FREE ESSAY ON THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO GAMES ON THE HEART

THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO GAMES ON THE HEART

The Effects of Video Games
on the Heart 
For: Piedmont Academy
Science Project
November 30, 1999
The Effects of Video Games on the Heart 
In order to determine the effects of video games on the heart, we
must look at several different things. First, we must determine which specific 
areas we want to investigate. Looking at increased heart rate and blood 
pressure, we need to determine the average maximum heart rate for the age 
group being tested. We must determine what factors can cause one's heart rate 
to increase, and we must look at the current studies in regard to the various 
social effects of video and other electronic games.
The main way that we increase our heart rate is through exercise, and 
even then health care professionals recognize the importance of pacing 
yourself. In order to pace yourself, you must determine your target heart rate. 
To do this, you must measure your pulse periodically as you exercise and stay 
within 50 to 75 percent of you maximum heart rate. A simple rule of thumb is 
if you can talk and walk at the same time, you are not working too hard. If you 
can sing and maintain your level of effort, you are probably not working hard 
enough. If you get out of breath quickly, you are probably working too hard, 
especially if you have to stop and catch your breath. 
The target heart rate chart is broken down from twenty years of age to seventy years. The
target heart rate zone of fifty to seventy-five percent for people of twenty years is
100-150 beats per minute with the average maximum heart rate of 100% at 200 beats per
minute.
The second main contributor to increasing your heart rate is through stress. Doctors have
determined that the problem with stress is that our body thinks we are still cavemen.
There hasn't been time for us to evolve physiologically from the high-threat,
short-duration stress situations that primitive man faced to the relatively low-threat,
long-duration stresses of modern society.
When your body receives a message that you are under stress, it automatically thinks you
are going to do one of two things, fight or run away. The body does not know how to
temper its response to deal with the week-long pressure of dooming deadlines or other
stresses that we deal with daily. This overkill response, in time, takes a physical toll,
especially on the cardiovascular system. When you are under stress, you are not thriving.
Your blood pressure is elevated, your blood clotting mechanism is working at full force,
your heart is beating faster than normal and your metabolic rate is up. Keep it for hours
and you will be exhausted, for years and you are headed for a heart attack. Doctors place
stress as the secondary risk factor for heart disease.
Stress and video games often go hand in hand. During the last several decades, video
games have emerged as one of the most popular forms of adolescent entertainment. In the
United States alone, video game revenues total ten billion dollars annually. On the
average, children who have home video games play with them approximately ninety minutes a
day.
Some of the trends in game playing are disturbing some observers. A 1993 study asked 357
seventh and eight graders to list their preferences among five categories of video games.
The study found that fantasy violence topped the list at thirty-two percent. It also find
that boys who play violent games tend to have a lower self-concept in the areas of
academic ability, peer acceptance and behavior. The most interesting is the possible link
between playing violent video games and subsequent aggressive behavior. Boys aged eight
to fourteen are the core audience for video games.
Another study found that a series of three video games played under three increasing
levels of stress elicited progressively higher values of blood pressure and heart rate.
Both the race and gender of the subjects affected the reactivity. Heavy video game
players have a difficult time with the regard to discharging aggression, and have a lower
frustration tolerance.
It has been found that hostility is increased when playing highly aggressive video games
and mildly aggressive games. Subjects playing the high aggression game were much more
anxious than the other subjects.
In one study, the researcher found that not only did the heart rates of the participants
increase while playing video games, but also the rates of those merely watching the game
increased. The study demonstrated clear differences between playing the violent game over
a non-violent game. The study also demonstrated strong differences between playing and
watching the games in violent verses non-violent games.
Physiological data points to large differences in the intensity of physiological response
to violent games over non-violent games. One potential inference that may be drawn is
that the violent content is more demanding of the player and therein lies the increased
physiological response. 
The violent play field is one where the player must always be on guard, any lack of
attention will result in the end of a turn. This dynamic of the violent play field
insures that the violent games will have greater feedback and interaction with the
player. The non-violent games allow time for thought and are not as demanding on the
player. This does not present the player with the need of defensive posture all the
time.
Other research has suggested that playing video games may affect some children's physical
functioning. Effects have ranged from triggering epileptic seizures to causing heart rate
and blood pressure changes. Serious adverse physical effects are limited to a small
number of players.
