Buffalo, NY (WBEN) A new survey by Pew says 85 percent of teens report playing video games . But some say they encounter cyberbullying and name calling from time to time.
UB's Amanda Nickerson says video games are becoming the modern playground. "I think a lot of the problems that were happening face to face are now translating into that online environment. But maybe even more so because of some of those specific things that happen in gaming, like the anonymity that's allowed," says Nickerson. She says the anonymity is unique to those online environments. "When you're face to face with someone, they know who you are most of the time, especially if you're in school with them. But when you're online, you might be with people, but you don't know who they are, or they're using some sort of screen name, it could be strangers that you're playing with. Even if it is people that you know, you you may not even know," explains Nickerson. She says that is a contributing factor that people can sort of get away with behaving in different ways online compared to in person.
Nickerson says on the whole, video game players are learning vital social skills. "They're learning how to interact with other people problem solving, working quickly to solve a goal, there definitely are very compelling and positive parts of this gaming. So I think we have to look at the bullying in context," says Nickerson. She says when you look at the online stream of comments, there may be insults, racial slurs and things that that could be very upsetting, but it depends. if it's targeted at that person and how that person is perceiving it.
Melinda DuBois of the Mental Health Coalition of WNY says the thing that is really concerning for her is our youth are exposed to things online and with online gaming. like never before. "It's really an unregulated, unsupervised platform and people are used to talking to each other. So it's no wonder that people are experiencing bullying, and even exposure to extremism and and predatory behaviors and radicalization online," says DuBois.
DuBois says video games are interesting, because they can actually be very positive for young people. "But when video games like any other form of rec, heat recreation is used excessively, it can create addictions, it can lead to increase aggression, disrupted sleep," says DuBois, who notes teens use video games as a form of relaxation. "What we also see is that it can be used as an unhealthy way of escapism so and instead of really dealing with day to day life, you escape into this different world of gaming. And so it can also lead to a lot of social anxiety and depression," notes DuBois.
DuBois says while teens of previous generations watched TV to relax, today's teens are using video games to relax. "I think the hard thing for young people to understand because they just can't, their brains aren't fully developed to understand that they're also their exposure to aggression, and violence and racism. And bullying can have a negative effect on their, their mental health and on their lives," adds Du Bois.
More than 1,400 teens from ages 13- 17 participated in the survey last fall.
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