Study "Strongly" Links Gaming With Kids' Poor Attention Spans
- Thread starter John Funk
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This is MADNESS!
I've been a gamer since 6 years of age. got my Nintendo brick in '95 and found it quite the lesson getting through the 3rd world on Super Mario Land than than listening to irrelevant times tables. (3x2 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ)
I'm pretty sure it developed my attention and awareness further. I had the Gameboy above the desk when the teacher isn't looking and in my lap when I see her head turn around out of the corner of my eye.
I've been a gamer since 6 years of age. got my Nintendo brick in '95 and found it quite the lesson getting through the 3rd world on Super Mario Land than than listening to irrelevant times tables. (3x2 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ)
I'm pretty sure it developed my attention and awareness further. I had the Gameboy above the desk when the teacher isn't looking and in my lap when I see her head turn around out of the corner of my eye.
I bet they don't suffer from any attention deficit when they're gaming. The simple fact is, education is dull, repetitive, and designed primarily to create obedient drones for the workforce. The amazing part is that anybody pays attention without sedation.
Oh, and they studied 1232 kids out of an elementary school age population of 8,661,000, for a total percentage of, wait for it, 0.01422468537120425.
This doesn't demonstrate causation, correlation, or even a trend. This is why we should be very wary of any poll or study extrapolating from a minuscule sample to the general population and stating "This is proof!"
Oh, and they studied 1232 kids out of an elementary school age population of 8,661,000, for a total percentage of, wait for it, 0.01422468537120425.
This doesn't demonstrate causation, correlation, or even a trend. This is why we should be very wary of any poll or study extrapolating from a minuscule sample to the general population and stating "This is proof!"
Psssh you lie. Oh zee topic. Most studies interview a certain and only type of people.ProfessorLayton said:
I can see the correlation between attention span and my gaming. Of course, it seems that whenever I am doing something that I don't particularly enjoy/don't want to do, I have an extremely hard time concentrating. This could just be me though, Gaming just happens to be the easiest thing for me to focus on I suppose.
My motto for these studies: Correlation does not imply causality. I'm betting that you also found a certain brand of toothpaste at those children's homes, doesn't mean that contributes. I say, get rid of the damn attention-draining toothpaste!
I'm sure that games have actually given me a longer attention span. Huge RPGs and MMOs just have also made me slightly obsessive.
I'm sure that games have actually given me a longer attention span. Huge RPGs and MMOs just have also made me slightly obsessive.
Yes, it actually was sarcasm..Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon said:
but just because you aren't affected by it, doesn't mean other kids aren't.
Also.. you spelled a lot of words wrong.. so maybe they distract you from english class? Just kidding.. but still, I was in highschool when WoW came out, and I can say for me, and a bunch of my friends, thats all we did, and our grades took a hit from it. Halo LAN parties didn't help either. Hell, in the barracks we still play halo instead of doing our jobs!
Maybe its because school and studying is boring as shit and no kid wants to be there?
What about kids who play outside? Who use their imaginations to play? Does that mean playing outside causes short attention spans?
I know damn well I'm not the only kid who daydreamed about playing outside with friends during school.
What about kids who play outside? Who use their imaginations to play? Does that mean playing outside causes short attention spans?
I know damn well I'm not the only kid who daydreamed about playing outside with friends during school.
In fairness, this is one of the more valid claims against video games. But still, the "study" seems inconclusive by itself.
The current trend in media is one-upsmanship; the newest movie/show/game must have more sex, violence, and explosions! It's an unfortunate vicious cycle where the more sensory overload the audience experiences, the more desensitized they become.
I don't think it really should be up to education alone to make study material more interesting. If kids these days are more attention-deficit than before, where does it end? There probably needs to be a media-wide consensus to dial back the progression in sensory overload. Otherwise, the ultimate end-game would be where we become zombie-slaves to flashing lights and sounds, unable to function in a quiet space.
Or maybe it's just the old man in me doing my whole "Back in my day" speech.
I don't think it really should be up to education alone to make study material more interesting. If kids these days are more attention-deficit than before, where does it end? There probably needs to be a media-wide consensus to dial back the progression in sensory overload. Otherwise, the ultimate end-game would be where we become zombie-slaves to flashing lights and sounds, unable to function in a quiet space.
Or maybe it's just the old man in me doing my whole "Back in my day" speech.
