"The trouble with asking what the effects of video games are is that it’s a really ambiguous question, like asking what the effects of eating are."
- Dr. Pete Etchells, of the University of Bristol
BuzzFeed has posted a selection of responses from researchers and academics working in the video game space, like neuroscientists and psychologists. It's an interesting peek into the contemporary scientific understanding of how games affect players.
The consensus that emerges could be summed up like this: Video games can well be good for players; it's hard to fully understand their effects; more research is needed.
The positives include better capacity to perceive details in the world, such as color; positive cognitive effects; and increased feelings of competence and mastery. But the negatives, of course, include behavioral difficulties and aggression -- though the scientists suggest that studies which found these correlations may be misleading.
This quote, in particular, is striking: "There are reasons to think that there might be risks, but there are so many other things that definitely cause harm. There’s lots of evidence that lead damages brain development, for instance, and lots of countries still have leaded petrol. The focus on video games’ small possible harms is disproportionate," said Dr. Andrew Przybylski, research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute.
Overall, the BuzzFeed piece is worth a read if you're curious about the current state of thinking around the issue.