Hyperactivity And Videogames Linked

Thanks to BBC News for their article discussing claims that hyperactive children spend much longer playing computer games than healthy children. According to the UK-based research, "Children with ADHD were more likely to play games based on fighting", and "..spent 11.3 hours a week playing computer games, double the time spent by the other [non-hyperactive] group." The researcher, Dr. Justin Williams, said that the hyperactive children "...were the least socially able and the most technically able, which leads them to prefer computer games to social interaction", but didn't condemn games completely, adding: "It's important for parents to be fully engaged in what their children are getting from their media diet... there are lots of good computer games to play."

Comments

again?

[PaganRitual]

isnt this just the whole causation/correlation thing again?

Re:again?

[Anonymous Coward]

Didn't it say that the hyperactive children played video games more often, not that video games caused hyperactivity in children?

Unless you are trying to say that video games do cause hyperactivity in children. I didn't really understand the parent comment.

Re:again?

[karmavore]

Or is the reverse true. Hyperactive children grow up and create better video games.

Correlation vs. Causation?

[Nasarius]

The study doesn't seem to suggest anything about videogames causing ADHD, so I don't see what the big deal is. There's not a lot to conclude based on this study except "hyperactive kids like videogames".

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[lightspawn]

The thing is, studies which don't address correlation/causation are idiotic - they don't provide any useful information, and are just likely to be misinterpreted.

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[seinman]

There's not a lot to conclude based on this study except "hyperactive kids like videogames".

And that's somehow not important? Knowing trends of a group of people with a certain affliction can greatly help in diagnoising it. Especially something like ADHD, which is a title thrown on every kid who ever gets bored. The more things like this that we can use to discover the true problems with people, the better.

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[seinman]

...ehh, that should be "diagnosing." Damn me and my dipshit ways. Just pointing that out before the trolls do.

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[Anonymous Coward]

They can determine facts. For instance, "children with ADHD play video games more often then children who don't" may be fact. If I remember correctly, a large number of studies is needed on a subject to determine if a claim is true or false.

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[Anonvmous Coward]

"The study doesn't seem to suggest anything about videogames causing ADHD, so I don't see what the big deal is."

The big deal comes from all the Kyle's Moms out there who try to twist this information into a crusade to put games down for good. I wouldn't mind if they were saying "watch your kids", but they tend to go a lot farther than that.

I'm overly sensitive to this topic because I've watched a number of people stand against video games, and none of them have proven to me that they know what they're talking about. This particular case may not warrant that reaction, but I cannot help but think this'll be used anyway. Video games have had a very positive effect on my life, in many ways I owe my career to them. Maybe I'm unusual, but I paid careful attention to how games communicate ideas to the audience in a fun way. My studies of these practices landed me some rather important skills in the UI development and testing world.

To make a long story short, these types of articles have ramifications down the road. Parents are afraid of external influences they're not familiar with. Stuff like this can and will be taken negatively. "Uh oh, he's hyperactive, better sue Nintendo."

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[Lemmy Caution]

That's not true. Correlation is very important. For one thing, it justifies looking for causation when that's possible. In many cases when you're studying human behaviour, there are limits on just what you can do to prove causation (what, give a bunch of videogames to kids and see if you can "make" them ADHD? There was a scandalous attempt to prove the role of trauma in creating stuttering that has had reverberations in the American psychology scene ever since - human test restrictions are now quite stringent.)

Trotting out the "correlation isn't causation" mantra like it proves you're some brilliant social critic is sophomoric. The most appropriate thing to study is how videogames and ADHD interact as a *system,* not as a simple cause/effect question. And by looking at the behaviour as part of a system of adaptations, you can explain it better. You need to find the correlation first.

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[xSauronx]

11.3? pansies.

im 20, married, 2 kids...i know i play a dozen hours of games a week, and 5 years ago when i was a kid? at least 30 a week, maybe more like 40.

of course, being in a small town with pop-culture crazy kids (or rednecks, oh the agony) and a strip-mall not even deserving of the title of strip-mall, videogames, LEGO's and books (fiction, history, computers) were about all i did. oh, and school, but i didnt really do anything there so it doesnt count does it?

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[Fizzlewhiff]

I have ADD/ADHD and I cannot stand fighting games. Gimme a good RPG or a sports game (except hockey because it always ends in fisticuffs) and I'll play it 10 hours straight. But I can't sit 5 minutes with a fighting game, even if the toons have huge breasts (DOA).

I think this study is a pawn. It is intended to get parents to observe their kids playing video games and assume they have ADHD. Then the drug companies can get even more rich sedating more children.

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[DarkZero]

And that's somehow not important? Knowing trends of a group of people with a certain affliction can greatly help in diagnoising it. Especially something like ADHD, which is a title thrown on every kid who ever gets bored. The more things like this that we can use to discover the true problems with people, the better.

