Research Paper

Tian Zhou

Honors American Literature

Mr. Rehak

23/5/2013

Censorship in Video Games

Video games have long been the supposed cause of many kinds of seizures including absence, grand-mal, myoclonic, clonic, tonic, atonic, and status epilepticus. (Senelick) However, seizures can occur to anybody at any age and at any time. Also, whether the individual has epilepsy does not factor in the odds of having a seizure. Millions of nerve cells in the brain, called neurons, transmit electrical impulses. Seizures occur when the neurons misfire. More than one type of seizure can happen at a time depending on where the electrical disturbance is occurring in the brain. (“Seizures”)

Seizures caused by certain visual stimulation is a condition called photosensitivity. Video games are commonly being targeted for producing this type of seizure, some more than others. There is only speculation on the matter and not enough research to back up the claims. Therefore, flashing lights and visual patterns like stripes or grids in video games should not be censored. Photosensitive epilepsy can be detected early and treated with antiepileptic drugs; players with this condition can and should take special precautions. Video games only make up a small portion of seizures in photosensitive patients. Other triggers that are more common include natural sunlight, television, stress, venetian blinds, theaters, dance clubs, rock concerts, and sleep deprivation. (Erba)

There are many easy methods to avoid having a seizure while playing video games. Dr. Giuseppe Erba, Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and former member of the Epilepsy Foundation’s professional advisory board, recommends “watching television in a well-lit room, reduce the brightness of the screen, keep as far back from the screen as possible, use small screens. Players should not play if they are tired, especially if they are sleep deprived. Avoid excessive use of alcoholic beverages. Take frequent breaks and look away from the screen every once in awhile.” (Erba) One method Dr. Erba describes as most useful is monocular vision. Players should cover one eye and look away from the screen if they start feeling their bodies jerking. Closing both eyes does not safeguard players from photosensitivity “because the red-tinted light filtering through the eyelids will be just as provocative, if not more.” (Erba) With so many ways to easily prevent seizures from occurring while playing video games,  video games should not censor their materials that can be portrayed as visually stimulating. Photosensitive epilepsy can even be detected early on in childhood.

Photosensitivity is rare; about three in one hundred epilepsy patients have it. The ratio of patients are about 60% girls and 40% boys. Photosensitivity begins before the age of twenty, usually between seven and nineteen. (Harding) This is one of the counter arguments people commonly use. However, the possibility of having epilepsy is already very low; paired with the possibility of having photosensitive epilepsy, the condition is very scarce. The amount of people with this condition is too few to make a difference.

An electroencephalogram test, or EEG,  “records the electrical signals from your brain on an EEG machine. During the test, you will be asked to look at some flashing lights. If doing this changes the electrical signals in your brain, it may indicate that you have photosensitive epilepsy.” (Harding) This explains why video games are always being targeted as the main cause of seizures in children and teens since children and teens make up a big portion of the video game industry’s audience and they are more prone to having seizures because of their younger age. However, a simple EEG test can determine if one needs to take special precautions when playing video games. Therefore, they should not have to censor their content.

A counterargument to the electroencephalogram test is that its not safe. NYU Langone Medical Center, one of the best hospitals in the United States, has an overview of EEG tests. “The EEG itself is an extremely safe test,” they say, “The wires used to record electrical activity only record: they do not deliver electrical current to the scalp.” (Overview of Electroencephalography) It is clear that EEG tests are a safe method to test for photosensitive epilepsy. Video game players should take the test if they are worried about having a seizure. Video games themselves should not be censored due to players having seizures that they could have foreseen. Epilepsy precaution is even mentioned in most games’ user manual.

Video games always come with a user manual that mentions safety precautions to its players. Nintendo, a leading video game developer, is a good example. In their health and safety precautions, they say “A very small portion of the population have a condition which may cause them to experience epileptic seizures or have momentary loss of consciousness when viewing certain kinds of flashing lights or patterns.” (Nintendo) They continue, “If you or your child experience any of the following symptoms: dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitching, involuntary movements, loss of awareness, disorientation, or convulsions, DISCONTINUE USE IMMEDIATELY and consult your physician.” (Nintendo) This is a clear and direct warning towards epileptic patients about playing video games. The game itself has done its part on protecting the player. It is the player’s decision to play the game and risk a seizure. The games should not be censored; a fair warning is enough.

A popular premise is that every player is at risk for video game induced seizures. However, there is strong evidence suggesting that only a small amount of players are at risk for seizures caused by video games. Of the 2.5 million epileptic patients in the United States, 2.5% have photosensitive epilepsy, only 300,000 of which are children. (Sullivan) That is merely 7,500 children in the United States that are at risk of video game induced seizures.

Another false premise is that video games are the cause of epilepsy in children. Peter Van Haverbeke, a spokesman for the Epilepsy Foundation, “emphasized that video games do not cause epilepsy; they only touch off the seizures in these children.” (Sullivan) Haverbeke is saying that video games act as a trigger for seizures, not as an origin for epilepsy. Most epileptic patients are born with the condition. Therefore, video games should should not be censored as they are not the true cause of player’s seizures.

