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Video games and bad driving -- is there a link?
Posted on Mar 21st 2007 4:00PM by Bethany SandersOn the streets of popular driving-style video games, you can drive up onto sidewalks and careen at top speeds down narrow streets crashing into buildings, all without anyone getting hurt. Obviously you know that when you get into your actual car, you can't behave that way, right? On a conscious level you may know that, but recent research in Germany suggests that when you play these kinds of video games, your risk-taking behavior on the real streets may increase.
Three different studies found that both men and women who played video games that allowed or required major traffic violations were more likely exhibit risky behavior in a driving simulator. While these results can't necessarily be transferred into real life, it does suggest that playing these types of video games may affect the judgment of drivers on the road. Not only that, when you consider that kids start playing these kinds of games as early as 10 years old, it makes you wonder what kind of drivers you may be sharing the road with in the future.
The effects of video games on teens and young adults has been a source of debate for some time now. Do violent games cause violent behavior? Do video games play a role in childhood obesity? Now we can add to that list -- Do video games make bad drivers? What do you think?
Three different studies found that both men and women who played video games that allowed or required major traffic violations were more likely exhibit risky behavior in a driving simulator. While these results can't necessarily be transferred into real life, it does suggest that playing these types of video games may affect the judgment of drivers on the road. Not only that, when you consider that kids start playing these kinds of games as early as 10 years old, it makes you wonder what kind of drivers you may be sharing the road with in the future.
The effects of video games on teens and young adults has been a source of debate for some time now. Do violent games cause violent behavior? Do video games play a role in childhood obesity? Now we can add to that list -- Do video games make bad drivers? What do you think?
