Fear of (Serious) Digital Games and Game-Based Learning?: Causes, Consequences and a Possible Countermeasure

Digital games and their power as a tool for acquiring knowledge, training skills and changing behavior are – for some laymen – associated with rather negative concepts, and are thought to pose a general health risk. This paper shortly reviews and evaluates the scientific evidence for both positive and negative outcomes. It describes how particularly the negative effects are portrayed by the mass media and perceived by the general public and educators (especially in Germany). The conclusion is that negative effects such as addiction or personality changes towards aggression have been exaggerated in size, and that the positive effects and outcomes like their use as educational tools are at risk of being widely ignored. Additionally, the paper reports upon observations in a university lecture on the effects of violent digital games in which students could engage in a positive, healthy and enjoyable experience of learning with digital games.