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[gi joe]

Penn & Teller BS: Video Games pt 1/3



But I've always said it's bullshit.  Video games don't cause kids to go out and go nuts.  They are already nuts if they then go out and do it.

[keasy]

They may have already been nuts but if video games are a catalyst in that whole process it needs looked at seriously.


It's like saying people who go schizophrenic after smoking cannabis were already prone to it so just ignore the fact the actual catalyst is tipping folks over that wouldn't normally behave in such a way.


(yet to watch the vid by the way)

Fact is, no one knows yet how recent video game are going to affect the new generations as video games have never yet been so graphic and narrative lead as they are now.

I'm personally a bit worried because gaming is different to movie fantasy as games allow personal interaction, taking it to a whole new level.

It's a proven fact that after a video gaming session kids are less likely to be of assistance to others and are less likely to comply with standard social etiquettes and manners.

Are we desensitising kids to to much ? And before anyone says it, we all know the age restrictions on games doesn't stop them playing them and if anything glamorises forbidden fruits to become so much more tempting.
 

[Thermalsig]

It's a proven fact that after a video gaming session kids are less likely to be of assistance to others and are less likely to comply with standard social etiquettes and manners.

Are we desensitising kids to to much ? And before anyone says it, we all know the age restrictions on games doesn't stop them playing them and if anything glamorises forbidden fruits to become so much more tempting.
 

Interesting. Do you  have a link to the formal study.

[keasy]

Not yet, but I'll try and find one.

Sounds cop out but I watched a video on TV study of kids after gaming sessions compared to a control group of kids who had not been on games.

[Thermalsig]

Not yet, but I'll try and find one.

Sounds cop out but I watched a video on TV study of kids after gaming sessions compared to a control group of kids who had not been on games.

I wonder if it was the dissociation with reality that some experience that caused bad manners, or was it the actual violence?

[keasy]

Can't seem to find the correct search criteria mate.

I maybe should correct my statement that according to a study I watched on TV it was fact (according to that study).

But it was very convincing.

The gamer kids would be took into an office, sat at the head teachers desk, the head would deliberately knock some papers and pens onto the floor. The kids who had gamed sat there and watched whilst the head picked up all the stuff himself, without offer of help most looking amused. Bare in mind, a kid is particularly eager to appear good and helpful in front of the head teacher.
The control group all pounced upon the fallen stationery without prompting and picked it up. Eager to be helpful.

That was the general gist of it.

[gi joe]

Can't seem to find the correct search criteria mate.

I maybe should correct my statement that according to a study I watched on TV it was fact (according to that study).

But it was very convincing.

The gamer kids would be took into an office, sat at the head teachers desk, the head would deliberately knock some papers and pens onto the floor. The kids who had gamed sat there and watched whilst the head picked up all the stuff himself, without offer of help most looking amused. Bare in mind, a kid is particularly eager to appear good and helpful in front of the head teacher.
The control group all pounced upon the fallen stationery without prompting and picked it up. Eager to be helpful.

That was the general gist of it.

But the question would be did they take into account the personalities of the kids?  How the kids grew up?  Maybe one bunch of kids were more confident, taught to help.  The other kids may have been shy, more reserved etc.  I know when I was growing up in certain situations, kinda like that, I would of been just shy to help out.

[keasy]

I doubt every one of them would have been the same personality type.

[Wooster]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8449-violent-video-games-alter-brains-response-to-violence.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16493-video-game-conditioning-spills-over-into-real-life.html

[Thermalsig]

While I don't totally discredit the theory or opinion, I find myself wondering if the results were not somehow skewed by the expectations of the ones conducting the experiment as has been shown to be the case in several "scientific studies". I am more of the type to believe in parenting being the differentiating role and believing less so in the believability of environment on screens. If a child knows it is not real and is a game, I believe there will be no perverse interference. I don't pretend that I would be at all comfortable with my kids playing games like GTA or watching Texas Chain Saw Massacre as examples, but I will cede the opinion that those 2 are less than debatable subject material for a discussion like this.

[Thermalsig]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8449-violent-video-games-alter-brains-response-to-violence.html

Possibly a case could be made for dissociation with reality, as they showed no response to good or bad images? Devil's advocate here.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16493-video-game-conditioning-spills-over-into-real-life.html

Same thing can be achieved with commercial advertizing maybe? After all, I hear all the time about MickyD's commercials driving parents nuts because they no longer can drive past one with out a temper tantrum from a kid who thinks he will get a prize for eating there.

[corroded]

Ah Woosty, you're better than links from 2005!!

I would argue that gaming has taught me things, no denying my knowledge of understeer/oversteer and how to correct it comes from the more realistic driving simulators.

I agree with Keas that no one knows about the potential effects, but at the same time... no one also knew about movies either. I've personally never become violent after playing a game, I have become frustrated whilst mid game when someone comes in, and disturbs me, causing me to lose my concentration and screw something up... the problem being is that the game to them, is considered unimportant. It's not like a film in the respect you can just pause it. Sometimes if you screw up, you can't get it back, and had done quite a lot to get to that chance... and I found my family never understood that.

[Wooster]

The links are from then because that's when the studies were carried out, it doesn't make them any less relevant.

[Cricky]

The comments on the first link were certainly 'interesting'.  I think my brain hurts from reading them...  

[corroded]

The links are from then because that's when the studies were carried out, it doesn't make them any less relevant.

Well, it sort of does... I mean, if you go back far enough breathing smoke from trains inside tunnels was deemed good for your health. There's probably a study for that somewhere too ;p

Five years in gaming research is long.