The Video Game Menace

The Video Game Menace

The video game universe is able to interface with the player and lead to the secretion of hormones such as Adrenaline, Serotonin, Dopamine, and feel-good endorphins in an unbalanced and erratic manner. Through the manifestation of multilayered virtual realities, a vast range of emotions are triggered and subsequently lead to an array of contrastive electrochemical responses. You release adrenaline when you are undergoing a risky or dangerous operation in a game. Eventually, if you solve this situation and you are satisfied, you release endorphins. Simultaneously, the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters are going off in an erratic manner depending on the particular scenario at hand.

This applies especially in the realm of massive multiplayer online role playing games and the action first person shooters that are now designed with contrived progressive elements such as rewards and ranks for dedicated players that are willing to kill innumerable hours of continuous gameplay.

The consumption of caffeinated drinks, marijuana, and other more potent drugs while gaming is commonplace for today's generation.

I feel like consciousness is being manipulated through almost every outlet available to us; whether it be the news, the entertainment industry, or you name it.

We are kept occupied with repetitive tasks while being constantly bombarded with meaningless stimuli on a daily basis that lures us away from seeking knowledge regarding the self and the universe.. This is not to say that video games are utterly nothing but destructive. In strict moderation, they are an effective form of recreation.. Yet by nature, this new and evolved form of virtual entertainment is precisely structured and devised with an innate susceptibility for neurological and hormonal addiction.

Sadly, this outlet works in a synergistic manner because it provides an escape from the oppressive sociological and psychosocial facets that can potentially breed a sense of existential helplessness and boredom. A couple of years back, I will admit I was a serial gamer.. I witnessed myself and other friends slowly being swallowed by a vortex of pleasure/pain and incessant conditioning for even 10-12 hours at a time. Reality was meaningless because it was relative to its new substitution.

Dopamine and Video Games

Serotonin, Impulsivity, Decision Making

Endorphins and Adrenaline Release during Video Game Play

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(Property of Bill Mullins' Web Blog: billmullins.wordpress.com...)

Great post. S&F from me.

I recently read about the stages of personal learning network adoption. In other words, the stages we go through whenever we begin something like video games, Facebook, or even ATS.

Stage 1: Immersion. The person typically immerses himself into the network (games, facebook, ATs). Often accompanied by a feeling of not being able to leave b/c of fear you will miss something.

Stage 2: Evaluation. Person starts to focus on which networks you really want to spend time on. In other words, what games do I want to play, what forums on ATS do I want to pursue. Person still in that feeling of urgency and wants to "know it all."

Stage 3: Know it All. Person finds they are spending many hours trying to learn everything possible about the community. Begins to realize this is an impossibility, feels like they can't disconnect. Spends every waking minute trying to be connected to the point he/she gives up sleep and contact with others just to be with the gaming community.

Stage 4: Perspective. Person begins to put life into perspective, to prioritize gaming or network with other activities. Usually occurs after being forced to spend time away from network.

Stage 5: Balance. Learning how to balance game with other areas of life. No longer feels they will miss something important, rather feels able to handle learning when necessary.

I know those stages were more for online learning communities, but I think they can be applied to gaming as well. I know I've typically gone through these stages when I get a new game, a new game system, etc. It also fits for ATS.

As for the neurological effects, everything we do in life manipulates the chemicals our body produces. We see it in television, watching movies, even listening to music. We know this in education, which is why teachers focus on student success. We know that students will get the endorphin rush that comes with being successful, so we try to set up situations where the students can experience that success.

What I'm not sure about is whether the gaming industry is TRYING to manipulate the chemicals as a conspiracy to dumb down our nation, make us into robots, or what have you. I rather think its more along the lines of "This type of game earns us the most money."

I tend to disagree.

Every generation there is a call to have something banned.

Not too long ago the "book" was deemed to be a problem and many burned

Rock and Roll was deemed to have a negative effect and was also demonized.

It could be argued that many mediums assail the senses and set the adrenalin rushing through your system.

Nature is self balancing and we are part of nature - if we don't choose to seek balance and give into our desires to game 24/7 then more fool the gamers.

I don't think the OP wanted games banned.

The impression I got from reading the OP was that we need to be aware that chemical reactions DO occur in our bodies as a result of gaming.

With awareness comes respect....and moderation.

