Are video games harmful?

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[Scyn]

Hey guys.

I'm writing an article lobbying against anti video game laws, but I need more data. Be candid and don't worry about your answers and if they'll feed ammunition to the opposing side.

If you take this poll please answer this question as well..

If yes, which of these life skills do you feel you've been stripped of:
Communication
Self-Esteem
Passion- Drive or will to do something
Compassion- Humanitarian for 'care'
Temperance- Emotion regulation
Athleticism
Intellectualism

As I need specifics as well.

Thanks,
Scyn

[Groundfire]

No, i am capable of maintaining a lvl11 automatch, and life at the same time. Its not that hard, but i can see where ppl would suffer.

If you talk in leet speak outside of a video game i "might" smack you.

It's happened before. I believe in rectifying communication problems.

[Unkn0wn]

I would even say gaming has had positive effects on my communication & intellectualism for me, gaming (& internet usage in general) has had an enormous impact on my English speaking and writing capabilities. As for Intellectualism, there's many many games out there that are very educational and/or have provided me with a better sense of strategy, tactical insight, overview, task management, etc.

That being said, games are only harmful if you let them get harmful, i.e just like everything else in life addiction is never a good thing. Casual gaming in my opinion is only a plus.

[Mysthalin]

Before I played my first video game, I had a girlfriend, many friends, a well-paid job, a car and a house.

Then I had my 8th birthday and soon after the shed we had built with our friends to imagine that we're playing "Rich-people" fell down, and my tricylce was too small for me, so I lost it all!

Except my friends, they stuck with me right up until my 10th birthday, when I went to a different school.

Video games have ruined my life, I now hate the world, have no will to do anything, I hate and feel nothing noteworthy of myself, I have forgotten how to speak in my mothertongue, I am 300 KGs of weight and can't move without the help of my little brother, and I'm as dull as watching paint dry.


Honestly though, naw, if anything, video games helped me learn a lot about history, and my english language would have never gotten to the height it is now. I make new friends every day on the internet, so it helps with communication as well. As for emotional regulation - games provide immensely awesome stress relief. Feel like punching your younger sibling? Watch some guys fall under the hail of your virtual bullets and that need will go away instantly ^^.

[panzerjager1943]

I feel gaming has a negative affect on the following: (including in myself)

Passion- Drive or will to do something (motivation?)
Compassion- Humanitarian for 'care'
Athleticism

1.(Motivation)I don't always feel motivated to do something. I can force it upon myself but I generally don't feel motivated without thinking something through for a while, and if there arn't any critical consequences I probably will determine not to do it.
2.(Compassion)Killing hundreds of people every hour, for hundreds of hours, changes a person. They see so much killing and death, they become used to it. They hear about atrocities and war/war crimes, and they won't care about them as much. I notice this both in myself and ALOT more in my friends. I still can't watch movies like SAW which just focus on watching people suffer in the most horrific ways (you call that entertainment?) but my friends think it's "good."
3.(Athleticism)Fairly obvious. I do get an OK level of exercise but none of my friends like to, or do.

There are alot of good things about gaming, but the topic is does on think they're harmful, and my opinion is yes, to certain aspects of one's mentality.

[Blitzen]

Psh, video games are good for you.  Like anything, addiction to them will fuck you up, but that happens with anything. 
Video games, (RTS ones) increase your multitask abilities, reaction times, management skills, force your brain to work faster and harder.  However, my eyes burn!

[Baine]

1.(Motivation)I don't always feel motivated to do something. I can force it upon myself but I generally don't feel motivated without thinking something through for a while, and if there arn't any critical consequences I probably will determine not to do it.

This, the rest not so much.

[overfreeze222]

2.(Compassion)Killing hundreds of people every hour, for hundreds of hours, changes a person. They see so much killing and death, they become used to it. They hear about atrocities and war/war crimes, and they won't care about them as much. I notice this both in myself and ALOT more in my friends. I still can't watch movies like SAW which just focus on watching people suffer in the most horrific ways (you call that entertainment?) but my friends think it's "good."

3.(Athleticism)Fairly obvious. I do get an OK level of exercise but none of my friends like to, or do.

Those id have to say i agree with, 2 more than 3 in my case,  but both still there. i would say 3, but motivation has always been a problem for

[NightRain]

About Video games I do agree that in some cases it might harm peoples thoughts that the war might be just a joke or something but that is something else.

Anyhow I can say that you can make friends through games, I've made two to three friends through gaming (2 met irl so they can be considered as 'friends')

Only thing that will mostly suffer from lots of gaming is the normal thing, weight increases, stamina goes down from good to absolutely horrible. Etc. Things like those happen a lot.

For some people the gaming might be harmful, nightmares from scary games etc etc.

[Guderian]

Video games does not hurt you but the internet does.

[brn4meplz]

Read Dave Grossmans work on Violence in media and games. You can find good parts about it in his books 'On Killing' and 'On Combat'. He seems a little zealous at first but there is strong scientific proof supporting that violence in media and games is a precursor to violent behavior. Typically this isn't a problem as the only people it affects have a predisposition towards violent behavior. There are interesting studies.

[AmPM]

Like anything, moderation is the key.

I lack compassion, but its not because of video games, it because of working with the public.

If anything, I've gained huge amount of knowledge on the workings of computers (software and hardware) over my time spent gaming.

