Sitting in front of computers or television screens playing video games appears to be bad for kids’ brains as well as their bodies, according to research published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that found excessive gaming can lead to depression, anxiety and poor grades.
After studying the gaming habits of more than 3,000 elementary and middle-schoolers over two years, the team of international researchers found that only nine percent of young children can be considered pathological gamers.
The kids who were labeled excessive gamers spent an average of 31 hours a week playing video games. Children who are socially awkward and are highly impulsive appear to be at higher risk of developing an addiction to video games. These kids are also the most likely to play violent games, the study claimed.
They also discovered, though, that the more youngsters play, the more depressed and anxious they become. Screen time is also linked with poor relationships with their parents as well as declining performance in school.
And it does not appear to be a habit they are either willing or able to give up. Of the kids in the study who were excessive gamers at the start, about 84 percent of them continued to be addicted to gaming at the end of the study. In other words, the researchers noted, it is not one of those unfortunate phases children go through.
Those who reduced the amount of time playing games during the course of the study also reported a reduction in their levels of depression and anxiety.
The Entertainment Software Association, a trade association representing gamers, refuted the findings in a statement. “There simply is no concrete evidence that computer and video games cause harm,”” it read. “”In fact, a wide body of research has shown the many ways games are being used to improve our lives through education, health and business applications.””
The AAP recommends that elementary school age children engage in no more than one hour of screen time a day, and high schoolers no more than two.
For more on the research project, watch FOX25’s Elizabeth Hopkins’ Skype interview with Douglas Gentile, Ph.D., who runs the media research lab at Iowa State University and worked on the study.
Source: myfoxboston.com