<![CDATA[Computer games stunt teen brains]]>http://mentalhealth.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=mentalhealth&cdn=health&tm=181&f=10&su=p284.9.336.ip_p736.8.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0%2C6903%2C539166%2C00.html


Hi-tech maps of the mind show that computer games are damaging brain development and could lead to children being unable to control violent behaviour

* Tracy McVeigh, education editor
* The Observer, Sunday 19 August 2001

Computer games are creating a dumbed-down generation of children far more disposed to violence than their parents, according to a controversial new study.

The tendency to lose control is not due to children absorbing the aggression involved in the computer game itself, as previous researchers have suggested, but rather to the damage done by stunting the developing mind.

Using the most sophisticated technology available, the level of brain activity was measured in hundreds of teenagers playing a Nintendo game and compared to the brain scans of other students doing a simple, repetitive arithmetical exercise. To the surprise of brain-mapping expert Professor Ryuta Kawashima and his team at Tohoku University in Japan, it was found that the computer game only stimulated activity in the parts of the brain associated with vision and movement.

In contrast, arithmetic stimulated brain activity in both the left and right hemispheres of the frontal lobe - the area of the brain most associated with learning, memory and emotion.

Most worrying of all was that the frontal lobe, which continues to develop in humans until the age of about 20, also has an important role to play in keeping an individual's behaviour in check.

Whenever you use self-control to refrain from lashing out or doing something you should not, the frontal lobe is hard at work.

Children often do things they shouldn't because their frontal lobes are underdeveloped. The more work done to thicken the fibres connecting the neurons in this part of the brain, the better the child's ability will be to control their behaviour. The more this area is stimulated, the more these fibres will thicken.

The students who played computer games were halting the process of brain development and affecting their ability to control potentially anti-social elements of their behaviour.

'The importance of this discovery cannot be underestimated,' Kawashima told The Observer .

'There is a problem we will have with a new generation of children - who play computer games - that we have never seen before.

'The implications are very serious for an increasingly violent society and these students will be doing more and more bad things if they are playing games and not doing other things like reading aloud or learning arithmetic.'

Kawashima, in need of funding for his research, originally decided to investigate the levels of brain activity in children playing video games expecting to find that his research would be a boon to manufacturers.

He expected it to reassure parents that there are hidden benefits to the increasing number of hours their children were devoting to computer games and was startled by what he discovered.

He compared brain activity in children playing Nintendo games with those doing an exercise called the Kraepelin test, which involves adding single-digit numbers continuously for 30 minutes.

The students were given minute doses of a radioactive pharmaceutical through an intravenous drip which allowed a computer to map a complex picture of their brains at work. A subsequent study was conducted using magnetic resonance images.

Both studies confirmed the high level of brain activity involved in carrying out simple addition and subtraction and that this activity was particularly pronounced in the frontal lobe, in both the left and right hemispheres.

Though it is often thought that only the left hemisphere is active for mathematical work and that the right hemi sphere is stimulated by more creative thinking, the professor found that arithmetic produced a high level of activity in both hemispheres.

In subsequent studies, Kawashima established that arithmetic exercises also stimulate more brain activity than listening to music or listening to reading. Reading out loud was also found to be a very effective activity for activating the frontal lobe.

Kawashima, visiting the UK to speak at this weekend's annual conference of the private learning programme Kumon Educational UK, said the message to parents was clear.

'Children need to be encouraged to learn basic reading and writing, of course,' he said. 'But the other thing is to ask them to play outside with other children and interact and to communicate with others as much as possible. This is how they will develop, retain their creativity and become good people.'

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/3058/computer-games-stunt-teen-brainsRSS for NodeFri, 19 Jun 2026 01:40:53 GMTThu, 07 May 2009 04:33:31 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Tue, 06 Apr 2021 23:03:33 GMT]]>Everything in moderation โ€ฆ

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/2019623https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/2019623Tue, 06 Apr 2021 23:03:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Wed, 01 May 2019 04:01:42 GMT]]>

tamarind\" post_id=\"29134\" time=\"1242618220\" user_id=\"726:

ChiefKiasu:

That said, I feel that moderation is key to everything we do. Handheld games need not be bad, if they are used sparingly and under the right conditions.

