Gamers are fickies

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Posted on 22 Aug 2001 at 14:44

Neurological research suggests that videogame playing is going to be responsible for the production of an 'educationally-disadvantaged' generation with a propensity for violence.

A team in Japan, headed up by brain-mapping expert Professor Ryuta Kawashima, has conducted an experiment on two groups of teenagers at Tohoku University, reports The Observer International Online.

One of these groups was required to perform a simple and repetitive arithmetic exercise, while the other got to sit and play Nintendo games. Mr. Kawashima's team, with top range tech at its disposal, was able observe the levels of brain activity in both groups while the experiments were taking place.

As a result it was discovered that videogame playing only stimulated the parts of the brain that are associated with movement and vision, while the arithmetic exercise stimulated both left and right hemispheres of the frontal lobe, the part of the brain most associated with learning, memory and emotion.

The concern is that videogame playing may stunt development of the frontal lobe, which in turn could create an individual that would find their emotional control affected - this could lead to difficulties with controlling certain anti-social behavioural elements.

This part of the brain is apparently still developing in humans until they reach their early twenties, so, according to Kawashima, it is teenagers and young children that are most at risk.

The conclusion that Mr. Kawashima draws from his findings is the need for parents to help their children with reading and writing and to encourage them to go out and interact with other kids, which should, he says, help them to retain their creativity and become better behaved.

Author: Stuart Bishop