Study Finds Video Games Are Not Bad for Kids

[safan80]

oh no they did what? :eek:

http://games.slashdot.org/games/08/09/16/2145236.shtml

a study done by the Pew Internet & American Life Project has found game playing is all but universal among teens, and it provides a "significant amount of social interaction and potential for civic engagement." 97% of teens responding to the survey said they played games (75% played weekly or more often), and roughly two-thirds of teens use games as a social experience. The full report (PDF) and the questionnaire with answer data (PDF) are both available for viewing. From the report: "Youth who take part in social interaction related to the game, such as commenting on websites or contributing to discussion boards, are more engaged civically and politically. Youth who play games where they are part of guilds are not more civically engaged than youth who play games alone."

[BlueAqua]

I could see that games do offer some benefits with social interacting, but there are better alternatives. I think that the internet as a whole does provide a lot more interaction than watching TV. Nice little article.

[bhavv]

Games and the Internet are my replacement to TV. I dont really enjoy TV and havnt watched it in years.

Games can also be educational, particulary Civilization and Age of Empires which taught me a fair deal about history that I wouldnt otherwise have know. Strategy games are also good for the noggin.

[aintz]

video games aren't necessarily bad for kids. but there are many other ways of socializing.

[KoHaN69]

another good book is Grand THeft Childhood.

[Zytek_Fan]

A lot of games require you to think, so you are using your brain power while playing :)

[Mad1723]

And another study will come say that it's the case, video games are making kids become violent. It's always the same, nobody will ever find a definite answer, because there's none...

I must say that I don't think it does... education does!

[Nasgul]

My 4 year old luvs Unreal Tournament 2004 and Unreal Tournament 3.

[coo-coo-clocker]

Interesting - online gaming is the 2-edged sword:

Among teens who play games in our survey sample, 49% report seeing or hearing "people being hateful, racist or sexist while playing" at least sometimes, and 16% report this happens "often."

More than three-fourths of teens who took the survey report witnessing "people being generous or helpful while playing," and 27% reported seeing this happen "often."

[NapalmV5]

games are the devil!!

[WangChung]

Interesting - online gaming is the 2-edged sword:

Yeah, just depends on what games you play. MMOs like WoW, you get people that help you quest, down a boss, etc. Games like CS: S (I play both :) ), you get kids that go all emo nerd rage and drop every profanity and racial/religious epithet imaginable. I've noticed that gamers for some reason LOVE dropping N bombs like they're saying "dude." It's beyond my understanding. :rolleyes:

But because of video games, I got friends in Canada, the Netherlands, Cali, Boston, everywhere. People I talk to on a regular basis. My friend's nailing a chick he met purely through WoW, she's a personal trainer. I think the simple fact is that all along adults have hated video games because they don't understand them (I'm talking baby boomers mainly). They focus on and inflate the negative implications and just make up "facts" to support whatever case they're trying to make.

[JargonGR]

Games and the Internet are my replacement to TV. I dont really enjoy TV and havnt watched it in years.

Games can also be educational, particulary Civilization and Age of Empires which taught me a fair deal about history that I wouldnt otherwise have know. Strategy games are also good for the noggin.

Coming from a country with really deep history (Greece) and having some friends that have published some books on the subject (history) I have to tell you that the amount of historical inaccuracies in Age of Empires and Civilization are a lot. They are not terrible but if you want to learn history read book(s) instead.

[initialised]

It's gamings Kinsey Report

We all game
Some people game with each other, some people game alone
Some people game with their friends, others game with total strangers
Some people even game with their relatives

[kiwi]

video games aren't necessarily bad for kids. but there are many other ways of socializing.

Yeah, like joining gangs, smoking weed, drinking alco etc. :|

[RejZoR]

Kiwi nailed it right there... :D

[T_Flight]

Lemme tell you what games can do that's not so positive. They convieniently left that part out.

When not done in moderation they can lead to...

1. High Blood Pressure.
2. Breathing problems.
3. Heart Problems.
4. Serious Obesity from lack of excersise.
5. Lack of Stamina.
6. Sleeplessness.
7. Poor Cardio
8. High Colesterol

Just ask my nephew. Aw, and BTW he's 11 years old and has all of the above. It's all he does when he's not at school, or doing his work. He won't even get out to have any fun anymore becasue he pouts when he can't play his games. If that's good for 'em, I'd hate to see what bad is. When he gets grounded for doing something wrong, he loses the games, but still will do nothing but pout. That's not the kind of social skills I learned.

That's why you see these "Get Up Get Up Get Up Feel better! Get Up Get Up Get Up!" commercials now. That's the part they didn't put in that report.

[BossBorot]

my momma says that video games are the devil

[Stukov]

Lemme tell you what games can do that's not so positive. They convieniently left that part out.

When not done in moderation they can lead to...

1. High Blood Pressure.
2. Breathing problems.
3. Heart Problems.
4. Serious Obesity from lack of excersise.
5. Lack of Stamina.
6. Sleeplessness.
7. Poor Cardio
8. High Colesterol

Just ask my nephew. Aw, and BTW he's 11 years old and has all of the above. It's all he does when he's not at school, or doing his work. He won't even get out to have any fun anymore becasue he pouts when he can't play his games. If that's good for 'em, I'd hate to see what bad is. When he gets grounded for doing something wrong, he loses the games, but still will do nothing but pout. That's not the kind of social skills I learned.