A new study suggests that watching the most violent video games may leave children more
prone to heart problems later in life. Researchers measured blood chemicals of sixty
students, before and after playing violent video games and found that the adrenaline
levels increased by as much as nineteen percent. Many doctors agree that this is not good
for the heart. Over a period of time, people with these elevated levels may be at a
higher risk for high blood pressure later in life. Adrenaline is produced by the body
when one becomes excited, scared, nervous or agitated. High blood pressure, or
hypertension, if gone untreated places one at a high risk for the development of a
disabling or fatal disease. Unfortunately, hypertension is often overlooked because one
may not experience any symptoms, thus its nickname, the silent killer. Symptoms include
consistent blood pressure readings of 140/90 or higher, headache, flush face or a pulsing
sensation in the head. The blood pressure is determined by two readings, the top number
indicates the systolic blood pressure and the bottom the diastolic pressure. Normal
systolic readings are below 140, 140 to 159 indicates borderline hypertension, above 160
is definite systolic hypertension. The diastolic pressure is normal below 85. Borderline
hypertension occurs when the reading is 85 to 89. Mild to moderate hypertension ranges
from 90 to 114, and severe hypertension is classified at 115 and above. When determining
if you have high blood pressure, you should have several readings at various times of the
day for several days. If your readings are consistently elevated, the you have confirmed
hypertension. Doctors are concerned that children playing violent video games are
unknowingly setting themselves up for future heart problems.
In 1983, a study on the effects of video games on children found that they had a more
positive effect on children than watching television. More recent research has found
connections between children's playing of violent video games and later aggressive
behavior. 
One point that disturbs researchers is that violent video games often put the player, as
the lone man against an evil force. Such games as this, they conclude, does not teach a
child to be a team player and offers no sense of community. This encourages a child to
isolate himself, and not interact with fellow peers, in a team type situation. 
The dominance of the male figure versus the female figure has triggered many researchers
to question the social content of the games and the influence of their attitudes in
regard to gender roles.
With some video games causing aggression and aggression being a contributor to stress and
stress a contributor to increased heart rate, and high blood pressure, one could arrive
at the conclusion that video games can indeed effect your heart rate and lead to future
heart problems. 
Bibliography
CHRONIC STRESS AND YOUR HEART
Author: Richard P. Abben, M.D.
Copyright: 1996
VIA World Wide Web, America On Line 1997
HOME, HEALTH AND FAMILY HEART & STROKE GUIDE A-Z
Copyright: 1997
VIA World Wide Web, America On Line 1997
PLAYING VIOLENT VIDEO AND COMPUTER GAMES AND ADOLESCENT SELF-CONCEPT
Author: Jeanne Funk and Debra Bushman
Copyright: 1996
VIA World Wide Web, America On Line 1997
THE AMAZING VIDEO GAME BOOM
Author: Philip Elmer-Dewitt
Copyright: 9\27\93
Page: 71
VIA World Wide Web, America On Line 1997
VIDEO GAMES: BENIGN OR MALIGNANT?
Author: Jeanne Funk
Copyright: 2/1992
VIA World Wide Web, America On Line 1997
VIDEO GAME PLAY RESEARCH
THE STRESS VERSUS RELAXATION RESPONSE TO PLAYING VIDEO GAMES
Author: Ulrich M. Affemann
From: Dissertation Abstracts International Vol. 47 No. 07, 01/87 2454-A
VIA World Wide Web, America On Line 1998
VIDEO GAMES AND CHILDREN
OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
ED365477 01/94 ERIC Digest
VIA World Wide Web, America On Line 1998
VIDEO GAMES CAN CAUSE HEART PROBLEMS FOR KIDS
Author: Liz Brunner
Copyright: 3/20/99
VIA World Wide Web, HotBot, BellSouth.net 1999
Does playing video games effect your heart rate?
I believe that playing video games will increase your heart rate.
1. Seat the subject.
2. Take and record subject's pulse rate prior to playing the video game.
3. Allow subject to play the video game for five minutes.
4. Take and record the pulse 
rate again.
5. Follow steps 1 - 4 on same subjects on another game 
and record results.
My conclusion, based on test results confirm my hypothesis that playing video games will
increase your heart rate.