14 DAY TRIAL // Since the debate about whether video games are dangerous for children or not began, experts have been arguing for and against both sides of the discussion. But a new view, provided by researchers in the United Kingdom, holds that the playing these games may actually be rewiring players' brains.
Questions as to the effects technology has on the human mind and brain have been asked a long time ago, but thus far a satisfactory answer has largely eluded investigators. Mobile communication devices, the Internet and other forms of media are now part of society.
But the effects they actually have are not yet known. While many media outlets incite panic, saying that people are becoming stupider on account of the Internet, the truth is not that easy to discern.
Tomorrow, June 9, Dr. Paul Howard-Jones will give a speech about the effects of video games on children, as part of the University of Bristol Graduate School of Education's (GSOE) Festival of Education. The expert is a senior lecturer in education at the GSOE.
He believes that video games are a special case when it comes to assessing how much technology influences the human brain. One thing is for certain, though: “technology is radically changing our lives and children are at the forefront of this revolution,” he says.
“As a parent I have a personal interest in wanting to separate the tabloid fiction from the scientific facts and understand what is really going on,” the expert explains ahead of the Festival meeting. The event runs through June 17.
“The series of public events are to celebrate the opening of the School's new Creative Learning Spaces. The events are intended to provoke discussion of key ideas and contributions to the advancement of education, locally and globally,” the University of Bristol explains in a press release.
“The events celebrate the importance of universities in supporting and provoking intellectual debate and argument,” the statement adds.