Video Games cause mental problems

[Deleted User]

(Reuters Health) - More than two hours a day spent watching television or playing computer games could put a child at greater risk for psychological problems, suggests a new study.

British researchers found the effect held regardless of how active kids were during the rest of the day.

"We know that physical activity is good for both physical and mental health in children and there is some evidence that screen viewing is associated with negative behaviors," lead researcher Dr. Angie Page of the University of Bristol told Reuters Health in an e-mail. "But it wasn't clear whether having high physical activity levels would 'compensate' for high levels of screen viewing in children."

Page and her colleagues studied more than 1,000 kids between the ages of 10 and 11. Over seven days, the children filled out a questionnaire reporting how much time they spent daily in front of a television or computer and answering questions describing their mental state -- including emotional, behavioral, and peer-related problems. Meanwhile, an accelerometer measured their physical activity.

The odds of significant psychological difficulties were about 60 percent higher for children spending longer than two hours a day in front of either screen compared with kids exposed to less screen time, the researchers report in the journal Pediatrics. For children with more than two hours of both types of screen time during the day, the odds more than doubled.

The effect was seen regardless of sex, age, stage of puberty, or level of educational or economic deprivation.

Psychological problems further increased if kids fell short of an hour of moderate to rigorous daily exercise in addition to the increased screen time. However, physical activity did not appear to compensate for the psychological consequences of screen time.

The researchers also found that sedentary time itself was not related to mental wellbeing. "It seems more like what you are doing in that sedentary time that is important," said Page, noting the lack of negative effect found for activities such as reading and doing homework.

Page and her team acknowledge several limitations in their study, including the potential for a kid to inaccurately recall his or her activities when filling out the questionnaire.

Dr. Thomas N. Robinson of the Stanford University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, said the new research was not enough to decipher whether the relationship between screen time and psychological wellbeing was truly cause-and-effect.

"They would have needed to do an experiment, a randomized controlled trial, to see whether limiting television or computer time improves psychological difficulties when compared to a control group that does not limit screen time," he told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

Robinson noted that his own related research, conducted in this way, found that limiting screen time reduced weight gain, aggression and consumer behaviors in kids.

"There are already lots of reasons to reduce kids' screen time and this is potentially another," said Robinson. "In our studies we find that giving children a screen-time budget and helping them stick to that budget is the most effective way to reduce their television, video game, computer and other screen time, and to improve their health as a result."

He usually aims for a budget of about an hour per day, or a reduction of at least 50 percent from a kid's starting screen time.

"Parents as well as kids tell us that budgeting kids' screen time has profound positive effects on their families' lives," added Robinson.

 

[Juanmatron]

The industry cause mental problems, not this.

 

[hova1]

It's true, i've been playing video games since the age of 4 and i'm a total psychopath.

 

[Zetta_x]

Poor researches, extremely biased point of views.

What they see as "problems" may be advantages for other people.

1) We don't need to live until 110. In my opinion, after 80 is way to old.
2) Psychological problems work both ways. Sure I may have Asperger syndrome (not necessarily from stuff described as above), but my odd behavior and social equalities have contributed to a lot of things that make me satisfied in life.
3)The researchers need to define positive, define negative, define the exact psychological 'problems' before I'll ever not watch TV or play games again.

Edit: and shit, I'd have Psychological 'problems' too if I ever watched Dora the Explorer or any other crazy kid's cartoons.

 

[_Chaz_]

Mental problems?

What they be, yo?

*epic gang signs*

 

[pichon64]

Oh, yeah, they said the same about rock, about TV, about radio (yes, long time ago) and even when somebody invented the shower (yes, you read right, the shower). With any innovation (more or less in this case, videogames are just old right now) there are a bunch of people against it. It's almost human nature. Like stupidity.

I think living is enough to make you crazy.

 

[injected11]

And video games also improve hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and problem-solving skills. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, so I'll keep playing.

 

[Rayder]

Mental problems cause video games.

 

[Thoob]

I was mental before I started playing video games.

 

[Gamer4life]

What really cause's mental problems is looking injected11's avatar.

 

[CrimzonEyed]

Like i care if it give me mental problem.
Now days everything is bad. The food is bad, cars are bad, the air is bad and so on and on and on!!!

 

[DiscostewSM]

Video problems cause mental games.

 

[nando]

yeah... if having serious head shot skills is a mental problem.

 

[injected11]

yeah... if having serious head shot skills is a mental problem.

lol. Reminded me of TF2's "Meet the Sniper"...

I'm not a crazed gunman, dad! I'm an assassin! What's the difference?! One is a profession, the other is a mental illness!

 

[Deleted User]

And video games also improve hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and problem-solving skills. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, so I'll keep playing.

Is that really so vital? Why do people always say that? I've been playing video games for years and I don't think I'm becoming some hand-eye coordination master. You know what else improves hand-eye coordination - doing anything that involves coordinating your eyes and hands.

Nothing personal.

 

[_Chaz_]

Mental problems cause video games.
Yes.

QUOTE(DiscostewSM @ Oct 14 2010, 05:31 PM) Video problems cause mental games.

Not entirely untrue.

 

[ProtoKun7]

Video games cause cancer.
Research also causes cancer.
Reading news articles about the causes of psychological problems causes cancer too.

 

[_Chaz_]

Video games cause cancer.
Research also causes cancer.
Reading news articles about the causes of psychological problems causes cancer too.

Not having cancer causes cancer.

 

[Hop2089]

Mental problems cause video games.

Actually that's true to an extent with eroge games and those dirty punishment games like Kimokawae, the people who created those have a paraphalia (lolita complex) which is a mental illness. You have to admit certain games in this genre were created by people with sick minds who needed a way to express themselves without getting their asses locked up or worse.

 

[BlueStar]

screen viewing is associated with negative behaviors," lead researcher Dr. Angie Page of the University of Bristol told Reuters Health in an e-mail