AT&T Tech Support 360AMA: Video game addiction not clear yet
The American Medical Association on Wednesday said it is not yet ready to link heavy video game playing with addiction.
"Given that approximately 70 to 90 percent of U.S. youths play video games," the association said in a statement, "the AMA today called for more research on the long-term beneficial and detrimental effects of video game and Internet use."
AMA President Ronald Davis said the organization is still concerned about the effects of heavy play on kids, urging "parents to closely monitor their children's use of video games and the Internet."
The finding is a retreat from a recommendation from the AMA's Council on Science and Public Health, which earlier had suggested linking overly frequent play with addiction.
The thing is, there's no doubt that many kids play too many video games, but addiction is an awful strong word. And what would the treatment be? Locking them up and giving them a Tetris drip?
Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between. E-mail Daniel.
If you play soccer, you're playing with advanced, adaptive intelligence and physics, with a high definition interface- but you have to have equipment and such, and there is potential for real injury. Over the next few years, as our interfaces become more and more advanced, I see a lot more people turning to this kind of thing.
I don't view it as a problem at all- as long as they have to go out and earn money to get their hardware, I think kids will be fine. The social aspect of things like that is still very important, and there are few things I find more enjoyable than a good game of tremulous with a bunch of friends on skype. As far as exercise goes, I'd have to say I can really work myself into a sweat with a good, intense game. I've not often been more pumped than when I was trying to get through Halo's Truth and Reconciliation on legendary. Nerdy? Yes. But I don't view that as a problem either.
If you don't like it, give them the source to the games and turn them into a programming exercise