Do you know any young boys that don't need to be ripped away from their game consoles to do their homework? I don't. Kids like games. Make a game readily accessible right in their own homes without any need to constantly yell "Car!" and move the net/goal/plate out of the street, and they'll play it. A lot.

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[bgins]

Exactly. Who's to say that the correlation doesn't result from predisposed subjects choosing the videogames because it provides a good outlet for their natural inclinations?

It might be much more useful to know, for example, whether or not such an outlet is helpful or hurtful in their long-term cognitive development. Given that nature often takes the shortest path, I might not be surprised to find out that it somehow even helps.

Note that, personally, I rather dislike videogames.

Re:Correlation vs. Causation?

[PainKilleR-CE]

Knowing trends of a group of people with a certain affliction can greatly help in diagnoising it. Especially something like ADHD, which is a title thrown on every kid who ever gets bored

I don't think this can help at all with diagnosis, and I think that it's things like this being used for diagnosis that cause the title to be thrown at far more kids than actually have it.

Additionally, I think it's a sign that many diagnosed ADHD children may in fact simply be children that aren't being taught properly for their personal learning style. My youngest step-brother was a perfect example of that, imo, diagnosed several times with ADD (non-hyperactive), but he had absolutely no problems learning anything that he actually wanted to (he knows far more information about any gun in the world than I would expect anyone to, learned to play guitar fairly quickly, can pick up a video game that he's interested in fairly quickly, etc). He also had no problems paying attention to something once it caught his attention. His only problem was that if his attention wasn't caught by his teachers, there was a good chance he'd be completely focused on something else, and lose track of the teacher (who would then get irritated when he/she noticed). Since he was diagnosed at such an early age (before he even attended school), his behavior was most often attributed to ADD rather than anyone actually trying to teach him proper behavior (which is something that does need to be taught).

Then again, 12 hours of video games is nothing compared to the majority of my childhood (except for the periods in which I was restricted from playing for doing something wrong at school).

There sure is a lot of time being spent...

[Anonvmous Coward]

... making video games look bad. Where's the research that says "The children that displayed these negative tendancies also had parents who use a TV as a babysitter.."?

I'd really like to know who's spearheading these research studies. The popularity of video games has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, yet these negative trends that are being 'observed' haven't risen at the same rate. How come none of these eggheaded morons aren't looking at those numbers?

Re:There sure is a lot of time being spent...

[BrookHarty]

Actually violent crime is actually going down, same with the murder rate. If videos games had been the cause of an increase, some stats should be available.

A third of those with ADHD preferred fighting-type video games while 59% preferred cartoons.

Even the article states that 2/3rd of the kids with ADHD perfer cartoons. Go Ren and Stimpy!

a load of bull

[BortQ]

Man, I hate all this ADD, ADHD bullshit. Kids have always been hyper, that's just the way they like to be. It used to be that parents would stop them with a stern beating. Nowadays they use a stern dosage of ritalin or something.

Me and my siblings were always causing trouble and stuff, but we weren't medicated as a result, our parents encouraged the better sides of hyperactivity (sports, creative thinking) and we all turned out just fine.

Re:a load of bull

[millia]

okay, i don't have time to dismiss this completely, but let's address this:

1) stern beatings. yes, that works well when your mind can't concentrate. beatings work real well at fixing those chemical imbalances. i don't rule out corporal punishment- but it's not going to stop a kid from fidgeting.

2) add/adhd bullshit. while there is a larger prevalence today- just like there's more autism- it's always been here. mom can remember kids who were smart and talented- but just not good at that sitting in a desk thing. one of those kids in her class- in a farming community- went on to be a cowboy. some of those kids learned they could selfmedicate through caffeine.

the key thing that might be different today is the amount of time that gets invested in children by parents. a prescription of ritalin does not cure the problem- it just makes it possible to fix it, through behavior modification, practice, discipline, and patience. and that means both parents, and the teachers. it takes work, unfortunately. there is no quick fix.

Re:a load of bull

[shaka999]

While I certainly don't agree with the original poster I do think there is some BS these days.

What people call "chemical imbalances" today used to be called personality. Nowdays if your depressed or overly happy its time to pull out the medication because you have a "chemical imbalance."

If someone is trying to jump off a building because they think they can fly I'll agree there is a problem but if someone is just a tad different let them be.

Re:a load of bull

[macrom]

IANAP, but I've read a ton of material on ADHD in addition to long discussions with my mother (who is a first grade teacher). The problem we have with the ADHD stigma (that bleeds to my problem with articles like this) is that the true ADHD kid can't sit still for ANYTHING and can't concentrate on ANYTHING to save his /her life. If your kid can't sit still in school but can come home and play Pokemon on his GBA for 4 hours, your kid isn't hyperactive.

What's even worse in schools (at least in the US) is that gifted kids usually get sent to the doctor for Ritalin before they get sent to a classroom that can provide the level of stimulus their little brains need. My mom often has to caution parents that the intelligent child is not content with normal learning patterns and their behavior can often be mistaken for hyperactivity.

Re:a load of bull

[millia]

ADD, like anything else, is a continuum. there are worse cases, there are milder cases. some kids can't sit still, some can't focus but can sit still, etc.
some of this borders on asperger's, too.
i was add from early on- diagnosed at 3, after being thought of as autistic. i fidgeted a bit, but mostly just couldn't keep up concentration on a subject- unless it was something i was trying to figure out. once i was shown, and helped, and learned how to do something, the concentration issue went away. my whole life has been trying something, not doing it well, then internalizing that for the next go-round, when i could do it well.
as i said in another post, computers were a godsend. here was something that could give me constant feedback, and yet was also like a puzzle.
but the thing that really helped me more than anything was patient teachers- except for my 3rd grade one, who didn't like it when i corrected her spelling- and patient parents.
yelling and beatings won't cure ADD.

Re:a load of bull

[Anonymous Coward]

If it comes from anywhere other than the brain, you don't have a problem calling it a disease, do you?

Would you tell a diabetic that their 'chemical imbalance' was just a part of their personality, and to live with it?

The stigma of mental disease has prevented these problems from being diagnosed, let alone corrected, for far too long.

Can you except that the brain can have problems, just like any other part of your body? And that those problems can have a definite effect on their lives?

This 'it's not a disease, it's part of your personality' bullshit demonstrates that not only do you have no idea how your body works, you also have no capacity to think scientifically. Why don't you whine about 'dumbasses suing McDonald's' and 'the damn liberal media' and go for the idiot triple crown?

Re:a load of bull

[wgnorm]

YOU turned out just fine. Good for you. You were hyperactive, not ADD/ADHD. Something that you and others seem unable or unwilling to understand is that there is a difference between ADHD and simply hyperactive kids. Sure, most kids are hyper, and it is a part of growing up. Most do not have ADHD. ADHD is the extreme end of the spectrum, when the child has no control over their attention span, no understanding of time or consequence of action, and an inability to learn it. ADHD is what you find when the even the most stringent discipline fails, and the best parenting has no affect.

Yes, I have ADD. I am a 26-year-old professional. Yes, it is a serious condition that affects every aspect of my life and makes every situation a challenge. Medication is one part of the solution for it, without which my life would be a complete mess. And it does not stifle my creativity, but instead allows me to embrace it, and focus it into meaningful results.

What is it about this condition that people are so angry about it? The lack of information about it and the skepticism around it is understandable, but some people like yourself get downright furious when the subject comes up. This kind of attitude is what makes this condition even harder to deal with. It's why I can't tell my boss why I'm late to work every day, because I'm worried he'll have the same reaction.

Re:a load of bull

[BortQ]

What is it about this condition that people are so angry about it?

We're angry about the fact that a possibly real condition has been expanded to 'explain' the behavior of perfectly normal kids. Medication is the proper response to some things, but way to many kids are being given ritalin when a lot of them don't need it.

Re:a load of bull

[wgnorm]

In that case I completely agree with you. That's misdiagnosis, it's a big problem, and it affects not only the kids themselves, but indirectly everyone who has the real condition and actually needs treatment (and no, a "stern beating" is never a good treatment, whatever the cause of the behavior). It reflects and bolsters a lack of understanding of the affliction. But comments like this on Slashdot, which are frequently moderated up, also add to this stigma surrounding it.

But even with a proper diagnosis, medication is one form of treatment, and should never be the first.

It just amazes me how many people get set off about a condition that they really know nothing about. Well, then again - this IS Slashdot.

If people who feel passionately about it would take the time to research it and then confront the issue, they might understand the problem, instead of just labelling it "Bullshit."

Re:a load of bull

[wgnorm]

The problem we have with the ADHD stigma (that bleeds to my problem with articles like this) is that the true ADHD kid can't sit still for ANYTHING and can't concentrate on ANYTHING to save his /her life. If your kid can't sit still in school but can come home and play Pokemon on his GBA for 4 hours, your kid isn't hyperactive.

I think you need to try talking to someone with the condition, cause you've really touched on a common misperception about ADD/ADHD here. ADHD does not mean that you have no attention span whatsoever, it means that you have no control over your attention span. The true ADHD kid's attention will constantly fixate on some sort of satisfying stimulus, whether it's TV, a butterfly, a daydream, or a video game.

Once fixated on something that really stimulates their mind, you'll have a hard time getting them to break their fixation. Video games provide a perfect, constant stimulus that really satisfies this urge. Try telling someone with true ADHD to focus on a task for any period of time, and they will not be able to do it, unless it meets the need for stimulus.

It is commonly pointed out that Attention Deficit Disorder is really mis-named. A better name might be Attention-Control Deficit Disorder, because it actually affects the person's ability to modulate their own attention span or control their focus.

Re:a load of bull

[millia]

but labeling stuff as 'bullshit' is part of the same easy-answer philosophy that figures drugs alone will solve problem.

laziness is easy. work is hard.

Re:a load of bull

[shaka999]

What a load of crap!

Yes, the brain can definately have problems but I hope you'll agree the brain is in a different class than the liver.

Where does the medicating stop? If someone if smarter then everyone else then do you medicate them to bring them down to the average? If someone is a generally happy person do you medicate to bring them down? Yes, the brain is just a chemical machine but it is also who we are. If you argue that one side needs to be medicated to equilize them then the opposite is probably also true. This seems a little to Ayn Rand...

Re:Wait one fucking minute ...

[Anonymous Coward]

You don't have ADHD, but you may have dyslexia.

The article (and write up) state that (paraphrasing) "children with ADHD play video games more often than children who don't have ADHD", not "video games cause ADHD in children."

And we always forget

[M3wThr33]

How often do we just diagnose every little boy with ADD or ADHD? Honestly, how many boys ages 4-10 have you EVER KNOWN TO BEHAVE? It's not the majority, so surely that means it's the GOOD kids who have problems. /me plays the frasier video game!

Re:And we always forget

[El]

Exactly. In some localities, 20% of the kids are diagnosed with ADHD and put on drugs... I don't know about you, but if 1/5 of your population exhibits a trait, shouldn't you start wondering if maybe that trait is normal and not a disorder? Remember that until just a few years ago, homosexuality was considered a psychiatric disorder too...

Re:And we always forget

[M3wThr33]

My mother says I have ADD. I probably do, but she still doesn't trust the effects of Ritalin. I turned out just fine.

You know the funny thing? Growing up, I had some problems. The doctor recommended that my parents buy me an NES to improve my hand-eye coordination. Well, it helped. ;)

Re:And we always forget

[PainKilleR-CE]

My step-brother was diagnosed at an early age as having ADD, and was eventually put on Ritalin, and then on Dextroamphetamines. Eventually he encouraged his mom to refuse the drugs, and pulled him out of public school to put him in a private school that used smaller class sizes and more customized curriculums.

In that environment he basically got well ahead of his grade level and was able to stop the very long (~6-8 hours) marathon homework sessions that he and his mom would have every nite. He went back to public school for 7th and 8th grade and didn't do quite as well, but still did much better than he had been doing previously in public school. Once he got to high school (where he and his mother could choose the classes that were right for him) he did significantly better. All of his academic improvement was without the drugs, but the teachers and administration of the public grade school always wanted him on the drugs, even though the drugs didn't help him at all with his work (apparently they made him quiet for long stretches of time and he asked fewer questions).

Fat people eat a lot of food

[n1ywb]

Hyper kids play a lot of video games. You can't really blame the video games, any more than you could blame the food. The food doesn't cause obesity, the overreating does. Video games don't cause ADD but playing them too damn much could very well contribute to it. Then again maybe video games don't contribute at all to ADD, maybe ADD makes you play video games. it's nice that they've found a link but they've failed to establish cause and effect.

Re:Fat people eat a lot of food

[Anonymous Coward]

you could blame the food

Well, a proponent of the Atkins diet might disagree with you (the theory that eating sugar and carbohydrates cause the body to think it's still hungry). Of course, it's ultimately the choice of the person to eat the food.

It's all bull anyway

[El]

The amazing thing is that what were once considered normal variation in humans are now considered disorders. Does being classified as having ADHD make the kids _better_ at the games? Then maybe it is a beneficial mutation. Were the effects of medication factored out? Obviously none of the kids without ADHD were on medication, so differences in the the ADHD group may be attributable to their medication, not their ADHD.

Re:It's all bull anyway

[pmz]

The amazing thing is that what were once considered normal variation in humans are now considered disorders.

I wonder how many people who make a big deal about racial diversity and inclusion fall for the ADHD scam forcing their children into a corner of society to be labeled with a disorder for their whole childhood.

One step forward, one step back.

Re:It's all bull anyway

[ductonius]

Not really. ADHD is caused by the brains inability to distinguish between stimuli it should ignore, and stimuli it should pay attention to. The brain sees any stimulus thats stands out from the background in any minor way and instantly says "pay attention to that!!!!" whether it be a lightbulb, a crack in the floor, a piece of paper, the pinging sound that comes up the heat registers after the furnace has stopped etc, etc, etc.

The reason why ADHD kids play more, and like videogames is because they are a HUGE stimulus. So big that they block out everything else in the room and lo-and-behold, they can concentrait on them, which feels good.

Imagine if you were forced to wear a heatset that randomly played static into your ears. Thats how ADHD kids live. Now imagine if when you played videogames, you could muster up enough concentration to ignore that static. You can bet that you'd like videogames too.

As for the medication causing the increase in videogame palying as opposed to the disorder. I would say that it could be partially correct, but you seem to be ignoring the fact that ADHD could play a role. If there are two groups, A and B. and two differences between two groups, X and Y. You cannot simply dismiss one. Your right in saying the difference could be the medication, but the disorder is also a perfectly valid explanation for the results.

Re:It's all bull anyway

[CentrX]

So the kid doesn't find the teacher and the remedial material they teach in public schools to be more interesting than the actual world around them? Let's give him amphetamines!

Re:It's all bull anyway

[ductonius]

Its got nothing to do with "this stimulus is more interesting than that one", the problem is with ADHD kids is that they cant properly distinguish between stimuli that are genuinly interesting - the ones they want to concentrait on - and all other stimuli in the envrionment - the ones they dont want to concentrait on.

It just so happens that videogames are such a huge stimulus that they can block out every other stimulus in the envrionment.

Its a brain dysfunction and has nothing to do with the childs like or dislike for the classroom material.

If you're trying to say that ADHD meds are overprescribed, yes, they probably are, but for those who have ADHD, they are vital.

Re:It's all bull anyway

[El]

Again, why is the inability to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all others a disability? In nature, animals that focus exclusively on what's in front of them and ignore the predators creeping up behind them are known as "dinner". If you ask me, the ability to pay attention to a bad teacher and parrot back everything they say should be considered a disability... we live in an age where even Einstein would have be forcibly medicated because he didn't fit in with the "norm"!!! Doesn't this scare anybody?

Contradictions, contradictions

[Kirsha]

First they say playing videogames makes you lazy and passive, now they make you hyperactive? Can they ever make up their minds?! =)

yes, and your point?

[millia]

okay, i'm a.d.d.- and that's one of the reasons i like working with computers. computers give feedback, constantly. they don't get bored- but neither are they capricious. (well, that's a simplification, to be sure, but...)
and video games are the same thing- although, they can be even more addictive.
now, i am not universally sucked in- nowadays, i have to work hard to keep interest up through boring patches, like with KOTOR. but, i grew up with the atari system, when games were much simpler.
i submit to you that today's kids don't necessarily see new games as any more complicated than i saw my atari.

point is, ANY device that could give feedback, puzzles, and challenges, to add kids, will naturally suck them in.

unfortunately, as somebody pointed out simply above, cause and effect are to be called into question. this also won't help the gamer's situations, when confronted by the same people who are overdiagnosing add.

ah well. it's a constant battle, fighting stupidity...

rtfa

[trans_err]

nowhere does this article imply that videogames gives said kid ADHD, but rather kids with ADHD tend to play more video games.

This fundemntal difference makes this argument fundementally different, and far less deletrious than many of you who havn't rtfa have supposed.

In other news...

[El]

tall, athletic kids were found to be more likely to play basketball, and unpopular kids were found to be more likely to spend friday nights at home watching TV rather than out on dates...

Well, duh!!!

[El]

The only conclusion that you can reach from this study is that kids spend more time doing what they are naturally good at then what they are bad at... seems like it wouldn't take a sociologist to tell you that!

Its the generation

[mnmn]

More scientists that are involved with psychology theories in video game playing are coming from a childhood of game playing. Older generations who have seen their kids rot in front of the consoles they gave to them on some Christmas have much more hatred of gaming than the ones who received those consoles on Christmas.

So from proponents of banning violent games and limiting playing time for kids to proponents shouldn't take much time. So we'll finally start seeing papers on how good gaming really is for the mind and body. And how parents should maximize gaming exposure to reduce the risk of certain diseases and disabilities.

Skinny people eat more

[bluGill]

Fat people don't nessicarly overeat. I personally eat more in any given day than just about everyone, yet my mass is well under control. It isn't even exercise (that helps). My body uses more energy. Thyroid problems do run in the family, and I'm a borderline case. My aunt went from 98lbs to 96lbs in one month eating 5000 calories a day. (Soon after doctors removed her thyroid, it was causing serious problems)

Tarditionally the biggest eaters are teenage boys, who due to their growth can eat a lot more than a normal person without seeing weight gain. Even in latter years, skinny people tend to out eat fat people (after you remove the fat people who through diet reduced their weight). Fat people are more aware of what they eat, and tend to be careful, skinny people don't have a problem so they ignore diet.

Remember all generalizations are false taken to the extreem. I'm not a medical doctor.

Re:Skinny people eat more

[n1ywb]

The two fattest people I've ever known are also the two most gluttonous eaters I've ever known. They'd pile more cafeteria shitfood onto their trays then anybody I've ever seen. The fatter you are the higher your base metabolic rate and the more you need to eat to sustain your girth. Not every fatty in the country can blame their problems on thyroids.

Contridiction alert!

[Anonymous Coward]

Wasn't there a /. topic a while back about some scientist using video games to help them try to focus on a task longer? And now they are saying games contribute to ADD. Doesn't anyone compare anymore?

