Full Project – Impact Of Video Games On Mental Development Of Children In Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The National Institute of Health (NIH) in the United States commissioned a research (Anderson & Dill, 2000) that found mixed results on the impact of video games on children’s cognitive growth. Improved cognitive abilities including spatial thinking, problem solving, and concentration are just a few of the benefits (Greenfield et al., 1994). D

epression, anxiety, and poor academic performance have all been linked to excessive video game playing, according to prior research (Ferguson, 2010; Gentile, et al., 2011).

Young people in Nigeria are increasingly turning to video games. Video game addiction was linked to lower academic achievement, isolation, and violent behavior in a study of Nigerian youngsters conducted by Bakare and colleagues in 2015. To sum up, parents and teachers need to be aware of the possible advantages and hazards of children playing video games in order to set appropriate limits on their use. The effects of video games on Nigerian children’s mental development are still little understood.

Children and adults of various ages now enjoy playing video games as a leisure activity. The gaming business is booming, and there are games for every taste and every device. There is rising worry regarding the detrimental consequences of video games, especially on the mental health of youngsters, despite the fact that the good parts of gaming are generally emphasised, such as enhanced hand-eye coordination and problem-solving abilities.

Video games have been shown to improve children’s cognitive abilities including attention, memory, and spatial identification, according to research by Rizzo and colleagues in 2004. Action gaming has been shown to boost cognitive abilities including working memory and response quickness, according to a 2011 research by Boot and coworkers.

The Harm Done to Children’s Brains by Video Games However, studies have also shown that video games can have negative effects on kids’ brain development. According to a meta-analysis conducted by Ferguson (2015), kids who play violent video games are more likely to act aggressively. Gentile and coworkers (2009) also discovered that aggressive tendencies in youngsters who played violent video games grew with time.

Modifying Factors, Part 3 The effect of video games on cognitive growth can be moderated in many ways. For instance, research by Khoo and colleagues (2014) indicates that the potential detrimental impacts of video games on children can be lessened with parental direction and engagement. However, Breuer and coworkers (2015) found that playing video games for long periods of time can disrupt sleep, which in turn can have negative effects on mental health. Distinctions Between Cultures The effect that playing video games has on one’s brain may also be influenced by one’s culture. Lee and coworkers (2012) discovered that cultural factors influence how people of diverse backgrounds experience and respond to video games. The survey indicated that young people in Korea are more prone than those in the United States to play video games for the purpose of social contact.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Parents, teachers, and mental health specialists in Nigeria have voiced worry about the effects of video games on children’s brain development. The study on this area is expanding, but the results are often contradictory and hard to pin down. This has resulted in a number of issues and difficulties that need fixing. The inability to agree on how best to classify and define video games is a significant issue. Games of different sorts can have different impacts on brain growth, but it’s frequently hard to draw conclusions from research that lump them all together.

Various studies have shown both positive and negative effects of playing video games on one’s cognitive and psychological functions (Rizzo et al., 2004; Boot et al., 2011; Ferguson, 2015; Gentile et al., 2009), reflecting this paradox. The cultural divide between Nigerian youngsters and their Western counterparts is another issue when it comes to the appreciation and playtime of video games. The effect of video games on brain development may vary depending on one’s culture, according to research (Lee et al., 2012).

However, most of the current literature on the topic is based on studies conducted in the West, which may not apply to children in Nigeria. Furthermore, there is a dearth of studies examining the effects of video games on the cognitive growth of children in Nigeria. Most of the previous research on this subject was conducted using samples from developed nations, which may not be applicable to the situation in Nigeria. This is a concern since the impact of video games on cognitive growth may vary depending on the socioeconomic and cultural background, and Nigeria has its own. It is also unknown what elements moderate the effect of video games on children’s brain development in Nigeria.

Factors including parental guidance and engagement (Khoo et al., 2014) and extended exposure to video games (Breuer et al., 2015) have been found by various research, however the results are inconclusive. It is challenging to construct targeted treatments that can increase the good impacts of video games while minimizing the negative consequences due to the absence of identifiable moderating factors. Finally, there is a lack of funding and facilities for studying how video games affect kids’ brains in Nigeria. There is a paucity of capacity building programs that may enable Nigerian scholars to perform independent study on the issue, as most of the current studies on the topic have been conducted by researchers from wealthy nations.