This is easier said that done. Once the child is addicted, it is very difficult to stop him from playing all day long. Even if you keep his computer/Nintendo, his mind will still be thinking about it and he will not be able to concentrate when he is studying.

One of my student's mother told me that he plays computer games all day long, and there is nothing that she can do to stop him. When that student was in class, he stared blankly into space, and he was not able to absorb anything. When he was asked to do assignment, he could not do anything. That's why I believe that long hours of playing computer games definitely have a negative effect on the brain.

Computer games certainly cause more harm than good ! I am saying this out of personal experience, because I have been addicted to the games before. Kids can learn so much more by interacting with real people, reading books, exploring the real world, etc.

If I have my way, I would ban computer games and other handheld games all the way until the kids finished university. But I know that this may not be possible especially when they grow into teenagers. What I plan to do, is to teach them a programming language, and ask them to create new games instead. My hubby loves to learn programming languages, and he has never been addicted to any games.



It is great to see this thread being revived after so many years. Like your thought of teaching the kid to coding to build meaningful game instead of playing it blindly. Now there will be a purpose when \"playing\" other games. ๐Ÿ˜„

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1908407https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1908407Wed, 01 May 2019 04:01:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Wed, 01 May 2019 03:45:55 GMT]]>I agreeโ€ฆ Blocking off access is not the answer to this. Monitoring and setting their limits for me should help them out. Also, bringing them out somewhere off the grid to have some family bonding and just connect with nature could also help them.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1908403https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1908403Wed, 01 May 2019 03:45:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Tue, 16 Apr 2019 14:07:13 GMT]]>More important to guide the child to distinguish reality from fiction, in my opinion. Kids being kids, if something is trending in their immediate environment (e.g. school), theyโ€™ll find a means to experience it. Blocking off access to or condemning that something may not lead to the most favourable outcome in the long run.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1906728https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1906728Tue, 16 Apr 2019 14:07:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Tue, 16 Apr 2019 11:51:38 GMT]]>You can call me old fashioned, but I am absolutely against video games for children. I am not saying that all games are bad for kids, but many of them happen to be very violent in nature. I just donโ€™t prefer that my children learn how to fight or use guns through video games

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1906713https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1906713Tue, 16 Apr 2019 11:51:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Fri, 12 Apr 2019 02:21:03 GMT]]>The first step in helping a child who games too much is to help him develop social skills. Some social skills are learned automatically; others arenโ€™t. We have to be intentional about teaching these skills to our kids to fully equip them for life.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1906069https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1906069Fri, 12 Apr 2019 02:21:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Tue, 02 Apr 2019 08:34:25 GMT]]>well. are you able to make learning and other essential tasks as engaging and fun as the computer games heโ€™s playing? that way thereโ€™s not much need for computer games. a lot of computer games simulate real world work and engage the mind fully, which is what people want and are not getting from their real world work or studies. There is also currently a case for gamifying aspects of our lives โ€“ program yourself to build good habits, reach goals, milestones etc according to game mechanics. very useful for anyone who wants to make use of how games work for life.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1904701https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1904701Tue, 02 Apr 2019 08:34:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Sun, 24 May 2009 08:51:35 GMT]]>That's why I'm trying very hard to not to let him play.

but hor, it's hard, cos when he plays game, i can relax.hee. ๐Ÿ˜‰

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/30286https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/30286Sun, 24 May 2009 08:51:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Sun, 24 May 2009 06:46:58 GMT]]>

smurf:
Hi Tamarind,


these few days, he mentioned few times about his nintendo, didn't ask for it, but just just chit chatting about his nintendo...haha...

