Is Gaming Good or Bad for Brain Development?

[Dembadon]

Gaming (more specifically, video gaming) seems to be in the same category as smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol.

All three can be argued to be social but could also ruin your relationship with family and friends. All three can be argued to be a waste of time but could also be a healthy alternative to smoking crack or shooting heroin.

Anyway, gaming can't be said to cause cancer or liver damage, so that probably gives it an edge.

I think there are two major paradigms at work: gaming is harmful, or people who don't have control over their hobbies are harmful to themselves and/or others. I'm of the latter opinion.

By harmful I mean things such as: wasted time, stagnant relationships, poor socialization, etc.

In my opinion, gaming doesn't damage relationships; the person choosing to game instead of spend time with family damages relationships. The fault is on the person, not the activity. About 10 years ago I played videogames to the extent that I was not being responsible with my time. The consequences were much bigger than I'd expected, but I can't blame an inanimate object or the hobby itself for my poor choices.

I don't have much time to game anymore, nor do I find it as enjoyable as I used to. However, every once in awhile (bi-monthly) on a day when it feels appropriate, I'll fire-up Starcraft and play for a couple hours. Or at least until I get tired of getting my *** kicked.

 

[nitsuj]

wow, so the common denominator for determining "Good/bad" is it's impact on capitalistic goals (ignoring the social impact comments).

I'd love to see a study showing the cognitive impact of reducing your day to day experience to within a video game(s) i.e. abuse of your brain. It must be similar to getting high/being high for a large part of waking hours...so simple, so easy.

I haven't seen anyone here say they're addicted to "Puzzle" video games..so am presuming there is no challenge in video games that would result in development. That said playing Civilization I learned a fair bit about...well civilization. Oh and same for Capitalism II, that was a fun simple economics game, however that is hardly unique to video games lol

 

[Dembadon]

...

I haven't seen anyone here say they're addicted to "Puzzle" video games..so am presuming there is no challenge in video games that would result in development. ...

That's pretty limiting, if you ask me. Many games have various types of puzzles within them even if they aren't labeled "puzzle games". For example, certain boss fights in RPG games can have mechanics that require one to solve some type of puzzle; the fight itself might not require the solving of a puzzle in the typical sense of the word, but one might have to figure out certain mechanics and how to best counter them given one's character's abilities.

Here's a link to the transcript of an interview with a program director at the Office of Naval Research regarding a study they did about the cognitive effects of video gaming:

http://www.defense.gov/blog_files/blog_assets/20100121_AWS.pdf

Here's the website on which I found the link:

http://science.dodlive.mil/2010/01/26/adults-benefit-from-playing-video-games-podcast/

 

[turbo]

@OP: you might want to play chess against live opponents. It is invigorating and socializing, too.

 

[dkotschessaa]

There are plenty of studies, the results of which are subject to interpretation from either side and which parallel the discussion here.

For example - this study showed that dopamine levels were doubled while playing a video game. That's a good marker that something can be addictive, and therefore dangerous.

Right?

Eating food also rasies dopamine levels from 50% to 100%(a doubling). Sex can raise it from 100% to 200%. (Source: http://gamertherapist.com/blog/2011/11/08/dopey-about-dopamine-video-games-drugs-addiction/)

As for drugs:



There's not much comparison to something like coke or meth, obviously.

Then there's this study: Gaming sharpens thinking, social skills, and perception.

We've been blaming the ills of society on video games since 1976 when they weren't much more advanced than "pong."
And before that "They say that the moving picture machine . . . tends even more than did the dime novel to turn the thoughts of the easily influenced to paths which some-times lead to prison.” (Moving Pictures as Helps to Crime, N. Y. Times, Feb. 21, 1909,) -Source

Even worse than dime novels, that dreaded moving picture machine.

-Dave K

 

[dkotschessaa]

BTW almost all programmers I know played a lot of video games as a kid.

(Though the reverse is not necessarily true).

 

[nitsuj]

That's pretty limiting, if you ask me. Many games have various types of puzzles within them even if they aren't labeled "puzzle games". For example, certain boss fights in RPG games can have mechanics that require one to solve some type of puzzle; the fight itself might not require the solving of a puzzle in the typical sense of the word, but one might have to figure out certain mechanics and how to best counter them given one's character's abilities.

Here's a link to the transcript of an interview with a program director at the Office of Naval Research regarding a study they did about the cognitive effects of video gaming:

Lets not mess this up with semantics, I did say specifically challenging. Not all "puzzles" are challenging, some are just engaging. There is a fine line between too much challenge not enough entertainment. WOW is a game that has gone through great lengths to balance this.

I would put the "challenge / puzzle" aspect of wow to be on par with preparing a particular meal for the first time. say...maybe Kraft Dinner or Grilled Cheese. Don't stand in the fire! & keep your hands off the hot stove element.

a study they did about the cognitive effects of video gaming:

I'd suspect there is a funding agenda behind those comments. Without reading the linked articles I'm presuming it was positive comments about a correlation.

 

[Bandarigoda]

@OP: you might want to play chess against live opponents. It is invigorating and socializing, too.

