LITERATURE REVIEW
Thomas (2004) says, in the past 30 years, video games have had major impact on how people
spend their leisure time. The first generation of video games was nothing more than simple
geometric shapes, one or more of which could be controlled by the game player. With the release
of the Nintendo Entertainment system in the 1980’s and Sony’s Playstation in the 1990’s, came
new generations of games, games with better graphics and more capabilities. As newer
generations of games came along, they got more realistic. So realistic that the line between
“simulations” and video games became extremely blurred. It is due to this blur that the emotions
attitudes and behaviours of youths get affected easily.
Dr. Gentile, a developing psychologist (2005), states that video games have become an addiction
to many youths. In his recent study, he conducted a survey of 1,178 American youths aged 8
years to 18 years old. From the study, it was found that 1 in ever 10 youths (approximately 8.5
percent) are addicted to games. This addiction has become a pathological issue whereby it
damages the person functionality.
Dr. Gentile also says that playing violent games leads to increased physiological arousal,
increased aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This aggression is then displayed
amongst peers, teachers, siblings and parents. The increasing of the aggression is as a result of
continued repetition of violent acts throughout the video game. In 2007, it was reported that a
teenager shot his mother after she confiscated his copy of Halo 3 which is a First Person Shooter
game. Though video games bring out different moods in youths, violence is the major mood and
the most critical (Anderson, 2000) whereas it has serious implications and can have deadly
consequences.
Video games have negative effects on youths but there are other types of games in the market
which have positive effects on youths. For example, there are educational games. White (2009)
says that educational games can enhance motor skills of youths. It (educational games) helps
youths solve problems and also improve their ability to plan. There are also pro-social games that
encourage youths to help others in the society and also collaborate with peers. These pro-social
games reduces the risk of youths being confined to themselves and being a potential danger to
society. Also, there are sporting games where they teach the youths the various techniques,
strategies and hints to bettering their skills in their respective disciplines. Recently, the gaming
industries have invented games in which the player get involve in physical activity. These games
help in maintaining fitness of the human body and improve health.
Through all the positive effects and negative effects of video games, we read that males are the
major gender impacted. According to (Nzegwu, 2007), about 80 percent of American boys play
video games on a regular basis. The percentage is on a constant rise because the gaming industry
continues to make more games preferably for the male gender. This therefore reduces the amount
of girls playing video games drastically.