yah, I think he is too young to understand the harmful effect of playing games...tell a 4.5 year old about the effects, usually,they will throw tantrum 'i wan i wan'...or stare back at the adult... ๐Ÿ˜‰
smurf,
Better to tahan his tantrums now, then to face the negative effects later. You are doing what is best for him ๐Ÿ˜„

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/30281https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/30281Sun, 24 May 2009 06:46:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Tue, 19 May 2009 02:13:11 GMT]]>Hi Tamarind,


these few days, he mentioned few times about his nintendo, didn't ask for it, but just just chit chatting about his nintendo...haha...

yah, I think he is too young to understand the harmful effect of playing games...tell a 4.5 year old about the effects, usually,they will throw tantrum 'i wan i wan'...or stare back at the adult... ๐Ÿ˜‰

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29263https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29263Tue, 19 May 2009 02:13:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 05:32:05 GMT]]>

sashimi:
Hi sorry for the late reply! ๐Ÿ™‚


Yes it's available on the internet - you can google for it. ๐Ÿ™‚ In fact, there have been several attempts to remake it with modern software too.
Arigato! Shall try to google for it :D.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29155https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29155Mon, 18 May 2009 05:32:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 04:30:17 GMT]]>

smurf:
it makes him stares at the ceiling more and dunno what to do after playing hours of nintendo. before that, he can find something to do, like, use books to stack high, or use toys to imagine into a river/pavement...much much better than playing handheld.

My sentiments exactly. In my opinion, PORTABLE games are one of the worst poisons ever invented by man, for children.

I am aghast that nowadays, many youth cannot sit still for more than 60 seconds before they HAVE to whip out their PSP, plug themselves in, and play. They litereally cannot think of anything else to do.

It's not a matter of addiction, but a matter of patience, ability to engage one's mind in alternate ways and capacity for extended periods of thought.

Can youth think anymore if they are incapable of emptying their minds for more than 60 seconds, for other purposes in life?

Oh, and some adults too.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29148https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29148Mon, 18 May 2009 04:30:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 04:13:59 GMT]]>smurf, educational games are good but also must moderate because the best way to learn is to interact with actual things and people. My DD plays "educational games" at Playhouse Disney and Nick, Jr. websites FOC. Or she may choose to spend her PC time playing "I Spy" like games. The I Spy games I chose for her requires her to learn to listen for clues, match the spelling of words to what she hears (if she canโ€™t read the word), be patient when looking for clues and learn to think differently for different clues. For example, if the clue is a bat, she will have to figure out if it is animal or a baseball bat. Then, she has to be observant and patient to discover if this bat is an actual thing in the picture, a photo or drawing of the bat, a shadow of the bat, a silhouette of the bat, etc. See what I mean?


Her PC time is about 45-60 minutes, depending on the day of the week, her behaviour and how much time is left till bedtime. In a way, she determines the duration by how she manages her behaviour and time spent before using the PC. (She has her chores and homework to clear beforehand.) PC time is about 2-3 times a week and they are supervised. In the beginning, close supervision was necessary, not just to ensure that she can handle the PC, but also that she knows what she can and cannot do. Now, we set things up for her and pop by occasionally to check on her. We remind her to keep an eye on the PC clock and let her manage her time herself. If she asks for more time, we may compromise by taking away her bedtime stories, which she enjoys a lot, so usually, she limits these requests willingly.

This came about through trial and error across a few years. Donโ€™t expect immediate understanding and co-operation, especially if your child is very different.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29142https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29142Mon, 18 May 2009 04:13:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 04:04:06 GMT]]>

smurf:
Hi parents,


what do u think of educational games? recently, a kind mummyr recommended readingeggs.com, and i think it's a great website. ๐Ÿ˜„

my boy loves this website. ๐Ÿ˜„

Hi Jedamum,

I agreed with Tamarind. So far, my boy has not improve reflex after playing Nintendo. in fact, it makes him stares at the ceiling more and dunno what to do after playing hours of nintendo. before that, he can find something to do, like, use books to stack high, or use toys to imagine into a river/pavement...much much better than playing handheld.

