Page 66. Watch the Lecture. Part D. LISTEN FOR DETAILS

Unit seven

page 66

watch the lecture

part D: listen for details

in this class we’ve already studied a variety of media and remember by media we mean different ways we communicate.

including traditional media such as newspapers, television and movies as well as new media such as online newspapers and blogs and social media.

today we going to talk about one genre of new media: interactive games.

this includes games you play on a game console, computer or smart phone.

all right then; it’ll come as no surprise that videogames of being one of the fastest growing types of new media.

and as these games are more popular, we’ve started to see more research on the effects of playing these interactive games.

today we’ll look at some of this research on these digital games and talk about some of the effects, positive and negative of playing them.

so what are some of the potential benefits of playing interactive games?

the first benefit is a cognitive benefit; improvements in how our brains work.

one of these benefits is improved spatial ability.

spatial ability is the ability to understand the relationship between objects in space; like when you look at a map on your phone to find your way in an unfamiliar city; when you see relationships in a geometry problem.

spatial ability is especially important in math and engineering.

one study of spatial ability looked at people who play action games; games like the legend of Zelda or Batman or Grand Theft Auto.

in these action games, the player moves through three-dimensional world.

researchers took a group of people who had no experience playing these types of action games and gave them a test that measured they’re spatial ability.

then the participants played an action game for 50 hours and took the spatial ability test again.

the study found that players did much better on the spatial ability test off the playing the game.

so this shows the playing action games can actually improve your spatial ability skills.

another cognitive benefit of video games is in motivation.

In psychology, motivation is the desire to work towards a goal, even when you fail along the way.

motivation is the drive or energy inside us that makes us try again and again until we reach the goal.

it’s interesting with engaging games, failure in the game does not usually lead to feelings of anger or frustration or the desire to just quit; instead, players feel excitement and want to try again and again; in other words they feel motivation to continue.

this aspect of interactive games can be utilized in education; teachers can employ game psychology to keep students working on difficult learning tasks.

Now. these are only two of the possible benefits but I also want to mention potential problems.

there are two main concerns about the effects of electronic games.

one negative effect is game addiction.

gaming is an enjoyable pastime for many people but gaming becomes an addiction when it starts to interfere with a person’s relationships, when it interferes with their ability to accomplish other goals.

Like getting good grades or being successful at work.

there are several signs that a person may have a game addiction.

one sign is playing video games instead of spending time with family and friends; the person become so involved in the fantasy world of the videogame that he or she doesn’t want to spend time with real people.

another sign is the person feels angry or anxious or depressed when they are not able to play.

it’s estimated that about 10% of gamers have a true addiction, so it is a serious problem.

another area of concern is the effect of fantasy games on the player.

in particular, what is the effect of playing violent fantasy games.

does playing a violent game make someone want to hurt another person in real life?

Well, the answer to that is not clear; however, studies show the playing violent video games can cause people to be less sensitive to violence and become more aggressive in their real life.

for example, a study of 13 and 14-year-olds found that those who play violent games were more likely to argue with their teachers and to get into fights with their classmates; but, there really isn’t enough proof or evidence to say for sure that videogames directly cause this aggressive behavior.

these studies only show a connection between violent games and aggressive behavior.

in other words, aggressive kids may choose to play violent games it’s not clear if the games make them aggressive or if they like the games because they already are regressive.

Well, there is something for us all to think about; the potential benefits and drawbacks of the increased use of interactive games in our society.