I spent the first half of my college years addicted to world domination, electronic style. Civilization III was my unhealthy and all-consuming passion.
In my third year of study, I took the only sure way to quit–I gave up video games for life–and soon substituted development economics. (Now that I think of it, a pastime not so different from world domination.)
Michael Clemens alerts me to what my electronic megalomania may have cost me (and my college roommates).
From a randomized college roommate study:
“…being assigned a roommate with a video game is estimated to have the same effect on first semester grade point average as [roughly a one standard deviation] decrease in ACT scores…”
That’s from Ralph and Todd Stinebrickner’s The Causal Effect of Studying on Academic Performance
I would like to think there’s a qualitative difference between games of strategy (read: crafty world domination), Super Mario, and shoot ’em up games. What’s the marginal impact of the introduction of Grand Theft Auto into your dorm room?
9 Responses
I tried to give up computer games before starting my Masters in Development Economics at Oxford University. My first term I stuck to it for a few months until I finally rewarded myself with a few hours a week due to my diligent studying.
After our first practice exam, which I completely destroyed, I sunk right back into that world again. I still walked away with a degree and a distinction. Although this was well before I discovered Civilization
IV
After a two year break in Malawi (from school, not from computer games) I’m returning to Oxford to do a little more coursework and start a PhD. I wonder how things will go this time, especially as I haven’t tried Civ 4 online yet……
I wonder what the effect is of reading blogs.
i started playing a internet game called conquiztador. similar to risk but you answer history questions to gain territories. so it’s educational and you get to play somewhat of a strategy game.
Hmmm. You may be right. The Civ III graphics look way fancier than what I remember. It must be Civ II I played. Now I am getting old.
Your post doesn’t add up. Civ III was out in 2001. So aren’t you a bit too old to have played it in your undergraduate years?
GTA4 has been helpful in calming me down these days. Distraction can be important when the world is getting too busy. Its also nice to get the violence out in a positive manner…
Chris, you said, “I would like to think there’s a qualitative difference between games of strategy (read: crafty world domination), Super Mario, and shoot ’em up games. What’s the marginal impact of the introduction of Grand Theft Auto into your dorm room?”
I’ve printed out the paper, so maybe they answer it in the paper, but maybe the reason for the reduction in grades is not because video game playing does something to one’s brain, so much as it represents an opportunity cost to one’s time. The hours spent playing any video game are necessarily hours that would’ve been spent studying, so it doesn’t matter (possibly) whether it was spent on Civ3 or GTA4, just that it was not spent studying.
I find equal solace and fear from this post. One, that redemption is possible for those plagued by the so called “strategy” games of today. My position as the great commander of digital warrior units has done little to bolster my resume.
Equally annoying is how I attempt to rationalize. I, like Andrew, have argued with my self, deciding that I derive more utility from playing a video game – as opposed to the returns of studying for a financial certification exam. And when worst comes to worst, I think of all my past time “wasted” as “sunk costs.” And since the utility I gain from another hour of playing is still higher than anything else, I play another round.
Seeing your post makes me fear less. That indeed, there is a point of diminishing returns.
Until then, I have to worry more about the latter of your post. I’m in a suite of four roommates who are addicted to army shooting games.
I don’t have your willpower – or perhaps just derive greater utility from video games, but I’m currently spending my summer gaming ten hours a day in the hope I’ll be well and truly sick of them by the time by PhD classes start in August.
Though I like to (delusionally) think intra-department games of Civ IV might have helped my letters of recommendation.