While it is true that some photosensitive epileptic children suffer their first seizure through video games, the fear is highly exaggerated. Dr. Jerome Engle Jr. chief of epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at the School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, says “There is just a small chance that children will suffer their first seizure from playing a video game.” (Sullivan) It is much more common for a child to have their first seizure before they even play a video game. In that case, they should be taking special precautions when playing their first video game. The popular ideal that video games cause the first seizure in children is very exaggerated, so videogames should not be censored because of this.

The biggest overlooked aspect of the whole argument of whether video games cause seizures is that there is no scientific evidence supporting video games causing seizures in children. As James Wheless, expert on video games and epilepsy, says, “Because epilepsy is a common disorder, it is not surprising that some children will have their seizures while playing video games, just by coincidence. How often this happens, and to what extent the games trigger the seizures, if at all, is not known.” (Wheless) It’s common knowledge that playing video games is a common pastime for children. So how is it possible to say that just because a child had a seizure, video games are to blame? Other factors like stress and fatigue can also trigger seizures. There is simply not enough evidence to conclude that video games cause seizures, so they should not be censored.

It is still a very important issue whether video games should or should not be censored to prevent video game induced seizures. To sum it all up, one side argues that video games should be censored because of flashing lights in video games causes seizures in children. The other side argues that video games should not be censored because photosensitive epilepsy is a very rare condition among children and that patients who do have photosensitive epilepsy usually take special precautions when playing video games. In conclusion, If video games are played on the television, why aren’t movies and television shows getting as much accusations of causing seizures? There is a simply wealth of prejudice against video games. They should not be censored.

Works Cited

Anderson, Jessica. "Rick Ross Blames Lack Of Sleep For Seizures. What's The Connection?." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 2 Nov. 2011. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/02/rick-ross-blames-lack-of-sleep-for-seizures_n_1071058.html>. Testimony that sleep deprivation is a valid cause of seizures.

Chuang, Yao-Chung. "CyberPsychology & Behavior." Mary Ann Liebert. Version 9 issue 4. Mary Ann Liebert Inc. publishers, 10 Aug. 2006. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. <http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cpb.2006.9.451http://>. Supports that MMORPG’s cause seizures and should have a warning.

Erba, Giuseppe. "Shedding Light on Photosensitivity, One of Epilepsy's Most Complex Conditions." Shedding Light on Photosensitivity, One of Epilepsy's Most Complex Conditions. Epilepsy Therapy Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2013. <http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/aboutepilepsy/seizures/photosensitivity/gerba.cfm>.  Supports that video games cause seizures.

Ferrie, C. D. "Video Game Induced Seizures." JNNP. BMJ Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/57/8/925.short>. This article summarizes an experiment with patients who had seizures while playing video games.

Gaff, William D., Gian-Emilio Chatrain, Stephen T. Glass, and Thomas A. Knauss. "Video Game-Related Seizures: A Report on 10 Patients and a Review of the Literature." Video Game-Related Seizures: A Report on 10 Patients and a Review of the Literature. American Academy of Pediatrics, 19 Aug. 1993. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/93/4/551.short>. Explains the science behind Video Game Related Seizures (VGRS) and has an experiment that supports video games do not cause seizures..

Harding, G F A, and Stefano Seri. "Advice and information | Epilepsy Action." Epilepsy Action | Epilepsy information and advice. British Epilepsy Association, 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. <http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/photosensitive-epilepsyhttp://>. Explains photosensitivity and methods to treat it.

"| Nintendo - Customer Service | Health & Safety Precautions for Cartridge-Based Consoles - English | ." Country Selector at Nintendo. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2013. <http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/manuals/precautions_console_pak_english.jsp>. Used in the argument that video games come with a precaution for players with epilepsy and therefore do not need to be censored.

"Overview of Electroencephalography." Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2013. <http://epilepsy.med.nyu.edu/diagnosis-treatment/eeg/overview-electroencephalograpy>. Explains what EEG tests are and how much they cost.

Ricci, Stephano, Federico Vigevano, and Mario Manfredi. "Epilepsy Provoked by Television and

Video Games, Safety of 100-Hz Screens." Epilepsy Provoked by Television and Video Games, Safety of 100-Hz Screens. American Academy of Neurology, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. <http://www.neurology.org/content/50/3/790.shortCite a website by entering its URL or by searching for it.>. Experiment with different Hz of television screens and patients who have seizures. Explains how flickering lights causes epilepsy.

"Seizures." Epilepsy Foundation. Epilepsy Therapy Foundation, n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. <http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/aboutepilepsy/seizures/index.cfm?gclid=CKT_14r-9LUCFeZFMgodOW8Adg>. Explains the basics of epilepsy and seizures. Fundamental to background information.

Senelick, Richard. "Types of Seizures and Seizure Symptoms: Grand Mal Seizure, Myoclonic Seizure, and More - WebMD." WebMD - Better information. Better health.. WebMD, 21 May 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/types-of-seizures-their-symptoms>. Lists types of seizures and the symptoms. Use with background information.

SULLIVAN, RONALD. "Some Seizures Tied To Flashing Lights - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/12/us/some-seizures-tied-to-flashing-lights.html>. Supports that video games are not the cause of seizures and should not be censored for it.

Wheless, James. "Video Games And Epilepsy | epilepsy.com." Epilepsy and seizure information for patients and health professionals | epilepsy.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2013. <http://www.epilepsy.com/info/family_kids_video>. Says that there is not enough evidence to conclude video games cause seizures in children.