Neuroscientist calls for study on video game addicition

Reports cite that a leading neuroscientist is set to call for UK ministers to fund a new study into how impactful repeated use of computer games and social network sites can affect children.

“To the best of my knowledge, no serious research work had been done anywhere on the impact of repeated use of computers on the development of the brain, yet I know there is huge interest in the subject amongst parents,” comments leading neuroscientist and director of the Royal Institution, Lady Greenfield to The Guardian.

Lady Greenfield remarks that these studies would assess reasons as to why children find sites so addictive, and whether similar attractions could be replicated in real world circumstances. She also says that the studies could find ways to make it clear to a child there are consequences for the way they played, and what they did when playing games.

“It is a big change in society that we should try to understand. Think of the money we will be spending on other issues, yet we are taking this big risk with children’s lives. It is something parents would like to know more about. The environment of children has been changed in an unprecedented way in the past 10 years and we need to know whether it is affecting them,” she continues.

Social network sites have never affected me personally, although I felt compelled to fit this news item into 140 characters or less. It’s a pity I failed.