Now Video Games to Blame for Kids Vitamin Disease
Games and TV to blame for rickets
The Times has a story regarding a report in the British Medical Journal by Professor Simon Pearce and Tim Cheetham, of Newcastle University that blames TV and video games for vitamin D deficiency in children.
In fact, the paper says: "The many hours children spend indoors playing computer games or watching television may be to blame for a resurgence of rickets."
Professor Pearce commented, "Kids tend to stay indoors more these days and play on their computers instead of enjoying the fresh air. This means their vitamin D levels are worse than in previous years.”
While Dr Cheetham (who The Times decides to call 'Cheatham' in some ancient game-guide slip maybe) says, "I am dismayed by the increasing numbers of children we are treating with this entirely preventable condition. Fifty years ago many children would have been given regular doses of cod liver oil, but this practice has all but died out."
We thought kids were all outside on street corners trying to emulate GTA IV or Counter-Strike or Manhunt.
In fact, the paper says: "The many hours children spend indoors playing computer games or watching television may be to blame for a resurgence of rickets."
Professor Pearce commented, "Kids tend to stay indoors more these days and play on their computers instead of enjoying the fresh air. This means their vitamin D levels are worse than in previous years.”
While Dr Cheetham (who The Times decides to call 'Cheatham' in some ancient game-guide slip maybe) says, "I am dismayed by the increasing numbers of children we are treating with this entirely preventable condition. Fifty years ago many children would have been given regular doses of cod liver oil, but this practice has all but died out."
We thought kids were all outside on street corners trying to emulate GTA IV or Counter-Strike or Manhunt.
Comments
deleted 22 Jan 2010 11:55
1/5
Will SPOnG Recognise that games arent perfect and of course this makes sense, any child in doors for prolong amounts of time will of course have less exposer to sunshine and therefore vitamin D, sure its not soley games, but includes TV, Music even books and outright cant be arsed-ness and some might argue games consoles such as DS or PSP allow children to play and remain in the sun, but you guys get so very defensive over this not proved either way stuff everytime. i say take it all with a pinch of salt but dont write it away as garbage instantly.
i am currently writing an essay on the effects of videogames on children as anon bias argument for both sides for pyschology class, one thing i have come across is zero yes pretty much zero evidence that videogames actually effect children in any way other than providing developmental skills but that equally implies there is zero eveidence that they dont effect children.
I think an important thing to think about is that there is a possibliity that video games can effect children but whats important is that parents or guardians keep rated games out of there hands that way we will have no problems whatever the results eventually will be.
We thought kids were all outside on street corners trying to emulate GTA IV or Counter-Strike or Manhunt.
you forgot Doom :-)
i am currently writing an essay on the effects of videogames on children as anon bias argument for both sides for pyschology class, one thing i have come across is zero yes pretty much zero evidence that videogames actually effect children in any way other than providing developmental skills but that equally implies there is zero eveidence that they dont effect children.
I think an important thing to think about is that there is a possibliity that video games can effect children but whats important is that parents or guardians keep rated games out of there hands that way we will have no problems whatever the results eventually will be.
SPOnG wrote:
We thought kids were all outside on street corners trying to emulate GTA IV or Counter-Strike or Manhunt.
you forgot Doom :-)
Troy 23 Jan 2010 10:43
2/5
The media will always find a way to blame something else for problems and not blaming the actual source. It's McDonald's, it's video games, it this and that and this and that. How about you do the right thing and blame the parents? If the parents weren't too lazy to be outside with the kids, doing things with them, going on walks and playing ball, children wouldn't be fat or vitamin deprived because some video game.
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config 23 Jan 2010 19:11
3/5
The bigger issue here is that when kids do go outside, The Man is telling parents that it's not safe to expose the kiddies to the sun, so they end up wearing hats and a greasy layer of sun block.
Kids could probably spend all day outside in the mid-summer sun and still get rickets.
You reckon they factorered that into their study?
Anyway, what's the big deal? Keep the kids inside, away from the UVA/UVB, busy roads, drugs dealers and kiddy fiddlers, and let them play games, read book or watch TV - they can just pop a pill to keep the deficiency at bay. I'm so sure that Wii Fit will stop them being fatties...
Kids could probably spend all day outside in the mid-summer sun and still get rickets.
You reckon they factorered that into their study?
Anyway, what's the big deal? Keep the kids inside, away from the UVA/UVB, busy roads, drugs dealers and kiddy fiddlers, and let them play games, read book or watch TV - they can just pop a pill to keep the deficiency at bay. I'm so sure that Wii Fit will stop them being fatties...
DrkStr 25 Jan 2010 09:22
4/5
haritori wrote:
Will SPOnG Recognise that games arent perfect and of course this makes sense, any child in doors for prolong amounts of time will of course have less exposer to sunshine and therefore vitamin D, sure its not soley games, but includes TV, Music even books and outright cant be arsed-ness
That's the problem right there, many things to do in doors will stop kids being exposed to vitimin D, but they aren't listed. Many things will stop kids getting fresh air and exercise, but they aren't mentioned. Every time it's agmes, because they are the new thing.
A kid that stays indoors and reads books all the time will be praised for being studious, but they don't get exercise, they don't get visitimin D and they don't socialise with other kids, but books get a free ride.
TV used to be blamed for everything, but now it's games that are blamed and not TV. The scaremongers just seem to be fixated on the latest thing every time. Is it any wonder that sites like spong will go "here we go again" when every thing that's wrong wih kids is laid at gaming's door
DrkStr 25 Jan 2010 18:32
5/5
haritori wrote:
i am currently writing an essay on the effects of videogames on children as anon bias argument for both sides for pyschology class, one thing i have come across is zero yes pretty much zero evidence that videogames actually effect children in any way other than providing developmental skills but that equally implies there is zero eveidence that they dont effect children.
I just re-read this dribble and realised you've said a stupid here.
Zero evidence of one thing doesn't imply zero evidence of the other. There is zero evidence that cows can fly, that doesn't imply there is zero evidence that they can't!
If you're trying to say there is zero conclusive evidence either way, then that's a fair statement, but that's not what you said there.