Evaluating the video games the high school kids chose to play, it was noticeable that the students preferred violent video games.  79.4% of the games girls played were violent, with only 20.6% of the games considered not violent.  Of the 79 games listed by the boys, 86% were violent, and only 14% were not violent.  These figures conclude that the high school respondents were exposed to violent video games.

Frequency of Playing:

The high school students were asked to indicate how often they played in a week and how many hours in a day they usually spend playing video games.  The purpose of these questions is to calculate the amount of exposure the students have with regards to violence in video games.  Below are the results of the survey.

Acting Out Video Game Characters in Real Life:

The high school children were asked if they wished they were the character(s) they played in the game in real life to determine if playing video games have attributable effects on the behavior of the respondents.  Those who answered yes were asked to identify the character(s) they wanted to portray in real life.  The high school boys listed characters from Street Fighter, Naruto, Power Rangers, Tekken, NBA, Grand Theft Auto and wrestlers from WWE Smackdown vs. RAW.  The high school girls listed characters from Tekken, Lara Croft, Link of Zelda, and Guitar Hero.  They were also asked if they acted out the character(s) with their friends in real life and if they got punished or got in trouble when they did act out the character(s) in real life.  When some kids were asked during a casual interview why they did not act out the favorite characters they played in the video game in real life, they said they did not want to get punished or get in trouble because their parents or the teachers/principal might think it is the fault of the video game.  They did not want to be grounded or deprived from playing their favorite video games so they try to show good behavior as much as possible.

Effects of Video Games That Experts Say The High School Respondents Agree On:

The questionnaire provided a list of positive and negative effects of video games according to experts, and the children were asked to select as many items on the list that they agreed on. 

Lessons Learned from Playing Video Games:

The respondents were asked what lesson they learned from playing video games.  26% of the boy respondents said they did not learn any lessons from playing video games.  9% of the boys said they learned how to think critically.  8% said they learned how to be strategic.  7% said they learned how to manage their time between school and play.  7% said they learned more about history, like Greek mythology from playing the game Age of Mythology.  6% said they learned about the value of teamwork.  5% said the games helped enriched their vocabulary because of the terms being used in the games and that they become better English speakers as all of the games being played are in the English language.  Other interesting lessons mentioned by the boys were that they learned to be more patient, cooperative, resourceful and responsible while playing the game; and that one should learn how to accept defeat which instills the value of sportsmanship.  They also said the games should not be taken seriously and that not everything you see in the video games are good so it should not be copied in real life.  They claimed the games helped boost their self-esteem and that playing games also taught them to do their best if they really wanted to win.  They added that playing video games improved their imagination and concentration.

While 32% of the girl respondents said they learned nothing from playing video games, the rest of the high school girls shared almost the same lessons as the boys.  9% of the girls said they learned the virtue of patience.  5% indicated they learned the value of sportsmanship.  The same values as the boys’ were also mentioned such as teamwork, unity and cooperation.  They also said they learned how to think faster.  One girl wrote that as the stages get harder, the challenges also get harder, just like in life.  Another girl stated that one should work harder if one wants to achieve his goals.  The girls said they learned to be more attentive, alert, and follow instructions.  They also said they learned about history.  Playing video games also instilled discipline in the girls as they said that playing too much is bad.

Skills Learned from Playing Video Games:

The high school students were also asked to write down the skills they developed from playing video games.  15% of the boys’ population said they did not develop any skill from playing video games.  31% said they developed their thinking skill, 23% said they improved their reflexes, and 18% said they developed better eye-hand coordination, which is considered a fine motor skill.  13% said they developed better strategic planning skill, 9% said they improved their typing skill, while 5% said their computer skill was enhanced.  5% declared playing video games improved their mathematical and reading skills.  Other skills that the boys said they developed were gaming skills and social skills.  The video games helped them interact better with other kids, they said.

19% of the high school girls claimed they did not develop any skill from playing video games.  26% of the girls who played video games said their thinking skills improved, 11% said they developed faster reflexes, and 9% said their eye – hand coordination skill was enhanced.  One girl revealed that her social skills were developed as the video games helped her relate better with the boys.  The same academic skills the boys mentioned earlier were also indicated by the girls such as mathematical and reading skills.  They also agreed with the boys that playing video games improved their typing and computer skills.

Conclusion:

The survey conducted in Kostka School, Inc. showed that although the high school kids were exposed to violent video games, no significant proof was present linking aggressive behavior to playing violent video games.  A good number of students understood that they were responsible for the repercussions of their wrong actions, as evident in the lessons they learned from playing video games.  The school administration reaffirmed the behavior of their students was generally satisfactory.

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