I happen to be one of those people who really enjoy video games: Not the shooting or the racing kinds. I like action adventure and fantasy role play games like Zelda or Fable. I also like Syms, and designing games. But even though I am not playing online World of Warcraft or Black Ops, I certainly "get" the attraction. But I have also learned first hand what the risks are.
Any kind of screen, whether it is a TV screen for a game console, a cell phone screen, computer screen for gaming, surfing the Net, or hanging out on the Social Network has an impact on the brain. Gaming requires a special kind of viewing intensity. In recognition of this very real risk, game companies have been forced to put warnings on the game packages, stating that "use can result in seizures for some people".... I'm sorry to say that I've seen it happen to some children.
Certainly, prolonged gaming or prolonged "screen time" can be enervating: it can "suck" the energy right out of a person. Over-doing it can result in exhaustion. It takes at least one hour for the brain to shut down enough to allow sleep after any kind of "screen" time, so you can imagine what happens to kids, who, unbeknownst to their folks, are on their "screens" into the wee hours of the morning, even on a school night. Kids who are chronically sleep deprived, often show up to school exhausted. They can barely keep their eyes open The look "ill". They don't do school work. They can be perceived as unmotivated. They also often complain of having difficulty sleeping because they have been on a screen right up until they decide they want to sleep, but their brain won't "settle down". ...At the very least, unrestricted or pro-longed gaming or other kind of chronic prolonged screen use becomes a risk factor to the success of students if it interferes with other responsibilities such as schooling and homework.
But there can be more reason for concern: At the extreme end of the spectrum are kids who begin to exhibit signs of extreme anxiety and/or depression as a result of chronic gaming. Anecdotal and observational evidence seems to indicate that some of the more extreme gamers begin to feel uncomfortable in a real-life school environment. Some of these kids are even being referred to mental health specialists for help. It is only recently that research and health professionals have begun to make connections between anxiety or depression and the sleep deprivation issues resulting from too much time looking at screens. Alarmingly, some children become aggressive, even hostile toward parents, who try to remove their game systems, phones, or computers because their children cannot restrict its use on their own. Such an angry and hostile response is is certainly a "red flag" that the child needs help managing his or her technology use. The problem has become common enough that the term "video game addiction" has become widespread, although it is still not recognized in the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual of the American Psychological Association. Nevertheless, many rehab centers for the treatment of video game addiction have sprung up all over the world.
We live in interesting times: Technology, games, and cell phones are part of our reality, and they can be wonderful. This powerful technology is like a magic carpet that can take us to fantastical new worlds, or whisk us to the unimagined realities of our own world in the blink of an eye! We can become so occupied with games that three hours passes in what seems like ten minutes. In fact, games can be so compelling, that we may not realize that we have begun to forego other parts of our lives. In today's world of temptations, we have to reflect upon and monitor what we are doing with our time and choose to manage it wisely. We have to recognize when there is a problem, and have the fortitude to do something about it when it is apparent that so much time spent in "guilty" pleasures is causing us harm.
The solution is not to ban technology. Rather, like all things in life, we have to manage how much time we spend with it. We have to remember that in the real world, we are living things who will feel better if we eat healthy food, drink at least eight glasses of water daily, enjoy a good night's sleep, exercise, connect with people in the "real world", and remain aware of the impact of our choices.
Interesting Links:
http:www.video-game-addiction.org
Game Addiction: The Real Story http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-addiction-the- real story
Any kind of screen, whether it is a TV screen for a game console, a cell phone screen, computer screen for gaming, surfing the Net, or hanging out on the Social Network has an impact on the brain. Gaming requires a special kind of viewing intensity. In recognition of this very real risk, game companies have been forced to put warnings on the game packages, stating that "use can result in seizures for some people".... I'm sorry to say that I've seen it happen to some children.
Certainly, prolonged gaming or prolonged "screen time" can be enervating: it can "suck" the energy right out of a person. Over-doing it can result in exhaustion. It takes at least one hour for the brain to shut down enough to allow sleep after any kind of "screen" time, so you can imagine what happens to kids, who, unbeknownst to their folks, are on their "screens" into the wee hours of the morning, even on a school night. Kids who are chronically sleep deprived, often show up to school exhausted. They can barely keep their eyes open The look "ill". They don't do school work. They can be perceived as unmotivated. They also often complain of having difficulty sleeping because they have been on a screen right up until they decide they want to sleep, but their brain won't "settle down". ...At the very least, unrestricted or pro-longed gaming or other kind of chronic prolonged screen use becomes a risk factor to the success of students if it interferes with other responsibilities such as schooling and homework.
But there can be more reason for concern: At the extreme end of the spectrum are kids who begin to exhibit signs of extreme anxiety and/or depression as a result of chronic gaming. Anecdotal and observational evidence seems to indicate that some of the more extreme gamers begin to feel uncomfortable in a real-life school environment. Some of these kids are even being referred to mental health specialists for help. It is only recently that research and health professionals have begun to make connections between anxiety or depression and the sleep deprivation issues resulting from too much time looking at screens. Alarmingly, some children become aggressive, even hostile toward parents, who try to remove their game systems, phones, or computers because their children cannot restrict its use on their own. Such an angry and hostile response is is certainly a "red flag" that the child needs help managing his or her technology use. The problem has become common enough that the term "video game addiction" has become widespread, although it is still not recognized in the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual of the American Psychological Association. Nevertheless, many rehab centers for the treatment of video game addiction have sprung up all over the world.
We live in interesting times: Technology, games, and cell phones are part of our reality, and they can be wonderful. This powerful technology is like a magic carpet that can take us to fantastical new worlds, or whisk us to the unimagined realities of our own world in the blink of an eye! We can become so occupied with games that three hours passes in what seems like ten minutes. In fact, games can be so compelling, that we may not realize that we have begun to forego other parts of our lives. In today's world of temptations, we have to reflect upon and monitor what we are doing with our time and choose to manage it wisely. We have to recognize when there is a problem, and have the fortitude to do something about it when it is apparent that so much time spent in "guilty" pleasures is causing us harm.
The solution is not to ban technology. Rather, like all things in life, we have to manage how much time we spend with it. We have to remember that in the real world, we are living things who will feel better if we eat healthy food, drink at least eight glasses of water daily, enjoy a good night's sleep, exercise, connect with people in the "real world", and remain aware of the impact of our choices.
Interesting Links:
http:www.video-game-addiction.org
Game Addiction: The Real Story http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-addiction-the- real story