реферат "Влияние компьютерных игр на школьников"
проект по английскому языку (10 класс) на тему

The theme:

The impact of computer games on teenagers

The object of research:

Computer technologies

The subject of research:

Computer games

The aim:

To find out if there is any negative  influence  of computer games on modern pupils, what kind of influence

The methods:

Collecting data, analysis, comparing the data, survey

Hypothesis:

Computer games have a bad impact on the pupils’ health

and their cognitive abilities

Conclusion:

There are no proofs of the direct link between the teenagers’ problems and playing computer playing. The only obvious thing is that the parents’control is a must. Moreover, computer games can be useful, if parents buy games which are suitable and interesting for their children.

Contents

1.        Introduction:        4

2.        The general anlysis of the issue:        4

a.        Kinds of computer games, reasons for their popularity        4

b.        The impact of video games on adolescents        5

3.        My research results………………………………………..8

4.        Conclusion _        16

5.        List of references……………………………………………………………17      

1. Introduction:

The issue of computer technologies is much discussed nowadays. It is common knowledge that computer video games have become a vital part of teenagers’ life; moreover, it is understood the influence of such kind of gaming is rather negative on the modern school children. As the saying goes “There is no smoke without fire”- so, I have decided to find out whether this kind of activity is really destructive on us, teenagers, and if so – to what an extent.

When I got interested in the matter, I started reading up and collecting the information on the issue- to my astonishment no exact data was available, actually there was a lot of “smoke” but no detailed arguments. So, inevitably I came to the conclusion- to do some research myself and make an attempt to bring light on the issue of computer games.

2. The general analysis of the issue :

1. Kinds of computer games, reasons for their popularity

There are many different categories or genres of games. But, many games can be more than one genre. For instance, a soccer game could be considered a sports game, as well as a simulation game. There are two classifications of computer games: by genre and by the number of players. Let us begin with the genres of computer games.

The most popular genre is action. There are different types of action games: shooter (first person and third person), fighting, arcade and stealth action. In this genre, the  player's success greatly depends on the reaction speed and the ability to receive tactical solutions quickly . These games are very dynamic and require high concentration of attention and rapid response to events occurring in the game. As you can see, these games are based on violence. In shooter, you kill your enemies using firearms, in fighting, you use bare hands, in stealth action you act quietly. Only arcade is based on overcoming various obstacles, when you move your character. But even there you eliminate your foes (for example, in Sonic you crush robots, when you run to the finish).

Another popular genre is strategy. This genre is based on tactics. You should develop your  own strategy to win in strategy. As in action games, strategy games have different types based on  the scheme of game play and  the scale of the  game play.  The types based on  the scheme are: real-time strategy (when actions are performed in real time), turn-based strategy (when actions are performed one by one) and card strategy ( the computer version of popular collection card games).  The types based on scale are: wargame (when you rule the army and you need to fight against another army), global strategy (when you rule the country and you need to develop  the army, economics, science, development of new lands, diplomacy) and God game (when you care about a certain creature or a person. You do not have control of your character or characters; you just keep him or them alive and preserve them in suitable condition to achieve the set-up aim ).

Adventure genre is popular too. This is a kind of a game story, where you interact with the game world by using different objects, talking with different characters and solving logical problems. These games also have different types: quest (you need to solve logical problems to progress through  the story), action-adventure (mixture), romantic adventure (you need to succeed in romantic relationship) and visual novels (e-book with illustrations and music).

Another popular genre is a role played game  or RPG. This is a fantasy game, where your character has personal characteristics and abilities. The main aim is to develop the characteristics and acquire new abilities. In this game, there is a certain world, a strong plot, dialogues, a player can choose an answer and many characters with different aims and different character features. There are classic RPG’s, JRPG’s (Japanese variant of RPG with some national features), action-RPG’s, tactical RPG’s.

Simulator is getting quite popular nowadays. As you can understand, in this kind of games, you control something:  a vehicle (a sport car, a truck, a plane, a spaceship, a train, a ship), a sports team (as a player or manager), a company.

I have listed the major genres. There are other genres as well  like musical games, rhythmical games and puzzles. These games are popular too, but less than others.

As I have already mentioned computer games have two classifications., now let’s turn to the second classification according to the number of players.

