Gamers Have One Big Social Problem....

[koko-goal]

Computer game players 'more likely to drink, ignore family and have low self-esteem'
Regular players of computer games are more likely to drink alcohol, stop talking to their family and have lower self-esteem, a new study has found.

The study found that regular players were also more likely to drink alcohol or use drugs than others.

Although "gamers" have long denied the accusation that they are anti-social loners, scientists believe they have proof that long hours spent attempting to better "top scores" could have far-reaching consequences.

The study found that regular players were also more likely to drink alcohol or use drugs than others.

"The most striking part is that everything we found clustered around video game use is negative," said Prof Laura Walker, from Brigham Young University, in Utah, who led the study.

She said previous studies had only examined the issue of aggression but added: "It appears video games are related to a host of other negative outcomes."

Research into the habits of more than 800 university students found that most of the men asked, 55 per cent, were regular players, using their games console at least every other day.

By contrast, only around 7 per cent of women admitted that they played computer games that often.

However, the games appeared to have a stronger effect on their confidence.

Female gamers were more likely to suffer low self-esteem than other women, an effect not seen among male players, the study found.

Regular gamers were also around 10 per cent more likely to drink alcohol and take drugs than students who rarely played the games.

Those who played computer games every day were three times as likely to use cannabis as those who never played, the findings, published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, show.

As the amount of time spent playing the games increased, the quality of relationships with friends and parents deteriorated, the study also found, although the effects were described as "modest".

Prof Walker said that it was still unclear whether playing computer games caused other social problems, or were merely a symptom of them.

"It may be that young adults remove themselves from important social settings to play video games, or that people who already struggle with relationships are trying to find other ways to spend their time," she said. "My guess is that it's some of both and becomes circular."

Researchers now want to test whether the games also cause harm to romantic relationships.

"The gender imbalance begs the question of whether chasing a new high score beats spending quality time with a girlfriend or wife," said Alex Jensen, one of the co-authors of the study.

Source

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Last edited by koko-goal; January 27th, 2009 at 02:55..

[Phil]

That's bunk really. You can't say gamers are more likely to drink....their could be a number of reasons why they took up drinking

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[snickothemule]

I call shenanigans.

Research into the habits of more than 800 university students found that most of the men asked, 55 per cent, were regular players, using their games console at least every other day.

There is your problem right there. Uni students are only a small demographic of the gaming populace, with the average player age at 26. The demographic they chose are already alcoholic stoners who are aggressive from having to meet their assignment schedules, not from gaming. I am sure that if these researchers had any level of competency they would have pursued information from the general public from many different regions and ages, not just an in house survey.

Worst.Researchers.Ever.

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Last edited by snickothemule; January 27th, 2009 at 03:22..

[bobrocks95]

EVAR! Should have been added on the end of your post there Snicko.

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Originally Posted by Halo 3: ODST review

The game's audio and sound were almost universally lauded. A significant departure from the consensus was offered by Kuchera, who wrote that the saxophone touches "[sound] like the softcore porn they show on Cinemax after midnight".

[Paratech]

Gee, I'm terrible at statistics and I know you should have a bigger and more varied number of test subjects. How can they ignore the fact that their results are from a limited survey?

Yeah, let me study students at Franklin High School in Franklin, Pa and say I now understand how high school students from around the world behave...

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[snickothemule]

Duly noted bobrocks

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[Paratech]

Originally Posted by snickothemule

I call shenanigans.



There is your problem right there. Uni students are only a small demographic of the gaming populace, with the average player age at 26. The demographic they chose are already alcoholic stoners who are aggressive from having to meet their assignment schedules, not from gaming. I am sure that if these researchers had any level of competency they would have pursued information from the general public from many different regions and ages, not just an in house survey.

Worst.Researchers.Ever.

And from what Universities? There's a huge difference between Edinboro University, Pa and say Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or the other thousands of High Education Institutions that exist globally.

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[Lord Zedeck]

I play games, and I don't do drugs or drink alcohol. I never have, and never will.

I don't ignore my family. I am especially close with my girlfriend (I consider her my family), my sister, and pets (again, I consider them family). I also have close relations with my mother, father, step-father, step-brother, and other sister (my two step-sisters have been out of state for years), just in more passive ways, but that doesn't mean it's nonexistent.

I don't have low self-esteem either.

I'm also the exact opposite of violent. I'm probably one of the most timid people you could ever meet.

As for time, it's a hobby. It's what I do, and what I enjoy, and part of who I am. My girlfriend knows this, and while it we don't spend every waking free moment together because of it, it hasn't caused any problems. It's just like anything else. Everyone has hobbies or things they enjoy, and all hobbies can be abused the wrong way or taken to the extreme, and this isn't any exception.