Games are only good if the child knows that it's for relaxation purposes, and he/she can control.

these are my experience and observation only lah, i dunno about other kids:)
smurf,
I think you have done the right thing, your son is still very young and this is the right time to do it. It is OK for him to stare at the ceiling for now, just make sure that he has other educational toys, books, creative tools around. Sooner or later he will find something to entertain himself, like he used to before ๐Ÿ˜‰

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29139https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29139Mon, 18 May 2009 04:04:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 03:52:23 GMT]]>Hi parents,


what do u think of educational games? recently, a kind mummyr recommended readingeggs.com, and i think it's a great website. ๐Ÿ˜„

my boy loves this website. ๐Ÿ˜„

Hi Jedamum,

I agreed with Tamarind. So far, my boy has not improve reflex after playing Nintendo. in fact, it makes him stares at the ceiling more and dunno what to do after playing hours of nintendo. before that, he can find something to do, like, use books to stack high, or use toys to imagine into a river/pavement...much much better than playing handheld.

Games are only good if the child knows that it's for relaxation purposes, and he/she can control.

these are my experience and observation only lah, i dunno about other kids:)

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29137https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29137Mon, 18 May 2009 03:52:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 03:50:50 GMT]]>

jedamum:
ks2me:

No issue playing games as it can help in their reflexes training


'Borrowed' a http://www.emunova.net/img/jeux/609.png for my ds1 yesterday (it's my bro's; my mum lent it to me :D). Hope can train his reflex a bit. ๐Ÿ˜‰

There are many other ways to train a child's reflexes. I think that using Nintendo to train reflexes is a very bad idea. When I was younger, I have spent very long periods of time playing games, my reflexes have not improved at all ! The child is only trained to move his fingers quickly in response to something that he sees on the screen. This type of \"training\" does not improve his overall reflexes at all. What is the use of being able to move a person's fingers extremely fast pressing a few buttons ? A much more useful skill is to let the child learn to type very quickly. I recently discovered this excellent website :
http://www.rapidtyping.com/

If parents want to train their kids' reflexes, let them play a sports like table tennis or badminton or other fast moving sports games !

It is much more important to train a child's fine motor skills. Let him cut paper, make paper crafts, etc. I recently discovered the wonderful air dry clay, which is excellent in developing a child's fine motor skills and creativity.
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2009/05/clay-roses.html

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29136https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29136Mon, 18 May 2009 03:50:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 03:43:40 GMT]]>

ChiefKiasu:

That said, I feel that moderation is key to everything we do. Handheld games need not be bad, if they are used sparingly and under the right conditions.
This is easier said that done. Once the child is addicted, it is very difficult to stop him from playing all day long. Even if you keep his computer/Nintendo, his mind will still be thinking about it and he will not be able to concentrate when he is studying.

One of my student's mother told me that he plays computer games all day long, and there is nothing that she can do to stop him. When that student was in class, he stared blankly into space, and he was not able to absorb anything. When he was asked to do assignment, he could not do anything. That's why I believe that long hours of playing computer games definitely have a negative effect on the brain.

Computer games certainly cause more harm than good ! I am saying this out of personal experience, because I have been addicted to the games before. Kids can learn so much more by interacting with real people, reading books, exploring the real world, etc.

If I have my way, I would ban computer games and other handheld games all the way until the kids finished university. But I know that this may not be possible especially when they grow into teenagers. What I plan to do, is to teach them a programming language, and ask them to create new games instead. My hubby loves to learn programming languages, and he has never been addicted to any games.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29134https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29134Mon, 18 May 2009 03:43:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 03:38:03 GMT]]>

ks2me:
No issue playing games as it can help in their reflexes training

'Borrowed' a http://www.emunova.net/img/jeux/609.png for my ds1 yesterday (it's my bro's; my mum lent it to me :D). Hope can train his reflex a bit. ๐Ÿ˜‰

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29130https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29130Mon, 18 May 2009 03:38:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 03:30:50 GMT]]>I think being a mum is tough and I am quite tempted to tell lies to keep the tantrums at bay sometimes too. And succumb to that sometimes. But I try to remind myself that it is a missed learnig opportunity when I use lying to avoid his tantrumsโ€ฆ

