by Matt Remley

Created on: February 16, 2009   Last Updated: February 17, 2009

It hardly seems like it's been around 38 years since the first coin-operated video game was created. For those wondering, that game was actually called Computer Space, and needless to say wasn't that impressive compared to the gaming of today. These days we have video games created by top-notch developers costing millions of dollars to make.

Each year hundreds of video games are released and companies compete for the attention of consumers. The gaming culture and industry didn't just grow over night however it took time. That being said its obvious that these games would affect our lives in one way or another.

Personalities

Though there haven't been any studies proving that video games can alter ones personality, many suspect that it is possible. Perhaps it could change ones personality in a good way or even a bad way, however no-one knows. Playing video games like Super Mario and being fan of them probably make people jolly, but playing games like Gears of War may have a different effect.

For example playing Gears of War is totally different from playing Super Mario, one is about having fun and the other one is about killing waves of people. That fact may have a distinct effect on a person's brain or personality, especially if that person grows up with one of the games.

Learning

One of the main ways that video games affect our lives is our learning ability. Many new games these days can also be used for learning tools, or even medical tools. For example there are hospitals in Japan that use Brian Age for Nintendo DS to help patients with memory lose.

Video games can be a great tool for learning, so parents should consider the option when trying to train their children. Just because it is a video game doesn't mean that the parents should worry about their children becoming addicted or anything of the sort.

Friends

Needless to say the stereotypes for gamers have changed over the years, however it is obvious that if a person stays in the house all of the time and plays video games then that person is going to be anti-social. Gamers probably see nothing wrong with that, but that person may have a hard time later on in life.

In conclusion there are many ways that video games can affect our lives. These are just a few examples, but the actual ways that it happens are different for every person. For example one person will be largely affected by one game, and their friend may not be because of his personality, either way parents or gamers alike should study the subject thoroughly.

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