Research ‘Proves’ Violent Games Alter Your Brain

Tuffcub 58 Comments

A study from Indiana University School of Medicine has found conclusive proof that playing violent video games alters the brains of young men.

“For the first time, we have found that a sample of randomly assigned young adults showed less activation in certain frontal brain regions following a week of playing violent video games at home,” said Yang Wang, M.D., assistant research professor in the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

“These brain regions are important for controlling emotion and aggressive behavior.”

The research has shown that the areas of the brain that control emotional response and cognitive functions showed a ‘definite change in brain activity’. Dr. Wang  claims that his findings show ‘a long-term effect on brain functioning.’

So there we have it: conclusive proof that a group of men who played ten hours of violent video games over a week long period, at home and seemingly not under any strict clinical conditions, have had their brains altered by violent games!

So Dr. Wang, what does this brain altering change mean?

“Clinically, we don’t know what these changes mean, but it does affect your brain somehow.”

Ah.

Tracy Dennis, a child development expert and an associate professor of psychology at Hunter College in New York City, welcomed the study: “This study is a good first step. It shows that if you do something over and over again for a period of time, it will affect your brain.”

“But, what that means in the real world isn’t clear.”

Ah.

The research is backed by The Centre For Successful Parenting, a website “designed for you to learn about the negative effects of violent video.” Step six of their ‘ten simple steps’ in raising children is ‘Do not let children play violent video games’ which, given the industry’s own age ratings, seems like sensible – if a little unnecessary – advice.

Dr. Wang’s research was conducted using  ’22 healthy young adult males aged 18-29′.

Source: Game Politics

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58 Comments

  1. Yang Wang MD? HA!
    Anyone else think this would make an awesome name for a comedic video game character? Rayman and Dr Yang Wang team up to take on video game violence. Sign him up.

  2. This actually seems like pretty interesting research, but there doesn’t seem to be any indication I can see that it’s been published in a peer reviewed journal, which obviously opens up significant questions about methodology etc…

    For example there seems to be no note made of a control group (i.e. ones who don’t play games) or compared against other types of activity.

    However, as I said the general concept is quite interesting and it would be good to see more studies done in this area in general, looking at how media consumption effects the brain and just how long lasting effects are.

    • Good point well made. There is no indication of where this information has been published, what the theory or methodology was (other than asking people to play games), no specifics about which games were played. It would be nice to have a greater knowledge of the study before the Daily Mail (other biased newspaper are available) gets its grubby mitts on this and makes it yet another anti-gaming story. Noting that repeating an activity affects the brains responses isn’t exactly news. Then again, his name is Dr Wang which is funny. I’m such a child…

      • Wow.
        They can work fast when they want to.

      • Actually – christ-on-a-bike – Daily Mail it balanced reporting shockah!!

        “It’s the first evidence of videogames having a detectable ‘effect’ on the brain – but whether this effect is simply the gamer group using parts of their brain differently to learn new skills remains to be discovered.”

      • They may have been less biased than usual in the approach to the story, but they still referenced “playstation widows”. Thanks for noticing Mr Journalist, because us girls don’t play games. We’re too busy washing and cleaning for our men.

      • Hey, lets not forget the cooking… :)

        (kidding of course!)

  3. I’m sure we’re all aware that violence didnt exist before video games – fact.

  4. did they have a control group playing non violent games, or doing some other activity for the same duration, to see what happened to their brains?

    no, of course not, they set out with an agenda and found something they could twist to fit that agenda.

    doing anything will change your brain, it’s called learning.

    and since when has 22 people been a sufficient number to base any definite conclusions on?

    joke study is a joke.

  5. Surely this study should have had compared two groups. one consisting of people who had never played violent games, and a group of people that had.

  6. Who would’ve guessed that doing something actually gets registered in your brain? Mind blowing.

    • The study found less activity though, which suggests the reverse. Engaging in violent gaming means the areas in the brain responsible for the control of aggressive behaviour are less active. It sounds like a neurological version of “getting it out your system”.

  7. So basically it went like this :-

    “Hey lads. I’ve got a great idea for a scive. You lot spend the week arseing about on the xbox. I’ll say I’m studying you, afterwards I’ll say something happens to your brain. I get my grades and you’ve all had a good week off”. “We might even get funding”

    :)

  8. Citizens United Negating Technology For Life And Peoples Safety

    http://www.citizensunitednegatingtechnology.com/

  9. When is the humaan race going to move away from this ridiculous medieval attitude towards gaming? First it was books, then music, then video nasties, and now its the turn of games to be demonised. Ive been a gamer for over 30 years and I am sick to the back teeth of having my beloved hobby trashed like this. People have always been rotten to each other, always. Check your history books. Had nothing to do with gaming back then. People will continue to be rotten to each other too.Science still doesnt fully understand the human brain which is still largely a mystery to it, so why does some half-wit thinks he can join the dots and claim that gaming makes you aggressive? I love this website, but please dont print any more stories like this as its absolute rubbish, you only encourage these idiots. If I want to read a load of nonsense I’ll read one of my daughters books.

    • In the most part i agree with you, but i am afraid that censorship is not the way forwards.

      I personally would much rather know that stuff like this was happening than not.

  10. Meanwhile, in the world of real scientific studies:

    http://nature.com/tp/journal/v1/n11/full/tp201153a.html

    • Much better, that should take up my last hour of work for the day…

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