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Video Game Myths

10th December, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Not everything that a person hears about video games and the effects that they have is all true. With all of the hype surrounding the holidays and the recently passed xbox 360 kinect release date a person should understand the differences between what is being said and what the actual truth is.
1. The availability of video games has created a problem of youth violence.
The truth is that there are fewer crimes that are being committed by the youth o America than at any time in recent history. The media has often told us the story of how a juvenile who committed a heinous crime is also into video games. But young people in general are more likely to be gamers. There is no consistent link to kids who play violent games and commit crimes and to kids who play violent games and do not commit crimes. The moral panic over violent video games is harmful. In order to have an effect on the types of crimes that are being committed there needs to be a better understanding of what is really behind the crimes of the youth.
2. Children are the primary market for video games.
While most American kids do play video games, the center of the video game market has shifted older as the first generation of gamers continues to play into adulthood and the cost of the games and systems continues to go up as evidenced by the xbox 360 kinect price so now the game industry caters to adult tastes as well as to the younger markets. The difference between reality and fantasy of the video games must be discussed by the parents and the children together and it is the parents who should initiate the discussion.
3. Almost no girls play computer games.
Most of the games in the past were geared towards men. However, the percentage of women playing games has steadily increased over the past decade and with the new xbox 360 kinect and the Nintendo Wii consoles that have many games that are more interactive in nature the systems are becoming more and more popular every day with women.
4. You can not get anything worthwhile out of game play.
Older games were not technically advanced and did little more than provide mindless entertainment for the users. Today’s games serve a much greater purpose. They allow players to navigate an expansive and open-ended world, make their own choices and witness their consequences.
5. You can not socialize with others if you are playing games.
Much video game play is social. The majority of people who play do so with others. It could be with family members of all ages. Friends can support another player and give them encouragement as they play. A growing number of games are designed for multiple players. The world wide web has bought together people from all over the world to anonymously enjoy game play together. People values still control the way they interact with each other during these games despite the nature of some of these games.
6. Gamers are becoming immune to the rest of the world.
The truth is that kids can explore their fantasies through the playing of video games in many different ways. It can help provide an outlet that the child does not have. The key is for a child to understand they are playing a game and it is not the same as the real world.
How our kids are dealing with all of the aspects of video games needs to be explored further to answer all of the questions. Research will continue as long as kids are spending more hours in front of the screens. Video games are here to stay. Kids and adults alike enjoy them too much.