If your kids are constantly playing video games, they are at risk of suffering from depression and even addiction to the games, according to a new study.
The recent research, just released, found that excessive gaming can also cause anxiety, social fears and bad performance in school by children.
The somewhat controversial study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, claimed that children who play video games too much may actually get addicted to them, an addiction that requires treatment.
The research was co-authored by Professor Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University, and involved 3,034 elementary school children in Singapore during a two-year period. Nine percent of the children would be considered “pathological” gamers.
Children who were categorized as excessive gamers averaged 31 hours a week playing video games, according to the study. And kids who were impulsive and had poor social skills were more prone to become addicted to video games.
The study brought a quick response, and denial, from the faming industry. And even some academics who study gaming questioned whether excessive gaming reaches the level of addiction.
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