Peer Pressure:



D1 – Examine the psychological effects of computer games on individuals and society. Aim to research and discuss at least 6 Psychological factors that can affect users when playing computer games – whether this is on a casual basis or much more frequently (several hours per day). Aim to discuss both positive and negative effects. These could include: Effects e.g. use of sound, high score listings, peer pressure, fun, educational value, expectations, levelling. Peer Pressure:Peer pressure is something that affects everyone at some point in their life, including the life’s of teenage gamers, where teenagers purchase the newest consoles and games in order to fit in socially, thus driving the gaming industry.Games are often released around Christmas in order to make more money and increase profit margins due to the increased amount of disposable income around Christmas time. The pressure socially in the gaming world to have the latest games and consoles means that sales of these things increase dramatically around ChristmasFun:A lot of casual gamers play solely for fun. The enjoyment gained by playing games helps players escape reality and immerse themselves in a fantasy world in the shoes of the main characters/s of the game. Levelling:Levelling up in games Is a common feature. Players become significantly more immersed in a game when they have both short and long term goals (such as levelling up and unlocking new moves) and are awarded accordingly when completing these objectives. Mechanics such as levelling up and gaining awards engross players and take them on a journey where they want to continually make progress. This makes the player feel more immersed as they would level up as they go and get more capable within the world, just like it would be if they were actually petitive Games:Competitive gaming allows players to communicate with people all throughout the world and play in cohort with them. This can often be a positive and fun experience and one that can create friendships between people who have never met. On the other hand competitive gaming can also affect them psychologically in the way that some people may become aggressive. This may be caused by not completing a challenge or getting beaten by someone else which may cause the user to lose their temper. Gamers playing competitively also have higher heart rates during playing and after playing. This shows that they are affected by playing both physically and mentally.High Score listings:High score listings were introduced in early games to have some way to rank yourself against your friends as games couldn’t save much data. Competing for high scores listings is very similar to competitive gaming. Although you’re not technically playing against someone you are playing to beat them score wise. This means that it comes with the same effects as competitive games both physically and mentally.Use of sound:The usage of sound within video games does a lot to immerse the player in the world. Sounds can be used to enforce positive and negative feelings about how well they’re doing. Sounds are also used to provide a better experience for the user and are used to enhance the emotional experience within the game. Overall it is used to both portray positive and negative based on their experience.Negative effects of computer games:Aggression:It has been observed and researched by many. A lot of people have found that the more someone plays violent videos games the more aggressive thoughts they may have. This can be seen by a study in which children 8-17 who had played a lot of violent games showed an increase in aggressive behaviour, such as hitting, pushing and shoving.[]Mood:People who play video games may experience drastic changes in their mood. For example if you were happy before sitting down and playing a game and then went on to play that game and fail a mission 4-5 time your mood would likely have gone sour. The constant failing of mission or objects or just something not going your way can easily effect your mood.Altered reality:Some people after playing certain games for extended periods of time, may become disconnected from reality and think they are in the games world, with the games rules. This can be seen by Evan Ramsey.-83820-144780A decade after Evan Ramsey sneaked a 12-gauge shotgun into his Alaska high school, where he gunned down a fellow student and the principal and wounded two others, he described how playing video games had warped his sense of reality.-8382011303000“I did not understand that if I…pull out a gun and shoot you, there’s a good chance you’re not getting back up,” Ramsey said in a 2007 interview from Spring Creek Correctional Center, in Seward, Alaska. “You shoot a guy in ‘Doom’ and he gets back up. You have got to shoot the things in ‘Doom’ eight or nine times before it dies.” shows someone becoming separated from reality and thinking that by shooting someone with a shotgun they wouldn’t die and that’s how it was in game.Peer pressure:This affects a lot if not all of us at some point in our life. Peer pressure is when friends or people around you pressure you to play a certain game, buy a certain game or console. This can easily have a negative impact on emotions and mood. For example if your friend plays a certain game that you don’t have then you may feel sad because you may fit in with them less than others who play the game with your friend. You may also not be able to discuss the game with your friend when they are discussing it with others. This can effect someone greatly and make them really sad and in bad moods a lot of the time, especially if all their friends play the game which they can’t. ................
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