It's pretty amateur considering it's a highschool senior report, but it was a college course for English 102. I'd still give it a read if you have the free time.
Okay, so I'm required to write a term paper for my English class and I felt like it would be beneficial to have actual gamer input from a well advised and knowledgeable community.
The topic of the paper is the positive and negative effects of video games.
I would just like to ask you a very general question: Throughout your life do you believe that video games have had a positive or negative effect on your life overall?
This is a term paper, so fleshing out all of the positives and negatives as much as possible would be awesome. Also, adding any specific events where problems or "good things" occurred due to your playing video games would make the paper that much better.
If you don't feel like posting in the thread you can shoot me a PM.
Thank you in advance for contributing to my paper. I'll be checking in a couple times a day, and I'll mention if I added your story to my paper.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
My insulin levels are heightened due to very long gaming sessions over the course of the last 15 years.
Eyesight - not too sure if it's caused by it, but I'm just slightly myopic. Doctors don't recommend glasses though.
Other then that - no. I've never liked what people refer to as "social life" to begin with. So games were more of the salvation, rather then the issue itself.
Edit: As it turns out I didn't read the topic of your paper correctly. Here are some of the good qualities that came out of gaming for me:
Observations and reactions - I can spot details and react to them quite quickly. Much faster then people I've seen around me. And most of the time I know what to do with said details almost instantaneously. Gaming helps people spot patterns, inconsistencies and learning how to react properly to them. It also helps plan things WAY ahead of time.
Through multiplayer I've met a lot more people that I would've if I simply went out as I child and all of them come from different cultures. That's great knowledge right there. Learning how to communicate properly with people that have grown in completely different backgrounds.
The brain is in constant activity opposite to watching TV. With TV you mostly just receive information. With video games you almost always have to also send information and of course interact with that information in your brain. You can't just sit inactive and play a game that way. That develops faster thinking, troubleshooting skills and general problem solving skills.
Science fiction and fantasy games and books are the sole reason I like science and technology. There was not a single interesting thing for me in school. I suppose I (like many others I suppose) am just not for this type of education. Reading and playing video games did so much more for my curiosity. Since before I graduated I started learning things on my own, while being pretty bad in school. Right now I love talking about all things science - physics, chemistry, astronomy, cosmology, geology, history, computers, technology in general. School was horrible for me. I received a generic computer diploma at 6th grade and since then there wasn't a single useful thing until university. Not to mention the kids at my age were busy partying and getting drunk, smoking weed and such other activities (and I do mean the majority of them), while I played video games and satiated curiosity while also having fun in my own way.
As a popular thing I've also learned English through cartoons, but mostly from video games. StarCraft was one of my better teachers back in the day. None of the English teachers I've had in school (way up to graduation) that knew words such as "jiffy" or "frankly" and such everyday English words. I don't know how I survived...
Enough for now. Gotta get back to work. I'll likely add a bit more later today or tomorrow.
Gaming like any activity depends a lot on the individuals participating in it. It can serve as an inspiration, a means of personal improvement and a social activity for those who benefit from it. It can also cause depression, be considered an anti-social activity and cause psychosis.
You're likely to get a wide variety of responses and it is possible that some people have experienced both the good and bad aspects if they have done enough gaming in their lives.
I suggest fleshing out the idea that video games can cause different effects in different people and argue that the positive and negative effects depend largely on the context where the gaming is done.
A true gamer is a 20 years old with a 40 years old body... Technically, almost all of us could easilly learn how to pilot an F16 jet but almost none of us would stand the physical preassure and enudrance required to do so.
Even though i keep doing sport atleast twice a week, i feel iv'e grown old too fast, i dont feel like im 50 because i am not, i can run for several kilometers and play football for 3 hours straight or swim 30 pools... But after long gaming sessions my elbow or wrist might start to hurt a bit, or my back... My eyes are fine though.
So yeah the negatives of hardcore gaming is how your body handles it. Plus any affect on your social life. I dont go out much but i do have friends and all. But i admit that i spent too much time on the PC in my life, but hey it jsut made me get used to sitting on the computer for long sessions, something that i can transfer to other fields like programming, etc.
