According to new scientific evidence, playing action video games might be bad for the brain. This is particularly the case for violent action games the like of Call of Duty and Halo, say researchers. So, just what is wrong with indulging in your favorite first person shooter or violent hack and slash?
Action Video Games and How They Affect the Brain
A new study on the matter analyzed the varying effects of playing different video games. According to their results, playing action video games can also seemingly lead to a reduction of the hippocampus. This is a brain region associated with the memory, stress regulation, and spatial navigation.
“It could be the case that these action video games are encouraging people to favor this reward system over their hippocampal memory system. And then it’s become the use-it-or-lose-it type scenario,” stated Gregory West.