Week 9 - Response To Content

Slowly approaching is the Research Essay, for which we can choose to research and discuss any of seven topic questions or create our own. After some contemplation the essay question I connected to the most was: Does the extensive use of computer/video games have an adverse impact on the health of young people? When reading through the question quickly it is easy to assume that the answer is yes, however to full understand the topic analysis and research needs to be done in these three main areas.

1.     A greater reasoning of the key words in the question to grasp a better understanding of the argument as a whole. For example how do words or phrases such as extensive, adverse, young people play a part in narrowing the topic down to make it a bigger issue?

2.     Investigating the ‘For’ argument i.e. Barrie Gunter states in his book The effects of video games on children: the myth unmasked that, “…the role of video gaming in the lives of children and teenagers can be destructive for both their physical and mental health, a problem that needs to be rectified.” (p. 74, 1998)

3.     Then investigating the ‘Against’ counter-argument from a few medical and behavioural research groups that children’s use of video games can be ”may improve a player's manual dexterity and computer literacy” (p. 19, 2004)

4.     Drawing any and all comparisons or similarities between the two in the attempt to reach a conclusion   

The question/task requires a detailed and in depth research from the most current papers and asks that both sides of the argument be granted agency and their opinions be taken into consideration before coming to a final conclusion that is reliant upon the facts found within the research. It is my intention to begin my research into this topic through use of online journals and communication publications with the probable support of news article and official statistics.

Gentile, D. A., Lynch, P., Linder, J. & Walsh, D. 2004. The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance, viewed 24 September 2011, via Journal of Adolescence.

Gunter, B 1998. The effects of video games on children: the myth unmasked, viewed 24 September 2011, via Google Scholar.