The positives of gaming is ofcourse learning the English language more fluently. When you are a community manager and you answer 10 questions at a time with non stop requests from people for help and all, you just have to be good at English. Another good thing i could say i got from gaming is probably the creative / strategic way of thought that i can apply to everythin in life now. I guess you could see it like that, its quite hard to explain though.
In today's world, gaming is not this wierd phenomena anymore. Its an essential part of many people's lives. I think that the Koreans stepped it up a notch when they introduced laws for young gamers like no MMO's after midnight or something. I think the whole world will eventually follow and apply these rules because honestly, they make sense.
I just think that the image people worked really hard on building in the past decade it not accurate. The image that describes the "Nerd" who plays video games all day and does not have a girlfriend.. That image is such a stereotype and its bullshit. Sure many gamers are like this (maybe) but just like many other people who dont play video games could be "Nerds" with no girlfriend. The analogy is wrong at its core in my opinion.
An article about how gaming can be good for you, etc.
Plus there's that incident in Sweden i think where a girl was attacked by a moose and this dude frightened him with loud noise and wierd movement, a thing he claimed he learned from video games... Thats a life saver xD But yeah its a bit stupid, i mean i could learn that from a book or a movie but still, the difference is not so huge anymore. The difference between books movies and video games that is. Three worlds that are merging so rapidly.
First off, I want to say that this is a good (just because I think it's not usual) subject for your paper. It's gonna help to clarify some aspects of games and the people who spend some time playing. At least in your class. There is, still, a lot of people who think that ALL (or the majority) of gamers are all lonely with some social disfunction or something.
Back to your topic, my thoughts:
Positives:
- English is not my native language, so playing games, listening to music, using the internet and such helped me A LOT in the process of learning some of it;
- Meeting good people. I still talk with some of my old WoW buddies just to catch up, since the guild broke up back in Burning crusade's times;
- Believe me or not, I had the chance to know different cultures just by talking to them. At least I had the chance to learn little things from them. Europeans, americans, asians, etc.
Negatives:
- I do spend too much time playing, it's my favorite hobby. Even when I'm working I always have my 'play time';
- I also, unfortunately, met some bad people. They're everywhere, aren't they? :\
- All the money I spent with games and stuff related to it. I mean, its my hobby, ok, I should not be complaining, but I could be using it in other things, its not a BIG deal, but you got the idea.
- All my past girlfriends didn't want to play or didn't understand why I like playing so much.
I think that is what I can say. In my perspective, at least. Hopefully you will grab good info in here. Good luck with the paper, and let us know your grade, lol.
I like your paper idea, so I'm going to offer some personal information : )
I am in my mid thirties, and have been gaming for about thirty years; starting with an odyssey II, and a bit later, Atari 2600... I was passionate right from the start.
The goods, which may not all be related to gaming (there is never only just one reason for any result, so while gaming is/was a big influence, there are always other factors; some known, some not):
In my earlier 10's and teens, I did a lot of studying on a varied amount of subjects, including (but not limited to, because I forget many), computers, games, the mental - psychology/sociology, paranormal/ESP, the physical - nerves, massage, sex, RSI/Carpal, etc...
In the end, my simply goal was, 'to make games'. I wrote a letter to a then-popular gaming company, Sierra, and received a response, which paraphrased, suggested I learn C and Pascal programming languages. So because of gaming interests and this response, I taught myself C++ (and some versions of basic before that), assembler, etc, and started coding for DOS and Windows 3.1.
Skipping forward, I continued my self teaching, and also attended a post secondary institution for software development, which while I didn't learn any (useful) development languages/constructs/etc, I did learn some non-coding aspects about the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), so it wasn't a total waste.
As an avid gamer, my first job out of school was at a typical software developer rate (as in, 'middle class'), and this contract work was the result of socializing in online games (a MUD in those days, pre-graphical multiplayer games). My next major full time role was again a result of socializing online in related to games.
