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New Study Links Video Games and Mental Problems
eldavojohn writes "A new study published today in Pediatrics Journal conducted in Singapore on three thousand children in grades third, fourth, seventh and eighth claims that one in ten are video game addicts and almost all of those suffer mental health problems. This comes conveniently after the suspect in the Tucson shooting has widely been reported as an online gamer. Among the accusations from the study are that playing video games leads to lower school performance and fewer social skills while exacerbating existing depression, anxiety and social phobias. Gamasutra reports that the Entertainment Software Alliance is already criticizing this study, saying, 'Its definition of "pathological gaming" is neither scientifically nor medically accepted and the type of measure used has been criticized by other scholars. Other outcomes are also measured using dubious instruments when well-validated tools are readily available. In addition, because the effect sizes of the outcomes are mainly trivial, it leaves open the possibility the author is simply interpreting things as negatively as possible.' It seems that the doctors are still disagreeing on whether or not gaming causes problems."
My wife said this very thing when she took away my Xbox just because I hadn't bathed or eaten anything but protein bars and diet coke for 2 weeks.
I think it was when I ordered a catheter online that she finally put her foot down.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Video games do affect people.
Unfortunately, that's not true in the least. Both games and TV absolutely can negatively and positively affect people.
Erm...
Sheesh, they might as well have asked:
"Have you ever put off doing something that sucks in favor of doing something you like?"
A) Yes
B) I'm an addict
C) I have a problem
D) I have mental health issues.
E) All of the above
I don't know, chess does make me feel irrationally regicidal at times.
I read TFA and all I got was this lousy cookie