IN DEFENSE OF VIDEO GAMES: A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL LITERATURE

As a new and developing area of technology, video games have garnered a fair amount of interest from the psychological community. A major area of research and debate is violent video games and their effect on levels of aggression in players. Unfortunately, due to inconsistent methodologies, findings in regard to this area of research are also inconsistent. Aside from the long-standing debate over violent video games and aggression, there is a treasure trove of psychological research available that brings hope to all gamers wishing for a good reputation for video games. Researchers have found evidence that suggests that video games can be utilized for the treatment of physical and mental disorders as well as a supplement in learning.