The case for causation

[andy_fish]

Okay, I am a guy that played a ridiculous amount of games as a kid (Mega Man 2 was the best ever), who was diagnosed with ADD in high school, and who subsequently took prescriptions for it. Anyway, based on my experiences with the phenomenon of ADD, I would actually support the case that video games cause ADD. Consider that human beings enjoy visual stimuli. We get a small amount of pleasure from seeing new things. And consider that video games provide a ridiculous amount of stimuli. There's all kinds of flashy lights, explosions, animations, stuff moving around, sound effects, fast-paced music, etc. So, a kid who is exposed to the flashy lights for a long time is going to gain a very high tolerance for stimuli. And, just like a drug addict, the kid gets dependant on a high level of stimuli. If the kid is put in a situation with very little stimuli (like, oh I dunno, a classroom?), he will get very uncomfortable, and will probably seek out more stimuli. One good way is daydreaming. Another way is running around and causing trouble. You can list all the other symptoms of ADD/ADHD here. Anyway, now that I've made my case, I don't think that ADD should be called a "disorder" any more than being spoiled is a disorder. And video games certainly are not the only ones to blame for stimulus overload. Have you guys seen the Disney channel recently? Watching that channel makes my eyes hurt, it's so bad. But neither the games nor the TV should get the blame. The blame should go to parents for letting their kids be exposed to this junk. Eye candy should be limited just like regular candy is.

Re:The case for causation

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a very high tolerance for carriage returns.
And, just like a drug addict, I am dependant on a high level of carriage returns.
If I am put in a situation with very few carriage returns (like, oh I dunno, your post?),
I will get very uncomfortable,
and will probably seek out more carriage returns.
One good way is daydreaming.
Another way is posting around and causing trouble.

Re:The case for causation

[millia]

while that is possible, it's not a guarantee. there's a lot of us who grew up before video games who have it.
and before you ask, i did watch tv, but not much. mom limited me to mr. rogers, pretty much. most of my stimuli came from playing with friends, and reading. we got our first game system when i was in the 7th grade- and pong wasn't exactly huge in the stimulation field...

life in general does give more stimuli today, that's for sure. but life today also means ingesting god knows how many chemicals that didn't exist 150 years ago, too.

there are undoubtedly many factors at work here- but the brains of add people DO work differently.

Re:Wait one fucking minute ...

[Guppy06]

"Who the fuck are these doctors, and how the hell do they figure that kids with ADHD are getting it because they play too many videogames?"

Lady and gentlemen, I believe we have this week's RTFA Poster Child!

Kids Are Lazy

[Hacksworth]

Only 11.3 hours a week? Man, kids have gotten so lazy these days. On a good weekend, I used to be able to get in 20+ hours of gameplay, and then there was the rest of the week.

Re:Kids Are Lazy

[Anonymous Coward]

yer damn strait! i logged 11hrs+ on a weekday with zelda OoT damn it! whats getting into them! they should be getting blisters on their thumbs! and glued to the screen atleast 40hrs a week! *wonders off muttering*

Does ADHD make you program poorly?

[La Temperanza]

I've never been diagnosed with ADHD, but strongly suspect I have some degree of it. Every time I have tried to learn a programming language more complicated then good old Microsoft QuickBasic, I lose my motivation while getting to grasp the basics- usually about the time when the book instructs you to write an ultra-simplified record keeping suite.

Seeing this article makes me wonder if my experiences with programming are another indicator of ADHD.

Re:Does ADHD make you program poorly?

[Anonymous Coward]

I suffer like you do.

I have an attraction to video games. I have a hard time keeping focused at work. I used to always put off classwork to the last moment. I always start a project, but as soon as I think I'm not seeing results, I $#!+can it.

I tried an instrument, wasn't good at it quick enough, I quit. I try to take up some exercise like using the treadmill, I get one problem with the arch in my foot and quit.

But I won't take drugs of any kind to stop it. I took paxil for 8 months to alleviate what my doctor called 'depression' (he may have been right), but all it did was leave me even more f'd up than I was to start. I have an even harder time maintaining focus since I quit. When I was on it, the mood swings were immense and violent in some cases and there were some other side effects. In the end it cost me a quality relationship too.

My best advice would be to drudge through it without medication and just accept the fact that it's going to be tough for you to maintain focus. Find something that will draw your focus. Interestingly I think this is why many programmers have the need to program with music or something going on in the background, which is what I do. Even in a stuffy work environment, my boss lets me listen to music with headphones on as long as I get the work done.
Good luck.

Not totally

[AvantLegion]

It's not you and your siblings that were the AD(H)D kids.

It's that moron in class that always ran around doing stupid stuff, even when the "normal hyper" kids would back off.

He's the one working down at the 7-11 around the corner. You know, the one that has a Coke machine that never seems to have the ice dispenser filled...

