Video games provide students with escape from stress

Murder, vandalism, grand larceny, hit and run and arson are everyday acts for many college students. Not in reality, but they act them out in some of the 248 million video games that were purchased in 2004.

For many students, “gaming” provides an escape from the stresses of college life.

Mark Armstrong, a senior information systems major, expressed the sentiment that is echoed by many students.

“(Playing video games is) an escape, a stress relief. It’s my chance to zone out,” Armstrong said.

Dr. Robin Harris, a sociology professor who specializes in technology’s impact on society, agrees that students are using video games to disconnect from reality.

“They used to say that TV was Valium for the mind,” Harris said. “Perhaps video games give you a safe place to numb out.”

Harris also said that video games can become addictive, calling them a “time stealer.”

And while “zoning out” and not thinking may seem an attractive proposition for many students, Harris warns that they may be missing out on the world around them.

“I think part of college is discovering who you are, and I think video games prevent you from doing that,” Harris said. “I don’t think (students) are contemplating the bigger issues of life.”

Ryan Jones, a freshman criminal justice and psychology major, gave another reason that young people help to make gaming a $7.3 billion industry.

“I (play video games) because it makes me feel good about myself,” Jones said. “It fulfills what I could never do in my life.”

Harris says that living out such fantasies in video games is not healthy.

“I think people are living vicariously, whether that’s sports or even relationships in some of those games. You’re living in an abstract, surreal way,” Harris said. “We’re raising a generation that doesn’t understand consequences.”

Harris also said that the current generation of students is under a tremendous amount of performance-related stress. Video games, with their unrealistic consequences, provide an opportunity for failure in a safe environment, Harris said.

“There is this pressure and expectation that success has to be the rest of your life,” Harris said. “Video games can be a respite, then.”

Upperclassmen spend less time playing video games than underclassmen.

This can be attributed to two factors. First, upperclassmen are often forced to make better use of their time.

“There are more constructive things to do,” senior Drew Ashton said. “It’s a waste of time.”

On the other end of the spectrum, freshman accounting major Kellen Chrisman said he plays video games with his friends out of boredom.

“I don’t know. I just have nothing else to do,” said Chrisman, who had already spent about three hours of his day playing video games.

Second, freshmen, who are required to live in on-campus housing, find the social aspect of the dormitory environment to be conducive to playing video games.

Colin Benton earned an undergraduate degree from GC&SU in history and is now a graduate student in the MAT program. He said he realized that video games were not a good use of his time.

“I played video games because it was a fun thing to do with other guys in the dorm,” Benton said.

By the second semester of his sophomore year, his attitude had changed.

“I lost all interest. I felt like I could always be doing something more productive,” Benton said.

Benton went so far as to sell his Playstation to his roommate, who happened to be Armstrong.

Armstrong says that his playing has been pretty consistent through the years.

“It would peak with the releases of certain games,” Armstrong said. “I’ve got 10 blisters on my fingers.”

Armstrong also participates in online gaming, a relatively new development in the video game world.

“I play Halo 2 online. It’s fun to compete against people,” Armstrong said. “Also, I cruise for gamer chicks (online).”

Proponents of video games cite improved coordination and critical thinking skills as benefits of gaming.

Harris disagrees.

“Research has shown that it doesn’t give people the critical thinking skills they get otherwise,” Harris said.

Harris says that video games are depriving students of the opportunity to gain perspective.

“Just like a lot of things in life, we need to be realistic about what (games) really offer,” Harris said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 18 2005. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry