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

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?

[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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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...

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!

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.

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