Health Effects Of Video Games

The health effects of video games – advantages and disadvantages at a glance.

Lack of exercise and sleep disorders vs. ability to concentrate and speed of reaction – Video games such as fitness games are not as harmful to moderation as often assumed.

Many console players spend many hours of their free time on this device every day. Parents of playing children in particular take a critical view of this habit and fear that their playing habits could have a negative impact on their health. But to what extent can video games actually affect our health and are these possible consequences really as negative as many critics fear? Find out more here.

Negative effects

Turning first to the negative effects, it can be said that it is not so much the gambling itself as the consequences that are dangerous for health. Playing on consoles, for example, often replaces other leisure activities that would result in physical exertion.

In the case of video games, on the other hand, it is usually a matter of little physical activity, which increases the risk of being overweight and its consequences. In addition, regular consumption of such games restricts motor development in children, as only hand coordination is trained, not the movement of the entire body.

Other physical effects that can occur in the long term from frequent play include, depending on the type of play, the following:

  • digestive problems
  • circulatory problems
  • headaches
  • bad posture
  • neck pain
  • back pain and
  • Cramps

Studies at Stockholm University have also shown that the consumption of exciting video games has a negative impact on the balance of the vegetative nervous system, which can lead to heart rhythm or sleep disorders, for example. The use of game consoles can therefore have a negative impact on health, especially if a lot of time is spent on video games, which are action-heavy works.

One of the short-term effects of video games is excitement: While playing, the male sex hormone testosterone and the stress hormone noradrenaline are released, which leads to an increase in the pulse rate. These effects particularly affect those who already have an aggressive tendency – video games, as is often assumed, do not aggressively, but people with this tendency tend to prefer violent games.

Accordingly, one of the longer effects of violent games is the increasing tolerance of violence. If the games are played before going to bed, the scenes played, the training of violence, are strengthened in sleep.

Ultimately, excessive play can also have social consequences. Those affected put the fictitious world first; real contacts with family members and friends become rarer. In the worst case, isolation can occur, sometimes leading to depression.

Aggressive Video Games Make You Suspicious and Violent

A study by Purdue University, USA, provides further evidence that video games with brutal content have a negative impact on players.

As reported by the health magazine Apotheken Umschau, one group of test subjects played with a non-violent and a second group with a brutal version of a video game. In the subsequent survey, those who had played the aggressive version were significantly more willing to exploit their fellow players and interpret neutral situations as threatening.

Too Much Time In Front Of The Console Leads To Caries

More and more children spend their leisure time in front of the computer or television. Video games are one of their most popular hobbies. A new study has now discovered that this can be harmful for their teeth.

Because gambling brings bad habits with it. Children who sit longer in front of a PC eat more sweets than, for example, those who spend their free time outside. Fruit and vegetables are not very popular as snacks and many children between the ages of 12 and 16 suffer from tooth decay.

Killer Games Don’t Seem Deadening According To The Study

The trade magazine “Applied Cognitive Psychology” reports about a test that was carried out on 122 students in the USA and is intended to prove that violent video games do not have to have a deadening effect.

45 of the participating students stated that they had played such games in the six months prior to the test. The other 77 had no contact with such amusements. All participants were shown 150 pictures of violence and disgust. After one hour the participants had to recognize the cruel pictures amidst other new pictures. It turned out that the gamers and the non-gamers recognized the 150 shown pictures immediately well.

So the researchers assume that video games don’t make people feel colder, but admit in the article that many more studies are needed.

Baller Games Are Blunt

Shooting doesn’t make you more aggressive, but it blunts you. This is the result of a study by scientists from the University of Bonn. The researchers found that intensive players, unlike non-players, have different brain activity patterns.

“Ego-shooter games” are repeatedly criticized, especially after violent crimes committed by young people. In these computer games, players assume the role of a shooter who fights and kills virtual opponents with various weapons in a war-like situation.

Video players react less strongly to images of real victims

The test persons at the University of Bonn got to see photos of how they appear in the violent games, but also pictures of real victims of accidents and catastrophes. There was a serious difference between players and non-players. The “first-person shooters”, who play about 15 hours a week, reacted less strongly to the real, negative footage.

This is due to the fact that they are accustomed to such views due to their daily computer activities, explained Dr. Christian Montag of the Institute for Psychology at the University of Bonn. In other words, Dr Montag said, they were more indifferent than the non-players. The scientist assumes that it is not only during computer gaming that feelings become dulled. After all, the “ego shooters” would have shown a weakened reaction even with real image material.

Further studies necessary

According to Dr. Montag, the study results provided evidence that the extensive use of ego shooters is not unproblematic. But, the psychologist concludes, further studies are needed to gain greater certainty about the relationship between violent games, brain activity and actual behavior.

Aggressive Driving Behavior Through Computer Games

A racer on the game console, also on the road with a lead foot. This is the conclusion of a study by tyre manufacturer Continental with 2,000 drivers aged 17 to 39. The test subjects had to provide information about their driving behavior.

Half of the test subjects were players and half non-players from fast-paced racing games. Result of the survey: Those who like to race on the computer also tend to behave more risky on public roads. Consumers of racing games are also more likely to have trouble with the police and insurance companies. But, and this is the good news, they need fewer starts to get their driver’s license.

The study concludes that the more aggressive driving style is due to the fact that it has no unpleasant consequences in the game. Also, players clearly overestimate their driving qualities.

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