Once again The Sun has decided gaming is harming the children, this time giving them temporary dementia.
The Sun cites Baroness Greenfield, member of the House of Lords & Professor of Synaptic Pharmacology at Lincoln College, Oxford. Baroness Greenfield was speaking at a conference, though The Sun doesn’t mention which one. The Baroness’ own words are:
“Screen technologies cause high arousal which in turn activates the brain system’s underlying addiction. This results in the attraction of yet more screen-based activity. There is a need to be outside, to climb trees and feel the grass under your feet and the sun on your face.”
However, the Baroness also apparently said that the technology was good for creativity. Now, I must also stress that no study was carried out to support this assertion of temporary dementia. I agree that kids should spend time outside, running about and enjoying themselves. I’m also aware that no study has given a concrete relationship between gaming and addiction. Until full studies are done then all of this is still a hypothesis.
Source: The Sun
Update: The Baroness was speaking at the opening of a science centre at Sherbourne Girls’ school in Dorset.The Telegraph gives us a few more quotes to go on as well:
The human brain has evolved to adapt to the environment. It therefore follows that if the environment is changing, it will have an impact on your brain. If you play computer games to the exclusion of other things this will create a new environment that will have new effects … every hour you spend in front of a screen is an hour not spent climbing a tree or giving someone a hug.
I just wanted to highlight the Baroness’ words. So, her angle isn’t video games are evil but instead if you only play games and do nothing else, then that is bad for you. I’m sure we can all agree with that. If only The Sun did some critical thinking and analysis of it’s own.
Source: The Telegraph
Dward
I would have commented sooner, but I forgot my login…
hazelam
you’re more likely to lose your mind reading that rag than playing games.
if you do anything to the exclusion of everything else it’ll be unhealthy.
but anti games news sells papers doesn’t it.
so games are the target once again.
bacon_nuts
“every hour you spend in front of a screen is an hour not spent climbing a tree or giving someone a hug.” – an hour long hug? Really..? the lady seems to be speaking sense, its the Sun that is madness again..
Hoopiness
“The human brain has evolved to adapt to the environment. It therefore follows that if the environment is changing, it will have an impact on your brain. If you play computer games to the exclusion of other things this will create a new environment that will have new effects … every hour you spend in front of a screen is an hour not spent climbing a tree or giving someone a hug.”
The world of 100 years ago is vastly different to that we live in now. And 100 years before that. And another hundred before then. The world/environment changes, so what? They have said it themselves, the brain is amazing and has the capacity to adapt. I wonder if that had something to do with the fact that – relative to the time periods that evolution works on – it’s not unusual at all for the “environment” to change countless times within the space of very small evolutionary changes. The brain has evolved to adapt and it’s being used.
Arseholes.
Besides, the hugging and climbing trees crap is nonsense. In today’s world, every hour spent gaming is often and hour not spent watching TV like a zombie.