Game playing

In the past, there have been claims that playing video games excessively can lead to increased levels of violence in individuals, especially younger children. Fair enough. To some extent, I do I agree about how society is now becoming slowly desensitised to violence and what was once considered gross misconduct is now probably an everyday norm for most people. Violent games may encourage this but I don’t think they are the sole culprits as other factors need to be considered i.e. schooling, parenting, family and friends etc.

In addition to previous claims, there is now a new study which indicates that excessive game playing can create poor postures which can lead to rickets. Rickets is a disease in which bones become brittle and more susceptible to breakages due to a lack of vitamin D. Sounds bad right? After reading this article in the Metro newspaper, I thought I’d read up on the study online. To my surprise I found that this latest piece of research seems to have been misrepresented by the Metro newspaper. The original research states that more vitamin D is required in our diets to stop rickets, which seems to have increased over the last 50 years. This is partly to do with our diet and our lifestyle choices. The original research does make a passing reference to computers but does NOT state a direct link to rickets and video games. I’m guessing the paper wanted to make a big impact with eye catching headlines rather than report the actual findings, which may not have been so sensational and thereby manipulating the research to suit the newspapers objectives.

Initially after reading this article at University (and this is an insight into how my crazy brain works), an image popped into my head. I imagined an irate 10 year old rushing towards with filled with rage, after playing ‘Call of Duty’, raising his arm to attack me and we hear a sharp crack, signalling that he has well and truly broken something. I shared this notion with my fellow medics and we couldn’t help but giggle. And then the giggling spread. And spread. And well I guess you just had to be there. And please trust me when I say that we are NOT a sadistic bunch of people. It’s just that sometimes the tiniest things can set us off :P

Anyhow as someone suggested surely this could be a good thing for the community. Maybe when the rage filled younger members of society go out to cause mayhem, they find out that they physically can’t any longer for the fear of breaking something from even the slightest sudden movement.

Result? I think so. But still shame on the Metro for lazy journalism! Tut tut tut!