vidio game dame bramage

Brain cells victims of video violence

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=...2-045734-4004r

CHICAGO, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Hours of playing violent video games can affect the way the brain works on a cellular level, causing misfiring of signals between nerve cells or slowing brain activity, researchers reported Monday.

The researchers said the adverse effects are most apparent among teens that are diagnosed with a condition called disruptive behavior disorder or DBD. These kids, according to Dr. Vincent P. Mathews of the University of Indiana Medical School in Indianapolis, are the ones most likely to "act out by harming animals or property or fighting with other kids."

When he used a high tech scanning device called functional magnetic resonance imaging to track brain function in adolescents with DBD, he discovered "less activity in the frontal lobes." The frontal lobe is the area of the brain that controls emotions and impulses as well as attention span. Moreover when the DBD kids were exposed to violent video games, "there was even less activity," Mathews said.

The study suggests repeated exposure to the violent video games is "desensitizing the brain ... the result is that the child can no longer understand the real effect of violence,"

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these guys obviousy come from a differanty neighborhood than I if they think kids are more violent today.

That is very interesting.Very few video games made anymore dont show violence.I think to some extent it does hurt the brain but not very much.I play video games that are violent and it doesnt seem to make me more violent.

I agree totally with you Tedob1, people point to the games too fast!
Thankfully there are organizations such as the IDSA to fight for our right to game....
(www.idsa.com)

To view their final research paper, defending videogame violence, with solid facts
click Here

Quote:

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...Most people just hear from someone that GTA III has some extreme violence,” says Lowenstein. “They have no idea that the game is rated M for Mature, or that there is even a ratings system voluntarily in place for games. Our challenge is to make the ESRB ratings as widely known and well understood as movie ratings. And to show people that our ratings are actually far more specific and useful as content guidelines...

...It’s hardly surprising that political attacks typically come from a generation of people 45 and older who grew up with more traditional forms of entertainment,” Lowenstein continues. “But the demographics are on our side. Twenty years from now, the people in power in this country will have been and still be gamers; they’ll have grown up with this stuff....

Source - PC Gamer

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Yeah, I gotta agree. If you have a problem with a violent game, just don't buy it. I mean, the ratings for the game and the ESRB rating is right on the box. I'm definitely happy we have organizations like those that defend our right to game. Thanks for the research paper article tygerclaw, I definitely agree with it 100%.

That would explain those sudden urges.... :)

Its no wonder that the doctors are shelling out "chill pills" and other anti-depressant drugs more and more today...

But seriously, I agree with all of you. If you can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy land, then you may have some much bigger issues to deal with.

Like you all, I am really happy that we have people fighting for our gaming rights.

I don't know what I'd do if I came home one day and couldn't jack a couple of phatty cars and pick up some "female escorts" to beat the sh*7 out of in Grand Theft Auto. :)

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Its no wonder that the doctors are shelling out "chill pills" and other anti-depressant drugs more and more today...
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i know you said this in jest, but id like to point out...
not too many years ago (for me anyway) doctors where handing out barbiturates like they were candy, not to mention amphetamines and tranquilizers. we had legions of addicted moms walking around, slowly… but walking around. too horrible for a young mind to even contemplate, sorry! i think if anything the amount of drugs being prescribed has gone down.

All this talk from the anti-gaming folks will eventually cause some unbalanced highly suggestible kid to try to cause harm that s/he otherwise would not and the games will be blamed.

"She'll go runnin' for the shelter of her mother's little helper, they make everything okay, get her through her busy day"~Beatles Mother's Little Helper. . .

I disagree about the amount of perscription drugs being perscribed has gone down. . .I'm a Bicentennial baby and I remember a lot of school chums on Riddlin, I think that, more than the video games, could make someone geek.

Personally I think most kids today are educated enough to leave the feelings of playing a violent game behind when they stop playing it, for instance when they go home or whatever the case maybe.It is certainly not going to stop them from playing these games for example if they put a age resriction or something on it so that they cannot download or buy it at a store.You know the more you restrict them , the more you inspire them to find means to get it whether it be legal or illegal..Most kids know that it is only a game and if not, should be taught to distinguish between a real life situation and fiction.We all get frustrated by a complexed game, either getting from one level to another , or obtaining more funds..etc.That's gaming!! Plain and simple.Otherwise how boring wouldn't it have been!!

Happy gaming everyone!!
regards
vanman:)

Another thing to mention, vanman, is that the current legion of gamers (if you want to call them that) really haven't been taught that losing is part of it and when your character dies in EQ and you lose that 50+ equipment, that it's NOT the end of the world. A lot of kids today (even if they're of teen age) are given everything they want without having to work for it and in gaming, that also shows up. They don't know how to lose properly or with respect or even taught (in some situations) how to deal with it. I knew several kids that are half my age (I'm 27) that are the absolute worst losers I've ever seen. If they start to lose a game, it's always because there's lag, or the other person is having a lot of luck or, ... you get the idea. When they DO lose a game or a match or whatever, they've thrown the worst tantrums I've seen, one in particular tore a controller apart because he lost and threw it across the room, stripping the wires with the adapter still in the console system.

When parents start doing their "jobs" right at home, things will improve but I seriously think it'll get a lot worse before it gets better (just like everything else). These same parents who don't think this is the case and that it's OK to give their kid everything they want and not discipline them at all because "it stunts their psychological growth", well...they're the proof that people need to truly want to have kids in the first place and not be led by society's need for continued growth.

I do not want to sound as though I am bashing violent games, I am not. However you guys are mixing up your discussion. The article is about a study showing that certain neuro-receptors appear to be affected by violent games especially in a certain group of adolescents. The article is not one that discusses the ramifications of this beyond the statement that this group is "more likely" to enact violence on animals etc.