A Single player game is a game, where you play versus computer alone.  A multiplayer game is a game, where you play against another player. There are different types of multiplayer games.

Splitscreen, where you share a computer or a console with your friend  In this game, the screen is shared by two players. This genre is not popular nowadays, because of the Internet development. Some games do not demand the screen sharing. For example – sports simulators.

Play by Electronic Mail games (or PBEM) are not popular anymore, but they are still alive for some gamers. These games are text-based and use e-mails to connect with the player. Usually, it is strategy or RPG. These games do not require a game console or a powerful computer with the high-quality Internet that is why it was popular earlier. But now game consoles are cheap, every gamer has a good Internet, so these games have become obsolete.

So, the most popular genre now is Massive Multiplayer Game (or MMO). This game has the following features: MMO functions only through the Internet (no local network), and many players play MMO at the same time, interacting with each other.

So, I have listed the major types of computer games. Now let’s try to find out why computer games are popular. The reasons for the computer games popularity are numerous. A lot of people play computer games in order to escape dull reality and to fight with horrible monsters or to save the world from hostile aliens. Video and computer games give the opportunity to plunge into exciting adventures: to explore complicated mazes, to combat frightful dragons, to overcome obstacles, to operate various vehicles, to fly an aircraft or to pilot a spacecraft, to solve different puzzles, to look after a virtual pet, to build cities, to play sport games and even to control the lives of people. Video games are constantly becoming more life-like and complex. New styles and genres appear. The development of a computer game demands the work and skills of quite a large group of people including programmers, graphic designers, sound designers, musicians, and other technicians. Modern video games contain a unique synthesis of 3D art, sound effects, real-life environment, people-like characters, architecture, artificial intelligence, dramatic performances, music, storytelling, and interactivity (the ability to communicate directly with a computer program which does things in reaction to your act) .

Games are a unique form of entertainment because they encourage players to become a part of the game's script. Although video games have been available for more than 30 years, today's sophisticated video games require players to pay constant attention to the game. Players are engaged on  a deeper level — physically and emotionally — than people do when watching a movie or TV.

2. The impact of video games on adolescents

Today 97% of teens in the U.S. play video games, and sales of games are growing. The domestic video game industry brings in nearly $12 billion a year. This popular form of media has both positive and negative effects on children. The most widely acknowledged "positive" impact is that video games may help children improve their manual dexterity and computer literacy. Ever-improving technology also provides players with better graphics that give a more "realistic" virtual playing experience. This quality makes the video game industry a powerful force in many adolescent lives. When a video game is “pro-social” and rewards players for building a town, or helping others, children tend to show more empathy and helpfulness in their daily lives, according to a 2014 study by Douglas Gentile, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University.

Video game developers have been accused of the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes, advergaming (a form of advertising in games), consumption of drugs, alcohol or tobacco, bad language, propaganda, or profanity in some games. Many games encourage violent behavior, blur the difference between right and wrong and cause addiction. Some people say that video and computer games make children unsociable and passive. They are absorbed in games without speaking to each other for a long time. Children and teenagers who are fond of computer games are not interested in reading. Some researchers proclaim that playing computer games stunts brain growth. Children can play for hours without eating, sleeping or learning. They sit in front of the computer screen exercising their fingers instead of playing outside or training themselves physically. That's why the levels of obesity among children and teenagers are rising. The vast majority of computer games are made for male game players, but nowadays more and more games are produced for girls and women. Small amount of young females play aggressive games and it has a negative influence on their psyche.But video and computer games have advantages as well. Most games require a great deal of patience and focus from the player so video games may even increase players' attention capacities. They may also improve a child's visual skills and develop coordination. Certain types of video games can improve gamers' dexterity as well as their ability to solve problems.

Video games are meant not only for entertainment. Some video games are made for other reasons. Educational games attempt to teach players using the game as a vehicle. They help children develop Maths , reading skills and spelling through play. Computer games can promote the development of strategic thinking and planning skills. It has been noticed that gamers do not realize they are learning. So, if educational games could be used at school, education would enjoy significant benefits.

All we should do is to control the playing, distribution, purchase, or sale of video and computer games. Violent games must be banned and the time of playing games should be strictly limited. Instead of killing and injuring people the aim of the game can be to save somebody or to make peace.

However, studies also show that video games with violent content are linked to more aggressive behavior in teens. This is a concern because most of the popular video games contain violence.

