【专家解说】：A commonly held notion about gaming is that it is bad; it causes a disruption in the leisure time of today’s youth, barring them from major responsibilities, such as homework and other important obligations. However, there is little evidence found that supports this claim.
Because of this, the question arises: Is the problem really video games or is it a social construct used as a scare tactic to keep the gaming youth in check?
World of Warcraft is one of the best selling games of all time and is usually stocked in all major stores that sell video and computer games (Photo by Marisa Hivner).
In a recent study by the Pew Research Center where 27 institutions of higher education across the U.S. participated, students were anonymously surveyed about their gaming habits. Researchers found that 65 percent of college students reported playing video and online games regularly.
Students cited social interaction as one of the principal reasons for their game playing. The majority noted that it was a way of hanging out with friends, as 46 percent reported playing multi-player games.
“I live in ‘Nowhereville, USA,’ and none of my friends are here and there’s nothing to do,” said Kevin Woodford, a 23-year-old avid World of Warcraft player. “By playing WoW [World of Warcraft] I’m amble to fill my time and stay connected to the world, while meeting some amazing people.”
In fact, two-thirds of the surveyed gaming population believed that gaming helped them to spend time with friends who were not physically available at the time, due to the fact they may be in different geographical locations (such as friends from home).
One of the most popular games among college students is Call of Duty. It’s a multiplayer game that incorporates high resolution graphics to simulate wartime scenarios (Photo by Marisa Hivner).
“I have a lot of friends who don’t go to Miami and it’s difficult to keep in touch with them,” said UM senior Edmund Mandell. “But if you’re enjoying yourself and you’re both playing a game together it’s almost like you’re with that person.”
Mandell and Woodford are online friends.
Surprisingly, one out of every five students felt that gaming helped them make new friends and improve existing friendships.
Despite these clear social benefits gaming often offers, the powerful notion of negative repercussions still remains. But, is there any evidence to support these ideas of societal failure at the hands of gaming?
According to Pew, there is not. Research has found that 65 percent of gamers say their gaming habits have little to no influence in taking away time from friends and family.
“I am still able to function normally, even though I play a lot of video games,” said junior Nicholas Nayarach.
“Most of the time, my family plays with me,” said Mandell. “Obviously my mom doesn’t play, but she has her own little addiction to Farmville.”
While one in 10 students said their main motivation for playing was to keep from studying, the average number of hours spent studying per week by gamers matches up closely with that of the general college student population, with about 6 percent reporting seven hours a week or less.
