Video games received a lot of negative press since they have become so popular. They have a reputation of creating killers kids, teenagers, and sometimes even grown adults.
While they may have influence in the mainstream society, it's time for video games to get some positive credit for their good aspects. Gamers are happily voicing the positive and exciting ways that video games are helping people.
It’s said that the skills needed to play games are similar to the skills needed to perform an examination surgery of the internal organs of the abdomen using a laparoscope aka laparoscopic surgery.
In a relatively unheard of study recently published within the medical community, surgeons who at one time in their lives played up to 3 hours of video games a week made 37% fewer errors in the simulated laparoscopic surgeries performed during the study.
They were faster and better overall than the other surgeons who played less than 3 hours or none at all. This is not a perfect study but it is definitely an exciting development that will be followed by researchers for further possibilities.
Another study which is currently being performed is using Virtual Reality Therapy with soldiers that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is estimated that more than 20% of American soldiers who have returned from Iraq suffer with PTSD.
A game that has been created and modified from the Xbox game, Full Spectrum Warrior, is being used to help soldiers face their fears with similar landscapes, scenes, and even smells that resemble what they experienced in the Middle East. One female soldier that has completed this form of therapy has continued to see improvements three months after receiving the therapy. The psychologist that has created this therapy is not making any grand claims at this point but is very hopeful for continued future success.
Another way that video games are beneficial is in fitness. A Canadian fitness company is now hooking interactive games up to exercise machines.
This facility is geared specifically toward teens. You can pedal and steer your way into victory against friends through playing the game on your stationary bike. The bike is connected to a biking PlayStation game and the pedals and handlebars give you movement and steering in the game. This is a truly inventive way to merge teenagers' love for video games with physical activity.
The resistance to video games is nothing but the continuing conflict between generations. In the 1940’s to 1950’s, rock ’n’ roll was thought to have a clearly negative influence. Parents, preachers and politicians all thought it changed young people in to lazy mindless zombies. According to one U.S. preacher, rock and roll turned kids into “devil worshippers” who defied both the law and common decency. Elvis’s dancing was considered sacrilegious to the human movement.
Jazz, novels, comic books, movies and even the waltz were criticized as corrupting influences that would dull the minds of young people. However, I think we can all agree those influences weren’t so bad.
When used with a want of positive results, Video games can allow for creativity and individualism. A game can allow a player to see how events can happen differently and for what reasons.
Children and teenagers use popular culture to deal with escalating stress at school and home. Advertisers constantly focus what many people consider inappropriate ads to young consumers, yet they receive less than half the grief that video games do.
It doesn’t take a lot of insight to recognize that the modern public educational system is crumbling. Fresh ideas and computer involvement is needed. Video games is a talent that could be fully developed using traditional textbooks and instructions. More and more studies are showing that video games can have positive effects. Some public school have already begun experimental programs utilizing computers with instant success. Therefore, the advance of video games into classroom education, is not only unavoidable; it is necessary.
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