Some first-person shooters ask players to roam around a virtual world alone killing anything that moves in exchange for points. Structure refers to the rules of the game, how it is played, the overall goal of playing, and so on. Both structure and content matterįirst, scholars have recognized how the structure of a game can be as significant as the content. What has changed in the past few years is we now have a better understanding of why certain games seem to cause a more significant reaction in some cases than others.
The students who were playing violent games took 450 percent longer to respond to the person in need than those playing the non-violent games. While they were playing, the researchers simulated a Good Samaritan scenario: there was a fight just a few feet from where the game players were seated in which one person assaulted the other then ran away, leaving the victim in need of assistance. In one study, undergraduate students were asked to play violent or nonviolent games for several hours. “ cannot ignore the comprehensive reviews that indicate violent game play has a significant effect on aggressive behavior, affect, cognition and empathyacross work conducted with over 130,000 participants … the effects have consistently been reported as significant findings with various age groups and in a number of different cultural settings.” (emphasis added) Researchers Lavinia McLean and Mark Griffiths cataloged and reviewed numerous studies on the effects of violent gaming and concluded: While ongoing research needs to be conducted, there is now enough evidence to comfortably say that playing first-person shooters can be a hindrance to the formation and wellbeing of today’s young people. As the authors of one review summarizing 381 studies on gaming effects conclude, “ violent video game effects should remain a societal concern.” Time and again, studies suggest this particular genre of games decreases empathy while increasing aggression among the children, teenagers, and young adults who play them. However, the general consensus was that while this was a newer area of study, most kids and teenagers are better off steering clear of the first-person shooter genre.įour years later, findings on the effects of first-person shooters remain largely the same. When I first began reviewing available research in 2014 on first-person shooters, I was eager to find proof that would help alleviate a lot of parental anxiety. Within studies on gaming, the most hotly-debated topic is a genre called “first-person shooters.” First-person shooters are games in which the player views the action through the eyes of a protagonist whose primary task is to shoot various other characters while moving through the levels of the game. Related: 10 things every parent should know about gamingĪs video games have continued to become enormously popular with young people (and adults), these are just a few of the questions researchers have been exploring. What age group does “young people” refer to? How much time do they spend playing? Do they play alone, with friends, or with strangers? Which gaming systems, games, or types of games are we looking at? How do we know for sure the effects are caused by the game?
The more you think about it, the trickier it gets. Imagine being asked to research the effects video games have on young people. Join the community of families who are #navigatingdigitally.Īre violent video games as bad as they seem in the media?
WHAT IS THE FIRST VIDEO GAME WHERE YOU PLAY AS A DRAGON SERIES
This post is part of a series celebrating our newest resource, Every Parent’s Guide to Navigating Our Digital World, which offers tools to help parents think differently about digital media, talk more about it together, and be inspired by the ideas of other parents navigating these same waters day after day. We want to talk more about media with our kids, but we’re not always sure how.
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