That's why you see these "Get Up Get Up Get Up Feel better! Get Up Get Up Get Up!" commercials now. That's the part they didn't put in that report.
Lemme tell you what playing outside or sports can do that's not so positive. They convieniently left that part out.

When not done in moderation they can lead to...

1. Being run over by a car
2. Being abucted by a pedophile and/or rapist
3. Severe head/brain damage
4. Arthritis later in life
5. Broken bones
6. Skin cancer from the sun
7. Brusies and/or internal bleeding
8. Dislocated joints

Just ask my....Oh wait, this is the internet, we can just make up accedotal evidence about a person we 'know' to prove whatever opinon we hold.




On a side note, just about everything a person can do, if not done in moderation can have harmful effects. That is the point being made here.

[The0men]

games are the devil!!

Everything is the devil!!! lol

Seriously... only 49% said theyve heard something hatefull or racist...

Are they trying to say that games do that.. i bet 100% of people have heard SOMETHING nasty outside of games... So really by playing games, your 51% better off :)

[T_Flight]

Lemme tell you what playing outside or sports can do that's not so positive. They convieniently left that part out.

When not done in moderation they can lead to...

1. Being run over by a car
2. Being abucted by a pedophile and/or rapist
3. Severe head/brain damage
4. Arthritis later in life
5. Broken bones
6. Skin cancer from the sun
7. Brusies and/or internal bleeding
8. Dislocated joints

Just ask my....Oh wait, this is the internet, we can just make up accedotal evidence about a person we 'know' to prove whatever opinon we hold.




On a side note, just about everything a person can do, if not done in moderation can have harmful effects. That is the point being made here.

It's funny you mentioned that, because my Nephew got cut this year from Football. The first time he has ever not played sports since he was 5. He got cut becasue he didn't pass the physical.

It's a nasty little vicious circle. All he does is play games, and he can't do any sports becasue of his bad health from...playing games. We're not talking about firing up a game every now and then for entertainment. We're talking being glued to the thing ina trance every waking minute when he doesn't have work to do or is at school. It's bad, and my sister has about pulled her hair out trying to deal with it including numerous doctor's bills.

He does have a paintball gun now, and likes that, but going on the ranges is kinda pricey and you can't always do that. Paintball can get expensive. Well, it is expensive. He does get excercise doign that so it's not all doom and gloom. The p[oint I was trying to make is doing it too much can have serious effects. The stuff you listed is random occurances. I doubt you know anyone that has all of the above at the same time. In my case the stuff I luisted I do, so it's alot more than "Accedotal Evidence" [sic].

[Stukov]

In my case the stuff I luisted I do, so it's alot more than "Accedotal Evidence" [sic].

I am not even sure I spelled accedotal right.

[xoqolatl]

The p[oint I was trying to make is doing it too much can have serious effects.
The same is true for TV. There have been fat kids BEFORE the PC was invented.

[BiFfMaN]

Lets see how i stack up to this list....:cool:


1. Being run over by a car (i have had my foot ran over twice)
2. Being abucted by a pedophile and/or rapist ( I guess they didnt exisit back in the 80's)
3. Severe head/brain damage (haha..huh..what..where am i?)
4. Arthritis later in life (yep)
5. Broken bones (a few of them)
6. Skin cancer from the sun (who doesnt)
7. Brusies and/or internal bleeding ( Hell i have been stabbed twice )
8. Dislocated joints ( my elbow is still sore from a Motocross wreck last year)

..and i wouldnt trade those experiences for anything..not even safely sitting in front of a monitor.

Plus I consider myself a gamer too, I been a evercracker for 7 years now. Still i make time to also go out and be social. Because yah you can meet people online from like micronesia, but have you ever met them face to face.

I think the issue is it heathy when people shut out everything else just to make time to play games, Vs playing a game because you have time to kill. What prioritys do you put first?

[Stukov]

Lets see how i stack up to this list....:cool:


1. Being run over by a car (i have had my foot ran over twice)
2. Being abucted by a pedophile and/or rapist ( I guess they didnt exisit back in the 80's)
3. Severe head/brain damage (haha..huh..what..where am i?)
4. Arthritis later in life (yep)
5. Broken bones (a few of them)
6. Skin cancer from the sun (who doesnt)
7. Brusies and/or internal bleeding ( Hell i have been stabbed twice )
8. Dislocated joints ( my elbow is still sore from a Motocross wreck last year)

..and i wouldnt trade those experiences for anything..not even safely sitting in front of a monitor.

Plus I consider myself a gamer too, I been a evercracker for 7 years now. Still i make time to also go out and be social. Because yah you can meet people online from like micronesia, but have you ever met them face to face.

I think the issue is it heathy when people shut out everything else just to make time to play games, Vs playing a game because you have time to kill. What prioritys do you put first?

To survive all that....are you Chuck Norris? His clone? His cyborg? (Seriously stabbed twice!?)

[OutSider]

i would not trade my childhood expirience for anything i was happy playing outside football(soccer)hide and seek and other games with my friends

[T_Flight]

The same is true for TV. There have been fat kids BEFORE the PC was invented.

Ah yes! The "couch potato" era...remember it well. :D

[BiFfMaN]

To survive all that....are you Chuck Norris? His clone? His cyborg? (Seriously stabbed twice!?)

Well i would hardly call the Knife in my leg life threatening....a few stitches and a lot of limping. The other one just barely pierced my lung..didnt go very deep. Not really worthy of Chuck's Stature...now repent!:ROTF:

Not even a honorable Mention on the Techno Viking list of hurt!