the effect of video games on the brain

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The Effect of Video Games on the Brain

Submitted by SerendipUpdate on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 5:33pm Biology 202

The Effect of Video Games on the Brain

Eleni Kardaras

The effect of video games on the brain is a research area gaining popularity as the percentage of

children and adults who play video games is on the rise. Some people believe violence in video games

and in other media promotes violent behavior among viewers. While there is not sufficient data to

validate this claim, there are a number of studies showing that video games can increase aggressive

behavior and emotional outbursts, and decrease inhibitions. From a few of these studies, and from my

own observations of children playing video games, it is quite obvious that the video games do have at

least some effect on the behavior of the player. The extent and long range consequences of these

behavior changes after one has turned off the video game are not so easily deduced. One source states

that "While research on video games and aggressive behavior must be considered preliminary, it may be

reasonably inferred from the more than 1,000 reports and studies on television violence that video

game violence may also contribute to aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence" (1). Another

study reports that "Hostility was increased both in subjects playing a highly aggressive video game and

those playing a mildly aggressive video game. Subjects who had played the high-aggression game were

significantly more anxious than other subjects" (2).

I had a chance to observe the effects of video games first hand on two boys, ages eight and ten, when Ibabysat them earlier in the semester. They were playing the video game "Mario Cart," which is really

not a very violent game; the object is to win a car race by coming in first while maneuvering through

different courses. When the younger brother won, the older brother got up and started kicking him and

yelling insults! Later on that day, the younger brother was playing another video game by himself and

when he could not beat the level, he threw down the controller and screamed at the t.v. screen, "Why

are you doing this to me...?!" and burst into tears. I was very shocked by this reaction and was not quite

sure how to handle the situation. This game had brought an eight year old boy to tears, right in front of

me. "Certainly, video games can make some people go nuts. You just have to look at some enthusiasts

playing video games on their cellular phones, mumbling to themselves heatedly even though others are

around them. At game centers (penny arcades), frustrated people punch or kick game machines withoutregard to making a spectacle of themselves" (3). From the above descriptions, it seems that players get

somewhat "sucked" into the video game and become oblivious to their surroundings and much less

inhibited to share their emotions. What types of changes are occurring in the brain to activate this

behavior which one exhibits when "sucked" into a video game?


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Akio Mori, a professor at Tokyo's Nihon University, conducted a recent study observing the effects of

video games on brain activity. He divided 260 people into three groups: those who rarely played video

games, those who played between 1 and 3 hours three to four times a week, and those who played 2 to

7 hours each day. He then monitored "the beta waves that indicate liveliness and degree of tension in

the prefrontal region of the brain, and alpha waves, which often appear when the brain is resting" (4).

The results showed a higher decrease of beta waves the more one played video games. "Beta wave

activity in people in the [highest amount of video game playing] was constantly near zero, even when

they weren't playing, showing that they hardly used the prefrontal regions of their brains. Many of the

people in this group told researchers that they got angry easily, couldn't concentrate, and had trouble

associating with friends" (4). This suggests two important points. One, that the decrease of beta wave

activity and usage of the prefrontal region of the brain may correlate with the aggressive behavior, and

two, that the decrease of beta waves continued after the video game was turned off, implying a lasting

effect. Another study found similar results and reported: "Youths who are heavy gamers can end up with

'video-game brain,' in which key parts of the frontal region of their brain become chronically underused,

altering moods" (5). This study also asserts that a lack of use of the frontal brain, contributed by video

games, can change moods and could account for aggressive and reclusive behavior. An important

question arises: if the brain is so impacted by video games as to create behavioral changes, must that

mean that the brain perceives the games as real?

Perhaps looking at what effects video games have on autonomic nerves can begin to answer that

question. "'Many video games stir up tension and a feeling of fear, and there is a very real concern that

this could have a long-term effect on the autonomic nerves,' Mori commented" (6). Autonomic nerves

are those connected with involuntary internal organ processes, such as breathing and heart rate. "Heart

rate can be altered by electrical signals from emotional centers in the brain or by signals from thechemical messengers called epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine. These hormones are released

from the adrenal glands in response to danger..." (7). Multiple studies have reported that playing video

games can significantly increase heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption. If studies show

that heart rate is increased when playing video games, then it seems that the brain is responding to the

video game as if the body is in real danger. Does repeated exposure to this "false" sense of danger have

an effect on what the brain then perceives as real danger?

From the above studies and observations, video games do effect the players in some ways, since it

appears that players get so wrapped up in the game that they forget their surroundings and begin to see

the game as a real quest. Studies have shown that playing video games can increase heart rate and

blood pressure, as well as decrease prefrontal lobe activity while the person is playing the game. This

could account for changes in the player's mood and cause him or her to become more aggressive or

emotional. However, the extent of these effects on the body once video game playing has ceased are

preliminary and need to be confirmed.


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References

1)Mediascope website, highlights data from various scientific studies concerning video games.

2)Mediascope website, violent video games causing aggression.

3)Japan Today News website, an interesting news site and discussion board.

4)Mega Games website, a hardcore gaming site, including cheats, demos, and facts.

5)Beliefnet website, centers around spiritual, religious, and moral issues.

6)Sunday Herald online, a news resource.

7) Freeman, Scott. Biological Systems. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 2002.

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the effect of video games on the brain

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