The document discusses various perspectives on video games. It provides quotes from public figures about how video games can develop skills but also be addictive. It notes that while video games were once thought to mainly involve teenage boys, gamers now span all ages and demographics. The document also discusses concerns about video game addiction and negative impacts like increased aggression. However, it acknowledges video games can also promote problem-solving and learning when played in moderation.

2. “Life is a video game. No matter
how good you get, you are
always zapped in the end”
- Chris Green

3. “One of the best lessons children
learn through video games is
standing still will get them killed
quicker than anything else”
- Jinx Milea

4. “I recently learned something quite interesting about
video games. Many young people have developed
incredible hand, eye, and brain coordination in playing
these games. The air force believes these kids will be
our outstanding pilots should they fly our jets.”
- Ronald Reagan

5. “Video games are bad for you? That's
what they said about rock-n-roll.”
- Shigeru Miyamoto

6. Computer games don' affect kids, I mean
t
if Pac Man affected us as kids, we' alld
be running around in darkened rooms,
munching pills and listening to repetitive
music. - Shigeru Miyamoto

7. Violent video games are like peanut butter. They are
harmless for the vast majority of kids but are harmful
to a small minority with pre-existing personality or
mental health problems

8. Most people think video games are all about a child
staring at a TV with a joystick in his hands. I don' .
t
They should belong to the entire family. I want
families to play video games together.
- Shigeru Miyamoto

9. Psychos will always be psychos;
they don’t need video games to
help them. - Scott Ramsoomair

10. I think that if someone plays a video game, and
then goes out and harms another human being, or
themselves because of what they just saw in the
video game, they were screwed up in the head
long before they got their hands on a controller.
- Tom Buckley

11. Video games are a waste of
time for men with nothing else
to do - Ray Bradbury

12. When many people think of
your average video game
player the first image that
,
jumps into their heads is
of a teenage white male

13. According to the internet famous,
“Gamer Grandma,” that is just not
the case anymore

14. Race of Game Players
5%
14%
White
Black
Latino
17%
64% Other

15. Gender of Game Players
Male
Female
38%
62%

16. The average age of gamers nowadays is
33 with only 31% of gamers being
under the age of 18

17. Even though the video game community
is becoming more diverse, the majority of
heroes in the games are still white, at a
whopping 86%

18. Non-White males are typically
put into stereotypical roles such as gang
members or criminals

19. This can be seen in games such
as Grand Theft Auto that contain
many criminals, most of which
are non-white

20. Video Games Characteristics
t iv e • Entertaining
• Stimulating
o s i • Able to include sound
learning principles
P

21. Video Games Characteristics
t iv e
o s i
P
• Do-able, but pleasantly
frustrating
• Motivating
• Able to engage others

22. Positive Video Games include
some or all of :
• Problem-solving abilities
• Perseverance
• Pattern recognition
• Hypothesis testing
• Estimating skills

23. Positive Video Games include
some or all of :
• Inductive skills
• Resource management
• Logistics
• Mapping
• Memory
• Quick thinking
• Reasoned judgments

24. onc erns
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e
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25. Video Games
Characteristics
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ave
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26. Video Games
Characteristics
N ega tive os u re to
Exp nt
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am
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27. Aggression
is largely based
on the learning, activation,
and application of aggression
related knowledge
structures stored in
memory and these things
happen while playing
video games

28. A US teenager shot his parents,
killing his mother,
in October 2007 after they
took away his copy of Halo 3

29. Are video games
addictive?
Yes, but only to some people

30. According to several studies, the
excitement of video games causes the
brain to release a chemical that is, in
essence, addictive
When gamers excel at playing a particular game,
the dopamine levels in their brain rise,
causing them to feel good

31. Video game addiction could be included in the next edition of
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

32. Social capacity
is not the problem when
it comes to excessive
video game playing

33. Those who spent more than 20 hours a week gaming showed
negative mood swings and symptoms of depression

34. While addictive
behaviour can occur
with any type of game,
most studies have
focused on MMORPGs*
* massively multiplayer online role-playing games

35. With its scope of 11.5 million subscribers,
World of Warcraft is the most prevalent MMORPG

36. Some theorists claim
video game addiction is as
serious as
gambling
alcoholism drug addiction

37. Video game addiction can affect sleep,
study and a person’s physical condition
37

38. Sleep, social life, and even work can
be affected by addiction, according
to some self-confessed addicts

39. When time spent playing video games reaches a
point that harms an adolescent’s family and social
relationshipor disrupts their school or work life,
they could be considered to be in a
state of addiction

40. “Space Invaders proved so addictive that
it not only inaugurated an entire video
game paradigm, it caused a nationwide
coin shortage in Japan”
- Chris Green

41. If your game play
continues to be out of
control
seek professional help
from a
professional who
understands addictions or
from a treatment program
that would be willing to
treat video game addiction

42. http://www.computeraddiction.com/ - This computer addiction website
was made by an expert in addictive behaviors. On the website you will find
more detailed information, Q & A section, and Dr. Orzackʼs email address
so you can email her with any questions you may have.
http://www.olganon.org/Gamer/gamer.html - The On-Line Gamers
Anonymous website was set up to give video game addicts ideas to help
with their addiction as well as a recovery program. While most of the
ideas are geared toward online games, they can be applied to most types of
games.
http://www.igda.org/articles/austin_addiction.php - The International
Game Developers Association provides information on addiction from
people who make video games.