Posts Tagged ‘Self-esteem’  What Do Video Games Say About Us
Monday, August 8th, 2011  3 billion hours, both children and
adults are consumed by the amusement of video games.  Obviously,
having fun is why we play, but why are the games fun?  Recent
research has shown that the appeal lies in how video games
allow players to adopt desired personality traits, which in turn
bolsters their self-esteem.  Studies have investigated the idea
that many people enjoy playing video games because it gives them
the chance to “try on” characteristics they would like to have
as their ideal self.Much research on video games has
concentrated on the possible harmful effects, ignoring the
simple question of why people actually want to play them.  A key
finding in the current study is that having the ability to
virtually change identity and acting through the identity (be it
hero, sports star, villain, or a different gender) makes people
feel better about themselves and less negative. Researchers
found that the enjoyment element