Student Research Guide SPQ25/ Positive Impacts of Video Games on High School Education

• Video games promote socializing through online play
• In relation to crime, video games are a small factor compared to others, such as gender
• Negative impacts from gaming largely stem from the industry itself (think predatory monetization tactics)
• Gacha games are not considered gambling despite the similarities to it; these games may cause issues in the future due to easy access
• People who have Video Game Disorder prefer short-term rewards; this could explain the reason "addiction" grows in a small percentage of gamers
• If the application is right, video games can be useful in the classroom
• In moderation, video gaming is a great hobby for high school students

Advice for future researchers:

In my research, I found that it is best to look in broad databases like ProQuest or Academic Search Complete. On these databases, you can find a wide range of topics about video games while still allowing yourself to be picky about what you find. In comparison, other sources may not have anything even when you type in just "video games." This happens because not every database or website has information on the topic. Because of this, I sometimes struggled to find what I needed. Another good place for information is Google Scholar, as I found a few sources there. 

Reflection on research experience:

The research for my topic was difficult, but very rewarding. As previously mentioned, video games are a broad topic, and there is a lot to discuss about them. Because of this, I had a lot of subtopics available to me. The most interesting part was when I started to learn about the positive effects of gaming. I didn't realize prior to my research that video games could impact people in so many ways. When I went through those types of sources, I found myself linking the information to my own life experience with games and realizing how they impact me personally. For example, I learned that video games can help teenagers socialize due to several reasons, such as multiplayer games. It made me think about how even if a game isn't multiplayer, I always find myself playing games with friends, especially in person. Through my investigation, I also found various links to education and mental health that I hadn't considered before. Even though I struggled on certain databases and websites to find information, what I did find broadened my understanding of my topic.