Social effects of video games

[Phlegmak]

What do you think are the social effects of video games? Also, what kind of constructive effects do you think there are from video games?

I can say that I had some educational opportunities from playing a few video games. The Ancient Art of War taught me about tactics and strategy, and about Sun Tzu's philosophies. The Ancient Art of War at Sea taught be about Horatio Nelson, and how he defeated the Spanish Armada. It also taught me about the Spanish Armada's tactics. It also taught me about sailing ships sea tactics.

Civilization I taught me about city names from a bunch of different nations, and it taught me a few things about Japan and the history of warfare technologies.

Pharaoh is a good game for education, at least it pretends to be, but I'm wondering just how educational it is. Did ancient Egypt really have police and firefighters? I'm highly skeptical.

The negative implications of video games are pretty obvious; strain on certain body parts, lost time, potential for broken relationships from too much video game playing, addiction, and weakened socialization. That last one, the weakened socialization, refers to becoming worse at dealing with people on a daily basis due to too much isolation from using a computer all the time. It's most noticeable when playing games as an addict; like graphical MUDs (the so-called massive multiplayer online role playing games) and text based ones. I had it really really bad when I became addicted to the MUD Thunderdome. That must have been the worst part of my life as far as dealing with people is concerned.

 

[Kozmos]

The social effect of video games is that my friends are a lot happier when I'm not kicking their ass because I vent my frustration in FPSers.

 

[GeneralZed]

Parents are overreacting on this subject. All my friends play more or less video games, and we all socialize with people and have other hobbies than sticking to the screen. But lets say if you had a psychological disorder, I think you tend to be criminal - independant of your gaming skills and experiences.

Politicians, such as our dear Mss Clinton, think our children are getting violent or dumb because of games like GTA. Yes, it's quite brutal at some times, but it's rated for people +17. It's the parents duty to control their children to see if they dont get such games. It seems more like Clinton is trying to get more christian voters for her next big action, or whatever.

 

[El_Machinae]

The video game industry is evolving better technology, so that's good. However, like Hollywood, it's sucking good creativity in whole swaths

I'm actually quite certain that children are worse off from video games. Their creativity is reduced to obsessing about a game, and their thinking paths become fixated on the few puzzles the designers give them.

Is there a way to change this? Not really. We just have to settle for becoming a less efficient society, with dumber and more sickly adults. The groups that push their children more effectively will outcompete us.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Video games are not as bad as televison in regards to their negative effects on people. They certainly can be more fun. In general, they are an isolating force when it comes to immediate friends and family and the growth of the internet has balanced that to some extent as it allows places like CFC to florish. They are part of the decrease in face to face interaction between people in western society. If that is the way the world will be going over the next 50 years, then we are on the cutting edge. If the less technologically oriented world chooses not to follow us as we separate ourselves from each other, then the "west" will decline. I tend to believe in the former rather than the latter. If I were raising my kids today, I would try to keep them away from technology (and TV) until they were 8-10 years old to build their skills in face to face contact and interacting with things. The technology they can learn anytime.

 

[Corlindale]

Considering the utter crap on most tv-channels nowasays, I'm 99% certain gaming will provide better intellectual development. Games train logic, reflexes and, if you're lucky enough to be non-english, the english language. Of course, it also depends on the games, as I suppose Civ will be a bit more educational than Serious Sam.
Social skills might suffer if gaming is overdone, but most people seem to be able to handle the potential de-socialization with games. After all, books are infinitely less social than games(which can be played alongside friends, or at the internet, or at LAN-cafes), and I daresay few people would complain that reading books hurt the development of children.

AS for people becoming violent by gaming, I think it highly unlikely. Bad parenting produce violent children. Bad parents can vote. Children playing videogames cannot vote. Videogames provide an excellent scapegoat to ease the conscience of neglectful parents. Politicians thus have an interest in spreading the view that video games produce violence.
I doubt the children hanging out in internet cafés are the ones who'll beat up people in the city streets when they're older.

