Study Finds that Video Games Have NO Negative Effects On Kids!

[NickHouston]

A massive study of some 11,000 youngsters in Britain has found that playing video games, even as early as five years old, does not lead to later behavior problems


The University of Glasgow study used surveys of mothers in a massive millennial survey to track behavior over time. The idea was to study whether researchers could draw a connection between screen time and behavioral or emotional troubles later.

Headed into the study, the authors wanted to study both television and video games, arguing that connections with attention disorders, anger and other problems might be connected to both. Still, researchers wondered if “games may have more powerful effects due to active user engagement, identification with characters and repeated rehearsal and reinforcement.”

Key Findings

• Exposure to video games had no effect on behavior, attention or emotional issues.
• Watching 3 or more hours of television at age 5 did lead to a small increase in behavioral problems in youngsters between 5 and 7.
• Neither television nor video games lead to attentional or emotional problems.
• There was no difference between boys and girls in the survey results.

This survey relied on parents reporting average screen time and later behavioral problems, but the size of the research pool – more than 13,000 families – left researchers confident their results were solid. Researchers also said they modified the results to take into account various parenting approaches and socio-economic differences.

These results do break some new ground. It was one of the first real studies that examined games in connection with television viewing while also assessing them separately. It also runs counter to some research in the U.S. with older children that has found connections between screen time and attention issues.


Government... meet Science!

http://www.gamesandlearning.org/2013/11/15/game-play-has-no-negative-impact-on-kids-uk-study-finds/

 

[animal66]

Quite frankly, if i thought that they did cause harm, i wouldn't let my kids play games. Nuff said.

 

[WaLLy]

 

[BluBirD78]

I think it does affect kids, especially the ones that are taking the psycho drugs like Prozac, hell you can read the side affects of those drugs and see what it can do to people. I call BS on the study, these games now days condition your mind to think that killing is ok, people will feel bad if a animal is killed but humans, no problem, at least that's the way I see it...

 

[MR.N00B!]

I think it does affect kids, especially the ones that are taking the psycho drugs like Prozac, hell you can read the side affects of those drugs and see what it can do to people. I call BS on the study, these games now days condition your mind to think that killing is ok, people will feel bad if a animal is killed but humans, no problem, at least that's the way I see it...

If you think harming another person is ok then you had problems before you even touched a video game.

 

[SteelHorse]

I agree with Mr.NOOB! If you have violence issues because of "video games", you have bigger problems and therefore not really the games fault. Now i don't believe that video games have "NO" negative effect on kids. They, imo, do have some negative effects on some kids as far as time management an such. Some kids can take them way to seriously and don't know when to give it a break and do something else. They can become a bit of an addiction for some.

 

[WaLLy]

 

[DamageINC]

I was kick ass in Madden and NCAA football on ps3. I was never conditioned to be an NFL player. Maybe i'll sue.

I don't think any media, regardless of type, 'conditions' anyone into being a violent criminal when they otherwise wouldn't. I find that notion rather silly.

I mean, between TV shows, Movies, Youtube and other internet videos, some lyrics in music, video games etc. you've exposed 90% of the public to gratuitous violence. Millions play games etc. all throughout Europe and other countries which see very little gun (or other) violence.

60% of Americans are reported to play video games at some point. That's roughly 187,800,000 people who have been exposed to games in some form.

I think the biggest issue is parents letting their kids play games for hours on end while eating junk food. Kids get lazy, don't interact, they get fat etc. Kids need balance, IMO. You can't really blame the external source for that though. The blame falls on the parent. They simply use video games or other media tools as a substitute for actual parenting.

I usually don't put a whole lot of stock into studies, as you never really know who's paying for the study and what agenda they have. You also don't know how truthful people are when surveyed. In fairness however, it's very hard, if not impossible, to totally discount any study that used such a large sample size. It's hard to believe in this instance there was a hidden agenda. Game and console sales are at record highs.