So as of now, I work professionally in Software Development, and the good for most is that I make a lot of money, hey... The good, for me, is that I do it because it's what I enjoy... It's not ideal, because it's not game development, but I still do that in my spare time (when I can force myself away from playing them instead : ).
There are many other positive factors that could be attributed to being a gamer, including good hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills (also very relevant in my career), etc... But again, it's hard to pin point the cause for these things... I also have a very high distinction between reality and media, which may seem obvious to most people, but it really isn't : ) I am also uncannily observant, both of surroundings and people, and some would consider me empathic (or at least, of high empathy), but is this because of nature, nurture, gaming, or the studying I did early on; never can tell : )
Anyhow, as for the Bads, which again, may not be directly related to gaming.
I have always been an introvert; I have consistently had a small group of friends to 'hang with', but was never into bigger social events; parties, events, etc... Beyond that, I have a hard time socializing, which I mostly attribute to not having the same interests as most people (which definitely has included gaming; something that was much more rare and taboo than in recent years/decades). In other words, if I were growing up now, instead of 20-30 years ago, what would be different?
Somewhat related to this, I am overweight.. Part of this is definitely related to a sedentary lifestyle, both at home and at work. If I weren't an early gamer, would I be as involved with computers, and therefore, on them 80% of any given day?
So if you do the word math, you can see I feel more positive about what affect gaming has had on my life... Also, maybe because I'm older, gaming is something I embrace, and it is in no way a point of shame. The comments kids (including 40+ year old kids) like to make about 'no social life' and what not, beyond just being silly statements of ignorance (of the accuser), is just a non issue, because I'm intelligent enough to know that different people have different goals (for everything, but socializing is related).
I could go on for another few hours, but I'll leave it at this : )
I learned how to type quickly without looking at the keyboard by playing WarCraft III on Battle.Net when I was younger, and I type faster and better (with fewer mistakes too) than anyone I know.
I also met a lot of people online who I became friends with.
More as a result of being around computers than gaming: I'm the best with computers out of anyone I know, though my roommate is a Computer Science major, and he can code circles around me, but he does come to me for advice on the hardware side of things.
I learned to built custom PCs by myself and have since built one for me, one for a friend of mine, and aided in building one for my younger brother.
On the negative side of things I have to agree about everyone else's social points. While I am social, especially around those who I'm familiar with, I'm not the most social person you'd ever meet.
It could have had an effect on my eyesight, though it could just be hereditary, or maybe both. My joints are still fine, though.
Wow, thanks for all of the replies, I wasn't expecting so many by the time I got home. A lot of this stuff would be great in my paper. I have a ton of statistical and scientific information in my paper, but all of this personal information is going to be great to break all of that up and put it in perspective. I'm definitely going to use parts from all of your replies, especially those concerning the social and physical portion of the issue, the learning of English, technical skills, and observational skills, and the sociological evolution of nerds and video games in culture. Now I'm even more motivated to finish this paper.
Edit: It's also great to get input from people over in Europe. I have a couple of interviews with people where I live in the U.S., but it is insightful to hear from people in other parts of the world as well.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
Wow, thanks for all of the replies, I wasn't expecting so many by the time I got home. A lot of this stuff would be great in my paper. I have a ton of statistical and scientific information in my paper, but all of this personal information is going to be great to break all of that up and put it in perspective. I'm definitely going to use parts from all of your replies, especially those concerning the social and physical portion of the issue, the learning of English, technical skills, and observational skills, and the sociological evolution of nerds and video games in culture. Now I'm even more motivated to finish this paper.
Edit: It's also great to get input from people over in Europe. I have a couple of interviews with people where I live in the U.S., but it is insightful to hear from people in other parts of the world as well.
I'll definitely post the finished product when I'm finished. It may be around mid April before I get the final copy submitted however.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
I turned in the final draft yesterday. The paper is still probably pretty rough, I've never considered becoming an English major. Thank you everybody for your responses. I wasn't able to fit in all of your replies, but I got the basic gist of all of them. The max pages I was supposed to have was 10, so I was pushing it when I added more past 12.
