Video games cause loss of gray matter according to a study
Ways of leisure there are many, and new technologies has opened the catalog of fun ways. In recent decades, video games have become a household appliance, causing a great debate about the effects they cause on children. Several negative effects are related to the video game: increased sedentary lifestyle, loss of visual ability, social isolation, addiction, etc.
Now, a new study conducted by the University of Stetson in DeLand, Florida, has found a new effect of the video game in the smallest: the loss of gray matter. Some titles, especially those of action, cause that the brain of these users is affected and that they increase the possibilities of developing mental illnesses in the future.
Action titles
This study focused specifically on titles called 'shooter'. That is, video games that expose a camera in the first person and that submerges the player in an adventure where he must shoot several enemies. Other investigations of the past determined that these articles increased the visual acuity of their users and their Reaction capacity.
Researchers at Stetson University wondered if there would be any counterpart of these Benefits. What could be the cost? To find the solution, the researchers gathered 100 people who were regular users of video games. In all of them, MRI tests were performed to evaluate the impact on the hippocampus, the part of the brain that helps with spatial and episodic memory.
The results showed that the gray matter present in the hippocampus it was reduced in those who navigated the same games. These users demonstrated a capacity for reasoning and practically moved by intuition within this video game. "We know that those who have less gray matter in the hippocampus have a greater risk of developing conditions such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and Alzheimer's disease," explained one of the authors of the study, Dr. Veronique Bohbot.
Video games and alternatives
The authors of the study emphasize that these results do not mean that children can not use video games. But they should reduce their consumption to a minimum and look alternatives for this form of fun they take more hours than the use of video game consoles.
These are some alternatives for the little ones in the house to have fun without sticking their eyes in a screen:
- Family trip. Cheap, simple and also means a way out of a sedentary lifestyle. Leaving the couch to go for a walk is a good alternative to video games that can also be done as a family.
- Courses and sports. There are many sports and academic courses that will increase the curriculum of children. You just have to find the one that impassioned it and point it out.
- A getaway. The weekend comes, why not escape from the screens? A small getaway to a nearby town or countryside will make these days a fun and family fun days.
- Crafts. The crafts are an excellent pastime for the little ones. In addition, thanks to them, the fine motor skills of children will also be enhanced and their creativity increased.
- Go out and play. Instead of playing through the video game console, why not make the child stay with his friends and enjoy these leisure activities in person.
Damián Montero