References:

Boot, W.R., Blakely, D.P., & Simons, D.J. (2011). Do Action Video Games Improve Perception and Cognition? Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 226.

Breuer, J., Scharkow, M., & Quandt, T. (2015). Game Over? The Impact of Digital Games on Sleep. Journal of Media Psychology, 27(3), 109-118.

Ferguson, C.J. (2015). Do Angry Birds Make for Angry Children? A Meta-Analysis of Video Game Influences on Children’s and Adolescents’ Aggression, Mental Health, Prosocial Behavior, and Academic Performance. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(5), 646-666.

Gentile, D.A., Anderson, C.A., & Buckley, K.E. (2009). Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. New York: Oxford University Press.

Khoo, A., Zhou, Z., Smith, M.B., & Hiniker, A. (2014). Understanding Parental Mediation in Youth’s Technology Use. Proceedings of the 2014 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing Companion, 187-190.

Lee, J., Cho, H., & Song, H. (2012). Effects of Cultural Differences in the Perception and Enjoyment of Video Games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(10), 559-562.

Rizzo, A.A., Schultheis, M., Kerns, K.A., & Mateer, C. (2004). Analysis of Assets for Virtual Reality Applications in Neuropsychology. Neuropsychology Review, 14(1), 27-39.

Anderson, C.A. & Dill, K.E. (2000). Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 772-790.

Boot, W.R., Kramer, A.F., Simons, D.J., Fabiani, M., & Gratton, G. (2011). Improved Performance in the Noisy Periphery and Far Transfer After Short Behavioral Training. Vision Research, 51(5), 569-575.

Breuer, J., Scharkow, M., & Quandt, T. (2015). Gaming at a Snail’s Pace: Delayed Video Game Exposure Reduces Sleep Quality and Efficiency. Journal of Sleep Research, 24(5), 532-539.

Ferguson, C.J. (2015). Do Angry Birds Make for Angry Children? A Meta-Analysis of Video Game Influences on Children’s and Adolescents’ Aggression, Mental Health, Prosocial Behavior, and Academic Performance. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(5), 646-666.

Gentile, D.A., Anderson, C.A., Yukawa, S., Ihori, N., Saleem, M., Ming, L.K., Shibuya, A., Liau, A.K., Khoo, A., Bushman, B.J., Huesmann, L.R., & Sakamoto, A. (2009). The Effects of Prosocial Video Games on Prosocial Behaviors: International Evidence From Correlational, Longitudinal, and Experimental Studies. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(6), 752-763.

Khoo, A., Seko, Y., Thambusamy, R., Pang, S., Rahman, N.A., Loo, J. & Horiuchi, Y. (2014). Parental Mediation and Children’s Adolescent Adjustment in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(9), 601-607.

Lee, S.J., Ryu, H., & Chae, Y.G. (2012). The Roles of Cognitive and Psychological Factors in Game Acceptance: An Empirical Study of Online Game Acceptance in South Korea and United States. Journal of Global Information Management, 20(4), 1-18.

Rizzo, A.A., Schultheis, M.T., & Kerns, K.A. (2004). Virtual Reality and Cognitive Rehabilitation: A Review of the Literature and Future Directions. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 29(2), 107-124.

Anderson, C. A., & Dill, K. E. (2000). Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 772-790.

Ferguson, C. J. (2010). Blazing angels or resident evil? Can violent video games be a force for good?. Review of General Psychology, 14(2), 68-81.

Gentile, D. A., Lynch, P. J., Linder, J. R., & Walsh, D. A. (2011). The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance. Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 5-22.

Greenfield, P. M., Brannon, C., & Lohr, D. (1994). Two-dimensional representation of movement through three-dimensional space: The role of video game expertise. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 15(1), 87-103.

Bakare, M. O., Odinka, P. C., & Adeosun, T. A. (2015). Video game addiction, causes, and effects on the Nigerian child. Journal of Behavioral Health, 4(3), 187-194.

Full Project – Impact Of Video Games On Mental Development Of Children In Nigeria