Video Games
“Savage Kats” – members: Jugdeep Sahota, Umar Akram, Takashi Nakagawa,
Shahid Qureshi
Video Games and Computer Holding Power
Article: “Want to Exercise your mind? Try PlayStation”
By: Steven Johnson of The London Times http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=839252031&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientld=12520&RQT=309&Vname=PQD>>
Summary
The article “Want to Exercise your mind? Try PlayStation” by Steven Johnson talks about how over time culture has taken on a multifaceted stance. And the mass culture of today has developed into one that is much more demanding and complex. Johnson further continues and points out in the article that reading should not be looked at as the only most beneficial stimuli for the brain that develops cognitive skills. He says many critics of popular culture have seen the past thirty years as a “dumbing down” of society. However, Johnson sees it as a progressive or positive brainwash where popular media are making our brains sharper as we soak in entertainment as he calls the sleeper curve. These media forms of technology include video games, television, the Internet.
The satisfaction that we receive from these is beyond what we traditionally received from basic reading. Video gaming exclusively of all things has triggered a whole new dexterity of the human mind that once was not active by just reading. He does not say reading is not important but rather that reading and video games can be used as a combination to develop skills. Individuals are forced to actively make decisions that will affect the final results. This interactivity does much more then literature, movies or music. These forms force the users to think about and invoke up emotions in one way. However, video games force us to decide, to choose, to prioritize and then we get immediate feedback. This helps us to make snap decisions without hesitation, analyzing situations and considering longer-term effects in a particular situation.
He uses many persuasive examples to get his message across. He argues when algebra is taught, everyone knows that students will probably forget it when they walk out of the class. Algebra is used to strengthen a mental muscle that may come in useful elsewhere. He also says when one goes to the gym they don’t go there to learn how to use the equipment, they go there to use the equipment and have an effect on their body.
He argues that video games can be frustrating to the users because they are challenging. With the use of video games kids learn without realizing it. Using the example of SimCity 2000 saying this teaches the basics of industrial economics, however if they were to learn this in school they would not be as attentive and pick up on the benefits.
He also mentions that the coverage of the benefits of video games does not reach the mainstream, rather the type of coverage that it receives is that video games cause violence, addiction, and mindless escapism.
Further, the article discuses how the Internet has also come to support new environments in which gaming has become popular. The Internet helps support more realistic competition when engaged in multiplayer settings. Lastly it should not be forgotten that PlayStation is a prime example where individuals can play against other people or the computer on which will definitely stir up motivation in the individual.
Critical Analysis
1) Video games have rapidly become a common phenomenon that many do not notice the benefits that they provide. Video games and the computer have been great tools that have been very beneficial to the public. Video games have helped the development of the brain and the way people think. It is definite that video games have helped to develop skills such as decision making, and prioritizing, which is also supported by others.
“Every game has its own interface and controls, so that anyone who has learned to play a handful of games can generally figure out how to operate almost any high-tech device. Games require players to construct hypotheses, solve problems, develop strategies, and learn the rules of the in-game world through trial and error. Gamers must also be able to juggle several different tasks, evaluate risks and make quick decisions” (The Economist).
Even though there are many others like this that agree with the position of Steven Johnson on video games there are many others who disagree and are opposed entirely to video games calling them a evil. Much of the news coverage is about how video games are bad, they are a drain on society. However, this cannot be true when a reasonable amount of research has not been done to conclude these assumptions. Most of the critics of gaming are forty and older. When it comes to the issue of violence caused by video games the blame must be placed on the individuals and not the games. Whatever happened to taking responsibilities for your actions?
There is one opinion that I feel Steven Johnson has failed to mention. I believe video games can be helpful in developing valuable skills, however it can only be sustained with a moderated use of video games. Most games do provide some kind of benefit, however too much of something is not good either.
