The Effects of Game Play on Conscious/Emotional States

Judging by what I read in this article and what I can derive from other courses I've taken, I believe that the perception of reality of a video game that occurs within the brain is in an emotional sense, not (obviously) a physical one.

In relation to information provided in the article, I believe that the effects of extensive game play can be paralleled to those of a drug. The article makes note of research done on brain activity and the effect of game play. The study done was based around the measurement of beta waves in a person's brain. As the article stated, beta waves were "nearly zero" for those who had heavy game play. It was also noted that there is little to no use of the prefrontal cortex, which aids in decision making as well as positive social interaction. This seems to correlate to the effect of alcohol use. Alcohol acts a depressant and, I believe, can slow brain activity as well as impair decision making.

Also mentioned in the article was the example of the two young boys. The younger brother had beaten the older brother at the game they were playing. In reaction to his defeat, the older brother reacted violently. The aggression from game play has been a typical issue associated with video games. This same form of aggression, in my opinion, can be related (again)to alcohol use. One of the most common negative effects of alcohol is aggression that often arises mainly from intoxication. This is similar to game play in the sense that the more a person plays a game, the more their attention becomes focused on what is happening within the game, as shown by the study. When the person loses at the game, they may become angry and reflect it in their behavior.

To better address the original question, the two examples noted seem to be the basis for what the definition of "reality" is within game play. For example, what occurs within the game become more realistic the more the user plays the game. The decrease in brain wave activity demonstrates this. In addition to this, the aggression shown as an effect of game play demonstrates the emotional "realness" that comes from game play.

As far as video games producing lasting effects on the brain, I believe it is still somewhat unclear. Though, it was stated that some studies have found that high blood pressure and an increase in heart rate have been correlated with extensive game play. Based upon this, I would say that, most likely, heavy and long-term game play could be partial factors in health issues, either physical or mental. I think that if more studies are done, we can be more certain whether or not this is true. For example, if two large groups of adults were to be arranged and compared over a period of time, this would shed a little more light on the topic. One group could consist of adults who have little to no game play and another of adults who have consistent or frequent game play. Long-term effects on health could be noted and compared between the two groups.

In general, I feel that light game play doesn't have strong negative effects on a person's health. For children, especially with the advancement of technology, I think it's important to reinforce the fact that games are a simulated environment. As far as adults, they must consider to what extent they are detached from their surroundings and social environments.