Dugas 1

Hunter Dugas
Ms. Jean Coco
English 1001
5 April 2016
Annotated Bibliography
Christopher, Drea. "The Negative Effects of Video Game Addiction." Live Strong. Live Strong
Foundation, 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. <http://www.livestrong.com>.
In this article, Christopher concludes from multiple sources of evidence that
excessing amounts of time spent playing video games will affect a persons life
regardless of what the child is playing or what they are playing on. Unlike the article
written by Norcia, Christopher only focuses on the negative aspect of this controversial
topic. He begins his argument by stating, A video game addiction can be harmful if your
child is unable or unwilling to participate in any interests or extracurricular activities
other than gaming. He argues that video gaming can negatively impact any person that
becomes obsessive with the idea of focusing in on this virtual world. He stresses the
importance of monitoring your childs time spent on video gaming to his audience,
parents. Health problems, suffering relationships, increased aggression and poor
performance are the negative impacts Christopher states in regards to excessive amounts
of video gaming.
Granic, Isabela, Adam Lobel, and Rutger C.M.E. Engels. "The Benefits of Playing Video
Games." American Psychologist os 69.1 (2014): 66-78. American Psychological
Association. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. <http://www.apa.org>.

Dugas 2

In this article, multiple researchers stress the idea that video gaming can have
positive effects on the developing mind. The article begins by stating, Playing video
games, including violent shooter games, may boost childrens learning, health and social
skills. This differs from the article written by Christopher in which he only focused on
the negative aspects of video gaming. The researchers writing this article focus on the
positive aspects video gaming can have on a childs cognitive skills, problem-solving
skills, educational development, and career development. They also state that there are
more advantages as an affect of online gaming, such as positive impacts on a persons
disposition, calling for stress-relief and relaxation. In conclusion, the authors inform the
readers that they work with doctors and gaming companies to design games that replace
traditional therapy with a more interactive setting to target a persons mental health.
Griffiths, Mark. "Video Games and Health." US National Library of Medicine National Institutes
of Health. PMC, 16 July 2005. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov>.
In this article, Griffiths discusses that video gaming is extremely prevalent in
todays society. The commonly debated issue is whether or not video gaming has
negative or positive impacts on the players. Griffiths discusses both sides of this
argument in his article. A benefit associated with video gaming is pain management.
Studies have shown that focusing on a video game can distract the gamer from temporary
pain. Video gaming has also been used as forms of therapy such as physiotherapy or
occupational therapy, as well as enhancement in certain social skills. However, although
there are positive and beneficial aspects to video gaming, the author states that there are
more negative impacts. Some of these impacts include increased aggressiveness,
addiction and seizures. He states, Other case studies have reported adverse effects of

Dugas 3

playing video games, including auditory hallucinations, enuresis, encopresis, wrist pain,
neck pain, elbow pain, tenosynovitis, hand-arm vibration syndrome, repetitive strain
injuries, peripheral neuropathy, and obesity. He concludes his article by stating minimal
gaming is not bad, but when an excessive amount of gaming is performed it becomes
harmful.
Lorenz, Robert C., et al. "Video Game Training and the Reward System." Frontiers in Human
Neuroscience os 9.40 (2015): n. pag. EBSCO. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
<http://web.a.ebscohost.com>.
In this article, multiple researchers conduct an experiment to study the affects of
video game rewards on a persons mind. The researchers select an equivalent amount of
participants to test as well as the same amount of participants to form the control group.
There data concluded, This longitudinal study revealed that video game training may
preserve reward responsiveness in the ventral striatum in a retest situation over time. In
other words, the idea of rewarding a gamer over time can show a positive impact on their
thought processing. The researchers do not aim to stress the negative impacts of video
gaming but only the positive impacts of video gaming. Behavior and neural coordination
are both positively impacted by the idea of controlling responses to reward flexible. In
conclusion, this provides extensive research to enhancement of therapeutic cognitive
training.
Meyer, Leila. "4 Innovative Ways to Teach With Video Games." T H E Journal os 42.5 (2015):
20-24. EBSCO. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. <http://web.a.ebscohost.com>.
In this article, Meyer states that 55% of teachers are using video games to enhance
learning inside their classrooms. It is more interactive and fun way to engage students

Dugas 4

and to motivate them in their academics. The article states, In recent conversations with
The Journal, teachers across the country are reporting improved student engagement,
attendance, behavior and performance whether students are playing an educational game
designed for classroom use, a massive multiplayer online game like World of Warcraft or
a popular game such as Minecraft. Many students around the country are incorporating
various virtual games into their weekly lesson plans. Teachers are using specific video
games aimed and made for educational purposes, but they have also incorporated and
seen benefits from World of Warcraft and Minecraft amongst their students. Meyer solely
focuses on the benefits of video games for educational purposes without encompassing
any negative facets to this matter. Video games can have a positive affect on how a
student acts in a classroom setting.
Norcia, Andrea, M.A. "The Impact of Video Games." Ed. Adolescent Interest Group. Palo Alto
Medical Foundation. Sutter Health, June 2014. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.pamf.org>.
In this article, Norcia states that the content for different video games varies along
an extensive scale from unpretentious entertainment to a deep connection on both a
physical and emotional level between the gamer and the game. The author also concludes
that 97% of U.S. teens are interactive in the gaming world. Norcia supports both sides to
this particular argument, examining both the positive impacts, as well as the negative
impacts video games have on the developing mind. She argues, Because of the
popularity of video games, completely eliminating them from your childs life may be
difficult. She further provides the Palo Alto Medical Foundation with a list of tips to
regulate the detrimental influence these video games can convey. She, as well as many

Dugas 5

other researchers, believes that regardless of the negative impacts of video games we are
constantly warned about, there are in deed positive impacts such as, improving a childs
manual dexterity and computer literacy.