I lol'dUBERfionn said:
OT: I have ADHD (like not as a general excuse, I was diagnosed by my GP) so now I guess I have my favourite hobby to blame for why I find myself switching from playing Dragon Age to posting on here to playing my drums to making a drink all within the space of 15 mins
Am I the only one who thinks that this might be a little dicey due to the fact that they only tested elementary students? Aren't little kids notorious for having short attention spans and being hyperactive to begin with?
Whatever. Just because there is a correlation doesn't mean squat, and they say as much in the article. But if we drop the pants of pretentiousness, it's rather easy to see that this is yet another veiled attack, claiming games ruin the lives of kids and will make the next generation worse than the last one.
Games, like everything else that is fun and interesting in this world, is best done in moderation, and you shouldn't let them control your life.
Whatever. Just because there is a correlation doesn't mean squat, and they say as much in the article. But if we drop the pants of pretentiousness, it's rather easy to see that this is yet another veiled attack, claiming games ruin the lives of kids and will make the next generation worse than the last one.
Games, like everything else that is fun and interesting in this world, is best done in moderation, and you shouldn't let them control your life.
Kwil said:
If you read a book - a good book - it will stay with you, you'll think about the story, the characters, the themes etc. long after you've read it, and you'll be thinking about it when you're presented with things that are less interesting.
That doesn't mean you live for the book, it just means it's engaged you far more then something from mundane from reality. That doesn't make it the be all and end all in your life.
Argh, sickening xD
If anything, video games, with decent story and gameplay, can get a "nervous" (so as to not jump on the ADD bandwagon) kid to concentrate. If you ever, ever played super mario, or mario kart, or even tetris as a kid, you know there's no time to NOT pay attention.
If anything, video games, with decent story and gameplay, can get a "nervous" (so as to not jump on the ADD bandwagon) kid to concentrate. If you ever, ever played super mario, or mario kart, or even tetris as a kid, you know there's no time to NOT pay attention.
Shit, I know this is true.
My mom let me play half-life while is was in elementary school (with the blood turned off..she even put a password on it!) and I know that's what I was thinking about a lot when I should have been multiplying 2x2.
My mom let me play half-life while is was in elementary school (with the blood turned off..she even put a password on it!) and I know that's what I was thinking about a lot when I should have been multiplying 2x2.
Tell that to my nights playing Bioshock and Portal till 12:00 at night and getting nothing lower than a B- on my report card in the same year.
As that poster for that awful Dikatana said:
SUCK IT DOWN.
As that poster for that awful Dikatana said:
SUCK IT DOWN.
It's simply part of a coordinated, multi-pronged attack on gaming. Really, there is nothing to be surprised about here. Every single avenue of attack that can be conceived of is being tried, if one or more of them succeeds in getting people to scream "oh please big goverment, take away my freedom, and protect the children!" it will be a success.
See, the problem with the logic here is that there are also studies that claim to show that the US is behind in terms of academics and other things, yet some of the countries that are kicking our can (allegedly) are much more heavily into gaming than the US. Japan and Korea both come to mind.... not that I entirely agree with these statistics either (for various reasons, which I have gone into before)... the point being that the same guys making this claim about how video games are hurting our kids in school are typically going to be the same guys who will argue about how countries with bigger gaming habits are outperforming us when they want to try and make another kind of statement.
A big part of the problem is that I don't think people really understand ADD and ADHD very well. It became a hip diagnosis for a while to present the illusion of medical professionals doing something. In the end this lead to some people who got strict with kids and pretty much shoved a boot up their butts getting them to change, leading a lot of people to believe that these conditions can be dealt with the same way. There is a differance between a kid with ADD or ADHD and a kid who is just being lazy/a jerk/slacking off... typical non-medical problem kid stuff.
The thing about ADD and ADHD is that it causes trouble focusing on things even when the victim in question wants to. Things like TV and Video Games don't cause ADD and ADHD, but can get people with those types of problems involved with them because of the way the content works and that it can rapidly change.
ADD and ADHD are an inherant condition, not something that you catch. I'm a sufferer and got mine from brain damage. One of the ways to tell if someone is really afflicted with one of these conditions or if a doctor is BSing you, is to look at what the person in question has tried to do. A real ADD or ADHD sufferer probably has tried to do a lot of differant things (that can involve anything from taking Karate Lessons, to trying to play an insturment, or similar things) and then ultimatly failed because despite their interest they just couldn't remain focused on it. A regular person who wants to try something like that can force themselves to focus to make an effort, even if they wind up failing. An ADD or ADHD person generally can't, indeed when a person with these conditions tries to force themselves to focus on such things they tend to get tired since literally their body will try and shut itself down/knock itself out than try and stay unsuccessfully focused.
