We nerds are one of the most aggressive species on the planet. Just ask us whether or not Han shot first. Touch someone’s D20 without permission. Point out that Daikatana isn’t the single greatest video game of all time, and then pour some more salt in the wound by asking us when Duke Nukem Forever is coming out.
The answer to the last question is never, and the end result would be some Dr. Moreau-style ball of rage: part calculator and part Wolverine. Allow me to clarify, the “X-men” character.
It makes sense then that we challenge ourselves to constant contests of domination and sign up for every competition we can find, as long as it can be performed indoors, far, far from the evil of the sun (It’s trying to kill us all, you know). It’s not always a tournament for the top spot — sometimes we cooperate — though someone almost always ends up as “Alpha Geek” calling the shots and, while generally being ignored by the other players, is still listening to his or her commands. It’s a strange beast.
So, we have a lot of pent-up “nerd rage,” if you will, and we like to unleash it upon one another safely. But are there some health benefits to this? Well, no, studies are generally inconclusive, and though I would absolutely adore telling you that video games never cause any problems with empirical evidence, alas, researchers are too busy attempting to paint video games in a negative light to actually study their effects on people. Well, most of them.
In 2005, the University of Illinois-Urbana, found there was no link between violent video games and aggression whatsoever in a test involving a 75-person group of gamers and a 138-person non-gaming control group with ages in both groups ranging from 14 to 68. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the BBC and CNN have published articles linking video games to violence.
A quick Google search brings up so many waffling arguments with “experts” on both sides weighing in (read: hemming and hawing with no real clue) and arguing amongst each other. I think that should be an indicator right there.
Let’s drop the “video games plus kid equals psychopath-in-training” failblog equation and look at things realistically.
I challenge you to think of all the people you know who play video games on a regular basis — they don’t have to have a closet full of Starfleet uniforms like me. Are they crazy? Or do they seem calm and content after playing?
This leaves it up to the individual. Competitive gaming can be an outlet for aggression, just like tackle football (only without the criminal behavior some members of the University’s football team exhibit) or a night of self-flagellating exercise at the gym. When some people are pissed off, they sweat it out; others kill zombie Nazis. And honestly, if you’re going to go around pretending to kill something, it might as well be zombie Nazis, right? My generation’s grandfathers went to Europe with the express intent to kill Nazis, and as a nation, the U.S. cheered them on and blew them kisses. Now turn them into the undead, and well, there are absolutely no redeeming qualities.
Speaking from personal experience, video games keep me sane. When I get busy with some combination of work and school and don’t play them for a couple of weeks, I notice that I get a slight edge to my personality: I’m much less interested in everything in general; I get a little depressed; and I smoke probably double the cigarettes I would if I were on video games — my anti-drug. The challenge against other players provides an outlet for aggression; there’s a sense of achievement from in-game accomplishments that boosts my self-esteem a little, and the story and artwork capture my imagination.
There are the social aspects to the games, as well. I have made countless friends on countless battlefields across the Internet, and technically, some of those friendships have endured across three decades. How many real-life friends can you say that about?
The draw for cooperation is very strong, if Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games like World of Warcraft are any measure. Working in unison with 25 other players to accomplish something can be just as much fun as a tournament for the top spot.
It doesn’t have to be all violent, either — Tetris is one of the most popular games of all time; it exercises the mind as an outlet.
As a species, we humans have cultivated violence as a form of entertainment for ages. We’ve come a long way from Roman gladiators fighting to the death for entertainment.
Violent themes permeate our culture through theater, literature, music, graphic novels, art, and of course, movies. We find it exciting in modern culture, just as long as it’s not real.
Video games are just another safe and healthy outlet, albeit interactive, for our primal instincts leftover from the hunter-gatherer days.
In short, life becomes better as long as I’m hooked up to my VG-IV (Video Game Intravenous), and gamers are some of the most well-rounded people I can think of. They work all their aggression out on a daily basis.
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