With that being said, of course a lot of things in our world cause chemical reactions....because that's life. We react to our environment.

Yeah, yeah. We get it, everything that is fun in life is bad for you. Video games are entertaining, and I think that most everything is good in moderation. And of course chemical reactions happen while gaming. They also happen while walking, eating, sleeping, watching TV, browsing ATS, and just about everything else we humans do.

Also

"The consumption of caffeinated drinks, marijuana, and other more potent drugs while gaming is commonplace for today's generation."

I lol'd at this. I just did a few lines off my 360 controller.

S&F Very well stated.

Too many people are out there claiming that video games are the devil, training kids how to be effective killers and so on so forth. (edit - I actually saw a post one time that games were training us to be killers because they encouraged head shots and such in the FPS games. I'm sorry, but anybody that's been through anatomy should know that.) I have some outstanding problem-solving skills, and honestly I contribute some of that to the games that I played that actually made me think. Some of them have some rather complex puzzles. Too bad every has gotten lazy now-a-days and buys the guides so they can read and respond rather than think things through, but anyway...

I've grown up with games my whole life, almost a friend I have always had as I moved from state to state, year after year (military brat). It was one of many forms of entertainment though, as we had other things to keep our attention like swimming pools, sandboxes, hot wheels, action figures, LEGOs, etc.

In moderation, video games are fine. The Bible speaks of this to a degree, saying that most things in and of themselves are not evil. When we let things consume our lives and rule over us is when we have effectively set up an idol. I myself have to be very careful about this because I play games like WoW, where addiction is commonplace. I have seen the results of this very real addiction.

Friends of mine have flunked out of college because they skipped class to play games. There is a funny/sad video of a young boy who has his WoW account canceled. He flails around like he is possessed or something. It is honestly VERY disturbing.

www.youtube.com...

Sorry, dont know where the youtube video number is so I dont know how to get the video as a part of the post. Anyway, this kind of stuff is just sad. Thanks for looking at it objectively. I think you've hit the proverbial nail on its head.

Good to see some of the actual science behind it too, but also kind of scary as to the implications of it as far as how much control these companies and the government have over us by our willing enslavement to mass media and entertainment.


[edit on 10-3-2010 by Mykahel]

reply to post by Reptilian Ph.D


The problem isn't video games, the problem is with people who have so little to live for that they attach themselves to a culture, product, lifestyle or drug and let those things define them. It allows for a lack of depth in a person and a comfortable way out of confronting the problems they face both internally and externally.

The Work Menace

The work is able to interface with the worker and lead to the secretion of hormones such as Adrenaline, Serotonin, Dopamine, and feel-good endorphins in an unbalanced and erratic manner. Through the manifestation of differing scenarios, a vast range of emotions are triggered and subsequently lead to an array of contrastive electrochemical responses. You release adrenaline when you are undergoing a risky or dangerous task. Eventually, if you solve this situation and you are satisfied, you release endorphins. Simultaneously, the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters are going off in an erratic manner depending on the particular scenario at hand. Your boss might pat you on the head.

This applies especially in the day to day drudgery now designed with contrived progressive elements such as rewards and ranks for dedicated workers that are willing to kill innumerable hours of continuous work.

The consumption of caffeinated drinks, coc aine, and other potent drugs while working or participating in after-work, yet work related scenarios is commonplace for today's generation.

I feel like consciousness is being manipulated through almost every outlet available to us; whether it be the news, the entertainment industry, or you name it.

We are kept occupied with repetitive tasks while being constantly bombarded with meaningless stimuli on a daily basis that lures us away from seeking knowledge regarding the self and the universe.. This is not to say that work is nothing but destructive. In strict moderation, they are an effective form of development and improvement for society and society's benefit. Yet by nature, new and evolved forms of work is precisely structured and devised with an innate susceptibility for neurological and hormonal enslavement, especially with regard constant fear of unemployment.

Remember people - IT'S THE STICK, NOT THE CARROT.

Sadly, this outlet works in a synergistic manner because it provides an escape from the oppressive sociological and psychosocial facets that can potentially breed a sense of existential helplessness and boredom. A couple of years back, I will admit I was a serial gamer.. I witnessed myself and other friends slowly being swallowed by a vortex of pleasure/pain/painful exhileration and incessant conditioning for even 10-12 hours at a time. Reality was meaningless because it was relative to its new substitution.

