Video games are often considered toys. Toys are often considered for kids. A recent study released shows that the kids playing video games are older and they face health issues.
The study showed the average age of video gamers to be 35 years old, not the young college age some may think. Gamers are also typically overweight, introverted and could be depressed.
In a report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the study involved 552 adults from 19 to 90 in age and they lived in the Settle-Tacoma area. Of the 552 adults that participated in the survey, 45% claimed to be video gamers.
Men made up 56% of those that claimed to be video gamers. Compared to the men that were not gamers, those men that were gamers or used the internet were on the average overweight than those that did not.
The women in the study that were video gamers or used the internet showed more signs of poorer overall health and greater levels of depression. The study gave the indication that women use games and the internet as a distraction to their problems and as a substitute for their social support. Dr. James Weaver III of the CDC stated that the women seemed to be using the games and the internet as “digital self-medication” and that “in short, they literally ‘take their minds off” their worries while playing a video game.”
This study of adult video gamers shows the same results as earlier studies on adolescents reported. Regardless of the age of the video gamers or those that spend lots of time on the internet are typically overweight and may have some depression issues. This is mostly to do with the lack of physical and in-person social activity and poor eating habits while they are sitting in front of the game or computer.
There is hope for those addicted to video games and the internet. For those that can, they can simply limit their time playing the game or on the computer and allow for more time to do physical activities and getting out. But for those that cannot break their addiction to video games or the internet on their own, there is a whole industry being created to help. Places like reSTART, Lifeline Interventions and intervention911 are just a few of the resources people can seek help in controlling their time on video games and the internet.
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