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
Positive ; It's given me a way to use up as much of my free time as I can. I can tell you right now I'd be into drugs or worse (had some close friends who were) if I didn't have D2 to daydream about in school. People say because it's a fantasy world that games suck you in and you lose the reality connection, I argue the opposite. Because I KNOW I'm playing in a fantasy world, it's easier for me to, I'm not sure how to put it, I guess 'notice' reality would be the closest to what I'm thinking. Hopping back and forth between reality and fantasy has helped me appreciate and understand both. Some of my best memories is setting up shop and playing games with buddies long into the night.
Negative; Most girls don't like it. But then again that could be a positive as well; I'm not in the habit of compromising what makes me happy to make someone else happy, so finding a girl that likes video games or can at least stand them is a big +.
I've dropped out of college because of gaming, I've had relationships lost from dating, I've lost my job because of gaming. On the positive I've met a ton of friends from gaming, met my wife in WoW, and the job i have now i got from a friend i met through gaming which is a great job. I've been doing it since i was 4 when my grandpa got me into it and am 26 now. If you are interested in this or have any questions id be more than happy to answer anything
Sorry, I should probably confirm in the original post that I have finished my paper and feedback is no longer necessary. You can continue to post, but I'm not going to use any of it in my paper.
The first post contains the link, but I'll put it here again just in case.
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
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Here's a link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pvn-gKfUZRrP2r5SV0nFx1YO1qULy3usjNHoqRLzqLY/edit?pli=1
It's pretty amateur considering it's a highschool senior report, but it was a college course for English 102. I'd still give it a read if you have the free time.
Okay, so I'm required to write a term paper for my English class and I felt like it would be beneficial to have actual gamer input from a well advised and knowledgeable community.
The topic of the paper is the positive and negative effects of video games.
I would just like to ask you a very general question: Throughout your life do you believe that video games have had a positive or negative effect on your life overall?
This is a term paper, so fleshing out all of the positives and negatives as much as possible would be awesome. Also, adding any specific events where problems or "good things" occurred due to your playing video games would make the paper that much better.
If you don't feel like posting in the thread you can shoot me a PM.
Thank you in advance for contributing to my paper. I'll be checking in a couple times a day, and I'll mention if I added your story to my paper.
Eyesight - not too sure if it's caused by it, but I'm just slightly myopic. Doctors don't recommend glasses though.
Other then that - no. I've never liked what people refer to as "social life" to begin with. So games were more of the salvation, rather then the issue itself.
Edit: As it turns out I didn't read the topic of your paper correctly. Here are some of the good qualities that came out of gaming for me:
Observations and reactions - I can spot details and react to them quite quickly. Much faster then people I've seen around me. And most of the time I know what to do with said details almost instantaneously. Gaming helps people spot patterns, inconsistencies and learning how to react properly to them. It also helps plan things WAY ahead of time.
Through multiplayer I've met a lot more people that I would've if I simply went out as I child and all of them come from different cultures. That's great knowledge right there. Learning how to communicate properly with people that have grown in completely different backgrounds.
The brain is in constant activity opposite to watching TV. With TV you mostly just receive information. With video games you almost always have to also send information and of course interact with that information in your brain. You can't just sit inactive and play a game that way. That develops faster thinking, troubleshooting skills and general problem solving skills.
Science fiction and fantasy games and books are the sole reason I like science and technology. There was not a single interesting thing for me in school. I suppose I (like many others I suppose) am just not for this type of education. Reading and playing video games did so much more for my curiosity. Since before I graduated I started learning things on my own, while being pretty bad in school. Right now I love talking about all things science - physics, chemistry, astronomy, cosmology, geology, history, computers, technology in general. School was horrible for me. I received a generic computer diploma at 6th grade and since then there wasn't a single useful thing until university. Not to mention the kids at my age were busy partying and getting drunk, smoking weed and such other activities (and I do mean the majority of them), while I played video games and satiated curiosity while also having fun in my own way.
As a popular thing I've also learned English through cartoons, but mostly from video games. StarCraft was one of my better teachers back in the day. None of the English teachers I've had in school (way up to graduation) that knew words such as "jiffy" or "frankly" and such everyday English words. I don't know how I survived...
