by Kewoni Berkley

Created on: June 24, 2008

This proposed argument is quite interesting however; no politician or member of Congress can today state that video games can potentially drop ones IQ.

The Intelligence Quotient is a number used to measure a person's cognitive abilities by using a number of standardized tests which are mainly made up of logical problems, mathematics and general knowledge. I guess I can say that video games should be used to train youngsters for any IQ test.

Since the birth of video games, programmers and developers have made it their duty to find intuitive ways to integrate problem solving into these games. Since then video game developers have used methods such as logic, mathematics, reason and visual/memory based questions to test the level of intelligence of players. Examples like Tetris which was introduced to world in the 1980's and Big Brain Academy released in 2006 firmly reinforces my point, these games are used to stimulate the player's mind and force him/her to make intellectual decisions which determine the loss or victory. These games encourage intelligence among its players. In addition, Tetris has sold over 40 million copies to date, making it one of the most popular games of all time.

The video game known as "Tomb Raider" was based around solving logical puzzles in order to move forward and ultimately achieve success. Other games such as "The Legend of Zelda" and "Metal Gear Solid," are well known for containing "cinematic cut scenes and intricate storylines as well as its exploration of the nature of politics, warfare, censorship, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, loyalty, reality, subjective vs. universal "truths" and other philosophical themes." (Quotation from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) This shows the level at which these video games can educate its players about a number different subjects which affect the world today as well as in the past.

Today video games are used for a vast variety of purposes. For example, with the introduction of the Nintendo DS, there have been a number of games made solely to educate players as well as test their knowledge on particular topics. Nintendo again in the interest of society introduced to the world, the Nintendo Wii which revolutionized gaming. A motion sensor on the Nintendo "Wiimote" allows for gamers to interact with images on the screen using accelerometer and optical sensor technology. This technology has created avenues for games such as Wii Fit and Wii sports which require full body involvement thus requiring more brainwork from the players.

The following is information collected by the University of Rochester on the relationship between playing video games: "Research conducted at the University of Rochester has shown that action video games can give a person the ability to monitor more objects in their visual field and do so faster than a person who doesn't play such games. The study suggests that in addition to making game players more aware of their surroundings while performing tasks such as driving, action game playing might be a useful tool to rehabilitate visually impaired patients or to train soldiers for combat."

Therefore, it can be concluded that video games can indeed increase ones IQ and not pull it down. It cannot be argued that reading books is inefficient as such a claim can never be proven however, video games is definitely an alternative which can be considered.

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