I can see why

[nobodyman]

Though I've never been formally diagnosed, I've taken a few of the ADD tests and scored well into the "You need serious help" rank. Also, I've been an avid gamer since I was 6.

Still, I don't think that games caused, or even aggrevated, any sort of hyperactive condition. I simply think that it was one of the few things that was able to hold my attention span.

Video games are typically fast paced and quite stimulating (even the slowest-paced RPG is still more stimulating that your average book). Secondly, games provide stimulation in three areas: aural, visual, and tactile (your hands are busily manipulating a control pad or a keyboard)... all simultaneously.

Rather than condemn games, I think that psychologists and educators should integrate the knowledge gained from this research to effectively use this medium. If an ADHD kid can spend hours in front of a game... why not try to make educational content that contains the same levels of stimulation?

Games + ADD.

[Kontrol]

I have both ADD and Dyslexia. as far as I can remember.(age:28) I've had zero problems playing video games. because it keeps my mind active on something. Reading is a different story it's slower and I lose contact very quickly. Mind wonders offen etc. ADHD isnt as bad as everything thinks it is, it's very bad at a young age because you havent learned how to control it-it as well yet. I have to agree with the doctors that we(people with add) like to keep our mind moving with video games, and keeps us active atleast doing something other than wasting away on tv. -KF

Re:Games + ADD.

[neostorm]

I have had this theory for a long time that I'm just waiting for doctors to confirm via research. I feel that video games allow a person with one of the aformentioned disabilities to focus tame their issue for a period of time. The interactive aspect of games requires all levels of a persons concentration and attention, from hearing to visual to motor skills. Through this people who have a hard time keeping their mind from wandering generally find it they can hold their attention on the screen with a controller in their hand.

However, it's also a well known fact that the overabundance of a particular element breeds dependancy, either from drug use or other such input. I think it could very well be the same from the video game perspective, and while games help people with ADD/ADHD/what-have-you, they can also demand so much from a person that they may not be able to function as efficiently in environments that don't require constant mental observation (like real life for example).

Just food for though.

Re:Games + ADD.

[Anonymous Coward]

Holy crap that's poor spelling and grammar... I just became a living example for poor use of the Preivew button.

Re:Games + ADD.

[Kontrol]

Well, it just shows you how badly fucked up my schools taught me, and the sad thing is graduated from high school! It would take me hours just looking up how to spell words and not to leave run in senesces. And I couldnt get disablity from the state, so lame. anyways. :(

Re:Games + ADD.

[mabhatter654]

Of course, it's not a problem when bosses expect programmers to work on a problem for 12-16 hours straight a day until it's fixed....That's not normal either! Many tech positions are incapable of being performed by "normal" people. But in the past, I think there was more focus on personal control [hyper-strict schools & public perception of kids] and that is particularly noticable for kids with ADD. They still need to learn that their actions need to be in line evein if their attention isn't. "Modern" classrooms only make the problems worse by trying to cram too many different activities in to a day in 30 minute increments--that means when the ADD kids do pay attention the activity is over when their attenting is peaking causing attitude problems when they are forced to change tasks. And, at the same time starting earlier, leangthing the school day, AND reducing recess time as well.

ADD is an evolutionary glitch..many famous people like Edison suffered from symptoms that are clearly ADD. But of course, there are other similar things in society...compusive lying comes to mind...many of our leaders have that problem and the public accepts it because they are likable.

Re:Games + ADD.

[wgnorm]

Your observation's pretty accurate, but I'd disagree on the last part. People with these conditions are generally not able to function well in real life anyway. Video games are an escape, but for people with real ADHD issues, they can't really make it much worse.

Re:Games + ADD.

[Anonymous Coward]

This is true, but what about people who may have a tendancy for one of these conditions and encourage its growth due to playing games.

Video games and attention span

[schnits0r]

I play video games all the time and I don't have a short attention spa

Total BS

[Sarflin]

I am hyperactive, yes I am a computer programer. But I was hyperactive way before videogames existed, lets see the Apple II was launched when I went into grade 7, and if you remeber it was a while before video games came out for it. What I did was Read a pocket book a day, so by the logic applied here there is a link between reading books and hyperactivity. What hyperactivity is is excatly what the word means. we are hyper aware of our suroundings. Little things that most people ignore around them, the sound of the air conditioning for instance, we constantly notice. It is like we are unable to tune things out that most people can. Try this, close your eyes and listen to all the sounds around you, even the little ones that you are oblivious to most of the time. We here these sounds all the time and are aware of them, most people only notice then when they change. I read books and play games now as a means to provide the sensory input that my mind demands. If I try and sit there and do nothing my mind starts pondering everything, intresting problems at work, what the weather is doing, and also to some extent I tend to worry about things that are not importand. And you can't shut it off, so by providing other input I can distract my self and achive some sense of peace.

