Expository Essay Outline: Video Games

I. Introduction
a. Hook:
With video games being such a significant part of children’s and adolescents’ lives in the
United States as 97% of these people (ages 12-17) play at least one hour a day, it is critical to
understand the true nature of video games and their effects (Granic 1).

b. Important introductory information about the topic:

A video game is a game played electronically that is usually produced on a type of screen
(Granic 1). Video games are widely known for “rotting kids” by teaching them to indulge in bad
choices, however, recent studies have shown that video games can have many positive effects that
develop a variety of emotional and intellectual skill supporting achievement in academics (Loo).

c. Thesis (claim):
Although video games are commonly associated with the formation of bad habits, playing
video games is an academically beneficial activity because it improves social interaction, it improves
emotional health needed for good academic performance, and it improves critical thinking skills.

II. Reason #1
a. Topic sentence (summarize 1st point):
Playing video games improves social skills because it is a highly social activity, it improves
communication and interaction with others needed in an academic setting, and it reduces aggressive
behavior.

b. Research to defend your point

- Approximately 70% of players game with their friends in the same room and only about 20% of gamers
play completely on their own (Loo).
- Gaming with other people develops a variety of social skills that improve cooperation and interaction with
others. When playing with others, either cooperatively or competitively, decisions such as whom to trust,
who to reject, who to lead, and who to join must quickly and efficiently be made (Granic 8). Based on a
long-term effect studied conducted by Granic, children who played prosocial video games at the beginning
of the school year were more likely to be helpful in school later during the year (8).
-Additionally, a representative U.S study conducted by Lenhart showed that adolescents who played games
with civic engagement such as Guild Wars 2 to be involved as a citizen by encouraging voting, raising
money, volunteering, etc. (Granic 8). Because these civil games encourage responsibility, they would also
promote responsibility as a student in school.
-Although many argue that violent video games influence isolated and aggressive behavior, people who play
violent video games in groups are more likely to have reduced feelings of hostility and learn (Granic).
- Over 70% of gamers play with their friends either cooperatively or competitively. In the game, Farmville
on facebook, over 5 million users play per day. In the virtual social communities provided by gaming,
gamers learn whom to reject, whom to trust, and how to lead (Granic 73).
- According to several studies, prosocial and cooperative video games in which players game with a team
have reduced aggressive thoughts and behavior. Also, several studies (Gentil 2009) have concluded long-
term gaming effects of increased empathy and cooperation in adolescents (Prot 121).

c. Analysis of research & connection to thesis

 Firstly, based off of statistics and examples of interactive video games, gaming is a highly social
activity.
 Secondly, prosocial video gaming develops a variety of interaction skills on how to react to different
people/characters right away, based off of many studies that test the connection between gaming and
 improved cooperation. Cooperation is needed in school to work with other peers, handle competition,
and find solutions as a team.
 Finally, based off of a large number of studies, video games played cooperatively in which decisions
must be made together, have reduced aggressive behavior, and they even improve cooperation and
responsibility as a citizen in many examples. Aggressive behavior leads to poor cooperation skills
with peers and reduces successful assignments that require working as a group.

 Thesis Connection: Overall, the cooperation, reduced aggressive behavior, and interactive skills
derived from video games are needed in academics when working with others and so therefore, the
social benefits of gaming make it an academically beneficial activity.

III. Reason #2
a. Topic sentence (summarize 2nd point)
Video gaming improves emotional health by allowing people to have control, relieving stress, and providing
motivation, improving school performance.

b. Research to defend your point

-Video games can have positive, therapeutic effects on all gaming players because they are fun and giving
your mind a break is critical for mental well being (Loo).
-It is important to allow children the chance of freedom and exploration so if they want to play video games,
then so be it (Gray).
-Many psychological studies have concluded that persistence and effortful engagement derived from video
games are key contributors in academic achievement (Granic 71).
- Video games improve the incremental theory of intelligence in which people are told of their intelligence,
believe it, and have more motivation and inspiration to be intelligent. Video games provide this by providing
scores and feedback (Granic 71).
- Gaming and media use generates positive emotional feelings from all ages. A study (Russoniello 2009)
concluded that easily accessible puzzling games such as Angry Birds and Bejeweled 2, improved players’
moods and warded of anxiety (Granic 72).
- Flow or transportation is a feeling in which gamers feel extremely positive and proud emotions.
According to several studies including (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2002) these positive experiences and
emotions are linked to achievement in high school. Positive emotions boost performance, confidence, social
skills, etc., and therefore support academics as well (Granic 72).
- Playing video games teaches people to cope with failure, achievement, and persistence-skills needed to
succeed in academics. For example, Portal 2, a very complex puzzle game switches puzzles with a new
whole set of rules after a player masters a puzzle. This causes frustration, allowing players to learn how to
cope with frustration and persist anyway. (Prot 121)