Athleticism, it could be better, I am not overweight but I am probably a little out of shape ( I wouldn't want to run a mile right now). Would it be better without video games? No, I'd probably just be spending my time having more unprotected sex and getting in trouble. For me its either been women and partying, or women and gaming. Guess which one makes me drink a hell of a lot more and smoke. Actually, video games were a key ingredient in my quitting smoking 6 years ago.

I wouldn't say its helped my communication, but it has widened my cultural horizons.

Passion, this is where things get tricky. Some people here including myself have a passion for things that is quite strong, including this Mod. I have a child, so I work hard to provide for her and when I have her and the weather is good we go out. Right now its Summer though, and 105 degrees during the day. Not good for a toddler to go out in.

I would also say that games help with my Temperance during real life encounters, since I take all my aggression and frustration out in the game, it doesn't affect my daily life. Instead of getting mad at people I just finish up with them or whatever, and go kill some Allies.

[Malevolence]

The only negative effect video games have in the past had on me is a lack of athleticism.

If people ask me to go somewhere, I don't say "sry games lolz", and recently I've been getting into some physical activity so that's mostly going away despite the overly gratuitous amount of time I spend playing video games.

[Glaze]

Hey Scyn, interesting stuff here.  I would say I have some problems with...
1. Communication - In person I'm not a very charismatic person (people generally still like me though *thumbs up*)
2. Self-Esteem - I do a lot of stupid stuff. >.>
3. Motivation - What panzerjager1943 said about it!
4. Athleticism - I'm a lot more active lately though!
5. Temperance - I do my best not to get mad in front of people at least, and I often don't, but I can get pretty worked up over stuff (especially if I'm playing a game, I don't think I've ever played an EiR game where I haven't sworn at least 5 times, but hey, everybody has there way of blowing off steam).

So yeah, out of your list those are things I have trouble with (more than once in a blue moon mind you, I'm certainly no wreck xD), but I really don't think this is all because of video games (maybe with the exception of athleticism).  There are other factors in my life that I could contribute to all of those, and some even contribute to each other (communication to self-esteem, motivation to athleticism, etc.).  In a lot of ways, video games have helped me.  Contrary to what happened to some of panzerjager1943's friends, video games have actually opened my eyes to some of the brutality that happens in the world, and instead of desensitizing me, they have motivated me to want to do some good and fight against hatred and whatnot.  As for intellectualism, games have helped me very much with that.  I wouldn't know who the hell Joan of Arc was if I hadn't played Age of Empires, or what the hell a K98 was if I hadn't played Call of Duty or whatever.

[Tymathee]

Communication - I'm probably a better communicator now than I've ever been. Not cuz of vid games though.

Self-Esteem - My self-esteems always been pretty shitty tbh, but it's way better now than it used to be and maybe even better cuz of the interactions i have with video games

Passion - My passion died not cuz of vid games, there were other reasons I dont wanna get into.

Compassion - I'm compassionate always have been and always will be. Maybe it's waned a bit cuz online you meet more assholes than IRL but i'm still good

Temperance - If anything, it's helped me to be more in control of my temper. Certain games you need to control your emotions or you can just suck, EIRR for example.

Athleticism - I got bigger from my jobs not cuz of video games. Even at my size i'm still athletic tbh. (6'1 305)

Intellectualism - No affect there, if anything video games helped me become more intellectual because of the types of games I play help to  stimulate my thinking process.


Over all, I say video games have a null affect on my life. They're a form of entertainmenet, some people watch tv, go to clubs, see a movie for entertainment and become addicted to those, I play video games.

Now, video game addiction is way different and can strip you of the things you state.

[Malevolence]

They're a form of entertainmenet, some people watch tv, go to clubs, see a movie for entertainment and become addicted to those, I play video games.

That's more or less how I see it. Video games offer the competition of sports, the thought process of chess, and are in no way really dangerous to the player... it's a strange combination of sports and movies, really. Just another form of entertainment.

[HeartBreakOne88]

Communication: better......In Teamspeak or Vent you can say or do what you want, take the piss basicaly, no1 really cares unless you just straiht out insult someone

Self-Esteem: Everyone has their own things that worry them , I dont think Video games Has ever harmed it....If anything it was girls when your 14-15 and you have no idea what to say to them..You grow out of that though

Passion- Drive or will to do something: I get a few ideas from some games..."Kinda What ifs?" or "I copuld do that" refering to GTA.

Compassion- Humanitarian for 'care': Meh just because i kill hundreds of germans each day and i dont bat an eye....Thats more on how ppl were brought up and thought....I base on repsect

Temperance- Emotion regulation: Helps me controll my temper and teachs me just to laugh it off not in a insane way or anything

Athleticism: Never was a fan of any sports....I was the bloke in schoolwho would go home for the hour or 2 of PE....

Intellectualism:I was shy as a kid...But as soon as i was 16 or so i was always out and about just talking about anything to anyone

I play games to burn time nothing more.

[VariantThirteen]

Video gamers are like all addicts and will lie through their teeth about what video games have done for them. Sure it's improved my reflexes and some of my problem solving skills, but at various points in my life it has stripped me of a good part of my life skills.

Of course, the solution is not regulation.

[Schultz]

Video gamers are like all addicts and will lie through their teeth about what video games have done for them. Sure it's improved my reflexes and some of my problem solving skills, but at various points in my life it has stripped me of a good part of my life skills.

Of course, the solution is not regulation.

I second this. Key word is addiction.