Do video games fuel mental health problems?

[The Straight Story]

Do video games fuel mental health problems?
'When children became addicted, their depression, anxiety, and social phobias got worse, and their grades dropped'

NEW YORK — There might be trouble brewing behind the glassy eyes of kids who spend too much time and energy on video games, according to a controversial new study.

In the 2-year study of more than 3,000 school children in Singapore, researchers found nearly one in ten were video game "addicts," and most were stuck with the problem.

While these kids were more likely to have behavioral problems to begin with, excessive gaming appeared to cause additional mental woes.

"When children became addicted, their depression, anxiety, and social phobias got worse, and their grades dropped," said Douglas A. Gentile, who runs the Media Research Lab at Iowa State University in Ames and worked on the study.

"When they stopped being addicted, their depression, anxiety, and social phobias got better."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41114563/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

[Uben]

1. I'm sane.......I think!

I played a lot of video games, too much. But that was in the infancy of the video revolution when you had like two buttons to push or a single paddle to maneuver. The Pong and Pacman days. But that only came AFTER homework and chores were done.

[grilled onions]

2. Far Too Many End Up Thinking That Life Is A Video Game

When life gets tough they try to resolve issues like they do in the games. Zap your enemy. Some become a little cold when it comes to how to deal with life. Some trade those control panels for a gun,a knife etc. and "take care of" those that give them problems,take away their promotions,beat them at the red light.

[Occulus]

3. No, not really.

No more so than the general population. If that were actually the case, the entire gaming landscape would look different.

I've been an avid gamer since the days the Atari 2600 was advertised on television. I know what I'm talking about.

Your entire post is a pantload. I know this for a fact.

[Godhumor]

6. Care to show any proof, any, that gamers resolve reall life issues like they do in games?

My guess is you "just know" this to be true.

[Statistical]

9. +1.

[chrisa]

4. In a way, but I wouldn't call it "fueling"

They're already mentally ill. Then, they get addicted to the game because of this.

Normal kids play a game a little bit, sometimes with friends, and then go outside for exercise (or whatever).

[Bettie]

5. No...but kids with problems may gravitate to video games

Just like playing D&D doesn't make you psychotic, but some people play because they want to escape the real world and live in a fantasy world.

If you feel like you don't fit into your life or you have the problems listed in the article, then games seem like a good place to escape to. Things are simple in games, problems are easily solved.

[Zephie]

7. Scape goating. It's always easier to blame something else than it is to blame inattentive parents

Kid playing to much GTA? Make them get up and do something. It's 100% the parent's fault if they can't be bothered to interact with their child long enough to identify problems. Games are not the issue.

[The Straight Story]

12. I say the same thing about guns (nt)

[CBGLuthier]

8. Movies. Music. Captain Billy's Whiz Bang

Always something that makes our little angels into monsters.

[FormerDittoHead]

11. Trouble with a capital T and that Rhymes with V and that stands for Video Games! n/t

[earthside]

10. It is Like 'Gambling Addiction'

My belief is that video game addiction has the same effect as gambling addiction.

It doesn't apply to all gamers, just like most folks who go to a casino and play the slots are not gambling addicts. But, I saw this pull in my son several years ago when he started to become unable/unwilling to do much of anything except play video games. It got bad enough that a counselor needed to be consulted. I've listened to spouses bemoan their partners' total obsession with games -- as soon as home from work until late at night playing games ... and on and on.

My hunch is that video game addiction is a much more serious problem than has been admitted -- but, of course, there is a huge, multi-hundred-million dollar industry tied to video gaming.

And, just like gambling addicts who are in denial, video game addicts will protest vehemently that they are not addicted.

So, yes, those predisposed to gambling addiction are probably very vulnerable to a video gaming addiction.

[Silent3]

15. I can't see excessive gaming having all of the same effects...

...you see when gamblers run up huge debts. I'm not saying there aren't similarities in the addictions, and even a potential for some monetary downside to gaming too much, but not too many gamers game away their cars, houses, kids' college funds, retirement funds, steal money from family members to support their habits, get into trouble with loan sharks, etc.

Excessive gaming might not be healthy, but it doesn't have the same very toxic monetary side effect that can greatly amplify problems for gamblers.

[Odin2005]

13. They got it backwards. Kids will issues become video game addicts.

Many probably have undiagnosed Social Anxiety, Depression, Asperger's, etc. in the first place.

[PVnRT]

14. They can. So can a lot of other things.