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"Naivete in Gaming"

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Sat 08/12/01 at 18:49
Regular
Posts: 787
There are more ways than one that people think computer games can pose a health risk. Some people believe it can cause many different problems such as: Epilepsy, violence, headaches and addiction.

Can computer games cause epilepsy?

Fortunately the answer to this question is no. The National Epilepsy Society and the Consumer Safety Department of Trade and Industry have carried out exhaustive research into this area, and found that epilepsy cannot be caused by computer games. The study showed that a small number of people who already have Photosensitive Epilepsy can discover they have it through playing computer games and this is often misinterpreted as something caused by the actual game.

Do Video games make my children violent?

Absolutely not, children are not as thick as many people like to make out, I believe they have a far greater understanding of things around them than people realize. The idea of them not distinguishing the difference between make believe and reality is absurd. Especially if this make believe is on a computer screen, and I know that I'm not alone when I say this. The Research undertaken by ULTRALAB at the Anglia Polytechnic has shown that children can very clearly distinguish the difference between violence in computer games and the types of violence they hear about on the news. Finally I would like to point out that video games have been around for over 20 years and we are yet to become a bunch of mad psychopathic axe murders

Do Computer games cause headaches?

The answer to this is yes they do, as I’m sure you're probably all aware, but this is usually caused by several reasons, and some steps to avoid headaches can be taken:

Play in a well-lit room
Take regular breaks
Don't play for hours on end
Play the full distance possible from the screen
Use a monitor instead of a TV if possible
Stop playing should you feel unwell and consult a doctor.

The last reason may seem quite an unusual reaction but it applied to me a few years ago. I kept getting headaches from watching TV and playing games, but it wasn't for any of the reasons listed above, it was because I actually had an illness that caused headaches! (I had to take "Sanomigran Elixir" or something like that) So if your getting bad headaches regularly from playing the computer, it may not be because you are sitting too close to the screen, it may actually be because there’s something wrong with you.

Will children get addicted to games?

This question can be argued either way and all depends on your point of view. There have been numerous studies into this question all with differing results. I know hundreds of computer fanatics that simply can't draw themselves away but it doesn't mean they're addicted. An addiction is when you physically need something - not when you really like something.

Look at it this way.

If someone really likes football and plays it all the time, does that mean they're addicted? If someone simply loves books and it's basically all they do in their spare time, does that mean their addicted?

You can answer these questions either way depending on your point of view, and depending on your answer, it will determine whether you believe it possible to get addicted to games or not.

Games are no different to any other pass time in this respect. If someone likes reading then they'll read, if they don't then they wont, the same applies for games. Playing games is just another daily leisure activity and depriving children of it is like depriving them of books, and you would never think of doing that.

Games are not as educational as books.

Why not? They just teach people different things, from reading a novel you might be able to spell, read and write slightly better. From playing Quake you will be able to have faster hand to eye co-ordination and develop better Computer Skills (very useful in today’s society). You could argue that by playing games like Final Fantasy your are in effect reading a book, since you read all the dialogue when characters talk to each other. You still learn all the skills you would from a book, with the added bonus of learning to think and act quickly, and gaining computer skills.

I don't see why playing games is any worse than playing monopoly or chess.

Research has also shown that playing games actually redraws the brain's neural maps to encourage a more structured logical thinking process.

So maybe in 10 years time instead of being a bunch of mad psychopathic axe wielding maniacs intent on causing havoc and destruction, we will all be hyper intelligent beings capable of fantastic things and all because we played quality games like Resident Evil when we were nippers (just a thought).

Thanks for reading.
Firebalt.
Sat 08/12/01 at 18:49
Regular
"Fat Red-Capped Vale"
Posts: 427
There are more ways than one that people think computer games can pose a health risk. Some people believe it can cause many different problems such as: Epilepsy, violence, headaches and addiction.

Can computer games cause epilepsy?

Fortunately the answer to this question is no. The National Epilepsy Society and the Consumer Safety Department of Trade and Industry have carried out exhaustive research into this area, and found that epilepsy cannot be caused by computer games. The study showed that a small number of people who already have Photosensitive Epilepsy can discover they have it through playing computer games and this is often misinterpreted as something caused by the actual game.

Do Video games make my children violent?

Absolutely not, children are not as thick as many people like to make out, I believe they have a far greater understanding of things around them than people realize. The idea of them not distinguishing the difference between make believe and reality is absurd. Especially if this make believe is on a computer screen, and I know that I'm not alone when I say this. The Research undertaken by ULTRALAB at the Anglia Polytechnic has shown that children can very clearly distinguish the difference between violence in computer games and the types of violence they hear about on the news. Finally I would like to point out that video games have been around for over 20 years and we are yet to become a bunch of mad psychopathic axe murders

Do Computer games cause headaches?