Edit to add:
There are many, many differing scenes this could apply to, although I do agree with the OP - I feel video/computer games are the least of our worries in these troubled times.

[edit on 10/3/1010 by jokei]

I play world of warcraft, and I play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

It is great to understand the chemical reactions that take place while you cycle through your emotions while playing video games, but the same can be said about reading if you wanted to argue that.

I play video games when I am bored. the OP said he would spend 10-12 hours playing video games per day? I wouldnt call that a hormonal addiction, I would call that the absence of a social life - although it can also be argued that multiplayer games ARE a social life, the only difference being...you dont leave your lazy boy.

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I DO enjoy ranking up in online video games, its a rewarded experience, in the end there is nothing to be gained, but tell me what there is to be gained in life? You work your 9-5 and in the end, what do you gain? a few rank ups (promotions) and a few better weapons (material possessions). I dont see a difference here.

I dont know, im borderline running tangent so I'll just call it quits.

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we are being conditioned by the bombardment of entertainment and mass media...I dont think so. Video games are fun, Id rather spend 70$ on a brand new video game, then spend 70$ on a new age seminar and come out of it with a "wtf..." face on. shrug.

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Whats wrong with the consumption of drugs? Anyone who lights up a cigarette or flicks on their coffee maker in the morning is under the control of drugs. If im bummed out, and I know that i can smoke something in the form of a cigarette and be happy for the next 4 hours and giggle at stupid things then Im going to go for that cigarette. Drugs in my opinion are the escape we NEED in order to survive in this world of social slavery.

[edit on 10-3-2010 by epitaph.one]

There's no reason why we should ban video games.. However, we need to face the reality that the forms of entertainment today are not alike the past. Presently, industries are creating a purely psychological simulated reality that can potentially tip human beings off electrochemical homeostasis.

Books were burned at a point in time because they contradicted the paradigm of that time period. Which was typically religious extremism and fundamental traditionalism.. There are still books that are shamed and banned from libraries to this day.

I really, really wish that games like Myst were and are more popular. They still fall into the same framework of being a carefully manipulated virtual universe, but they surely can have some positive potential.

I'm absolutely a product of the video game culture, but some of my fondest memories are of some CD-Rom games from the early 90s similar in style to Myst. "Wrath of the Gods" taught me about Greek culture years before I learned it in school, and "The Journeyman Project" was just mysterious and cool. All 3 really work your logic & reasoning skills.

That aside, this concept that we are somehow being manipulated is not very far-fetched. I'm sure many ATSers have seen this video but it does illustrate how it can be done.

Originally posted by Reptilian Ph.D
The consumption of caffeinated drinks, marijuana, and other more potent drugs while gaming is commonplace for today's generation.

There's a big difference between: "some people who play video games also experiment with drugs" and "video games lead to drug use", which you're suggesting. You can drink, and drive, alone, or technically together, but drinking doesn't lead to driving. Just like a lot of youth experiment with drugs, and they also enjoy video games.

Just because you personally can't control your addictions, doesn't mean something is a menace. I used to play video games quite a bit when I was younger, now, maybe 2-3 hours per week. I also probably spend 2-3 hours a week having a beer and watching a movie.

You're trying to make the fat person argument; "I can't help myself, I have to eat to feel good", no you don't, put down the damn fork fattie and go take a walk, you'll feel better later.

Originally posted by Son of Will
I really, really wish that games like Myst were and are more popular.

Monkey Island is still chugging strong. The same goes for Sam & Max as well. There are actually quite a number of adventure games still bound for video game shelves. We just have to play those games and support their efforts in order to convince them that more of those games would be appreciated in the future. I feel like I'm pushing Sam & Max once a week now on this forum. I'm still not sure how none of you even know about it.

It's practically MADE for this forum.

I'm simply stating that people tend to play games while intoxicated.. Not as a result of, or due to.

My argument is that sometimes the choice of moderation can be difficult for a very large portion of the gamer population due to the progressive nature of violent first person shooters and competitive elitist mmorpgs. They are directly fused onto the reward pathways.

There are some games that are without a doubt constructive and devoid of some of these characteristics.

removed a sentence and spelling check

[edit on 10-3-2010 by Reptilian Ph.D]

In the 50's they said Rock & Roll was the great evil.

