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Wounded Soldiers Find Videogames Good Therapy
Via Ars Technica, an article on the Washington Post site reports that the folks at Walter Reed hospital in DC are finding that videogames make excellent therapy sessions for soldiers wounded in the Iraq conflict. In addition to the obvious medical benefits of refining motor control via controllers, the entertainment allows soldiers to reconnect to experiences they may have had prior to their combat experiences. "Video games are all over Walter Reed. They're used for therapy or entertainment, or both. Alcibar doesn't have any hand injuries, but he's been trying to persuade some of his physical therapists to make Guitar Hero available to those who do. It would probably help some soldiers rebuild their hand strength and dexterity. And it's another excuse to play."
Everyone needs an outlet, in one form or another.
Granted the REAL gun toting maniacs have issues, but for the vast majority of people, they need an outlet in one form or another.
Some people lift weights
Some people do yoga
Some people play videogames
etc
I wonder what types of games do the wounded find help them recover (both physically and mentally) vs. the type of games soldiers in the field use to help them?
Do soldiers in the field play violent video games, rhythm games, fuzzy feel good games, etc?
As someone who loves games, I find it frustrating that the mainstream media consistently portrays video games as the reason behind children shooting up some school, or guy gamers as addicted anti-socials that kill themselves when someone steals their sword of blah-blah. I realize bad news sells, but I'm willing to buy good news too.
I guess it's not SoF that they get to play, is it? Or how about Battlefield?
And wounded officers get to play Supreme Commander? Or is that reserved to generals?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
If you're in physical therapy for a hand injury, guitar hero should probably be the last game you want to play. It's worse on your carpal tunnel than Diablo! I've had CTS for over a year until it got better a couple years ago. My hand started hurting again after 5 minutes with Guitar Hero when I tried it recently, and that was on the easy setting.
"But to be sure, the armed forces are notorious for partaking in foreign prostitution where poverty stricken women are left with almost no other choice but to cheaply sell themselves out for the pleasure of every dumb farm boy in a uniform."
Well, those prostitutues should have thought about that before they signed up, like the soldiers. After all, they did volunteer.
See how dumb that argument looks now?
"But this one goes to 11!"
I didn't say that they're blameless, as people do allow themselves to be victimized. But it is a situation that is taken advantage of, and usually wouldn't even exist if their countries weren't being blown to bit by some imperialistic force. Sex tourism's sole purpose is to provide middle class assholes with largely unethical activities. So no, I don't see how dumb the argument is. I only see dumb some people are, clamoring for pity when they get an arm blown off and wake up to the fact that war isn't all Playstation with your butt-buddies and iPod tunes in a tank.
"He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing." --Paul Atreides, Dune
What's with all of the nightmares in post-op? That post-traumatic stress treament using Battlefield 1942 Desert Combat isn't working out, is it?
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning