There is lots of contradicting evidence surrounding the gaming hysteria in the past few decades- studies conducted have shown the positive effects of gaming on cognitive functions as well as motor skills. However, certain psychological institutes have linked gaming to lack of empathy and reduced social skills.
https://www.mpg.de/research/video-games-brain
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Institute for Human Development (2013)
Video gaming causes increases in the brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation and strategic planning as well as fine motor skills.
The study also reinforces that like exercise playing video games for as little as 30 minutes a day can improve your life.
Bavelier & Green (2003)
Used visual puzzles to show that people who play action games at least 4 days per week for a minimum of 1 hour per day were better than people who didn’t play video games at rapidly processing complex information, estimating numbers of objects, controlling where their attention was focused spatially & switching rapidly between tasks.
Anderson & Bushman (2001)
Children who play more violent video games are more likely to have increased aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and decreased prosocial helping.
Dmitri A. Christakis of the Seattle Children’s Research Institute
Those who watch a lot of simulated violence, such as those in video games, can become immune to it, more inclined to act violently themselves, and are less likely to behave emphatically. Chronic exposure to violent video games is not only associated with lower empathy, but emotional callousness as well.
The American Psychological Association
There is a “consistent correlation” between violent game use and aggression, but finds insufficient evidence to link violent video play to criminal violence. An open letter by a number of media scholars, psychologists and criminologists, however, find APA’s study and conclusion to be misleading and alarmist.
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games
With all this information, how can an answer be determined? Video games are good, video games are brainwashing your children, video games will lead to the destruction of humanity and the human soul as we comprehend it. What’s the answer? Only Siths deal in absolutes.
– Amy & Tad 2019