The problem I have with this article is it doesn't examine other possible causes. It does note that frontal activity decreases more when violent games are played. However those of us who are used to playing certain games (Counter Strike, Unreal, Quake III etc) understand that one of the processes for improving is when certain maneuvers move from conscious control to trained reaction. This in itself is a move from frontal control to instinctive (rear lobe) control.

This study has been done with very little reference to methods to ensure that the conclusions can be reproduced, are definitely linked to gaming, or that other influences did not affect the results. It is difficult in these types of studies to show this on limited experimentation which is all that is presented. Statistics have yet to back up the statement that violent games cause a tendency towards violence.

I would have to agree with Vorlin that environmental factors should be explored. It is my opinion that children that are not given rules and limits tend to be "brats". Brats seem to be more prone to using negative reactions as an outlet for their frustration. Whether this is increased by certain types of games or not is also inconclusive. In many cases of online games I believe that anonymity provides a lot of freedom for this type of behavior. When I started gaming you were sitting across the table from the person, you probably went to school with them, and you would have to deal with them publicly often. Those whe acted like jerks were soon ostracized in more areas than just gaming. From behind a computer screen or at an inanimate object you can behave far more inconsideratly and get away with it.

You can yell at your computer and it doesn't get angry and shut off (although my wife disagrees on this point). You can kick the tires of your car and not worry about the engine quitting in reaction. You can type and be mouthy to someone on-line and hide behind your anonymity. Then if your reputation gets too bad you can change your name, start a new character, whatever. Sometimes this goes to far and leads to physical destruction, I must admit that out of frustration I have also broken a few objects in my time (one mouse and one keyboard come to mind). As an adult I also had to replace them with my own money but the keyboard was worth it :D

So in summary. I don't think this study is very authoratative and is playing off a current media tendency to bag on violent games. However, if this is a true concern it should continue to be investigated. I believe, however, that lack of discipline and a current philosophy that everyone must win, everything must be equal, if you want it you deserve it, and that it is better to win as a cheater than play with honor be a good sport whether you win or lose have more to do with the current state of children's (and some adults) attitudes than shooting a bunch of computer generated enemies.

I think that this is a free country and everybody has the right to buy what ever they want. If kids decide to buy violent games, its not our fault or the makers fault. Just like some rap albums, it tells you that the album contains explicit lyrics, but still kids buy it. It shouldnt exactly be the parents fault, but they have to check on what their kids are buying some times. We can not blame the makers or the video games, because some of the kids that play vilent games, are old enough to know right from wrong. The game even tells you the rating of the game, like Rated M for MATURE. Rated E for Everybody, so you should know what you are buying, and should take it as playing it for what it is, a video game, not something you should go around doing. If they should do something about, it would be for them to watch the age level that they sell the games to, which i am sure they probably do already.

But back to tedob1's original thought; concern about the operation of the human brain on a cellular level.
We might compare that problem logically to the general law of survival throughout the animal kingdom: This concept demands that to ensure the survival of the species the strongest must survive at the sad expense of the weaker. For instance, it is obvious that when a predator is stalking a herd of gazelle, it will be the weakest and slowest of the herd that cannot keep up and is therefore sacrificed to the good of the herd, as well as to the nourishment of the predator and the continuation of his species. The same concept holds true, of course, with other examples, wildebeast, zebra, giraffe, fish, birds....
In much the same way, it has been discovered alcohol and sleep deprivation, which may accompany the playing of violent screen-games, destroys brain cells in the human specie. Of course, in accordance with the universal law of survival, it is the slowest and least prepared cells which are sacrificed first, for the overall good of the whole.
That is why you always feel so much smarter, after a few beers.....

SodaMoca5, you posted very good information and I agree on a lot of things in there. I also think that studies like this are very biased and a vast majority of them are a combination of daisy-chaining the tragic events of something like Columbine with a direct connection of video game violence as well as the media. Those two guys did not kill those people because they played Quake. I don't even care if they had maps made in similarity to their high school. Anyone with with the map maker can make anything they want. What bothers me is that after the facts were out and several students who were on the same bowling team said they would do the zieg heil after every strike they threw. THAT bothers me. It bothers me that their parents didn't even know they were building bombs in the GARAGE of all places and that they both drove BMWs (or some other expensive car) that was GIVEN to them by their rich parents. Bad parenting, no guidance, poor reception, school didn't help at all, nobody paid attention, etc etc. It's a failure in the system and their parents failed at the biggest task a parent has, and that's to raise their own to be an upstanding citizen through nuturing care, guidance, discipline, and other usual parenting techniques and NOT through the 'give them everything they want, throw cash at them, and hope for the best' method.

So what's all that for? Stop pointing fingers at the video game market. Look more at what they watch on TV, movies, as well as interaction with society. Stop coming out with these biased lame-@$$ "studies" that only try to prove one point one way. Do, however, keep going with studies that actually benefit the society you're trying to reach. Educate the people you're trying to get the attention of. My parents are the absolute worst as far as knowing exactly what goes on in the computer gaming area. My mom thinks the games are all bad influences and doesn't have so much as a sand dune to pitch a tent when I say "So what about violent movies? What about violent books? What about peer pressure at school which affects them EVERY day?". The problem with a lot of parents is that they try to shield from something they don't know or have very little information on and that's just plain hypocritical.

Bah, I drifted off subject twice! Anyways, if the people running these studies did them right to show both the pros and the cons, it'd be ok but I'm tired of watching these come out saying that video games are bad (!!!) and here's a million reasons why in our latest study (!!!).