The answer to this is yes they do, as I’m sure you're probably all aware, but this is usually caused by several reasons, and some steps to avoid headaches can be taken:

Play in a well-lit room
Take regular breaks
Don't play for hours on end
Play the full distance possible from the screen
Use a monitor instead of a TV if possible
Stop playing should you feel unwell and consult a doctor.

The last reason may seem quite an unusual reaction but it applied to me a few years ago. I kept getting headaches from watching TV and playing games, but it wasn't for any of the reasons listed above, it was because I actually had an illness that caused headaches! (I had to take "Sanomigran Elixir" or something like that) So if your getting bad headaches regularly from playing the computer, it may not be because you are sitting too close to the screen, it may actually be because there’s something wrong with you.

Will children get addicted to games?

This question can be argued either way and all depends on your point of view. There have been numerous studies into this question all with differing results. I know hundreds of computer fanatics that simply can't draw themselves away but it doesn't mean they're addicted. An addiction is when you physically need something - not when you really like something.

Look at it this way.

If someone really likes football and plays it all the time, does that mean they're addicted? If someone simply loves books and it's basically all they do in their spare time, does that mean their addicted?

You can answer these questions either way depending on your point of view, and depending on your answer, it will determine whether you believe it possible to get addicted to games or not.

Games are no different to any other pass time in this respect. If someone likes reading then they'll read, if they don't then they wont, the same applies for games. Playing games is just another daily leisure activity and depriving children of it is like depriving them of books, and you would never think of doing that.

Games are not as educational as books.

Why not? They just teach people different things, from reading a novel you might be able to spell, read and write slightly better. From playing Quake you will be able to have faster hand to eye co-ordination and develop better Computer Skills (very useful in today’s society). You could argue that by playing games like Final Fantasy your are in effect reading a book, since you read all the dialogue when characters talk to each other. You still learn all the skills you would from a book, with the added bonus of learning to think and act quickly, and gaining computer skills.

I don't see why playing games is any worse than playing monopoly or chess.

Research has also shown that playing games actually redraws the brain's neural maps to encourage a more structured logical thinking process.

So maybe in 10 years time instead of being a bunch of mad psychopathic axe wielding maniacs intent on causing havoc and destruction, we will all be hyper intelligent beings capable of fantastic things and all because we played quality games like Resident Evil when we were nippers (just a thought).

Thanks for reading.
Firebalt.
Sat 08/12/01 at 19:11
Regular
Posts: 23,216
Firebalt wrote:

"Can computer games cause epilepsy?"

Flashing lights can, and there are flashing lights in many games.

So yes.

Lemme tell you a story.

There was once a road in the middle of nowhere on a flat stretch of land. This road, for some reason, had many more deaths on it that normal.

It wasn't until a detective drove down the road at sunset did he realise what was going on.

There were pillars lining each side of the road... and when you drove down it at speed, at sunset or sunrise, the light would shine through the gaps, and it would seem they were flashing at you.

This then sparked off many epileptic fits in people, those that knew that had it and those that didn't, and crashed the cars into the pillars.

Odd little story that.
Sat 08/12/01 at 19:16
Regular
"May Contain Nuts"
Posts: 871
Grix Thraves wrote:
> Firebalt wrote:

"Can computer games cause epilepsy?"

Flashing
> lights can, and there are flashing lights in many games.

So yes.

My sister has epilepsy, and I can tell you games don’t cause epilepsy. They may trigger it if you have it. Or if you don’t (like in your story) it will cause you to have a fit, but this is not epilepsy. Otherwise we all have it, because anyone can have a fit if the circumstances are right!
Sat 08/12/01 at 19:20
Regular
""
Posts: 2,925
Aparently if u have epilepsy don't play for over 30 mins.

=B0p
Thu 10/02/11 at 12:28
Regular
Posts: 46
General question ...

I am refining some rules for Aeronef and want to move from a D6 to either a D12 or a D10.

Are you more likely as a gamer to have a D10 than a D12?
Tue 01/03/11 at 22:47
Regular
Posts: 51
Sorry, Ssendam. I missed this when you posted. I would asume that most gamers have d10's rather than d12's but I may be wrong. It doesn't really matter as both are readily available.
Wed 02/03/11 at 10:41
Regular
Posts: 46
My new Aeronef rules use a D10 (I was considering a D12).

I'll send you a copy or put a link up here soon as I've made some major changes.

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