Although the show presented guests who have gone overboard, exhibiting behaviors suggestive of addiction, I would like to point out some research results which show that computer game playing has potentially beneficial effects, and therefore public opinion needs to take care not to throw out a barrel of benefit because of a few bad apples.
The military picked up on video game simulations very early for the obvious training benefits in hand-eye coordination, but the same benefit has also been shown in other fields, as it was recently shown that surgeons make fewer surgical mistakes if they play video games routinely, or more specifically as a warm-up to an operating procedure.
http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Video-Games-Reduces-Surgical-Errors--u2013-A-Stud-10557-1/
For decades cultural cassandras have associated gaming with doom, and I am not talking about the game trademark. Even more pragmatic folks denounced gaming because it seems unproductive. And popular expectations for the worse regarding video game playing are little different. The worst outcomes, however I suspect, would occur in the isolated individuals who are otherwise susceptible to addictions. Some people are more vulnerable than others.
Brain scans of game players show interesting sex differences as well. For example, Stanford 'researchers have shown that part of the brain that generates rewarding feelings is more activated in men than women during video-game play.' Therefore, spousal misunderstandings might be exaccerbated by such gender based differences in reward perception.
http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2008/february/videobrain.html
More interestingly, recently there has been comparisons in brain activity between online activities vs. traditional offline activities. Although the study only targeted online searching vs. reading, rather than video games per se, I would argue a similarity because of the interactive problem solving which it requires. Interactive online searching, a game in its own right, resulted in increased brain activity in more areas of the brain than reading a book.
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Web_Searches_Improve_Brain_Activity_26830.html
The last two examples could also possibly suggest how computer gaming may trigger addictive responses in some people since the greater dopamine activation during the activity may habituate some so that the withdrawal of the activity would be felt as profoundly unsatisfying.
I also feel more research needs to be done studying brain response relative to the kind of game playing, since there are issues of learning, perception, and problem solving that are different among the game genres, - such as a role-playing game vs. a pure strategy game vs. a twitchy shooter vs. some less competitive but still complex simulation. After the effect of such differences are determined, it would also be important to know how those gaming interactions alter brain usage and development vs. traditional solitary activities like reading, shopping, carpentry, or such.
Admittedly then, given the high neurologic reward computer game playing provides, it could be a double-edged sword in the brain development of children, highly developing some responses but causing developmental delays in other areas. Some studies show kids who already exhibit addictive traits might also exhibit delayed development particularly in social skills when they get hooked on games without guidance. Unsurprisingly, excessive gaming can turn kids into high-functioning but aggressive nerds.
In Silicon Valley, such a nerd might be seen as a positive role model, and it's also probably not far from the personalities of the greed-obssessed hypercompetitors of Wall-Street. So is it wise to completely discourage it?
Despite my cynical innuendo and the apparent drawbacks, I believe the benefits are still there. I think any interactive computer activity, whether online with others through persistent discussions such as these, in multiplayer role-playing games, or in solitary game-playing that fortifies spatial perceptual skills and problem solving, has the potential for enhancing brain development. Perhaps one day enlightened game design itself will knowingly yet still subliminally direct game players toward balanced neurologic stimulation and development. Until that future arrives however, What is missing today is a cultural foundation that can help guide people around the pitfalls.
(Original Air Date: 10/20/08) Sixty-five percent of American households report playing computer and video games, and surprisingly, the average player is 35 years old. Computer games are supposed to be fun, but when a hobby turns into an obsession, virtual fantasy worlds can ruin lives and wreck marriages. Juli says her 34-year-old husband, Fred, plays computer games all day and ignores his entire family. Fred admits to spending up 10 hours a day in a cyber world, but will he call it an addiction? Fred’s stepson, Brandon, thinks Fred is lazy and that his mom can do better. Then, Brad, 40, was so addicted to games that he spent up to 80 hours a week locked in the basement with his computer. Not only did he accumulate close to $24,000 of debt, his addiction nearly cost him his marriage and his life! Next, Liz found her 21-year-old son, Shawn, dead at his computer from a self-inflicted gun shot. She says that a role-playing game in the virtual world transformed her son from a vibrant young adult into a depressed introvert, which ultimately led to his suicide. Liz founded Online Gamers Anonymous to educate others about the potential dangers of obsessive gaming. Then, when Wendy married a video game designer, she literally took matters into her own hands and started playing herself. Are you or is someone you love at risk for video game addiction? Log on to DrPhil.com for a checklist of signs!