Enough for now. Gotta get back to work. I'll likely add a bit more later today or tomorrow.
Ha. Bagstone.
You're likely to get a wide variety of responses and it is possible that some people have experienced both the good and bad aspects if they have done enough gaming in their lives.
I suggest fleshing out the idea that video games can cause different effects in different people and argue that the positive and negative effects depend largely on the context where the gaming is done.
Even though i keep doing sport atleast twice a week, i feel iv'e grown old too fast, i dont feel like im 50 because i am not, i can run for several kilometers and play football for 3 hours straight or swim 30 pools... But after long gaming sessions my elbow or wrist might start to hurt a bit, or my back... My eyes are fine though.
So yeah the negatives of hardcore gaming is how your body handles it. Plus any affect on your social life. I dont go out much but i do have friends and all. But i admit that i spent too much time on the PC in my life, but hey it jsut made me get used to sitting on the computer for long sessions, something that i can transfer to other fields like programming, etc.
The positives of gaming is ofcourse learning the English language more fluently. When you are a community manager and you answer 10 questions at a time with non stop requests from people for help and all, you just have to be good at English. Another good thing i could say i got from gaming is probably the creative / strategic way of thought that i can apply to everythin in life now. I guess you could see it like that, its quite hard to explain though.
In today's world, gaming is not this wierd phenomena anymore. Its an essential part of many people's lives. I think that the Koreans stepped it up a notch when they introduced laws for young gamers like no MMO's after midnight or something. I think the whole world will eventually follow and apply these rules because honestly, they make sense.
I just think that the image people worked really hard on building in the past decade it not accurate. The image that describes the "Nerd" who plays video games all day and does not have a girlfriend.. That image is such a stereotype and its bullshit. Sure many gamers are like this (maybe) but just like many other people who dont play video games could be "Nerds" with no girlfriend. The analogy is wrong at its core in my opinion.
A fellow member of these forums posted this a while ago, i forgot who it was but i would have given him credit... anyway here it is:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203458604577263273943183932.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLE_Video_second
An article about how gaming can be good for you, etc.
Plus there's that incident in Sweden i think where a girl was attacked by a moose and this dude frightened him with loud noise and wierd movement, a thing he claimed he learned from video games... Thats a life saver xD But yeah its a bit stupid, i mean i could learn that from a book or a movie but still, the difference is not so huge anymore. The difference between books movies and video games that is. Three worlds that are merging so rapidly.
Anyway good luck with your essay.
Back to your topic, my thoughts:
Positives:
- English is not my native language, so playing games, listening to music, using the internet and such helped me A LOT in the process of learning some of it;
- Meeting good people. I still talk with some of my old WoW buddies just to catch up, since the guild broke up back in Burning crusade's times;
- Believe me or not, I had the chance to know different cultures just by talking to them. At least I had the chance to learn little things from them. Europeans, americans, asians, etc.
Negatives:
- I do spend too much time playing, it's my favorite hobby. Even when I'm working I always have my 'play time';
- I also, unfortunately, met some bad people. They're everywhere, aren't they? :\
- All the money I spent with games and stuff related to it. I mean, its my hobby, ok, I should not be complaining, but I could be using it in other things, its not a BIG deal, but you got the idea.
- All my past girlfriends didn't want to play or didn't understand why I like playing so much.
I think that is what I can say. In my perspective, at least. Hopefully you will grab good info in here. Good luck with the paper, and let us know your grade, lol.
And btw, thanks for the different topic.
Cheers.
I am in my mid thirties, and have been gaming for about thirty years; starting with an odyssey II, and a bit later, Atari 2600... I was passionate right from the start.
The goods, which may not all be related to gaming (there is never only just one reason for any result, so while gaming is/was a big influence, there are always other factors; some known, some not):
In my earlier 10's and teens, I did a lot of studying on a varied amount of subjects, including (but not limited to, because I forget many), computers, games, the mental - psychology/sociology, paranormal/ESP, the physical - nerves, massage, sex, RSI/Carpal, etc...
