Videogames Affect Your Brain

ozmm writes "A story on GameSpot explains the concept of 'mirror neurons.' When we shoot a gun, certain neurons fire in our brain. When we see someone else shoot a gun, even a video game character, the exact same neurons fire. How do virtual reactions affect our lives and thoughts? This short but sweet article touches on all of this and more." From the article: "We can tell if someone is watching a television by the way that person is facing it--even if we can't see or hear if the television is even on. It also means that we can experience the mental states associated with actions without ever having to perform those actions. In video games, in particular, it's like we're automatically empathizing with what is happening on the screen as if we were the video game characters ourselves. If you've ever had a particularly heart-palpitating race in Burnout, surely you can relate."

Comments

Re:ID'ers Eat Your Heart Out.

[Anonymous Coward]

Did you know that all valid studies on the effects of video games have concluded that video games make players more violent? There are tons of personal stories that prove this fact too.

I know that Slashdot refuses to accept this, but there is a scientifically proven link between video games and violence. Do a Google search and find out for yourself.

This is a good article on the link between games and violence, refuting almost all the myths you here on Slashdot about how videogames don't make people violent.

Another article, Video Game Violence Research Yields Mixed Results - while it has a title you may think supports video games don't cause violence - actually suggests that most violent video games DO cause violent behaviors, while some (puzzle games) do not.

The only, and I do mean only, studies that conclude that video games are not directly linked to an increase in violent behavior are studies that were funded by video game publishers. Sort of like how the Microsoft-funded study discovered that Windows is more secure than Linux.

The military uses video game technology to train soldiers to kill. They know that video games make violent behaviors come more naturally. It's a proven fact by now, and all the Slashdot posts in the world won't change that.

Do some actual research. Video games are linked with an increase in violent behavior. It's a fact, like it or not.