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Whether you’re a petrol head or not, no doubt you’ve played a car racing video game. GTA and Grand Turismo ring a bell? We’ve all seen the movies. The Fast and Furious. Reckless, angry driving isn’t exactly included in the Highway Code. Are video games a danger to driving or is the world of gaming the controversial answer to passing your driving test first time?
Put down your remote, and let’s dive into the virtual world of car chases.
How do video games affect our brain?
Distancing on screen action from real life seems simple. Contradicting studies have shown this may not be the case. Nobody wants to turn to the car next to them, to be greeted by an angry, anxious individual at the wheel.
“Previous research showed that just 10–20 minutes of violent gaming increased activity in the brain regions associated with arousal, anxiety, and emotional reaction, while simultaneously reducing activity in the frontal lobes associated with emotion regulation and executive control.” (Paturel, 2014)
What are the dangers of too much time on the console?
Risk-glorification. Video games are a warped view of reality. Driving games like GTA, involve speeding, weaving through traffic, tail-gaiting, and chases. If drivers take this thrill-seeking attitude outside the comfort of their sitting room, they are going to get hurt.
“Gamers are twice as likely to take risks, speed, run red lights and make insurance claims following accidents. Gamers who play for more than eight hours a week allegedly get into three times as many accidents.” (Sterling, 2011)
“Video games actually make me a better driver” True or False? Your driving instructor might tell you that a slow, steady driver is the safest driver, but Max Verstappen might tell you different.
“One of the most apparent and most cited positive effects of playing video games is improved eye-to-hand coordination.” (Jeffrey, 2021)
Some argue video games help improve reaction time. The hand-eye-coordination needed to reach high scores on modern video games could sharpen motorist’s reflexes. For some, video games could become the new meditation. If young drivers used video games as an outlet to get bad habits out of their system, we could see a calmer approach on the real roads. Tesla’s choice to allow drivers to play video games on the move certainly sparks a debate. We asked our team their thoughts on the wheel versus controller debate. A tale as old as time, the men in the office believe video games provide an outlet for frustration, the women on the other hand strongly disagreed, arguing video games to be the root cause of reckless driving.
It’s certainly a controversial debate. We stand on the edge of caution when it comes to time behind the controller and believe you should treat video games like replying to a review. Never respond to a review angry. Take a break before you act. To quote Shawn Achor, after playing a “stupid video game” his “brain had grown accustomed to the following pattern: find a car to steal, engage in a high-speed chase, reap the reward” and “after so many hours of repeated play, when I woke up the next morning, my brain was still stuck in this way of thinking.” (Achor, 2010)
JudgeService would love to know your thoughts? Are video games a car crash waiting to happen, or the answer to better driving?
Bibliography
Jeffrey, C. (2021, December 8). Playing Call of Duty Can Improve Your Driving Skills. Retrieved from Techspot: 2360-call-of-duty-gaming-and-driving-study
Paturel, A. (2014, July). Game Theory: The Effects of Video Games on the Brain. Retrieved from Brain&life: how-do-video-games-affect-the-developing-brains-of-children#:~:text=Previous%20research%20showed%20that%20just,emotion%20regulation%20and%20executive%20control
Sterling, J. (2011). Study: Gamers are worse drivers than normal people. Retrieved from Destructoid: study-gamers-are-worse-drivers-than-normal-people
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