2) From my personal experience, I agree with that playing video games is not totally mindless activity, and it may enhance our cognitive ability. Comparing with watching TV or listening to music, video games require much more active engagement. Video games resemble “work”, to which people expect rewards instead of their engagement. As Johnson mentioned, rewarding system is what the game attracts the player. Rewards in the game world are worthless; in the real world however, enhancement of cognitive ability is real reward for our real life. So video games are good! Are they really good? In terms of what? I think Johnson’s argument is one-sided, since he brought his value judgement, “what is good.”
What games attract people is not only virtual rewarding system. Popular games are not all like “SIM CITY”. Some are like “Final Fantasy” and some are “Gran Tourismo”, and others are like “Biohazard”. Are they all good? Vincent Mathews’s experiment had an interesting result. Using MRI, brain activity levels of game players were measured. The examinees played with a violent gun shooting game and a non-violent car racing game. When playing the gun shooting game, examinees’ brain activity level decrease more that when playing the car racing game. With this fact, we cannot conclude that thus violent video game is “bad”, but it proved that even though both are action games, violent and non-violent game do not have same effect on our brain.
I would not object to the idea “videogames enhance cognitive ability”. However, to get rewards, firstly players have to invest something, such as money, time, physical work and so on. But we don’t really know what kind of brain activities or abilities are invested while we are playing videogame. Videogames probably enhance cognitive ability; however, in the same time they may decrease other important mental abilities. Cognitive ability is not one and only important mental ability. There is possibilities that we decrease other important mental abilities instead of increasing cognitive ability. It might end up in too much\r\n investment for little profit. For this reason, such assumption, “videgames are good, because thay enhance cognitive ability”, is problematic.
Reference The Schiller Institute Websitehttp://www.schillerinstitute.org/new_viol/videos_brain.html
Discussion Questions:
1) Do you believe that video games are beneficial in developing skills of the users as Steven Johnson mentions? Give examples of games that do this.
2) Others argue that video games are merely a downside to society and are not beneficial. Do you agree? Explain.
3) Why do think video games appeal to so many people?
4) Do you believe video games are responsible for the violence seen in society?
Bibliography
Johnson, Steven. “Want to exercise your mind? Try PlayStation.” The London Times.
May 13, 2005. URL:<http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=839252031&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientld=12520&RQT=309&Vname=PQD>
No Author. “Leaders; Breeding Evil?; Defending Video Games.” The Economist.
August 6, 2005. URL: <http://proquest.umi.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pqdweb?did=878183681&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=12520&RQT=309&VName=PQD>
Phau, Don. “Studies Show Violent Videos Damage Brain.” Schiller Institute. December 27, 2002. URL: <http://www.schillerinstitute.org/new_viol/videos_brain.html>
*** The links are through U of T libraries and may require a login screen
posted by Jugdeep Sahota at 9:45 AM
5 Comments:
Former theoretical frameworks aimed towards television and other multimedia works were conceived and encouraged by works such as ‘Amusing ourselves to Death’ by Neil Postman. They saw a ‘dumbing down’ of society due to television. Similarly for videogames, there exist websites like MAVAV (Mothers against videogame addiction and violence) which maintain that “video game addiction is becoming an ever increasing problem, comparable now, even to alcohol and drug abuse” (http://www.mavav.org/resources/)
However I personally feel that due to the absence of an experimental research where confounding of variables is avoided, one cannot affirm that ‘violence is caused by videogames or not’. Videogames definitely provide an altered state of mind in which any person can be whoever they want to, and helps live out a fantasy within the virtual environment of that game as an avatar. I feel that there is a necessary predisposition or tendency towards a certain kind of behavior that each gamer must have, for any demonstrated attitude. For example, a child who enjoys a fast paced life will spend many hours perfecting his speed in the game. This behavioral pattern will directly lead to increased dexterity, increased speed of reflexes etc. This might lead to a higher mark in say a math course. However, a child who is chronically depressed may view the videogame as a ‘shelter’ where he/she can ‘escape’ from the world, and may begin to believe that this is the only place where he/she can ‘be him/herself’. This attitudinal behavior may result in the case mentioned in many papers where a child went and shot somebody after playing multiple hours of videogames. Moreover this is exactly what MAVAV and such organizations are working hard to prevent.
