Question of the Day, July 11, 2010

[Brnin8]

I think that they maybe are looking at kids who have poor attention spans to begin with.
I have a decent attention span, sometimes I'm prone to distraction, but that applies to most people. I don't feel that my attention span has changed at all over the course of my life as a gamer, if anything it changed for the better.

 

[LazerFX]

No, not at all. To play a computer game the way you should, you've got to concentrate a great deal. Playing a racing game, a classic adventure (MI2:SE ftw), even a modern FPS, you've got to concentrate, continued focus, determination...

 

[Nemu]

Yes, but not all of the time...


I mean, I can SOMETIMES recall a conversation or something that someone said to me (who did not get a grunt or nod in response...)

I would add, tho, that both gaming and being athletic when I was younger have honed my reaction abilities, tho.

For instance: if I am putting things on a shelf, and accidentally knock something off, without looking at it, I catch it 99% of the time. I reckon that without learning to react quick, that jar would have shattered. lol

I'm also able to scroll down lists on computers at work at a high rate of speed and find wot I need easily.



I suppose it's like losing one sense, I might be "deaf" to some people sometimes, but I "see" a lot better now. ;D (Okay, now I KNOW I'm reaching...)

 

[The Night Shade]

A little bit but it isn't just gaming i have the same problem with movies and music

 

[Keava]

I think i was too old when games really started to be popular to even be able to experience any possible negative effects. I still grew up mostly with books, while games in my early years were only available to me through very few, hidden arcade places. Even when i got myself my first PC the games were paced differently to what is common in these days.

 

[Me55enger]

Hm...? what?

Sorry... attention was elsewhere...

 

[Davey Woo]

Too late to pull the "sorry I wasn't paying attention." gag.
I don't know really, I only ever pay attention to things that interest me and I don't think gaming has affected that mindset.

 

[soapyshooter]

I don't know what kind of twat runs these so called "studies" but they seem to pull crap out of their ass. I have tons of friends who are gamers and they have normal attention spans. There might be people out there who are affected but i refuse to believe its a big chunk of gamers.

Also these things seem to contradict themselves. One time they say it kills vision, the next month a new study comes out saying gaming improves vision.

These things do nothing but provide idiot politicians with ammo so they can appeal to soccer moms and say "games hurt kids" and make that into a platform.

 

[Woem]

I don't think that's the c

 

[FactualSquirrel]

Well I expect it does to some extent, but perhaps it has also made it better, I've got to sit through respawns and loads, and I can usually do that quite easily.

 

[Gudrests]

it makes a type of....wanted ADD...where if you want to pay attention to a certian thing and your interisted....you will pay attention to that and only that...but if you get bored...you look for something else

ADHD, I was diagnosed with that once but never followed through with meds or anything.

ADD now they call it ADHD because ADD is "politically incorrect" .....smh

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

Maybe a little bit for the better. I know I've walked away from certain games with a more pragmatic approach to problem-solving, and that definitely makes it easier to knuckle down and focus.

 

[I Resurection I]

I'd say a bit, cause playing MW2 has taught me that if you aren't paying attention all the time then your doomed.

 

[ProtoChimp]

A bit I guess but that's only because games are more interesting than school.

 

[Patton662]

I'm able to focus on a single task for more than few hours. So I guess it doesn't.

 

[dragonslayer32]

i think gaming has made my attention span better. as mentioned by others, if you don't pay attention in MW2, you are screwed.

 

['Aredor]

I'm missing the option "No it doe... oh, look, a butterfly!"

 

[Angus565]

No actually, I've never had any problems with video games affecting my- Ooh look, a bird... What were we talking about? Man I love soup...

O.T: No video games have never affected my attention span negativly.

 

[Burningsok]

I'm not sure, but I think it might of affected my attention span just a tiny bit.