Study "Strongly" Links Gaming With Kids' Poor Attention Spans

[Nova5]

What it seems to me is most kids who are 'gamers' in the traditional sense (not the re-discovering old ideas casual sense - farmville doesn't count here) are quite apt at multi-tasking. The problem being multi-taskers get bored when forced to focus in on any one thing. Because it's boring. Key word.

Reminds me of the ADD/Ritalin episode of South Park.

 

[SyphonX]

Or, maybe.. just maybe, these kids had attention problems to begin with. Which was most likely caused with problems at home or a poor upbringing -and "gaming" or "TV"- is something that they've used to cope with such a situation.

So rather than gaming or TV being the cause, the cause was already there and the child chose to latch onto something distracting because they were raised poorly, or they have other similar issues that is at no one person's fault. Gaming is distracting, yes, but it isn't a disease, nor is it a substance. You need to have an addictive personality to begin with -or an attention deficit disorder- to notice any causality, a false one at that.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

I'm sorry, Mr. Funk, but I was too busy paying attention to Mass Effect 2 for hours on end. What did you say?

 

[Loonerinoes]

Let me tell you something about attention spans of kids.

My brother is a decade older than me by now (36 years old) and has had a fair bit of experience teaching music in many different kinds of grade schools, where attention spans of kids are usually the worst.

In just 6 months he enjoyed more success with his teaching as well as more admiration from both other professors and his own students than anyone else has at that school for as long as they can remember.

Why? Because he grew up as a gamer. He understood, that to entice the younger generations of today you need to adapt your teaching methods so that they hook their shorter attentions spans properly. And sure enough, his students started to pester him more and more to tell things about music they'd never dreamed of. He didn't compare the classical music examples to the kids, he compared things like Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody or Metallica as examples, ones that he could support with musical theory as well to boot.

All of these kids that study under him suddenly have incredibly long attention spans in his classes while they remain bored within other classes run by more senior and old-school professors.

Gaming making kids have shorter attention spans? More like the older generation being unwilling to adapt to their needs as being such and instead clinging onto the past with studies like this one IMHO.

 

[Random Argument Man]

I wonder what would happen if they did a study with a book club. BOOKS CAUSES ATTENTION DISORDER.

No, it will probably never happen.


Although, I'm a bit curious on what would be a better thing between focus or attention on multiple things.

 

[Woodsey]

You mean to tell me that people can't pay attention for very long to things they're not interested in?

Why, this is unheard of!

Except it's not that easy. This wasn't just "kids pay less attention to stuff that isn't flashy" it was "gamer-kids pay less attention than non-gamers"

If it was just a case of "that doesn't interest me" then it would seem there shouldn't be any difference between the control group and the gamer group, right?

Like the Funk suggested though, I think it's quite possible that if you've been exposed to something so far out of the ordinary then it's only normal for you to either:

a) Think about that far more

or

b) Find everything else less interesting by comparison

 

[DoctorObviously]

*Looks at title of thread, moves along.*

 

[BabySinclair]

What? Statisticians that know the difference between causation and correlation? Quick, hide your Z-scores and correlation coeficiants!

 

[Loonerinoes]

Ahahaahah.. this thread is hilarious.

A thread about gamers being more likely to have ADHD is filled with people who couldn't muster their attention long enough to read the whole half-page article where the researcher explicitly says that it's just a correlation and does not imply causation, and go on to post exactly that.

And yet it concludes with: "It wouldn't surprise me if children who have attention problems are attracted to these media, and that these media increase the attention problems."

This one is a bit more careful about what it says, but read between the lines and you can see the pressure. Or we could be projecting a bit too much onto it, I'll give it that too.

 

[Dexiro]

I agree i guess. I find it hard to concentrate on something i have no interest in, not sure if that's what the study is getting at.

Maybe it's just that games are stopping kids from finding other things that they're interested in, I have some friends that are a little clueless about their ambitions because all they've done is play games and watch tv. I don't blame them but i can see why it'd be difficult for some people.

 

[Aimless Flea]

A new study suggests that there is... Oh! Look! A butterfly!

 

[forsinain42]

tl;dr



I jest, I jest.

Although it's true. I've never had an easy time concentrating (I've opened 3 different tabs since i started writing this)so maybe there is some truth to this. However I'm a writer and so not being able to concentrate actually helps in a weird way...

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

I think it would be better for the kids if we focused on making the process of learning more interesting.

Maybe get the kids to do some active learning, keep them engaged.
Get them to research or experiment, if you can relate what one is trying to teach to something they like, or can at least relate to, I bet they would learn better. (If not, maybe we should try to get THEM to relate it to themselves)

In my experience, I've forgotten most of the stuff I did at GCSE, and I only remember it when I am prompted, (like in a quiz show or something...).

But! I could probably talk to you about videogames for hours on end, (from how frustrating the mine cart level from Donkey Kong Country was when I was little, (though I learned the trick to it later on! ), to whether or not DRM is a worthwhile cause in the long-run).

(Its just such a shame my University doesn't have any decent academic resources related to the videogame industry, else I would likely blitz through the entire course! (an exaggeration there XD))

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Couldn't be bothered to read the article. No explosions.

 

[Tireseas_v1legacy]

Congrats, a study supports a hypothesis that may very well also explain the greater problems with the ability of modern consumers to not digest basic news and be attracted to the "infotainment" that plauges the US news market.

 

[Dr_Roxo24]

just because i spend my summers playing games all day doesnt mean im.... wait what was i talking about?

 

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

I actually agree with this study, it's true.

Is this sacasm? I'm confused.
If not BULL-FUCKING-SHIT!
Seen as I am classed as a 'child' by most adults I know this is wrong.
I am the most video game obsessd person in my year and possibly school.
I am also one of the smartest and most motavaited person in my school I got 5 M6's (second highest motervaitional score), 5 M7's (highest) 1 M5 and 1 M4 with an avarage of 6.3 abouts. You need high attention to get high motavation. The REAL attention span destroyer is drugs, alchahol and ciggarets which 1/4 of my year do/drink/take on a daily baises.
We're all 13-14 year olds.
Sorry about that rant I had to get it off my chest.
Also I've been playing VGs scince I was 4 and have had no attention problems.