 

[Kreubs]

Ok, I agree with Blue that it could affect psycho kids, but probably only then. On another note, while it may not make someone go out and kill somebody, it could desensitize them to the aspect of murder.

But, if you asked me, I would say that most, if not all, behavioral issues these days comes from lack of discipline and being taught that nothing is your fault (like blaming video games for kid's bad behavior).

edit: Now that I think of it, certain content can affect kids. IMO, a 12 year has no business playing GTA...

 

[WaLLy]

The video games may not specifically push them into doing it but if someone has that lingering idea of say murdering but doesn't know how... Well, they don't have to look too hard for these ideas... They can get them from video games, TV, movies.. You get the idea.

 

[BluBirD78]

Yeah it wasn't my intention to say that the "game" itself does it, but I believe it does help to escalate it though, and as I said and others agreed I think it also helps to de-sensitize them, that's what I was saying if anyone was confused...

 

[Storky]

I spent over 2000 hours of my life on a game called Runescape. I near enough failed school because of it and it was only when I didn't play the game that I was more interactive with life. It was like a drug.
This study didn't mention what type of video games it was talking about. I have seen countless articles of kids committing suicide/going to jail over these games.

I saw this in the newspaper .


Obviously these kids are rare occurrences but it could create a new debate on whether these kids were just messed up in the first place or that it was the games that encouraged their behaviour.

 

[BuckRogers]

Quick Irony check: this is a gaming community right?

 

[NickHouston]

I spent over 2000 hours of my life on a game called Runescape. I near enough failed school because of it and it was only when I didn't play the game that I was more interactive with life. It was like a drug.
This study didn't mention what type of video games it was talking about. I have seen countless articles of kids committing suicide/going to jail over these games.

I saw this in the newspaper .


Obviously these kids are rare occurrences but it could create a new debate on whether these kids were just messed up in the first place or that it was the games that encouraged their behaviour.

I also have (still) play RuneScape. And it IS very addicting. After the new combat system and all of the microtransactions came out (I quit most games that allow you to pay real money for in-game advantage) I did quit until a couple month passed and the Old School servers were up. Now I'm back to the RuneScape addiction. Not nearly as bad as before though.

 

[Cryogenic Flare]

I would like to point out that this is a study in BRITAIN! Nothing meant by it except, we Americains, are more able to posses deadly weapons so that likelihood of us causing violence in somewhat increased

 

[Storky]

I also have (still) play RuneScape. And it IS very addicting. After the new combat system and all of the microtransactions came out (I quit most games that allow you to pay real money for in-game advantage) I did quit until a couple month passed and the Old School servers were up. Now I'm back to the RuneScape addiction. Not nearly as bad as before though.

Good for you I would love to play it if I could, I have way too much going on in life though and Runescape is reserved for times when I have absolutely nothing to do. I got my right arm in a cast through the summer so couldn't play any sports or FPS games like COD with one hand so Runescape was my saviour .

 

[NickHouston]

I would like to point out that this is a study in BRITAIN! Nothing meant by it except, we Americains, are more able to posses deadly weapons so that likelihood of us causing violence in somewhat increased

"More able to possess deadly weapons"

I feel you are referring to firearms. ANYTHING in the world, no matter what it is, can easily kill someone. You sharpen a feather? Immediate shank. You have a pillow? Suffocation. Everyone has an arsenal of knives in their kitchen right? Deadly weapons. You can drown someone in a freaking toilet. You can paper cut someone so bad that they can bleed out. EVERYONE has access to deadly "weapons". I see firearms as a last line of self defense. They are merely one tool among many that we have with the potential to kill.

 

[Storky]

you can even kill with a deadly fart

 

[The Moment]

This cannot turn into a gun control debate. I'm saying this before it happens.



Btw, 'Merica, guns, freedom.

 

[BuckRogers]

Hmmm.........[DOUBLEPOST=1385324263][/DOUBLEPOST]Storky, old chap, please, You'll have our American friends thinking we are socially awkward and culturally inept!