An interview with a psychologist who has continued research to overturn the bad image that `` video games are harmful to children '' is being released

In the past, stereotypes such as ``Children affected by violent games cause incidents'' and ``Games are harmful to children'' were widespread in the world, but in recent years, `` Children who play games for a long time have higher intelligence. Many positive research results have been reported, such as 'gaming enhances brain activity and decision-making ability ', and the negative image of games is fading. Game media Kotaku has published an interview with Dr. Rachel Cowart , who has continued research since there were few studies that linked video games and psychology and has contributed to the elimination of prejudice.

The Psychologist Determined To Prove Video Games Are Good
https://kotaku.com/dr-rachel-kowert-psychologist-game-violence-learning-1850477266

Around 2010, when Mr. Cowart began research for a doctoral degree at the University of York in England, the concept of linking psychology and video games was still unusual. Mr. Cowart recalled that time, ``There was really little psychological research on video games, and there were only one or two researchers at Stanford University. There are literally more than 100 game research programs in psychology, sociology, anthropology, communication science, etc.” “The value of researching games as entertainment media and the impact games have on our daily lives. 'I've seen a shift in perception, and I've certainly seen a shift in the need to justify its value.'

For decades, video games have been a major industry that fascinates people of all ages and backgrounds. It was also used as a scapegoat.

For example, when a mass shooting occurred at a high school in Florida, USA in 2018, then-President Donald Trump said, ``I hear from many people that violent video games shape the thinking of young people. I'm listening to it, 'he suggested that video games may have had a negative impact on young people.

In response to the shooting incident, President Trump said that violent games and movies should be regulated-GIGAZINE

President Trump also responded to the mass shooting in 2019, saying, 'We must stop the glorification of violence in our society, including the gruesome and harrowing video games that are now commonplace. Today, troubled youth are too easily surrounded by cultures that glorify violence,' he said , suggesting that video games may be to blame.

“The study of violent video games is really interesting because people crave simple solutions to complex problems in the world, like mass shootings or juvenile delinquency,” Cowart said. “In my 20 years of research, there is no consistent finding to suggest a direct link between video games and violent incidents. 'There is a great deal of research linking past traumatic events, such as past violence, as predictors of violent behavior, but they are neglected because they confound social issues.'

Even now, Mr. Cowart says that parents who are worried about ``children are addicted to Fortnite'' at dinner parties and lectures in the industry sometimes consult about the impact of games on children. . In fact, Mr. Cowart admits that `` gacha '', where items and characters drop with a certain probability by charging, is intended to increase profits for companies, not players, and can be said to be a kind of predatory design. Past studies have also pointed out that ``the structure of gacha and the psychological state of spinning it are similar to gambling''.

Research results that the psychological state when turning gacha is the same as when gambling - GIGAZINE

Not all elements of the game bring benefits to users, such as children using their parents' credit cards without permission to spin gacha, and cases of game addiction . However, Cowart and other researchers believe that video games have a beneficial effect on society.

Cowart said, 'Overall, the effects of playing games are far more positive than negative. Peripheral vision is one of them, and the ability to notice small changes in peripheral vision is what shooters Then you can reduce stress, improve your mood, promote social connections and friendships, improve team building and leadership skills, ”he said, playing games in the real world They claim to acquire a variety of useful skills.

One of the most beneficial for children is the kind Cowart calls 'unintentional learning.' For example, in the simulation game ' Civilization ' that develops civilization, you can learn about world history and urban planning through playing. In fact, Mr. Cowart's child played ' Animal Crossing ' and was doing various calculations when using the in-game currency 'Bell' and thinking about managing the bell.

In addition, in ' The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom ', players can combine various items to create their own vehicles, create stronger weapons, and various other ways of playing depending on the player's ideas. It will help you learn engineering skills. ``Players are learning how to manipulate objects, try and fail, persevere, and build machines,'' Cowart said.

'The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom', which adventures not only in the land of Hyrule but also in the sky and the underground with Nintendo Switch, is attractive for 'freedom far exceeding the previous work' and 'fun to make'-GIGAZINE

Mr. Cowart is not just looking at the bright side of the game, but in recent years he has been involved in a research project on the dark side of the game, ``How terrorists and extremist organizations use games to spread propaganda.'' I am involved. Cowart believes the research will help build resilience in the gaming community and set it in a better direction.

Cowart said, ``If we can build a more resilient community infrastructure, we can not only solve the problem of extremism and terrorism, but also mitigate various problems hidden in the game space, such as harassment and hate.'' It's always been my goal to make it better.'