Most teenagers who play video games do not fall into unhealthy behaviours, but an addicted minority may be more likely to smoke, use drugs, fight or become depressed.
Most teenagers who play video games do not fall into unhealthy behaviours, but an addicted minority may be more likely to smoke, use drugs, fight or become depressed.
Using data from an anonymous survey of 4,028 public high school students in America, taken from a separate Yale study published in 2008, researchers analysed the prevalence of teen gaming in general, problematic gaming, and the health behaviours associated with both. Problem gaming was characterised as having three main symptoms: trying and failing to cut back on play, feeling an irresistible urge to play, and experiencing tension that only play could relieve. How many hours teens actually spent thumbing their game consoles was not included in the definition of problem gaming, While problem gamers may in fact spend more hours at play, the hallmark of problem gaming is the inability to resist the impulse, according to the researchers.
Half the teens reported playing video games 75 percent of boys and 30 percent of girls. Most of them (60 percent) reported gaming less than seven hours a week, while about 11 percent reported spending 20 or more hours a week at play. Among boys, gaming itself was not associated with unhealthy behaviours. In fact, it was found that boys who played video games typically reported a higher grade average, were significantly less likely to smoke, and were more likely to say that they had never used alcohol or marijuana. Girl gamers, however, were more likely than girls who did not play video games to get into serious fights or carry a weapon to school. This finding may suggest not that gaming leads to aggression but that more aggressive girls are attracted to gaming.
Both boy and girl who played games were likely to drink caffeinated beverages, including energy drinks. But girls drank more of them - three or more per day, compared to boys' one to two servings a day.
Most teens who played video games reported none of the symptoms of problem gaming. However, 5 percent reported all three main symptoms. In this small minority, boys were more likely to report these symptoms (6 percent vs. 3 percent in girls), which the study associated with a higher risk of smoking, drug use, depression and fighting.
The study suggests that, in and of itself, gaming does not appear to be dangerous to children as the researchers found virtually no association between gaming and negative health behaviours, particularly in boys. However, a small but not insignificant proportion of children find themselves unable to control their gaming, which is a cause for concern because that inability is associated with a lot of other problem behaviours.
Using data from an anonymous survey of 4,028 public high school students in America, taken from a separate Yale study published in 2008, researchers analysed the prevalence of teen gaming in general, problematic gaming, and the health behaviours associated with both. Problem gaming was characterised as having three main symptoms: trying and failing to cut back on play, feeling an irresistible urge to play, and experiencing tension that only play could relieve. How many hours teens actually spent thumbing their game consoles was not included in the definition of problem gaming, While problem gamers may in fact spend more hours at play, the hallmark of problem gaming is the inability to resist the impulse, according to the researchers.
Half the teens reported playing video games 75 percent of boys and 30 percent of girls. Most of them (60 percent) reported gaming less than seven hours a week, while about 11 percent reported spending 20 or more hours a week at play. Among boys, gaming itself was not associated with unhealthy behaviours. In fact, it was found that boys who played video games typically reported a higher grade average, were significantly less likely to smoke, and were more likely to say that they had never used alcohol or marijuana. Girl gamers, however, were more likely than girls who did not play video games to get into serious fights or carry a weapon to school. This finding may suggest not that gaming leads to aggression but that more aggressive girls are attracted to gaming.
Both boy and girl who played games were likely to drink caffeinated beverages, including energy drinks. But girls drank more of them - three or more per day, compared to boys' one to two servings a day.
Most teens who played video games reported none of the symptoms of problem gaming. However, 5 percent reported all three main symptoms. In this small minority, boys were more likely to report these symptoms (6 percent vs. 3 percent in girls), which the study associated with a higher risk of smoking, drug use, depression and fighting.
The study suggests that, in and of itself, gaming does not appear to be dangerous to children as the researchers found virtually no association between gaming and negative health behaviours, particularly in boys. However, a small but not insignificant proportion of children find themselves unable to control their gaming, which is a cause for concern because that inability is associated with a lot of other problem behaviours.
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