Japanese Researcher Finds Gaming Stunts Brain

Bill Gates writes: "This story at the Guardian describes research done in Japan showing that playing video games in youth prevents development of the front lobe, leading to violent behavior." Turns out what at first appears to be arbitrary, mind-numbing violence may turn out to be just that. It seems this study might have returned different results, though, if it looked at the effects of video games which require lots of calculation instead.

Comments

Re:Impossible

[reverius]

Actually...

Many modern psychiatric theorists explain the chemical-physical relationship as two sided.

It is commonly accepted that changing the chemicals of the brain (through medication or drugs of some kind) correlates directly to behavioral changes.

However, some theorize that it works both ways; you can also change your brain chemistry through repetetive behavioral changes.

So yes... a repeated, habitual (addictive?) activity can probably change the chemistry of your brain, to some extent.

Or at least it's possible. :)

flawed logic here

[neoshmeng]

I've been playing video games since age 11 and I have no urge to be violent against other people because of that

Much of the development that occurs in children occurs BEFORE age 11. Some child psychologists believe that things like the personality are basically set whenyou are 8 years old or so. Most of us who say, "Playing games didn't hurt ME any!" can't really say that, because we didn't play games when we were really young.

I don't know whether or not violent games make children more aggressive, but it cannot be said that the games have NO effect, because everything we do affects us in some way right?

Anyhoo, the take home message is probly that too much gaming is not as productive as doing something else. Duh!

Sueprficial article

[Ektanoor]

Which games prevent development? All video games? Impossible. There are no clear references to the type of game these kids played.

Computer game stimulates only vision and movement... That depends on the type of game and its goals. Even super-violent Quake3, in its team variants, demands a very high level of coordination and calculation. Well, if you don't come just shooting right and left. However, one should note that there are really dumb games around with a very "mechanical" nature.

The world doesn't stop just on one Nintendo game.

I have seen the behaviour patterns of hundreds of Doom/Quake gamers from 12 to 40 years. The best way to drop stress is to have a kick'ass round at the end of the day. You get home like an angel...
What are the real pattern behaviours of people before/after they played this Nintendo game? What social reactions happen? Is there a control group who didn't play this game at all? Or played other similar/different game? What if I restrict the playing of this game for some N period of time, how behaviour changes?

So it's math that causes violence

[sprior]

The article said that the researcher DID NOT see
the parts of the brain associated with emotion stimulated while playing violent video games as he expected, but DID see those areas of the brain active when the student was doing math. Sounds obvious to me - doing math causes more violent emotions than playing violent video games ever could. I think the conclusions are pretty obvious that we should stop teaching math at once!

Oh Good

[kirwin]

At first, I read this and thought...

That is why I lack any serious intelligence... my career is a sham... my ego has been deflated... I'm ruined.

All because I played nintendo like it was a religion when I was younger.

Then I realized I played RPG's and all the other interesting games too.

*bliss*

I'm saved... a few indiscriminate gaming choices when younger have saved me.

Or not?

I have a feeling this case studies the extreme and not the norm. (as with most things). In any event, we know that too much of anything isn't a good thing. We have been preaching this since times begining.

Big surprise.. not.

[mwillems]

"To the surprise of brain-mapping expert Professor Ryuta Kawashima and his team at Tohoku University in Japan, it was found that the computer game only stimulated activity in the parts of the brain associated with vision and movement."

Not surprising, on three counts!

First, obviously 'shoot em up'-games improve hand-eye coordination. ("Improve hand-eye coordination: that sounds better already, no?)

Leading me to point two: Japanese society generally disapproves of individualist pursuits such as gameplaying. The Japenese scientific establishment may well have the same biases. This conclusion will be popular. Back to 18-hour a day schooling, kids.

Third, The Guardian is a left-wing paper with a fairly strong anti-technology bias. So the fact it is reported here is suspicious too.

What I am trying to say is: interpret your news critically. This does not mean the article is untrue; it just means some extra work is needed before we all throw out our kids' Gameboys.

Michael

PS my two boys are playing a game as we speak. I have the impression it's a worthwhile pursuit. They are leadning to talk together, plan a course of action, and they are learning to use PCs. Oh and hand-eye coordination.