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29129https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29129Mon, 18 May 2009 03:30:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 02:03:51 GMT]]>

ChiefKiasu:
smurf:

Hi Tamarind,


I've silently kept the Nintendo away from my boy! he did ask me now and then where is his nintendo. I told him he brought to the sch and teacher confiticated it.(he is quite forgetful and likes to bring things to sch) hee. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Smurf... I feel we should never lie to our children, even if it is \"for their own good\". A better approach is to tell him straight that you have kept it away, because of its negative impact on him. Give him the facts.

That said, I feel that moderation is key to everything we do. Handheld games need not be bad, if they are used sparingly and under the right conditions.

Hi chief,

I can't tell him that I kept game, cos he will throw tantrum and scream and shout the whole day! and it's no joke about him throwing tantrum. but if i tell him he brought to the sch and lost it, then he is ok. :stupid:

he doesn't control playing game, and he can be playing the whole day and he is only 4.5 yr old. I dun think he can understand the negative impact yet. try telling him games will make eyes shortsighted, make u stupid, etc...blah blah...he doesn't understand. but to a 6 or 7 year olds, maybe they will understand. if he comprehends, i wouldn't be having hard time now!haha.

I know we shouldn't lie to kids, but i dun have a choice. i usually weigh the pros and cons. if i can manage him without him throwing tantrum then i do that.else, i use other method. :idea:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29108https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29108Mon, 18 May 2009 02:03:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 01:50:28 GMT]]>

ChiefKiasu:
smurf:

Hi Tamarind,


I've silently kept the Nintendo away from my boy! he did ask me now and then where is his nintendo. I told him he brought to the sch and teacher confiticated it.(he is quite forgetful and likes to bring things to sch) hee. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Smurf... I feel we should never lie to our children, even if it is \"for their own good\". A better approach is to tell him straight that you have kept it away, because of its negative impact on him. Give him the facts.

That said, I feel that moderation is key to everything we do. Handheld games need not be bad, if they are used sparingly and under the right conditions.

Wah Chief, you read my mind... my exact sentiments...tell the truth and everything in moderation is my mantra too. Just to add one more point, coach the child to be discerning on the choice of games. No issue playing games as it can help in their reflexes training but guide them to make the right choices on types of games, i.e. the non-violence and non-sexual ones.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29107https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29107Mon, 18 May 2009 01:50:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 01:42:14 GMT]]>

smurf:
Hi Tamarind,


I've silently kept the Nintendo away from my boy! he did ask me now and then where is his nintendo. I told him he brought to the sch and teacher confiticated it.(he is quite forgetful and likes to bring things to sch) hee. ๐Ÿ˜‰
Smurf... I feel we should never lie to our children, even if it is \"for their own good\". A better approach is to tell him straight that you have kept it away, because of its negative impact on him. Give him the facts.

That said, I feel that moderation is key to everything we do. Handheld games need not be bad, if they are used sparingly and under the right conditions.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29103https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29103Mon, 18 May 2009 01:42:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 01:29:56 GMT]]>Hi Tamarind,


I've silently kept the Nintendo away from my boy! he did ask me now and then where is his nintendo. I told him he brought to the sch and teacher confiticated it.(he is quite forgetful and likes to bring things to sch) hee. ๐Ÿ˜‰

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29100https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29100Mon, 18 May 2009 01:29:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Computer games stunt teen brains on Mon, 18 May 2009 00:41:45 GMT]]>

tamarind:
smurf:

How about handheld game such as Nintendo or PS2??


Children should spend their time exploring the world, not fix their eyes on a small little box.

The eye doc I went to chided me for letting kid play handheld - too close to the eyes, even went on to educate me about an advertisement from Health Ministry which shows a picture with a handheld and a big 'BANNED\" word across it.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29093https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/29093Mon, 18 May 2009 00:41:45 GMT