Part of the increase in aggressive behavior is linked to the amount of time children are allowed to play video games—and daily media use by children is increasing significantly.

A 2010 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that teenagers aged 8 to 18 devote seven-and-a-half hours a day to entertainment media. Less than half of the kids surveyed said their parents have rules about the shows and games they can watch or play. In my research the figures are not so drastic- half an hour to one hour a day for entertainment and almost 70 percent of parents control primary school children.

In interactive video games, players are encouraged to identify with and role play their favorite characters. Players move up in game levels as their character masters skill and wins. In a video game about stock cars, winning may mean winning the race. But in many of the popular games, players move up levels by winning fights or battles. Players directly benefit from engaging in acts of violence.

Gentile & Anderson (2003) state that playing video games may increase aggressive behavior because violent acts are continually repeated throughout the video game. This method of repetition has long been considered an effective teaching method in reinforcing learning patterns.

Research has also found that, controlling for prior aggression, children who played more violent video games during the beginning of the school year showed more aggression than other children later in the school year. (Pediatrics, Nov. 2008)

Actually, the scientists define 3 types of consequences connected to playing computer games: physical, social and mental.

Physical consequences of gaming addiction include carpal tunnel, migraines, sleep disturbances, backaches, eating irregularities, and poor personal hygiene.Carpal tunnel syndrome has long been associated with computer use, so it's no surprise that it's a physical symptom of gaming addiction. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused when the main nerve between the forearm and hand is squeezed or pressed. This occurs when the carpal tunnel - the area of the wrist that houses the main nerve and tendons - becomes irritated or swollen. Overuse of a computer mouse can cause such irritation and swelling, as can excessive use of a video game controller. Migraine headaches typically start in one spot and slowly spread, getting more painful as they progress. In severe cases, the pain can be so extreme that it causes the sufferer to vomit. Light and noise can cause excruciating pain. Someone who plays video games for extended periods of time is more prone to migraines because of the intense concentration required and the strain put on the eyes. Migraine headaches typically start in one spot and slowly spread, getting more painful as they progress. In severe cases, the pain can be so extreme that it causes the sufferer to vomit. Light and noise can cause excruciating pain. Someone who plays video games for extended periods of time is more prone to migraines because of the intense concentration required and the strain put on the eyes. Backaches are a common physical symptom of gaming addiction because most gamers stay seated in the same position for hours on end. The lack of movement causes stiffness and soreness, but could deteriorate into chronic back problems. Eating irregularities are caused by gaming addiction simply because most addicted gamers don't want to take the time to eat properly. Rather than eating healthy, balanced meals, they eat food that is quick and usually unhealthy. In extreme cases, the gamer may choose not to eat at all. An addicted gamer is not going to take the time to properly care for himself. Showers, face-washing, and brushing hair and teeth all get put on the back burner. It simply becomes less of a priority, if it's a priority at all.

Social consequences are a very real part of gaming addiction. Addicted gamers spend so much time playing that their personal relationships get neglected and sometimes disappear altogether. Among addicted gamers up to 50 percent report  difficulties in communication as a result of their addiction.

A quick search online for information about video game addiction yields multiple stories about detrimental, and potentially harmful, social decisions people have made because gaming takes priority above all else. However,” playing all the time” helps teenagers to take  their minds off  their problems.

It's not just neglect that costs addicted gamers their relationships. Some of them talk so much about their game of choice – to the exclusion of everything else – that people no longer want to be around them. They can't, or won't, engage in real world conversations or be a source of support or encouragement to friends and family. Because their friends talk about other things, they begin to feel left out, which in turn causes them to feel irritated or offended. It doesn't occur to them that they've chosen to be left out by devoting all their time to gaming.

Some of the physical consequences of video game addiction can lead to social consequences as well. For instance, an addicted gamer who loses sleep because he's playing so much simply doesn't have the energy to invest in relationships. Lack of sleep may also make him irritable and difficult to be around.

The lack of social interaction that results from obsessive gaming can have long-term social consequences. An addicted teenager won't develop effective social skills, which will hinder his ability to develop and maintain healthy relationships in college and beyond. Suddenly, he's 21 but has the social skills of a 15-year-old. He doesn't know how to make friends, talk to girls, or just "hang out” and enjoy people's company. The social awkwardness created by the isolationism of gaming addiction, unfortunately, feeds the addiction. The gaming addict will likely retreat to his online world where relationships are easier and already waiting for him.

