![]() ![]() Hummer, Ph.D., assistant research professor in the department of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. "The prefrontal cortex-the locus of judgment, decision-making, and impulse control-undergoes major reorganization during adolescence," explains Tom A. That's a powerful draw for an adolescent's developing brain, which is impressionable. The player develops an unshakeable faith, after a while, that " this will be the time I hit it big." Your Brain on Games: Experimental Evidence "It's exactly the same reward structure as a slot machine," says Dr. The tension of knowing you might score (or kill a warlock), but not knowing exactly when, keeps you in the game. Video games are designed with a reward structure that's completely unpredictable. ![]() "It can feed information to the brain in a way that maximizes learning," she says. "In a way, the video game model is brilliant," says Judy Willis, M.D., neurologist, educator, and American Academy of Neurology (AAN) member based in Santa Barbara, CA. Video games can help the brain in a number of ways, such as enhanced visual perception, improved ability to switch between tasks, and better information processing. Take a game like that away from addicted adolescents and they often show behavioral problems, withdrawal symptoms, even aggression, according to Dr. The end result: players can end up with a diminished supply of dopamine. With all that extra dopamine lurking around, the brain gets the message to produce less of this critical neurotransmitter. That gives gamers a rush-but only temporarily, he explains. ![]() "Playing video games floods the pleasure center of the brain with dopamine," says David Greenfield, Ph.D., founder of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. The human brain is wired to crave instant gratification, fast pace, and unpredictability. Still, experts agree gaming has addictive qualities. The current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-V, states that more research needs to be done before "Internet Gaming Disorder" can be formally included. Some researchers say that it is a distinct psychiatric disorder, while others believe it may be part of another psychiatric disorder. Yet despite mounting evidence about the cognitive, behavioral, and neurochemical impact of gaming, the concept of game addiction (online or not) is difficult to define. The amount of dopamine released while playing video games was similar to what is seen after intravenous injection of the stimulant drugs amphetamine or methylphenidate. Compared with a control group who spent less than two hours a day online, gamers had less gray matter (the thinking part of the brain).Īs far back as the early 1990s, scientists warned that because video games only stimulate brain regions that control vision and movement, other parts of the mind responsible for behavior, emotion, and learning could become underdeveloped.Ī study published in the scientific journal Nature in 1998 showed that playing video games releases the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine. Researchers in China, for example, performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on the brains of 18 college students who spent an average of 10 hours a day online, primarily playing games like World of Warcraft. The problem: many researchers believe that excessive gaming before age 21 or 22 can physically rewire the brain. That's 64 million kids-and some of them hit the keyboard or smartphone before they can even string together a sentence. Nine out of 10 children play video games. According to a study by the NPD Group, a global market research firm, his gaming obsession isn't unique. Rosner nearly threw away a university degree in pursuit of the game. I gained weight, became lazy, and spent nearly all of my time slumped over my computer," says Rosner, who played up to 18 hours a day, every day, for nearly two years. He neglected his schoolwork, relationships, health, even his hygiene. Meanwhile, his real life was virtually nonexistent. He built empires, led raids, and submerged himself in a fantasy world that seemingly fulfilled his every need. How Do Video Games Affect Brain Development in Children and Teens?Įxperts examine the effects of video games on the brain.Īt age 17, Anthony Rosner of London, England, was a hero in the World of Warcraft online gaming community. ![]()
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