So, ungh, yeah, 0/5 for me. The fact is, everyone has "problems", no matter who they are or what they do. What was the point of tackling one in a poor way to throw negativity and blame towards it?

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[bobrocks95]

"Hey, these computer games are fun! I bet if I smoke some weed, they'll be even MORE fun!!!"

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Originally Posted by Halo 3: ODST review

The game's audio and sound were almost universally lauded. A significant departure from the consensus was offered by Kuchera, who wrote that the saxophone touches "[sound] like the softcore porn they show on Cinemax after midnight".

[Foxfyre]

In my experience gamers are more a[t to stay AWAY from things such as drugs and alcohol. Why? Because they're to busy starting at a screen and gripping their controllers.

I know while my friends we're getting in trouble with the cops when I was younger, I was at home playing video games and NOT getting in trouble, or drinking, or doing drugs.

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[raksmey1309]

Those scientists arent scientist just a bunch of troll ignore the fun

[Demi Fiend]

I'm a hardcore gamer since 7 years old, I was into drinks and drugs and I have a very low self esteem. Now I take anti depressants because I can't take street drugs no more or I'll die. Sometimes I drink beer, but I get really crazy cause of the meds. Who gives a **** !? No, I don't regret it.

[LensLarque]

It's life that make people go on drugs or become antisocial, not games.

At least gaming brings me some happiness and relaxation when I'm going through hardships in my life.

Screw these scientists.

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[Demi Fiend]

I agree.. I love games, it's the only good thing I can think about right now. It was completely different circumstances that lead me to booze 'n stuff. And a bit of bad luck as well.

[Linktothepast]

I love games, still i never took drugs or drunk excessively... Whatever....

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[Squall-Leonhart]

I'm a total druggo

*pops some antihistamines*

and an alcoholic
*drinks cough medicine*

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[Gossamer]

Is this to say there's something wrong with drinking alcohol? You just have to know what you're doing and well.. "drink responsively".
There's nothing wrong with drinking alcohol. There's everything wrong with being an alcoholic. I can't honestly say that any study is perfectly correct including this one. Since when do gamers include themselves in general studies for social research?

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[Mako Eyes]

Originally Posted by Lord Zedeck

I play games, and I don't do drugs or drink alcohol. I never have, and never will.

I don't ignore my family. I am especially close with my girlfriend (I consider her my family), my sister, and pets (again, I consider them family). I also have close relations with my mother, father, step-father, step-brother, and other sister (my two step-sisters have been out of state for years), just in more passive ways, but that doesn't mean it's nonexistent.

I don't have low self-esteem either.

I'm also the exact opposite of violent. I'm probably one of the most timid people you could ever meet.

As for time, it's a hobby. It's what I do, and what I enjoy, and part of who I am. My girlfriend knows this, and while it we don't spend every waking free moment together because of it, it hasn't caused any problems. It's just like anything else. Everyone has hobbies or things they enjoy, and all hobbies can be abused the wrong way or taken to the extreme, and this isn't any exception.

So, ungh, yeah, 0/5 for me. The fact is, everyone has "problems", no matter who they are or what they do. What was the point of tackling one in a poor way to throw negativity and blame towards it?

Originally Posted by Others

Related posts

You all have to realize that statistics never, ever, imply cause and effect, but rather they describe relationships between phenomena. Remember what the very first sentence says: Gamers are more likely to drink, ignore family and have low self-esteem. It did not say that gaming will result in heavy drinking, ignoring family, and having low self-esteem.

However, all of what I just said assumes that they were practicing good statistics, which they certainly were not. They limited their research to a small demographic of a small demographic. Not only was it targeted at university students only, but also only the students of one particular school (or at least that's how I read it).

Guess what? Many university students binge drink on a semi-regular basis and have low self-esteems. They're also fledgling people; trying to become accustomed to being away from home and learning to become independent. They're not "ignoring" their parents, they're telling them to back off from some things so they can take charge of their problems themselves. I should know, I see it all the time here on campus and do it myself as well.

This is just another horsecrap study that struggles to find some sorts of deleterious effects that video games have on people, but intentionally skew the study to bring the results into their favor. Nobody is going to take this seriously.

Except Fox News. Expect a breaking story about this study on the Fox network sometime soon.

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Last edited by Mako Eyes; January 27th, 2009 at 14:53.. Reason: I am a grammar slut

[Squall-Leonhart]

Anyone want to get drunk with me?

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[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Squall-Leonhart

Anyone want to get drunk with me?

Captain Morgan with coke?

Or do we prefer Jose Quervo with lime?

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