Video games can lead to bad grades, violence (

By James Heggen
Iowa State Daily (Iowa State U.)
12/07/2006

AMES, Iowa -- Falling grades and aggressive or violent attitudes may be a result of a person's video game habits, according to a recent report.

The National Institute on Media and the Family has released its annual video game report card. The report includes a list of recommended video games and games to avoid. It also gives grades to each video game for parents, retailers and certain areas of the video game industry and talks about the risks and effects of video games.

Douglas Gentile, Iowa State University assistant professor of psychology and director of research at the National Institute on Media and the Family, co-authored the report.

One of the problems outlined in the report is video game addiction. Gentile said although addiction is not a recognized medical term, he used it for the purpose of familiarity.

According to the report, South Korea, which is two years ahead of the United States technologically, has recently seen a spike in these cases.

"We're starting to see that here in the states as well, but it's not as big a problem as it is over there," Gentile said.

Gentile explained addiction is more than just playing a lot.

"That's when it becomes an addiction -- when it actually damages other parts of your life," he said.

Lying about how much time you spend playing, doing poorly in school because of playing and passing up social opportunities are signs of possible addiction, Gentile said.

Studies that Gentile has conducted with college students indicated that 5 to 10 percent would be classified as addicted by this standard.

Another issue that the report mentioned was the effects of violent video games on users. The effects include increased violence and aggressive behavior in users, as well as desensitivity to violence.

Gentile said video games have an effect on those who use them because some reward violence, which is effective in teaching.

However, Gentile pointed out that video games are only one thing that can increase aggression.

"It's just one among many risk factors for aggressive behavior. The difference is, it's the one that's easily controlled," he said.

The Best Buy policy is one that heeds no exceptions, said Brandi Skinner, Ames, Iowa, Best Buy store manager, 1206 S. Duff Ave.

"[For] any mature-rated game, we have to see ID, period," she said.

Target, 320 S. Duff Ave., has a similar policy, said Clint Sloss, sales floor associate and senior in community and regional planning.

Both stores' cash registers prompt employees to provide proof of age when ringing up mature-rated games.

Best Buy has always had an ID policy, Skinner said. But in the last two years, the store has become very diligent about enforcing the policy.

This is because of how the content in video games has changed, she said.

"Because video games have become much more violent," she said.

As far as Sloss knows, the policy has been pretty standard for the past five years. In fact, he thought that everyone had to do it.

"Gangs of London" and "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories" are listed in the report as games to avoid but have been pretty popular, Skinner said.

The list of games to avoid is very accurate, said Josh Nollin, ISU sophomore in pre-business.

"I think they're more than correct," he said.

The biggest problems with the violent video games are not so much that they are violent, but the way that violence is portrayed, Nollin said.

"The language are things that I don't say, and I've been in college for awhile," he said.

Some of the games that are on the to-avoid list are titles that Nollin owns and enjoys playing.

However, he believes that since he is older, it is different than a child playing them, because he understands that the violence is something that should not be done in real life.
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You know what I agree I was like that in Highschool the minute my parents got me a Sega It was soooo hard for me to make the honor roll

This is good information. I only purchase family friendly, or E for everybody games. My daughter will never get an X-Box or PS3. I purchased a Nintindo Wii because she must use her body to play the games. Next year sometime I will probably purchase the Legend of Zelda if it is not on the list.

Lack of discipline leads to bad grades. Everything in moderation.

I'm glad the X-Box wasn't around when I was in HS or I would have had BAD grades.

XBOX was around when I was in high school and I made the honor roll...ALMOST everytime...lol

But then again all I played was Madden and NCAA.

ditto, hulaw. ditto.

I had it baaaaaaaaaaaaaad when Madden BCF was alive and kickin'

.......Total BS,

If it were not for Video Games, I would not have had any interest in Computers.........

BTW. I played the 8-bit Nintendo religiously, I have degrees in Computer Science, and Mathematics

quote:

Originally posted by 2real:
XBOX was around when I was in high school and I made the honor roll...ALMOST everytime...lol

But then again all I played was Madden and NCAA.

WHOA!! And you are how old! Anyway, the problem isn't the games, it's the parents! They are pushing the kids off to their rooms and buying more games for them.

By the way 2real.. My 1st video console was a Commender 64.. That Dr. J vs. Larry Bird game was the shyt!