New study finds that violent video games can be healthy for kids

[FantasyGhost]

A new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health has found that playing violent video games does not lead to violent behavior in teens.
Researchers looked at more than 1,200 seventh and eight graders who played video games regularly.

"We found that most boys 12-14 years old are playing mature-rated video games, so this idea that 'M' rated games cause shootings or major violence just doesn't hold water," said Cheryl Olson SC.D., Massachusetts General Hospital.

The study also found that violent video games can help teens deal with their emotions like stress and anger.

"We don't know whether playing to get anger out is a good thing or a bad thing for any individual child, but we suspect that it might be healthy for a lot of kids," said Olson.

Moreover, Olson says playing video games is also a social activity.

They're more likely to play with a group of friends in the same room or over the Internet. This stereotype of a solitary violent gamer up in his room wasn't born out, at least in our study," she said.

Researchers say parents should be aware of the games their children play and limit their use by keeping the consoles and computers out of the bedroom.

The final message to parents about video games and their kids:

"It's not going to ruin them, they're not going to go out and pick up a gun. Violent video game play is typical and normal for kids nowadays. That doesn't mean that parents have to like it, but they shouldn't panic about it," said Olson.http://gamerush.zoomshare.com/files/my_images/GameRush_Entertainment_New_study_finds_that_violen t_video_games_can_be_healthy_for_kids_News.htm

[Coded-Dude]

*panics*

[koten]

Nothing like reading news I already knew about.

[Phoenix]

Well, I wouldn't call them healthy for kids, but I'm glad to hear that someone is jumping off of this deep end rather than the other for a change.

[Khaos]

Could be healthy, if it relieves stress or anger that could otherwise build up. Depends on how you look at it.

[Boggy700]

Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.


Everybody is different, that is why there can never be a definitive all-inclusive conclusion on the way violent video games affect the psyche of all who play them.

[Lucent Beam]

so this idea that 'M' rated games cause shootings or major violence just doesn't hold water

I agree that it is not a direct cause, but it certainly doesn't help if a psycho kid is allowed to become absorbed in violent media such as video games without a parent monitering and observing their usage and mental state.

[curryking1]

Depends on how you look at it.

Doesn't depend on how you look at it.

Only thing it depends on is the person, just like it was alluded to in the article up there. Everyone has their own threshold and appraisals for every situation.... which is exactly what Boggy just said lol.

@Lucent - exactly, depends on the individual, there's no rule that will ever apply to everyone. Parents got to do the job they accepted when they had children and protect and monitor the children's behaviour. M rating is a recommendation and a warning, so if the child isn't able to handle the subject matter, the parents should be stepping in already.

But on it's rule for 'most' people, I agree with koten, what did anyone not know here already?

[TheGreenElf]

It should all be looked at on a case-by-case basis really, but to blatantly say they do (or don't, for that matter) affect people in any way emotionally (even violently) would be wrong. Although this is the kind of article that will be mixed between the classified. :(

[Khaos]

Haha, curry. That's what I meant by looking at it differently. We can' t be sure violent games will have only this effect. It should be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Though studies can probably still conclude upon an average/expected reaction. I.e. violent video games normally do not spur youth violence, but in most cases, actually relieve tension from stressful lives.

[Gaul]

I killed an innocent young woman outside my house because Grand Theft Auto said I could.

[the boney king of nowhere.]

all these "studies" really amount to nothing.

[Boggy700]

Instead of studying the causes of society's sadness, people should be studying how to be happier.
That's how I live- I mean, "roll."

[curryking1]

Just because you don't read the reports about those doesn't mean people don't do that.

You'd kind of wonder how there is a whole discipline which has the fundamental goal of making people happier. And even still, making people happier would include adding things that make people happy and take away things that do the opposite.

Psychology's goal is the improve the happiness of people. But they look at all possible variables and study how each affects the happiness of people. They can't just 'assume' what variables make people happy and just try and study those because 1) that would be counterintuitive to let your assumptions spoil your research and 2) not everything is black and white where we already know the things that make people happy and which don't. Some things (like clearly videogames) are something everyone is not yet sure about in how it affects people's happiness.

[Gummy]

Cooking Mama makes me wanna stab a porker.

[Viper]

I hated mushrooms as a kid and no matter how much Mario made them look cool and I'd become a mega sized ass kicker, I still wouldn't eat them.

There's a lesson in there somewhere.

[curryking1]

Mushrooms don't taste good no matter how cute they can be?

[Gaul]

You couldn't find the awesome red mushrooms with white spots, and in your frustration and misery you decided to settle for a less cool mushroom, which turned out to be a hallucinogen, which caused you to run full speed into a wall because you had suddenly gained the ability to pass through solid objects, and in doing so killing yourself, thus meaning you couldnt eat mushrooms even though they are in the mario games?