 

[Gabryel Karolin]

I don't think people get violent by playing videogames. I think there is a real risk of people becoming anti-social if they get stuck in an mmorpg for example. Maybe not if you already have a social life and start playing by the age of 18-20 or so, but if you go from being a child to playing games for 8-12 hrs a day you could really mess up your life.

 

[El_Machinae]

I don't think people get violent by playing videogames.

They certainly don't conclusively get more violent. But their ability to supress violent urges (which develops as you mature) does not grow as quickly as control groups.

 

[Kozmos]

Violent urges are what makes us human,why supress them?I certainly havent

 

[Till]

I don't think people get violent by playing videogames. I think there is a real risk of people becoming anti-social if they get stuck in an mmorpg for example. Maybe not if you already have a social life and start playing by the age of 18-20 or so, but if you go from being a child to playing games for 8-12 hrs a day you could really mess up your life.

This is, more or less, my opinion as well. From my experience, none of the schoolyard bullies back in high school were video gamer. It were the quiet types, who seemed to play the most. And since you can accomplish "successes" in video games easier than in social life, there is a certain temptation to replace your social life with video games.

The problem arises, when the persons find out, that even the best game cannot replace friends. At that point social skills, which were underdeveloped in the first first, are further reduced and it is very difficult and frustrating to build them up again. This is were violent outbreaks can occur, in my (completly unscientific) opnion.

Maybe one could state it this way: The game is not a problem, but the reason why you play it, might be.

 

[GenMarshall]

I only know the negative social effects video games can have. You dont get any real life face to face contact if your butt is planted on the chair .

 

[Chukchi Husky]

I never had any social skills (but not anti-social). I began playing computer games at a young age, but I also did other things.

 

[Princeps]

Violent urges are what makes us human,why supress them?I certainly havent

You... You haven't? How... How many bodies have you hidden?

 

[bgast1]

Well, I don't necessarily think that video games is necessarily the culprit for anti-social behavior. But, if either the TV, the computer, the playstation or what have you is used as a babysitting, or escape tool, anti-social behavior could very easily develop, depending upon other factors. I think it's the socialization rather than the violence in the games. Parents have a responsibility to censur what their children are exposed to. I don't think that the Hillary or whoever should do it.

 

[Kozmos]

You... You haven't? How... How many bodies have you hidden?

I have a garden and I live in a forest-like area so its not a problem for me.

But really when something pisses me off it very often get smashed which is unfortunate for the electrical devices I work with(computers,joysticks,electric circuts).I'm not easy to piss off though,I preffer using good verbal insults which leave permanent psychological damage and scaring.Only after that will I attempt to break their arm/knee them in the gut/wave a knife near their throat.

 

[The Tollan]

Massively multiplayer online games often consume large amounts of time (though one can hope this will change in the future).

Eventually characters from games might start being quoted more openly even in direct non-internet discussion like certain characters from movies (Star Wars movies being one example).

One possible example: Revolver Ocelot, who seems to be highly quotable....

I have a garden and I live in a forest-like area so its not a problem for me.

There are not any tranqualize dart armed snipers who frequent the place are there?

 

[Kozmos]

Indeed,I have quoted the ninja more then once when I flip out and start kicking people.

But MGS is like a movie,much better movie then whats is being played these days.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I may have been lucky with the sort of friends and groups of people I've met, but I've found video games have given a new avenue of social interaction. At my old flat we had a LAN set up for me and my flatmate, when friends came round we could play on the multiple consoles we had, and our entire building was united by Smash Smash Brothers Melee and the tournaments we had.

Obviously I'm not saying that video games are the greatest contribution to social contact, but they can play a part. In my opinion, they simply provide another way of interaction and conversation with friends if given the proper balance among other social activites.

 

[Kozmos]

Obviously I'm not saying that video games are the greatest contribution to social contact, but they can play a part. In my opinion, they simply provide another way of interaction and conversation with friends if given the proper balance among other social activites.

Yeah like getting boozed up and getting slapped by girls.

 

[RameNoodle]

Man, Grand Theft Auto made me kill my neighbor, and then a hooker, cuz I needed some money....