Gaming addiction is serious. Though there still is much debate about whether it is a diagnosable disorder, there is clearly a segment of our society for whom gaming is more than just a casual pastime. These people need friends and family members who care enough to intervene and try to help them break the addictive cycle.

Game developers and publishers understand such high impact on teens, so they made systems of age limits. There are many rating boards, every big country has own rating board. The most popular rating boards are ESRB (USA and Canada), PEGI (European Union), USK (Germany) and RARS (Russia). These boards are similar, but have some differences, connected to the local issues. In Russia, the classification is: 0+, 6+, 12+, 16+ and 18+. Games with 0+ rating don’t have violence at all, or it has violence in context of battle between good and evil. 6+ rating assigned to games with non-naturalistic pictures of diseases, accidents, crashes or nonviolent death. Games with 12+ contain episodic moments of non-naturalistic killing and violence. Also,  they may contain  pictures of smoking or drinking alcohol, games of chance, vagrancy and begging, without a call for these actions. Also, there are pictures of relationship between man and woman without sexual demonstrations. 16+ games contain: pictures of accidents, crashes, diseases and death without natural demonstration, pictures of killing without natural demonstration, information about drugs with demonstration if developer want to show negative aspects of this addiction, some swear words, which are not filthy, pictures of sexual relations (kissing, hugs) without demonstration of sex. 18+ games have no limits. They have death, drugs, sex, filthy words. But these games are prohibited for children. PEGI, ESRB and USK has own signs of ratings, RARS don’t. Designer of cover also create design of rating mark. But rating mark must be recognizable and readable. Sellers in real world will not sell you a game which is not suitable for you. But what about e-shops? Well, popular e-shops of games like Steam or PlayStation Network has parent control settings. Firstly, if a  kid wants to buy a new game, he should get  the parents’ permission, and parents are asked to enter a password. Secondly, a boy or a girl are not allowed to look for the  information about the game, which is not  legal for their age. Parents provide the date of birth of their kid in  the program settings moreover , parents could tune in the  game’s  timer, which stops playing when  the game  is over  the set-up time.

3.  My research results.

So, I decided to do some research in the area of the impact of computer games on the pupils in my school. I conducted a survey in junior and high schools. In  total , I surveyed 54 pupils of junior school ( 2, 4, 6 classes) and 57 pupils of high school ( 10,11 classes). Basing on the survey results, I can make the following conclusions:

• Half of the junior school pupils work on the computer for about an hour a day, one third of the high school pupils work on the computer for more than 4 hours a day. However, most of the pupils of junior and high schools devote about a half of an hour to computer playing. As there is no increase in playing time, the issue of addiction is out of the question. We can suggest that pupils of high school use a computer mainly for school work and social networks, whereas younger boys and girls play computer games half of their computer time.

• 61% parents of junior school pupils limit them on using the computer and 63% of pupils have marks “4”or“5”. So, parents mainly control their junior school children and the pupils are successful
• There is a direct link between the parents’ control and children’s  success at school .

• 79% of seniors are not limited in using the computer. 61% of seniors think that computer games do not have any bad impact on their school results.

• However, only 29% of pupils have good marks (4 and 5), most of the pupils have one “3” mark on their assessment list and 39% of pupils have two or three ‘3’ marks.

• 44% of younger pupils spend 1 hour on homework, 49%  of elder pupils spend 2-3 hours on homework. These are common figures. It takes 30 minutes for a third of juniors to do homework, a third of seniors do homework for more than 4 hours. Maybe,  it’s connected to the fact that 44% of pupils are distracted by the computer while doing homework

• 81% pupils of junior school have no problems with the eyesight in high school only 44% of pupils have no problems with the eyesight. As I have mentioned seniors work on the computer more than juniors,

• Most of all pupils don’t argue with their parents often
• There are no proofs of violence or aggression among teenagers , caused

by computer games

• Most of seniors don’t play computer games at night as they don’t want to have their favorite character of  the computer game as a role model. So, there is no computer game addiction.

4. Conclusion:

Having analyzed the types of computer games, scientific research data, rating boards systems,  the  school survey results I have come to the following conclusion: computer games are  a part of the modern entertainment world, they cannot be regarded as true evil.

