We’ve all heard the staple “video games make people violent” statement, and it really isn’t the case—gaming is a way to relieve stress and anger from the frustrations of real life for people. Video games are a giant in the entertainment industry that caters to people of different ages. But, unfortunately, it brings in assumptions from people who aren’t too adept at it because of its popularity. So before you go judging games and their “gamers,” check out our list of common misconceptions of gaming.
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All gamers are techy
Yes, gamers are exposed to more tech than usual people and sit in front of a screen for hours on end to play games, but that does not mean they can fix all your tech problems. If you’ll ask us, regular gamers, to fix your router, the most we will do is switch it on and off, or at best change its channels—we have Google for that. You are free to consult your gamer friend for tech questions, but don’t always expect to get an answer—they might be as clueless as you and will just Google it as well. So are all gamers good with tech? The quick answer, not all. And that’s fine.
Gamers have no social life
Sometimes you might want to be alone after a long, tiring day—it happens to everyone. But that does not mean that gamers choose to lock themselves up and play in a dark room; sometimes they choose to lock themselves up in a dark room and play with other people online. The perception that gamers are anti-social is an old mindset. If you take a look around in streaming platforms like Twitch or Facebook, you can see that tons of gamers are capable of holding a meaningful conversation, not only with one person but with thousands of people. For most cases, with the assistance of the internet, gamers can queue up with people worldwide from the safety of their homes. Maybe that quiet kid in class is actually a prominent guild leader home to hundreds of guild members.
With the current situation, face-to-face interaction is limited, which is why people rely heavily on the internet to connect. Something that gamers have been accustomed to for quite some time. So the misconception of gamers having no social life is a complete bust.
Real gamers play on PC
This is a meme as old as time; your Apple versus Android kind of business. Having pride for one faction, whether PC, console or even mobile, can spark positive competitiveness from these communities. However, it all just boils down to what you are comfortable playing with. PC gamers tend to like the performance and capability of multitasking from their dedicated stations. Console players like to lay back at the end of their couch with a controller at hand, and mobile players like having the option of a quick game during their breaks, plus they can take it and play wherever they want to.
So if you use any of these options, be it PC, console, or mobile for playing games, you are considered a gamer. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
Games are for young people
Just, just no… Games are not only for young people. The reason why there are game genres is so that people can pinpoint what they want or what they plan to play. Games like Pokemon or Animal crossing were intended for children, however, you still see older gamers playing and enjoying as it is, sometimes even elevating it to the more competitive side, making it more exciting.
I mean, you have people like Tacticalgramma who can still kick butt out on the gaming field. I, for one, might get owned with her precise shots—lady’s got mad skill.
So are games for young people? No, definitely not. It can be directed to a certain demographic, but it won’t refrain older gamers from trying it out.
Games will make the mind rot
Spending hours in front of a screen can’t be good; that much can be agreed on. But, on the other hand, too much time spent on anything is also bad because human beings need a balance of things in their lifestyle. A healthy cycle between social interaction, food consumption, education, or even solitary time is tantamount to keep one healthy. But is playing games completely detrimental?
Playing games can improve memory, for instances where a certain password is needed for the game’s progression. It can improve spatial visualization and perception, which means gamers have a better grasp of judging distances, faster reflexes and are aware of details. Additionally, action games train the gamer’s perceptual template, which helps them assess what tasks need priority—something handy when choosing between two things that need to be done.
Massive amounts of patience can be learned as well. When gamers are stuck with a roadblock, they tend to keep at it until accomplished. Sure they may get frustrated here and there, but their persistence to complete the task is beneficial when applied outside gaming. Furthermore, it promotes the player’s curiosity. Games allow the players to experience different forms of culture or an entire universe. Normally the unknown is terrifying to touch upon in real life, especially if it might inflict pain or fear. Games allow the player to delve into the unknown through the means of saving. This facilitates the “what if” curiosity in a player, urging them to check all possible routes.
Games have their upsides in their own way, like how sports can institute flexibility or endurance for a person. So can it rot a person’s mind? If balanced properly, playing video games cannot rot the mind.
Video games make people violent
According to a reanalysis of data gathered from more than 21,000 young people worldwide, video games do not lead to violence or aggression. This research was conducted by Aaron Drummond, who re-examined 28 previous studies regarding the matter.
The common argument for the negative effect of gaming is that aggression can be accumulated over time, but the study finds no evidence for such. Additional affirmation from these previous studies consistently concludes that “long-term impacts of violent games on youth aggression are near zero.”
The study showed a minuscule correlation between gaming and aggression but is below the threshold required to count as even a “small effect.” Therefore, the hypothesis that violent video games have a meaningful long-term impact on youth aggression is debunked.
So can video games make people violent? The short answer is no. The media portrays video games as a negative channel that provokes violent acts from people. However, people like to point away from other relevant matters like poverty, substance abuse, oppression, etc. For most cases, video games actually flesh out reality’s harshest truths to their players, allowing them to be more self-aware in their response towards it.
Gaming is a wonderful hobby to have and is best shared with family and friends. People may assume all these things, but as long as you are having fun, you are the clear winner. And there you have it, our list of common gaming misconceptions. What do you guys think, did we miss something? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Stay safe, healthy, and keep gaming!
Sources: The Guardian, Royal Society Open Science, cbsnews
