Closing the Gap in Communication Volume 2 | Page 3

Edited by Giovanni Mercado Pabón

Videogame Addiction
Studies show the excitement of
videogames makes playing
them addictive (funk, 1993).
Most of the preteen love to
spend their spare time with
videogames. According to the
same studies (funk 1993) it
would appear that the excitement of videogames cause the
brain o release an addictive
chemical. Media literary specialist, Dr. Charles Underleider explains that 'they're vey compelling with increasing complexity,
so a child becomes more facile,
yet wants to know more and apply new skills'. Maria Yalavee,
Professor of Computer Science,
feels videogames, if is not to
violent, can 'offer some real opportunities for puzzle solving,
strategic and critical thinking'.
But they are to play
in moderation.

cal effects,
however,
are transient or
limited to
a small
number of
players.
Proponents of videogames suggest that they may be a friendly
way of introducing children to
computers, and may increase
children’s hand-eye coordination
and attention to detail.

Effects of violence in
videogames
Games rated as extremely
violent increased from 53% in
1985 to 82% in 1988.An early
study (Funk 1993) on the
effects of videogames on
children found that playing
videogames had more positive
effects on children than
watching television.
Effects of Videogames
In general, while videogame
Videogames were first introplaying has not been implicated
duced in the 1970s. Some reas a direct cause of severe
search (Funk 1993) suggest that psycho-pathology, research
playing videogames may affect suggest that there is a short–
term relationship between
some children's physical functioning. Effect range from trigplaying violent games and
gering epileptic seizure causing increased aggressive behavior in
younger children (Funk (1993).
heart rate and blood pressure
changes. Serious adverse physi3