Question for Obama: do video games harm kids?

newsguy 0 Tallied Votes 448 Views Share

There's a really interesting blahblahtech posting that has popped up to address what it refers to as the "myth that video games harm children both socially and intellectually."

It approaches the debate from parental questioning perspective, which seems as good as any to be fair. Some of the research it picks up upon includes that which suggests gamers process information more quickly and multi-task better than non-gamers. I rather liked the research quote which was based upon surgeons playing Super Monkey Ball: "Surgeons who play video games three hours a week have 37 percent fewer errors and accomplish tasks 27 percent faster."

Obama has once again linked underachieving kids with video gaming. In a speech last week Obama promised to invest in education, but then added that "it won't make much of a difference if parents aren't turning off the television set and putting away the video games and making sure that our children are doing their homework."

Which is fair enough, but then at the same time it appears that Obama is moving his Presidential campaign in front of gamers by advertising inside Xbox 360 games such as Burnout Paradise and Madden 09. You can see his face on in-game posters asking for votes and promising change. Well, he is certainly delivering that - one minute video games bad, the next video games good!

scru 909 Posting Virtuoso Featured Poster

It's easy to misinterpret a statement like that. The way I see it, he didn't mean that video games and television are all out bad. Just that there's a time for everything, so when it's time for them to do their homework and what not, their parents should put them up to it and not let them spend *all* their time playing games and watching tv.

happygeek 2,411 Most Valuable Poster Team Colleague Featured Poster

I'm for anything that keeps the little darlings quiet. Mind you, I do have a cold and my kids are being a PITA right now, which might influence my judgment. :)

Aia 1,977 Nearly a Posting Maven

Video games. What a great tool for parents. Make it an asset to your advantage.

michinobu_zoned 0 Light Poster

The author of this post is taking what Obama said way out of context. Obama isn't attacking video games, he's just saying that if parents don't discipline their children and force them to do their work instead of play, then they won't get their homework done and no government program can fix this (logical statement). It's not like he's "flip-flopping" on the issue of video games, to say he's saying "one minute video games bad, the next video games good!" is pretty retarded. It's like something a thoughtless Republican might blurt out, just because he's on the look-out for something negative to say about a Democratic candidate.

michinobu_zoned 0 Light Poster

But, I'll add, that if gamers ARE spending too much of their time playing video games, for them to go out and vote, then Obama has no need for them anyways. Still, I don't think that he's trying to bash video games, just the practice of spoiling our children.

tiger86 16 Posting Pro

Wow now that is one tactic I have never heard of before Thats a good strategy move for his campaign.

Lonet 0 Newbie Poster

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Member Avatar for anu07
anu07

Video games aren't only thing spoiling us is it??So should we go out and campaign against how they should put a better environment at home and the surrounding areas so that isn't the absence of video games that are helping us "better" and to be "socially responsible".

reccakeys123 0 Newbie Poster

For me, Video Games cannot harm kids. I believe that all the technologies now a days can do no harm to anyone except when it is abuse. All we have to do is to watch the kids so that they won't play to much video games. Too much is very bad.... It can harm..

Jehnavi 0 Newbie Poster

Psychologists attribute three harmful effects of violence in the media that the suspects could also be applicable to play ultra-violent video games. They believe that players, especially children, may become more aggressive and develop positive attitudes about using violence to resolve conflicts. The researchers also found that children can be desensitized to violence in the real world around them, are less sensitive to pain and suffering of others and more willing to tolerate the ever increasing violence. There is also concern that very young players can begin to think that the real world is so wicked and dangerous in real life as it appears on the media and in video games.

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