Some people may say video gaming is addictive, corruptive and the foundation for violent behavior. Although some of these statements may be true in situational cases, gaming itself is not harmful to someone’s mental health.
In severe cases such as Daniel Petric, a boy who killed his mother supposedly because of Halo 3, there were issues other than the game at hand. It is irrational to conclude that Halo 3 was the cause of Petric’s problems. He had physical and mental difficulties irrelevant to gaming before he harmed his mother. This can be seen by reading Metro –– Cleveland, Ohio’s newspaper. Even these situations, which cannot be entirely attributed to gaming, are rare. Comparing how many gamers there are to how many gamers have serious problems; the latter amount is extremely small.
It has been proven that playing video games increases the amount of self-worth, problem solving, leadership and teamwork skills, plus motivation a person has for himself or herself. “Video Games Put the Young Way Ahead” is an article written by John Grohol that explains a survey he and his coworkers conducted about U.S. business professionals who play video games in comparison with those who don’t.
Their hypothesis contrasted greatly with their found data: “Among the gamers, we thought we’d find high technical skills, interesting ways of using those skills — and real gaps in things like teamwork, leadership and work ethic. The data, with amazing consistency, proved us wrong. Professionals who grew up playing video games actually make better business people. They’re more serious about achievement; more attached to the company they work for and the people they work with; more flexible, persistent problem-solvers; more willing to take only the risks that make sense. In short, they’re pretty good executives right out of the gate — and not at all what we boomers would expect.”
UWF embraces diversity, and no group of people, on campus or off, should be degraded in any way for their interests. People may have their own opinions about the gaming community, but these opinions should be well-supported and based on more than unreliable research and personal prejudices.
The gaming subculture at the University of West Florida is wide-reaching, and includes that boy in the residence hall who never leaves his room, the group of kids who sit in the lobby and play Smash, members of the Sigma Chi fraternity, the Honors Council President, the attractive girls you noticed in the cafeteria ...
Gamers are everywhere, and while video games, D&D, Magic: the Gathering, web comics and other nerdy things are a part of our everyday lives, our hobbies and interests are really no different from yours. A vast majority of gamers are able to balance these activities while making a significant contribution to their campus and community.
To better understand gamers, visit the Video Gamers Alliance on a Monday night from 6 p.m. to midnight in building 11, room 223. Our doors are always open to new faces.
—Victoria Phillips, Christine Thomas, and the members of the Video Gamers Alliance
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