Yeah, I recently started it. :)

 

[HayleySarg]

I don't know, I don't particularly think so. Though as a recovered WoW addict, there can be... times. I think it depends on the personality. I was working 50hrs+ a week, but still made time for 30-60hrs of WoW each week. I was raiding two server first toons (one horde side, one alliance) and eventually it just ate at me. I burnt out pretty quick, and decided there are better things to do with my time. It also, was painfully easy. I went through playing each class in both PvE and PvP and found no real challenge once I got a feel for it.

For me, I find something and I go full force. I'm guilty of playing TES: IV for 40 hours straight until I passed out. Though most people do not have the urge to do this. What I do is unhealthy and why I've phased out a lot of gaming for now. I find if I don't have school or a 2nd job to keep my mind occupied, I game. And I game hard. In combination with an extreme competitive desire, it was a recipe for trouble.

I find that rpgs, especially jprgs have a lot of problem solving. From multi-level floor arrangements, to boss fight mechanics. They're definitely brain teasers at times. However, those sorts of games are easier to put down. MMO's have the issue where you're committed to someone else's time, instead of solely yours. That social pressure can be suffocating if you do not manage it well.

 

[AmazingLight]

It's simply a distraction which holds growing potential to become an addiction.

 

[Bandarigoda]

Could someone suggest me some games that can develop my thinking, speed. For PC or Android. Chess is good, but not fast. I have a big exam in next year August. Including

Maths, applied and other one
Physics
Chemistry --- I suck in this subject
General English

So we are aiming for that. If I passed it with nice score. I can go to a university or I have to do 2nd shy. But my target is to be a Software Engineer. I know, that don't want to study these subjects to be a one. Whatever, could you guys advice me, to clear my way?

 

[utkarshraj]

See gaming is not at all bad. But it can be harmful if if you have addiction of games like my brother has.

But yes, it do waste a lot of valuable time. Trust me i am a former gamer( still play games ), actually a lot of time passes by which you do not realize.

Play it with a watch on desk or with you all the time you play it, so to know how much you played it.

I think half to one hour is enough,( I play one hour :-)) )

Please don't play games like Crysis 3, GTA, as they have a lot of missions and can be exhausting.

PM me for more help!

 

[utkarshraj]

No Its Not All All Bad!

There are plenty of studies, the results of which are subject to interpretation from either side and which parallel the discussion here.

For example - this study showed that dopamine levels were doubled while playing a video game. That's a good marker that something can be addictive, and therefore dangerous.

Right?

Eating food also rasies dopamine levels from 50% to 100%(a doubling). Sex can raise it from 100% to 200%. (Source: http://gamertherapist.com/blog/2011/11/08/dopey-about-dopamine-video-games-drugs-addiction/)

As for drugs:



There's not much comparison to something like coke or meth, obviously.

Then there's this study: Gaming sharpens thinking, social skills, and perception.

We've been blaming the ills of society on video games since 1976 when they weren't much more advanced than "pong."
And before that "They say that the moving picture machine . . . tends even more than did the dime novel to turn the thoughts of the easily influenced to paths which some-times lead to prison.” (Moving Pictures as Helps to Crime, N. Y. Times, Feb. 21, 1909,) -Source

Even worse than dime novels, that dreaded moving picture machine.

-Dave K

See Its Not At all Bad, read my reply to this thread above. Trust me.

And i think they did study on games like chess, solitaire, etc., i.e. small games And not on GTA, Crysis, Assasin's Creed, etc

 

[Tim92G]

If I had studied as much as I have played games over the past 5 years (thousands of hours), I probably could have finished college early and been in grad school by now.

 

[Pythagorean]

Gaming is horrible. It causes violence. Look at what it turned Hitler into. And Stalin. And Napoleon. Imagine if they wouldn't have played video games as children. I bet the Civil War would have never happened. And the French Revolution? Gaming.

 

[consciousness]

Gaming is not "bad" or "good" you can't just put such a label on a whole industry comprising of different types of developers, gamers and games.

Gaming can be called addictive, but so can basically every enjoyable activity. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will waste many hours of your life. The gamer has to decide if he is wasting too much time or not.

Many games are violent, but many movies are too. Games clearly show their violence rating on their covers so that parents can supervise what their kid buys. If they don't then they shouldn't blame games.

Gaming has brought a revolution in recent years not just for entertainment but for scientific reasons too. For example a game called minecraft simulates real world material on the computer and allows the person to interact with it. This sounds normal but it is not. People are making working computers on this game!
Games are a powerful educational tool, powerful storytelling medium, artistic medium, e-sport etc.

Ultimately gaming is a hobby with great potential for growth. Remember that games are relatively new when compared to movies and books and haven't evolved totally yet.

 

[jduster]

Gaming is just like alcohol. Most people can handle it with moderation. Some can't.

 

[wukunlin]

I also find it funny that lot's of games have R16 or even R18 ratings for having violence when everyone let's their toddlers play Whac-A-Mole

 

[Enigman]

I also find it funny that lot's of games have R16 or even R18 ratings for having violence when everyone let's their toddlers play Whac-A-Mole

Or see Tom And Jerry