Re:Total BS

[ChaoticLimbs]

I'm 30, and I thought when I was a kid that ADD was a childhood thing. It becomes more manageable with maturity but it never goes away. I don't think it is a disease, though. I think it's a symptom of a mind that can process information quickly. Normal people seem strangely apathetic to me. Sometimes I think the 20 percent of people whose eyes are overrelaxed and whose mouths are open to breathe are the diseased ones. Maybe I am a bigot or an elitist. Who gives a shit? At least I can breathe through my nose.

Bias in science

[pmz]

hyperactive children spend much longer playing computer games than healthy children

Using the word "unhealthy" (implied) for a behavioral difference is not warranted, here.

Or, is ADHD a disease that really needs the social baggage of other diseases, such as syphillis?

"My little Johnny is special and he needs his special pills to make him normal, says Mommy. "I need to be treated specially and differently from the other normal kids, especially during my formative years where my personality is still taking shape. I want to grow up knowing that medication will solve my problems for me," says little Johhny.

Yuck.

The answer is simple

[Torgo's Pizza]

The reason that ADD kids (I'm one of the adults with it) spent so much time with games or television is that we hyperfocus. Not being able to hold one's attention for a period of time is only one part of ADD. The other is that sometimes once we do focus our attention on something, we tend to hyperfocus on that one thing. And only on that one thing.

For me, it's games and reading. For instance, if I'm reading the newspaper, my wife has to call my time several times before she can get my attention. It's like she's not even there for me. My attention is only on the words on the page. She's learned to poke me to jar my attention to her.

Games are similar. I literally lose track of time when I'm playing a game. I think I've only played an hour when it's really been three or four. Since I save my playing for nighttime when there's fewer distractions, this often occurs. It helps my gameplaying, but I'm tired the next day.

It's not that games, reading or television is addicting to kids with ADD or ADHD, it's just that once something has our attention, whatever it might be, it's really really hard to get us to do something else.

Re:The answer is simple

[wgnorm]

Exactly. I have it and I'm the exact same way. When I'm into a game, the rest of the world doesn't exist. When I finally shut down the game and come to bed my wife will bring up a conversation we had while I was playing, and I'll have no idea what she's talking about.

But like you said, it's not just a video game issue. The same thing happens whether I'm reading, watching TV, driving or staring out the floor.

Re:The answer is simple

[Torgo's Pizza]

Driving is the only thing that really scares me. I'll be driving home from work and then all of a sudden I'll look around me and think, "Wait, how did I get here?" I'll think back and I can't remember going through the last three stoplights. It's like I'm on autopilot while I'm thinking about whatever I'm thinking about. The rest of the time, I use it to my advantage. If I'm working on a computer problem, I get so focused on it I don't stop for anything. I might miss a meal or two (yes, I will forget to eat) but I get the problem done.

Careful Reading!

[GamerBub]

Ok, has anyone read the article? It says kids with AHDH play more games, fighting games, than other kids. But it actually says AHDH kids prefer watching cartoons to playing video games. Then it notes that anti-social kids prefer video games to social activities. And then it says video games aren't the cause of these things. Here's a fresh and in-depth analysis: http://www.gamerdad.com/modules.php?op=modload&nam e=News&file=article&sid=157&mode=thread&order=0&th old=0

Nope, still BS..

[msimm]

ADD/ADHD has become a blanket diagnosis. You'll see all manner of children pegged, some of which have serious disabilities and some of which just don't fit comfortably into the system. We are quick to designate names to disorders, but pretty unreliable at diagnosing the many gradations and complexities of these things.

What's wrong with video games vs. socializing?

[jonathan_the_ninja]

I just hate it when people say I don't get enough socialization!(See, I'm home-schooled, and only 15) Well, anyway, I don't see anything in socializing with a bunch of people who are a good deal below my intellect. (girls, in general) I would much rather sit down to a nice game of NetHack, and socialize with an oracle, who actually knows stuff that I don't. I love NetHack.

A few points..

[JavaLord]

My first point is this, did they look into the fact that if a kid has ADHD or whatever that his parents might be sypathetic and let him play more games? IE: Typical Soccer mom: "Jonny was playing games for 2 hours again today, poor little guy he doesn't need me nagging him to do homework on top of it...He will just hate me...better take a prozac". vs and old school mom "Better get Johnny off the games and doing his homework since he has ADHD he will need extra time studying with my help

Secondly, Why is it abnormal for a kid to play Video games 11 hours a week on average? That is less than an hour and a half a day. If a child with ADHD played chess for an hour and a half a day, would people write negative articles about that? How about if they were more likely to play football than their peers?

Video games can have a positive impact on childrens lives, teaching them problem solving, map reading skills, sparking an intrest in technology, allowing competition for children who might not be as physically gifted as others, etc. I'd really like to see a study done twards why there are such negative stereotypes about games and gamers.

a/s/l

[Anonymous Coward]

sorry this article was to (sic) long and had to (sic) many words