In the end, my simply goal was, 'to make games'. I wrote a letter to a then-popular gaming company, Sierra, and received a response, which paraphrased, suggested I learn C and Pascal programming languages. So because of gaming interests and this response, I taught myself C++ (and some versions of basic before that), assembler, etc, and started coding for DOS and Windows 3.1.
Skipping forward, I continued my self teaching, and also attended a post secondary institution for software development, which while I didn't learn any (useful) development languages/constructs/etc, I did learn some non-coding aspects about the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), so it wasn't a total waste.
As an avid gamer, my first job out of school was at a typical software developer rate (as in, 'middle class'), and this contract work was the result of socializing in online games (a MUD in those days, pre-graphical multiplayer games). My next major full time role was again a result of socializing online in related to games.
So as of now, I work professionally in Software Development, and the good for most is that I make a lot of money, hey... The good, for me, is that I do it because it's what I enjoy... It's not ideal, because it's not game development, but I still do that in my spare time (when I can force myself away from playing them instead : ).
There are many other positive factors that could be attributed to being a gamer, including good hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills (also very relevant in my career), etc... But again, it's hard to pin point the cause for these things... I also have a very high distinction between reality and media, which may seem obvious to most people, but it really isn't : ) I am also uncannily observant, both of surroundings and people, and some would consider me empathic (or at least, of high empathy), but is this because of nature, nurture, gaming, or the studying I did early on; never can tell : )
Anyhow, as for the Bads, which again, may not be directly related to gaming.
I have always been an introvert; I have consistently had a small group of friends to 'hang with', but was never into bigger social events; parties, events, etc... Beyond that, I have a hard time socializing, which I mostly attribute to not having the same interests as most people (which definitely has included gaming; something that was much more rare and taboo than in recent years/decades). In other words, if I were growing up now, instead of 20-30 years ago, what would be different?
Somewhat related to this, I am overweight.. Part of this is definitely related to a sedentary lifestyle, both at home and at work. If I weren't an early gamer, would I be as involved with computers, and therefore, on them 80% of any given day?
So if you do the word math, you can see I feel more positive about what affect gaming has had on my life... Also, maybe because I'm older, gaming is something I embrace, and it is in no way a point of shame. The comments kids (including 40+ year old kids) like to make about 'no social life' and what not, beyond just being silly statements of ignorance (of the accuser), is just a non issue, because I'm intelligent enough to know that different people have different goals (for everything, but socializing is related).
I could go on for another few hours, but I'll leave it at this : )
-Alamar
I also met a lot of people online who I became friends with.
More as a result of being around computers than gaming: I'm the best with computers out of anyone I know, though my roommate is a Computer Science major, and he can code circles around me, but he does come to me for advice on the hardware side of things.
I learned to built custom PCs by myself and have since built one for me, one for a friend of mine, and aided in building one for my younger brother.
On the negative side of things I have to agree about everyone else's social points. While I am social, especially around those who I'm familiar with, I'm not the most social person you'd ever meet.
It could have had an effect on my eyesight, though it could just be hereditary, or maybe both. My joints are still fine, though.
Edit: It's also great to get input from people over in Europe. I have a couple of interviews with people where I live in the U.S., but it is insightful to hear from people in other parts of the world as well.
And then you'll post the paper here? : )
Maybe send out some PMs : )
-Alamar
I'll definitely post the finished product when I'm finished. It may be around mid April before I get the final copy submitted however.
http://www.cracked.c...suck-anti-rant/
http://www.cracked.c...u-addicted.html
http://www.cracked.c...en-teaching-us/
http://www.cracked.c...to-be-true.html
http://www.cracked.c...-as-modern-art/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pvn-gKfUZRrP2r5SV0nFx1YO1qULy3usjNHoqRLzqLY/edit
Negative; Most girls don't like it. But then again that could be a positive as well; I'm not in the habit of compromising what makes me happy to make someone else happy, so finding a girl that likes video games or can at least stand them is a big +.
The first post contains the link, but I'll put it here again just in case.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pvn-gKfUZRrP2r5SV0nFx1YO1qULy3usjNHoqRLzqLY/edit?pli=1