Video games, good or bad?

By John Ranchuk

Writing Task 3
Student Number: 7039282
Course Code: COMM1085-45
Teacher: Jon Whitzman
Due: October 17, 2014

Where can you find video games? Well video games are everywhere in today’s society. They are in every kid’s, students and adult’s home in multiple ways. You are able to find them on mobile phones, new digital TV’s and most famously gaming consoles. Everyone has accessibility to video games and enjoy playing a game here or there once in a while. Game developers, Teachers, Parents and obviously kids have all debated over the years- Do video games affect people in a positive or negative way? I will be uncovering how video games affect the brain as well as why their good and bad.
Playing video games for a couple minutes or hours affect each and every individual differently. Playing video games use multiple parts of the brain; it involves functions such as memory formation, strategic planning and many more. Our brains are so complex and are wired in such a way that by playing video games, it fills the pleasure aspect of the brain with dopamine. Dopamine is a compound in our body that is neurotransmitters which are connected to our central nervous system. With this neurotransmitter affecting our system it gives the user a type of rush that fuels their craving that the brains that’s wired to crave gratification, unpredictability and self-achievement.
Bet you didn’t know that video games affected the brain in many ways did you? Video games can as well have negative affect on us. Playing games can be addictive and people can let it interfere with important social interactions with friends and family. Some may only want to play with cyber friends and distant themselves from their real friends and be active outdoors. By being addicted to games, people constantly want to be playing video games and nothing else which makes people lazy. When student become lazy and let video games come before school it can be a major problem. They can potentially stop paying attention in school or even skip school in order to play them and it could result in bad grades or even potentially failing.

There are many side effects of gaming that contradict the idea if it has positive affect or a waste of time. On the upside, video games help the brain and human body with hand eye coordination and fire motor skills: From paying shooting games, the characters normally running or crouching while shooting at the same time. The person playing the game not only has to keep track of where the character is running, they also have to keep track of the speed, where the gun is aiming, where he/she is hitting. On top of trying to do all these things the user must