In what ways do video games affect children and teenagers?

1. Children's Development

1.1. As far back as the early 1990s, scientists warned that because video games only stimulate brain regions that control vision and movement, other parts of the mind responsible for behavior, emotion, and learning could become underdeveloped.

1.2. Nine out of 10 children play video games. That's 64 million kids—and some of them hit the keyboard or smartphone before they can even string together a sentence.

1.3. Psychologists and neuroscientists conducting well-designed studies are beginning to shed light on the actual effects of video games. These studies show a clear trend: Games have many consequences in the brain, and most are not obvious—they happen at a level that overt behaviors do not immediately reflect. Because the effects are subtle, many people think video games are simply benign entertainment.

1.4. Games may be beneficial for doctors, too. A study involving 33 laparoscopic surgeons—doctors who conduct minimally invasive surgery by using a video camera to project the surgical target area onto a screen as they work—linked video game play to improved surgical skill, as measured in a standardized advanced-skill training program. In fact, the surgeons’ amount of game time was a better predictor of advanced surgical skill in the training drills than their number of years in practice or number of real-life surgeries performed.

1.5. According to a 2009 study published in Nature Neuroscience by Li and Bavelier, playing action video games can improve contrast sensitivity. Interestingly, no improvement was found from playing non-action video games. Contrast sensitivity is the fine discrimination between shades of gray and is important for such activities as driving at night, piloting or reading X-rays.

1.6. Playing violent video games releases dopamine in a brain region called the striatum.

2. Children's behavior

2.1. Dopamine, which makes a person feel good, may be responsible for video game addictions. The body is predisposed to craving instant gratification. A video game offers instant gratification through the release of dopamine. The more a teen plays, the better they feel. If coupled with other factors, this can turn into an addiction.

2.2. Games that offer an “open world” concept are particularly good for developing better problem solving skills, say gaming enthusiasts. Research has also found that video games can help with visual perception, and may also help kids develop task management skills, particularly multi-tasking.

2.3. eenagers who played aggressive games that had noble protagonists were not as likely to engage in risky behaviors, the latest study found.

2.4. One hour or less of video game play per day is associated with children and teenagers ages 10 to 15 being happier and more satisfied than those who do not play at all, a study published Monday in Pediatrics found. But the study also found that kids who played in excess of three hours daily were less satisfied with their lives and had more difficulties both socially and personally than non-gamers.

2.5. A new study suggests that children can learn aggressive ways of thinking and behaving from violent video games.

2.6. Gentile says the kids learn from the video games in a manner similar to learning in other areas, be it math or to play the piano.

2.7. A video game addiction can be harmful if your child is unable or unwilling to participate in any interests or extracurricular activities other than gaming.

2.8. A video game addiction can be harmful if your child is unable or unwilling to participate in any interests or extracurricular activities other than gaming.

3. information

3.1. The video game industry is a rapid-growing market that went from having a market volume of $100 million in 1985 to $4 billion in 1990 (Gartner, 2013).

3.2. America, 81% of youths play at least once a month, 8.5% of them are addicted and “the average 8- to 12 year-old now plays 13 hours of video games per week, while the average 13- to 18 year old plays 14 hours of video games per week.”

3.3. Today 97% of teens in the U.S. play video games, and sales of games are growing.

3.4. The domestic video game industry brings in nearly $12 billion a year.

3.5. international studies have shown that between seven and 11 per cent of gamers show some symptoms associated with addiction.

3.6. Young children have difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy, which makes them more vulnerable to the effects of media violence. They may become more aggressive and fearful if they are exposed to high levels of violence in video games