Sarah Stewart

Video Games Have Positively Affected Our World

Video Games have become a staple in the homes of American families. With their rise to
popularity in the early 1980s, the video game industry soon took the world by storm.
Games could now be played virtually, providing a new wave of technological advancements
across the globe. Without the invention of video games, personal computers would not be as
widespread as they are today. Many people gloss over the importance of video games in our
world. They exhibit exemplary artistic traits which rival motion pictures, they have created
jobs in marketing, development, and animation, and they are much better for our physical
selves than we once assumed.

Video games can be artistic masterpieces. Several games have culturally impacted our
society, which is the main purpose behind art. Abigail Tucker, an author for the Smithsonian
Magazine, wrote about the Supreme Court ruling that video games are indeed an art form.
The Supreme Court ruled last June that video games should be considered an art form, as
deserving of First Amendment safeguards as the protected books, plays and movies that
preceded them (Tucker). Games have characters which develop in a story, and unlike in
films, players interact with the characters, providing a stronger emotional connection to the
characters and story. Narratives in games are much more effective at reaching audiences
because of this. Games not only utilize storytelling, but visual stimulation, sound design, and
graphics as expressive elements as well. Games utilize these elements in their own ways,
creatively incorporating each into the overall design and atmosphere. In Time Magazine,
chief gaming officer of Java gaming said,

Technology has expanded the canvas upon which

artists are able to paint and tell their stories. As an art form that has only existed in the
digital space, video games are truly a collision of art and science (Melissinos). Games
move peoples emotions like art pieces would, and can comment on social issues, providing

political insight in the virtual world of gaming. This also creates dialogue among gamers,
who come together to collaborate and discuss about video games.

The video game industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, generating
billions of dollars each year and contributing largely to the global economy. The ESRB
reports $10.5 billion in revenue in 2009. Major improvements in technology and personal
computers have come about due to the large success behind video games. Personal
computers would not have sound cards, graphics cards, GUIs (graphical user interface), or
faster CPUs without video games. Many jobs were also created following the success of the
video game industry, and major tech. corporations develop video games along with other
electronics. There are now opportunities for people to play video games as a job, and
developers, designers, animators, and programmers have much more employment
opportunities now than they did before the start of video games. Chris Morris, a reporter
from CNBC News reports,

On the employment front, while other industries have been

cutting back their payrolls, theres a hiring boom going on in the video game world. Since
2005, the total number of people working in games has increased by nearly 9 percent
annually. (Morris) Animation has seen a major increase in popularity following the creation
of computer video games, with quality of computer generated images improving vastly, and
rendering becoming more simple and realistic.

Since video games have become so popular with youth, many people criticize virtual games
for inspiring violence, promoting unhealthy lifestyles, and other epidemics adults blame on
teenagers and advancing technology. However, their arguments are being proven false
through scientific studies revolving around video games and their effects on society.
Violence is not caused by video games, in fact, violence has existed since humanity first
evolved. Violence is caused by human nature, and video games have nothing to do with
terrorist attacks, mass shootings, or bombings. A long term study by psychologist
Christopher Ferguson found no link between video games and behavior. Another study using

data from the ESRB found that though the number of violent video games being released
increased, youth violence decreased. Video games also improve many cognitive functions
and abilities such as memory, problem solving, and quick thinking.

Though video games do have a positive effect on society, they do carry with them some
problematic aspects. Young children often play video games, and it can be easy for them to
view inappropriate things. However, the ESRB has been put in place to rate video games
accordingly, depending on their level of inappropriate content. Parents should familiarize
themselves with the ESRB ratings and monitor their childs playtime to ensure that this does
not happen. Some individuals find themselves becoming addicted to video games, often
wanting to engage themselves in a fictional reality. But people can become addicted to
many normal and healthy things, such as food, sex, even exercise. Addiction is not caused
by the thing that one is addicted to, it is caused by a mental instability and genetic factors
predisposing one to addiction. Therefore, it is the addiction that should be handled, not the
video games that the person is addicted to.

Video games effect our society in an overwhelmingly positive way, by generating billions of
dollars for the economy, by providing artistic elements, and by engaging minds in a way that
has never been previously done before. We can expect to see vast improvements in
graphics, artificial intelligence, and other technological advances which can only be
improved through the creation of video games.

Works Cited
Melissinos, Chris. "Video Games Are One of the Most Important Art Forms in
History." Time Magazine (2015).
Morris, Chris. "Video Games Effect the Economy More Than You Think ."
CNBC (2010).
Tucker, Abigail. "The Art of Video Games." Smithsonian Magazine (2012).
"Video Game Industry Statistics." n.d.
Vincent, James. "Long-term US study finds no links between violent video
games and youth violence." Independent (2014).