• The harmful aspect of the computer games’ usage should be viewed in the context of the computer technologies as a whole and the issue of such games’ addiction and the aspects of violence linked to playing computer games have been overestimated.
• The  impact of computer games depends on parents’ control. In my survey it is clearly outlined the success  of children at  junior school is linked to the parents’ monitoring and the control of their children activities .I would like to draw the attention to the fact that high school pupils actually have no control over their work on the computer. Maybe, parents are not big experts in the communication technologies, or they trust their children and consider them being almost grown-ups, but the school results in high school depict this neglect on the parents’ side. In Germany, for example, teenagers under 16 are not allowed to  browse  social nets without parents’ control  So, I have prepared some recommendations for parents.

• Before buying a game for your child, check  all the information about it. Look at the rating mark. Don’t buy games which don’t fit your child age.
• If you buy games online, enter the date of birth of your child in settings of an e-shop client.
• If you have more than one kid, make  a personal account for every kid.
• Set up time limits. Computer games can be addictive, so timer is necessary. You can do it in settings of your computer, tablet, phone or game console. When the time is over, the device will turn off.

If you follow these steps, computer games will be useful for your child. He or she  will train their thinking, reaction, fine motor skills,  while playing their favourite computer games. And you will keep calm.

  To sum it up, I would like to make a brief forecast, it looks as if the niche of simulator games has not been used to the upmost, in the near future lots of educational computer games should appear at school to make the studying process more efficient and not so tiring, at least there is a demand for such games. Playing computer games does not look like an obsession for the pupils of my school, although the time spent on working the computer  for 3-5 percent of the students may be considered alarming, thus a close control on the adults’ side should be the tool to prevent  the school children from turning into virtual life addicts.

Reference List

• Gentile, D. A. & Anderson, C. A. (2014). Long-Term Relations Among Prosocial-Media Use, Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior, Psychology Science, vol. 2, 358-368.

• "Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry," Entertainment Software Association website, May 2009.

• “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds.” Kaiser Family Foundation, Jan. 20, 2010.

• Gentile, D. A. & Anderson, C. A. (2003). Violent video games: The newest media violence hazard. In D. A. Gentile (Ed.), Media violence and children. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishing.

• Anderson, C.A. & Sakamoto, A. (2008). Longitudinal Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggression in Japan and the United States, Pediatrics.

• Имеющиеся работы и исследования посвящены в основном тому, что компьютерные игры используются как побег от реальности, где достигается особое ощущение собственной идентичности (Леонова Л.Г., Бочкарёва Н.Л., 1998; Коловоротный C.B., 2000; Фриндте В., Келер Т.,2000; ShottonM., 1989; Young К., SulerJ., 1996; GreenfieldD.,1999).

•  Другие работы касаются особенностей виртуальной реальности, а также особенностей личности людей, взаимодействующих с виртуальной реальностью (Бабаева Ю.Д., Войскунский А.Е., Смыслова О.В., 2000; Жичкина А.Е., Белинская Е.П., 2000; Бубеев Ю.А., Романов А.И., Козлов В.В., 2008; Reíd Е., Deaux К., 1996; TurkleS., 1996;DonathJ., 1997; SulerJ., 1997; SempseyJ., 1997).

• Одни исследователи утверждают, что уход в виртуальную реальность является компенсаторным механизмом (Young К., 1996; Reid Е., Deaux К., 1996; TurkleS., 1996; SulerJ., 1997), другие - что в виртуальной реальности реализуется Идеальное Я индивидов (TurkleS., 1996; BeckerG., 1996; Young К., 1998).

• Известно также, что занятия компьютерными играми, превосходящие условную норму (не свыше 2-х часов в день), приводят к переориентации эмоциональных и межличностных отношений (Леонова Л. Г., Бочкарёва Н. Л., 1998).

• https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Классификация_компьютерных_игр#.D0.A1.D1.82.D1.80.D0.B0.D1.82.D0.B5.D0.B3.D0.B8.D0.B8

• Научная библиотека диссертаций и авторефератов disserCat:

http://www.dissercat.com/content/vliyanie-virtualnoi-realnosti-na-obraz-ya-na-primere-rolevykh-kompyuternykh-igr#ixzz4VLVG27yn