According to a new British-backed Taiwanese study, videogames can be a contributing factor in rising stress levels and anxiety in young people. So, not only are they solely responsible for school shootings and rapists, they could now give you a heart attack. Ace!
The research proposes that videogames instigate humanity's "fight or flight" instinct, which in turn can inadvertently release adrenaline into the body. However, since the human body is neither fighting nor flying during the average gameplay session, that rogue adrenaline simply sits there, and could potentially cause anxiety problems due to an "adrenaline overload."
Sarcasm aside, that's actually an interesting theory, and far more scientific a proposal than most of these "games cause people to turn evil because we made them blow an airhorn" studies that hacks like to promote. Naturally of course, there are also studies which say games reduce stress, and I am inclined to believe that both studies have their merits. However, that simply proves that human beings are individuals, and we can never use studies to tar everyone with the same brush.
It's believable that for some people, videogames can stress them out. It's also believable that can calm other players down. In short -- anything can be linked to anything, if you find the right people.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
11:40 AM on 02.11.2009
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I don't know anyone that can stay upset with a bag of dill pickle potato chips next to them.
Listen to between the buried and me and.. yea, good luck sleeping.
Listen to mozart, however, and you will find it very relaxing.
Different games, different reactions.
The same goes for many activities that people take up. People are adrenaline junkies, whether they like games, gambling, riding roller coasters, and frankly, work does the same thing. This is not inherent in games, it's inherent in out approach to just about anything.
A lazy JRPG isn't likely to get the blood pumping like a fast paced FPS game (provided you are actually good at the FPS).
I certainly have difficulty sleeping for 30min-1hr after I finish playing COD in the evening with my buddies on XBL. However, I can certainly say it's not the same type of adrenaline I experience when I race cars (Auto-X) because there's no chance of real injury or death.
As a counterpoint, something like Tales of Vesperia or Lego Indy doesn't generate the same types of feelings at all. I could fall asleep while playing those.
I think getting that fight-or-flight response to a certain degree is healthy, because people are designed to get it and we rarely do in modern life. I could see where that adrenaline-excess could be a problem, but that can be solved by getting some physical activity, which we know we should be doing anyway.
... haaaaaa "Stressed Eric" good times
It's nothing like the feeling you get when you're about to be in a fight though, that is way more intense. Your heart is pounding, your vision is sharper and clearer, your hearing clearer, your reflexes are quicker. None of that shit happens when you play a game! Or at least when I play a game.