jdreyer wrote on Jan 10, 2013, 16:02:

Yeah, that rant goes off the rails at the end into typical Fox hate of Obama and "Liberal" culture, but I've read this part elsewhere:

Using computer games, our sons and daughters can pretend they are Olympians, Formula 1 drivers, rock stars or sharpshooters. And while they can turn off their Wii and Xbox machines and remember they are really in dens and playrooms on side streets and in triple deckers around America, that is after their hearts have raced and heads have swelled with false pride for “being” something they are not.

It is something to be concerned about in children, IMO (not that I think there's evidence that it makes people narcissistic). I have no idea if gaming has a negative effect on the developing mind, but I think it's a valid research topic. Your brain enters a different alpha state compared to doing other activities and it would be interesting to know if that has an effect or not if you do it as a child for hours a day. We already know that TV watching correlates strongly with ADHD incidence. Brain wave patterns are different game playing vs. TV watching, but are there any negative effects? I think it's an interesting question.

Research found that playing video games helped boost self-esteem and mental development as well as physical activity levels. The lady anchor seems kind of pissed at the prospect, but the research seems sound! The government currently recommends children spend no longer than an hour a day in front of a screen. According to Dr Daniel Johnson of the Queensland University of Technology though, the right child playing the right game could spend 3 or 4 hours playing and still be considered a healthy amount.