by Trae Fields

To all who play video games: are you brain dead?

Everyone knows that video games can help your hand and eye coordination. However, what you do not know is that they can hurt your brain. According to PcWorld, which is a computer and video game magazine, a doctor named Chou Yuan -hua in the department of Psychiatry of Taipei Veterans General Hospital said that video games, especially violent ones, could cause brain damage. The study was given to 30 people all age 25 to monitor blood flow. They played video games for 30 minutes.

I play video games much more then 30 minutes. Yuan-hua's study cited that playing games in general decreases the brain's blood flow. The study said video games damaged the frontal lobe, the part of the brain that is in control of speaking, decision-making, and impulse control. Do not forget that this study was for only 30 minutes.

Therefore, the problem is that 30 minutes is not a long time. What effect would playing video games have on education? Do video games have an influence on education? Alternatively, do video games help you out?

Everyone who plays video games plays them for more thing 30 minutes. To test if video games cause damage, I played video games normally and intensely. To tell the truth, I did have a headache. The tension headache came from straining my eyes.



Charles Turner, NWHS’s desktop publishing teacher, allows students to play one or two video games after doing their work. He does not believe video games interfere with learning. Turner believes “some games enhance learning, because they help them strategize, reason, and build cognitive memory." Therefore, it is up to you.

Do video games influence your grades?

They influence my grades, because they help me stay focused in classes. Because I’m home playing games, it makes me more likely to finish my schoolwork instead of going out for the night.