C. Analysis of research & connection to thesis

 Firstly, video gaming allows people to have control and handle situations in their own ways. As
discussed in Gray’s article, it is important to allow people the freedom of choices, in this case,
exploring what they want to in video games.
 Secondly, videogame use is fun and helps generate positive feelings which is critical for mental
health, boosts several additional skills, and is linked to improved academic achievement due to a
positive mindset. Positive feelings and relaxing activities such as video games also help to ward off
anxiety that decreases good performance in academics.
 Finally, improve the incremental theory of intelligence and helps players to understand their skill
levels, encouraging them in the future. Also, because video games provide feedback and scores as
well as helping people to cope with frustration and failure, they improve persistence and motivation
needed in academics to be devoted and never give up.
  Thesis Connection: Due to the control, positive feelings, and motivational skills videogaming
provides which are control in making decisions, a positive mindset, and persistence to learn needed
in academics, the emotional benefits of gaming making it an academically beneficial activity.

IV. Reason #3
a. Topic sentence (summarize 3rd point):
Playing video games improves critical thinking skills by supporting cognitive skills, stimulating different
situations, and using brain functions such as analyzing and planning skills needed for academic success.
B. Research to defend your point
 Video games allow people to immerse themselves in different characters, cultures, and situations that
connect to how students must do the same thing often at school (Loo).
 Games are suited for individualized learning because they allow people to advance to more difficult
levels when they learn or persist through learning a concept of skill (level) before they can advance.
Video games help children’s cognitive development (Loo).
 78% of teachers stated that video games improved student’s test scores and curricular content like
English, math, etc. and 71% of teachers (both national surveys) stated that video games improved
students’ extracurricular knowledge in art, technology, etc (Loo).
 Playing video games may help improve a range of cognitive skills such as spatial navigation,
reasoning, and perception (Granic).
 According to a long-term study published in 2013, playing video games improved students’ grades
and problem-solving skills and enhanced their creativity (Granic).
 Video games improve visuospatial ability on test and improve IQ by increasing measures of working
memory (or the amount of information people can contain at one time). Video games also improve
literacy skills due to the online text communication (Gray).
 Shooter games (or “action” games) such as Halo and Grand Theft Auto IV, have many cognitive
benefits. Studies in which people new to video games have played for a set amount of time have
concluded that video games showed more accurate attention, spatial resolution, and visual processing
(Granic 68).
 A recently published meta-analysis (Uttal 13) concluded that shooter video games improved the
player’s ability to think about 3D objects and their spacing, a necessary skill in mathematics and
engineering. Especially, the video games provided spatial skill improvements which enhanced skills
taught in high-school and university courses (Granic).
 Based on spatial study (Wai 2010), spatial skills improve STEM skills that improve career success
and academic success in STEM (Granic).
 Video games provide little information about how to solve a problem and have influenced many
people to begin using trial and error methods in everyday life (Granic).
 Two studies testing the direct relation between problem-solving and playing video games
(Steinkuehler and Duncan 2008) and (Adachi & Willoughby 2013) concluded that strategic video
game players have gained better problem-solving skills, improving academic grades (Granic).
 A (Jackson 2012) study with 500 12-year old students concluded that playing video games was
associated with enhanced creativity (Granic).
 Positive effects of videogame play on visual-spatial skills have been found both in studies (Green &
Bavelier, 2003) and experimental studies Okagaki & Frensch, 1994). Gamers outperformed non-
gamers on a number of visual and spatial tasks, demonstrating faster visual reaction times and
improved target localization and mental rotation (Green & Bavelier, 2003; Achtman, Green, &
Bavelier, 2008; Green & Bavelier, 2007) (Prot 121).