Generation Y ("Why?") were born into a world of emerging video game technology. The military of today features more screens and joysticks than you could imagine. Is there some kind of link here?
Have we secretly been training our kids for warfare?
Computer flight simulators are extremely realistic, and how far is the stretch to flying a UCAV from a remote location?
Actual planes are fly-by-wire and have colour MFDs, not a long way from a flight sim video game.

The Call of Duty type shooters are teaching tactics and weapon selection (try just running into a room full of bad guys with the wrong gun - then try properly scouting the situation, selecting the correct weapon and tactics. Big difference).

The adrenaline rush from video games helps to control emotions in tense situations. The puzzle solving games help to think outside the box (someone mentioned Myst above - that series was excellent).
The graphic realism is simply blurring the line between reality and digital. It helps with the disconnect.

I actually think the emergence of the video game culture was planned.

Just an idea I've had....

It's very likely... and to be honest, this concept has been on my mind for a while now.

Originally posted by epitaph.one

we are being conditioned by the bombardment of entertainment and mass media...I dont think so. Video games are fun, Id rather spend 70$ on a brand new video game, then spend 70$ on a new age seminar and come out of it with a "wtf..." face on. shrug.
[edit on 10-3-2010 by epitaph.one]

That is the f...* trouble. You should be at university but it is so f...* expensive. I did Counterstrike mania 0.3 - 1.3 - then I started to be bored and went to university - it is free in our lovely socialistic Europe - so I had this option without personal debt burden. It presented me all new universe of ideas and methods.
BTW first code which I ever wrote was a "automated mortar squad" for OperationFlashpoint game. Now I'm (bad) programmer.
I agree that for many can games have crippling effect (I now it from my neigbourhood) but games are not Satan per se. My gaming carrier enriched me - and at same time stole me precious time.

It's true that every generation has their "evil" and the "wont somebody think of the children" types come running out to play hero.

I'm never in favor of banning anything. Not even regulating anything unless it's self-regulation of yourself or your children.

What strikes me as different with this "evil" is that it has been going strong for 30 years now. And unlike other "evils" this isnt fad driven so the consumption base is constantly growing. Those who started playing games are in their 30's-50's now still playing game and their children are playing games. But unlike those in their 30's-50's these children now lack a fundamental understanding of the development of the technology. To them this is all much more plug and play consumable than it was for their parents. I'm not sure what worth that notion has but I believe it must have some.

In the greater realm of consumer tech the consumer is getting dumber and dumber. In the beginning of the consumer PC owners had to be capable of all sorts of skills for simple operation. The OS had to be understood, wiring had to be understood, in some cases soldering had to be understood. The typical early adopter needed as much or more knowledge than the typical PC tech needs today.

Now everything just functions like perceived magic to these kids. They dont understand why things do what or how to make things behave differently. The consequence is a dumber consumer. They may feel smarter because of the flashy lights and cost but when it comes down to the real meat and bones they are lost. The pervasiveness of the dumbed down Mac isnt helping any either.

Kids used to seem smarter than their parents. The old folks always had the 12 year old set the clock on the VCR. It seems like my generation give or take a few years is sandwiched between two stupid generations. One who never bothered to learn the tech or adopt the tech and another who adopts the tech without learning the tech.

It blows me away that still, after all this time, a tech can charge $60/hour to fix the most mundane issue or non-issue. I was thoroughly convinced growing up that tech support would die off as computers entered more and more homes. I guess I grossly overestimated the publics ability to learn.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere

Kids used to seem smarter than their parents. The old folks always had the 12 year old set the clock on the VCR. It seems like my generation give or take a few years is sandwiched between two stupid generations. One who never bothered to learn the tech or adopt the tech and another who adopts the tech without learning the tech.

It blows me away that still, after all this time, a tech can charge $60/hour to fix the most mundane issue or non-issue. I was thoroughly convinced growing up that tech support would die off as computers entered more and more homes. I guess I grossly overestimated the publics ability to learn.

Common stupidity is endless.... I'm working for "technology" company, but our ordinary coworker is - hmmm - dumb. So my role as admin is to do network "dumb proof". It is small company so I can personally talk to people and say them "NO way". Otherwise I'll resignate. Still it is work for Sisyphus. I spent more time on educating people how to cope with technology than on technology implementation itself.
For new generation is IT just magic and nothing more/less ...