Rough Draft MAP

Introduction:

Like television and movies, video games have become a controversial issue, largely including debates surrounding their use of graphic violence, biased gender roles, and portrayal of criminal behavior. Along with this, video games have also been studied for addiction and aggression among their players. At the same time, several research shows that video games are not to blame for these problems, and several groups argue that the video game industry has become an easy scapegoat for the modern day problems within society. Research on this side of the issue shows that video games actually benefit the player, providing for them useful skills and qualities. Controversies for the effects of video game playing vary, and may depend on the game and the psychology of the player.

Body:

Why do people like video games? They allow for an escape, provide challenging tasks that enhance the mind, are an outlet for stress and aggression relief.

[ include interviews from Professor Chris Paul, Seattle U gamers, close friends, brother]

Chris Paul is an expert on the subject, so his input will provide substantial evidence of the negatives and positives of video games.

For the other groups, I want to see what other reasons they have for playing video games, choosing people that I don’t know versus people that I do will allow me to see how their answers differ based on their relationship with me and if they are embarrassed or open about the issue.

Two Competing arguments:

Big Ideas: Are video games good for you?
Posted Sep 23rd 2009 3:00PM by Akela Talamasca

Video games are not harmful; they are actively good for you. Video games are said to train hand eye coordination. More importantly, they allow to play to engage in problem solving which helps them outside of the game. The author argues that people who play video games have a knack for exploring and trying things on their own. He uses the game “Civilization” as an example of how players can learn factual information from game playing than they may learn in the classroom. He acknowledges the fact that nothing is like first-hand experience, but a lot of protocol can be absorbed through play-- repetition keeps skills fresh. Rehearsing actions in the mind makes the body become adept to applying and demonstrating them in real life. Having said all of this, the author argues that the most profound way that video games are helpful to players is in their cathartic properties; video games allow the player to take out their aggression and stress and release it in the game. He attempts to establish credibility by quoting the current Karmapa Lama in India Trinley Dorje, a spiritual leader of one of the largest sects of Tibetan Buddhism, who plays violent video games for just this reason. He quotes Dorje, who says, “"So, for me sometimes it can be a relief, a kind of decompression to just play some video games. If I'm having some negative thoughts or negative feelings, video games are one way in which I can release that energy in the context of the illusion of the game. I feel better afterwards. The aggression that comes out in the video game satiates whatever desire I might have to express that feeling. For me, that's very skilful because when I do that I don't have to go and hit anyone over the head."
In his final point, the author responds to critics who say video games are the blame for violent behavior, saying that games are tools, and are no more accountable for the actions of the people who use them than any other tool is-- for example, you don’t blame the hammer for the alcoholism of the carpenter, of the drill for the abuse of the craftsman. He says that our responsibility is to use our tools to benefit all, and not to blame our personal shortcomings or faults on them. He says doing so does disservice to the actual intentions of the game designers, who “merely wanted to bring something enjoyable to the world.”

Harmful Effects of Video Games
By Chandramita Bora
Published: 6/29/2009

In another recent article that argues for the harmful effects of video games, the author writes that video games do in fact contribute to violent behavior. The author says that video games are perhaps the most significant source of entertainment for adolescents since the 70s, and that they have greater adverse effects on children than television and movies because they demand active participation of the player, effecting their behavior and psychology. While the other author argued that repetition keeps the players skills fresh and suggested it was a beneficial aspect of video game play, this author agrees the repetition is the key to improved learning, so its violent video game play is effective in instilling aggressive behavior in young children. Another point the author makes is that violence and aggression depicted in games if practiced in the real world can lead to serious injuries and even death. She says that it is believed that video game playing may reduce a child’s empathy or desire to help others, impact their academic performance, lead to obesity due to decreased physical activity, and social isolation because they spend less and less time interacting. Along with this, it skews the players idea of gender roles because women are often portrayed as a victim or weaker person. The author does take into consideration the idea that games can be used properly in improving hand-eye coordination, problem solving, logic, and quick thinking. She makes the final point that parents should play an important role to ensure that video games do not lead to any of these harmful effects. They can do this by limiting the amount of time played and by taking into account the rating of video games when purchasing them.

Another article, “Understanding Online Gaming Addiction and Treatment Issues for Adolescents,” by Kimberly Young, studies the effects of video games in terms of addiction. Young compares the addiction to video games to addition to alcohol or drugs-- she outlines classic signs like lying about game use, losing interest in other activities, withdrawing from family ad friends, and using it unhealthily as a psychological escape. More interestingly, she studies the negative impact gaming has on the player’s friends and family.

The different values or audiences the authors seem to appeal to vary; the first author’s values are obviously directed towards the benefits video games have on player and appear to strategically respond to negative posits towards the issue. In this sense, it seems that he is speaking to opponents of video games, especially in his second paragraph where he says, “It is easy to demonize something you know nothing about.” He also tries to be credible with his argument by using the Karmapa Lama as a video game icon, telling his audience you don’t have to take his word for it, but just look at the facts. The author evaluates the object in terms of what the player actually gains from it, yet doesn’t really look at any of the negative effects that other research has shown to have had on gamers. The only thing he does say about the other side of the issue is that video games should NOT be to blame for school shootings and adolescent aggression. Towards the end of his essay, the author calls video games “tools.” While I think he could have been on to something here, he instead takes it very literally and compares them to actual tools, such as a hammer or drill. The point he was trying to make was that video games are tools we use for our mind, or to release aggression. But his comparisons are unclear.

The second author’s values center around the health of a player. They outline potential effects that video games can have on people, but don’t necessarily show any factual or specific cases for their argument. Although I feel I have seen some of the effects they pointed out first-hand, I am unsure if what I am seeing is actually the case, or if its as the first author puts it, “something I know nothing about.” One thing that was interesting was how these authors took the same argument that the first one had made, and turned it around-- the suggestion that rehearsing actions in the mind causes the body to become adept to applying and demonstrating them in real life was a good skill for author 1, but the second author argued that this repetition is the key to instilling aggression on children. It seems that it would have to depend on the game.

Other things to explore:

Columbine/ other school shootings or acts of violence that have been blamed on video games by the media