thumbs. Video games are very addictive and if you become addicted it's hard to let go of it.
Conclusion
I think that video games don't do you much harm unless you're addictive to it or a video gaming geek. Remember that not only children are addicted but also adults. I think that the incident of Eric Haris and Dylan Klebold was not due to playing violent video games otherwise millions of people will be on the streets killing people, as millions of people play these games. Either the parents didn't look after them well or they didn't like their childhood. The video games probably had a small impact on the two boys but not a lot. As a parent would you like your children to be addicted to drugs or video games? I think I'll go for the video games. Video games can keep you away from teen mischief. Instead going around in gangs egging people's houses you could stay in your house away from mischief. Some video games are educational and others distract you from your illnesses. Adults should also keep some restrictions for time out to do other things. Adults should also encourage their kids but should tell them the dangers of playing it for a long time. I think video games are perfectly safe as long as you know how to use them correctly and stick to the age restrictions. Video gaming is very similar to watching a violent movie except that you are controlling it instead of just sitting and watching. The two boys Eris Haris and Dylan Klebold could have been interested in violent movies which are realistic. I also think that video games are good for hand and eye coordination and the education games are very good for young people to develop their skills, which could come in handy in the future. Video games can be violent or pleasant but can be used in the correct way to make sure you enjoy yourselves.
By Samuel Joseph