Hence it is a combined effect of a predisposed state of mind, environmental variables, the effect of video games and many other confounded variables that determine a child’s behavior, and the extent of each variable is hard to determine.
In response to Weifang Liu's, question of “Why not design more games to target at improving these interactive, leadership and new media technology skills among its users?”
I believe there are many games targeted at improving skills, however 100% public approval cannot happen overnight and probably never will happen. Therefore it is important to look for the educational skill developing games. Many examples have been mentioned in other responses but some include: SimCity, the Sims, Tycoon games, Industrial Manager, and even NHL (recent editions). I have mentioned NHL because they have a dynasty mode, which also exist in other sports games. The Dynasty mode teaches people about the management of employees and a business. The manager has to maintain profit, build a productive team and keep his owner happy or else face consequences. This gives people the opportunity to learn and understand what happens with wrong styles of management without actually doing any significant harm in real life.
So these games are available but it is up to the users to find the games and see the benefits they provide.
Just a follow up idea about video games. We must remember that the video game creators are trying to create a product that the public is interested in getting. They are businesses and have investors of their own, so profitability is the number one goal.
Violence exists in video games without a doubt, but it is the individual user's responsibility to be able to tell the difference between reality and a video game. If one is unable to differentiate maybe they should not be playing these games. Children must rely on their parents to make the judgment on the games they have access to. This is why there is a rating on the box. The retailers are certainly aware of this and by personal experience I know they follow it.
TRUE STORY
When I was younger, I wanted to rent resident evil, my mom was there and they still said the game was very bad and I shouldn't play it because of the violence involved. I convinced my mom to let me rent the game saying it was just a warning it's not really that bad, I played it before. She let me knowing the type of kid I was. But she wanted to see the game when we got home.
Out of that story what I hope for you to have gotten is that violence does exist in video games and as long as everyone does their jobs these games should not be accessible to children or at least a parent should be present and make the decision.
In addition, violence has been around well before the advent of violent video games. I am pretty sure that the first murder did not come after the advent of video games and movies. It is something within us and by the elimination of violence in video games will not put an end to violence in out society.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
When the author talks about pop culture over the past 30 years as “dumbing
down” culture, I found this a very interesting point. I found this other
article called “It’s The Media, Stupid.”
(http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0214-05.htm ) and there was this quote
that further discussed the issue: “Much of American mass culture dumbs down
life and promotes poor health and bad self-esteem. It is depreciation of
humanity that is ultimately the product we pitch incessantly and universally
through Baywatch, Hollywood and McDonald's. One need only to turn on the
television to see the celebration of erection, the commoditization of
sexuality, the quest for lust, the endless pushing of the bright flashing lies
that are about physical beauty in order to marginalize intellect, self-worth
and spirituality.” I wanted to add this in because I thought that your group
made a good point by bringing it up, but didn’t really dive into this topic.
Your group also mentions how kids learn without realizing it. This is good
when it’s a learning game, but isn’t it very bad if the kid is playing a game
like Grand Theft Auto, and is learning to steal cars and treat women badly?
Since you said they are learning without realizing it, it is subconsciously
affecting them, whether they admit to it or not.
I think video games appeal to so many people because they offer a means of
escape for everybody who has access to the gaming console. It allows us to
love out fantasies such as flying and being a superhero, all within the
confines of a game. It’s not perfect though, because we still must work within
the game, it does not offer limitless possibilities (but neither does real
life!) Some people can afford to escape their everyday life by going on
extravagant vacations, but for the rest of us who don’t have the time or
financial means to do this, video games are an excellent substitute.
I have written an entry in my blog on this subject. Essentially to summarise:
No conclusive evidence that they encourage violence.
Good at developing strategic planning and problem solving skills.
Also develops visual skills, ability to recognise details etc.
Most video games contain some text to read. Quite a few, like RPG's contain a lot of text to read as the plot develops. Therefore they can also encourage reading skills.
Read it here:
http://20thcenturyhistorian.blogspot.com/
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