b. Analysis of research & connection to thesis

 Video games support cognitive skills by mainly improving spatial navigation, reasoning, and
perception, especially violent video games. These cognitive skills are needed for STEM and many
other academic areas such as mathematics and engineering. Video games also improve other
cognitive skills such as faster reaction, mental location, and memory, needed for problem-solving in
school. Therefore, videogaming supports academics by improving these abilities.
  Secondly, video games require a number of planning and analyzing skills that players develop under
short amounts of time, therefore improving the player's’ ability to problem-solve at school.
 Finally, videogaming stimulates different moral, ethical, and challenging situations that help people
learn what to do and how to react, a critical thinking skill needed when faced with problems at
school and therefore, crucial to academics.
 Connection to thesis: Because cognitive skills, analyzation skills, and the ability to solve different
situations are needed in academic subjects and learning, the thinking benefits of videogaming make
it an academically beneficial activity.

c. Transition to opposing viewpoint (transitions like, “even though”)

Even though video games provide these numerous benefits, many people still argue that videogames are not
beneficial because they form bad practices such as aggression and violent behavior.

V. Opposing Viewpoint/Counterargument
a. Topic sentence (Opposing Viewpoint)
Many argue that video gaming is not academically beneficial but instead, harmful due to the bad practices
such as aggression, violent behavior, and poor academic performance it can lead to.

b. Research that supports the opposing viewpoint

 Many direct killings and their shooters such a shooting in Germany caused by an 18-year old who
was a fan of video gaming, have been linked to violent behavior (Scutti).
 Many adults and associations such as part of the American Psychological Association think that
“Video games should not target human killing because this teaches children to associate success with
the pain of others,” (Scutti).
 A recent survey found that 47% of media users got poor grades compared to 23% of light media
users. Adults and others think that time spent on types of media (or video games) is potential time
that could have been used for academic achievement and therefore, it is “wasted” time (Prot 118).

c. Present your counter argument (very important!)

Although many people associate video games with these negative practices, video games are not directly
connected to these habits, many studies do not agree with the evidence supporting these negative effects, and
these habits can be avoided altogether with the consent of the player. As professor Decamp stated to CNN,
people who like to play brutal video games could have a predisposition towards violence. This so called
“vacuum” also applies to poor academic performance because students who do not care about academics
might have a predisposition towards using media as pastime. Secondly, many studies do not agree with this
evidence. Multiple studies conducted by Gentil in 2009 concluded that most video gamers play
cooperatively and learn how to cope better with others, have decreased aggressive thoughts, and have
improved social skills (Granic 72). Additionally, many studies such as (Steinkuehler and Duncan 2008) and
(Adachi & Willoughby 2013) have concluded that because gaming improves spatial location, planning,
analyzation, cognitive skills, and positivity, it improves grades earned in academics (Granic). Finally, the
potential harmful habits can be avoided with the consent of the parent or person by playing certain types of
games. Most cooperatively played games, whether violent or not, have shown to have positive effects so by
playing those types of social games, cooperative games, or moderating time spent playing violent games,
negative habits can be avoided (Gray).

VI. Conclusion
a. Restate thesis
Despite assumed harmful effects of playing video games such as bad habits, video games is academically
beneficial because it improves social skills, it provides a variety of emotional benefits, and it improves
several critical thinking skills needed in academics.

b. Review main supports

Video gaming improves communication and interaction as well as reducing aggressive behavior and
therefore, it improves social skills that can be used in an academic setting. Also, gaming allows people to
have control, it relieves anxiety, and it provides a variety of emotional benefits, and therefore, improving
emotional well being needed for successful and encouraging academic performance. In addition, playing
video games implies different scenarios, uses analyzing and planning skill, and improves cognitive skills
that teach critical thinking skills needed for academic learning and achievement.

C. Call to Action
The many benefits to video games open new doors for a new way to engage in improving a skill set
essential for academic success. For this reason, the younger generation should be allowed the freedom to
play video games, learn, and develop skills without such heavy restrictions from adults. For everyone who
has worried that gaming is a useless activity, now is the opportunity to explore its several benefits that allow
people to improve in important areas of life such as academics while still doing an enjoyable activity.