Basically what I'm getting at is that a lot of ADD, ADHD sufferers lose themselves in things like TV and computers because content moving at that speed and with that much changing stimulus is something they can enjoy. After a while people with these conditions just figure "F@ck it" and stop caring about other things, which can bother people (especially parents) who sometimes wind up banging their heads into walls in frustration because they aren't trying any more.
As I said, I've been there and I'm currently able to articulate thoughts on the subject that I don't think many kids can.
Also depending on severity, when looking at an ADD/ADHD gamer, you might very well find that he/she moves around between dozens of games (usually a very expensive habit for people like this) and rarely finishes them, compared to many people who play a game from start to finish. That's a sign of a really serious problem, since the person in question is having trouble even staying focused on that form of escapism. When it comes to TV, in really bad cases it leads to compulsive channel surfing and such.
See, the problem with the logic here is that there are also studies that claim to show that the US is behind in terms of academics and other things, yet some of the countries that are kicking our can (allegedly) are much more heavily into gaming than the US. Japan and Korea both come to mind.... not that I entirely agree with these statistics either (for various reasons, which I have gone into before)... the point being that the same guys making this claim about how video games are hurting our kids in school are typically going to be the same guys who will argue about how countries with bigger gaming habits are outperforming us when they want to try and make another kind of statement.
A big part of the problem is that I don't think people really understand ADD and ADHD very well. It became a hip diagnosis for a while to present the illusion of medical professionals doing something. In the end this lead to some people who got strict with kids and pretty much shoved a boot up their butts getting them to change, leading a lot of people to believe that these conditions can be dealt with the same way. There is a differance between a kid with ADD or ADHD and a kid who is just being lazy/a jerk/slacking off... typical non-medical problem kid stuff.
The thing about ADD and ADHD is that it causes trouble focusing on things even when the victim in question wants to. Things like TV and Video Games don't cause ADD and ADHD, but can get people with those types of problems involved with them because of the way the content works and that it can rapidly change.
ADD and ADHD are an inherant condition, not something that you catch. I'm a sufferer and got mine from brain damage. One of the ways to tell if someone is really afflicted with one of these conditions or if a doctor is BSing you, is to look at what the person in question has tried to do. A real ADD or ADHD sufferer probably has tried to do a lot of differant things (that can involve anything from taking Karate Lessons, to trying to play an insturment, or similar things) and then ultimatly failed because despite their interest they just couldn't remain focused on it. A regular person who wants to try something like that can force themselves to focus to make an effort, even if they wind up failing. An ADD or ADHD person generally can't, indeed when a person with these conditions tries to force themselves to focus on such things they tend to get tired since literally their body will try and shut itself down/knock itself out than try and stay unsuccessfully focused.
Basically what I'm getting at is that a lot of ADD, ADHD sufferers lose themselves in things like TV and computers because content moving at that speed and with that much changing stimulus is something they can enjoy. After a while people with these conditions just figure "F@ck it" and stop caring about other things, which can bother people (especially parents) who sometimes wind up banging their heads into walls in frustration because they aren't trying any more.
As I said, I've been there and I'm currently able to articulate thoughts on the subject that I don't think many kids can.
Also depending on severity, when looking at an ADD/ADHD gamer, you might very well find that he/she moves around between dozens of games (usually a very expensive habit for people like this) and rarely finishes them, compared to many people who play a game from start to finish. That's a sign of a really serious problem, since the person in question is having trouble even staying focused on that form of escapism. When it comes to TV, in really bad cases it leads to compulsive channel surfing and such.
I can appreciate that the researchers openly pronounced that this was a correlation and not a causal finding. Very good on them! Honestly, though, I don't imagine it will be hard for someone to conclude eventually that this is a causal relationship. Humans naturally adjust to their environment, and when your senses are overwhelmed by twitch-reaction gaming and bite-size TV engagements, there's no where for the attention span to go but down. I'll readily admit that my attention span is pretty dismal and I do feel that gaming has contributed to that.