Key insights

• 🎮 Adults, on average 33 years old, are active players of video games.
• 👾 Playing action-packed shooter games can have positive effects on behavior in reasonable doses.
• 🧠 Brain scientists are conducting research to measure the impact of video games on the brain.
• 👀 Playing video games can improve vision and attention, challenging misconceptions about the negative impact of screen time.
• 🎯 Action video game players have better attention and ability to track objects, as shown in lab experiments.
• 🎮 Action video games can improve brain networks that control attention and switching tasks.
• 🔄 Video games can have both positive and negative effects on the brain.
• 👍 Action video games can have long-lasting positive effects on cognitive abilities.

Q&A

• Do action video games have long-lasting effects on cognitive abilities?

  Yes, action video games can have long-lasting positive effects on cognitive abilities. The challenge is to create games that are both enjoyable and beneficial, similar to creating a new brand of chocolate with the good ingredients of broccoli.

• Do video games have both positive and negative effects on the brain?

  Yes, research shows that video games can have both positive and negative effects on the brain. Understanding the active ingredients in video games can help develop better games for education and rehabilitation.

• What are the effects of video games on brain networks and multitasking?

  Video games, especially action games, can improve brain networks that control attention and switching tasks. However, multitasking with multimedia can have negative effects on attention and performance. Brain imaging shows that action games improve brain networks controlling attention, and game players are better at switching tasks with minimal cost.

• How do action video game players differ in attention and object-tracking abilities?

  Action video game players have better attention and the ability to track objects, as demonstrated in lab experiments. Their attention span is around six to seven objects compared to three to four for non-players.

• Do video games affect vision and attention?

  Contrary to popular belief, playing video games, especially action games, can improve vision and attention. Research has shown that gamers who play action games extensively have better vision in terms of resolving small details and different levels of gray. Video games do not lead to attention problems and distractibility; they can actually improve attention in certain tasks.

• What are the positive effects of action-packed shooter games on behavior?

  Reasonable doses of action-packed shooter games have been found to have positive effects on behavior, as indicated by brain scientists conducting research to measure their impact on the brain.

• Who plays video games?

  Adults, with an average age of 33, are active players of video games, challenging the notion that video games are only for children.

• 00:00 Video games are not just for kids; adults play them too. In reasonable doses, action-packed shooter games have positive effects on behavior. Brain scientists are measuring the impact of video games on the brain.
• 03:30 Contrary to popular belief, playing video games can improve vision and attention, challenging misconceptions about the negative impact of screen time.
• 06:07 Action video game players have better attention and ability to track objects, as shown in lab experiments. Their attention span is around six to seven objects compared to three to four for non-players.
• 08:37 Video games, especially action games, can improve brain networks that control attention and switching tasks. However, multitasking with multimedia can have negative effects on attention and performance.
• 11:42 Research shows that video games can have both positive and negative effects on the brain. Understanding the active ingredients in video games can help develop better games for education and rehabilitation.
• 14:45 Action video games can have long-lasting positive effects on cognitive abilities. The challenge is to create games that are both enjoyable and beneficial, like a new brand of chocolate with the good ingredients of broccoli.