HDL

Average gamer is 35, often overweight and sad: study
Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:58am EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Video games might be regarded as an obsession for youngsters but in fact the average player is aged 35, often overweight, introverted and may be depressed, according to a U.S. study.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the behavior of 552 adults aged between 19 to 90 from the Seattle-Tacoma area.

They found 249 of these, or around 45 percent, were video-game players, with men accounting for 56 percent of these.

The researchers found that the men who played video games weighed more and used the Internet more than other men.

Women who played video games reported greater levels of depression and poorer overall health than non-gamers with researcher James Weaver and his colleagues suggesting video gaming for adults may be a form of "digital self-medication."

They said women in particular may immerse themselves in brain-engaging digital environments as a means of self-distraction.

"In short, they literally 'take their minds off' their worries while playing a video game," the researchers said in a statement.

Adult video gamers also seemed less outgoing, or extroverted, and less social and assertive than non-gamers.

This was consistent with prior research in adolescent video game enthusiasts that tied video game playing to sedentary habits, weight issues and mental health concerns.

Adult video gamers of both sexes relied more on the Internet for social support than non-gamers, which supports prior research suggesting that adult video game players may "sacrifice real-world social activities to play video games."

The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, concluded that there was "measurable" associations between playing video games and health risks.

"As hypothesized," the researchers reported, a higher body weight and a greater number of "poor mental health days" differentiated adult video gamers from non-gamers.

(Reporting by Reuters Health, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

© Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the behavior of 552 adults aged between 19 to 90 from the Seattle-Tacoma area.

Amazingly good scientific method - measure from one source that also happens to be known for depression....

Quote from: Vitandus on Sat, 2009-08-22 : 02:56
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the behavior of 552 adults aged between 19 to 90 from the Seattle-Tacoma area.

Amazingly good scientific method - measure from one source that also happens to be known for depression....

Heh heh!  I caught that too!  If they'd have run that study in San Francisco, they'd have concluded that most gamers are homosexual, or if in West Virginia, that most gamers have fleece in their pubic hair....   ZOMG  "Study of behaviour of 552 adults between 19 to 90 from the Oslo-Trondheim area reveals that most gamers are Norwegian!"    Fucking idiots.

On a related note, why the fuck are folks in Seattle depressed?  One of the prettiest areas of the country, with fucking great coffee, and they cry?  Pussies.  They need to learn to enjoy coffee more and learn to play in the fucking rain.

ADDENDUM:  This quote from the linked "Depressed cities" article says it all.
"A lot of people will come to communities such as ours to make a new start in life," Murphy said. "But if they bring habits from where they came from, nothing will change except geography."

Quote from: Capuloclavo on Sat, 2009-08-22 : 11:25
"Study of behaviour of 552 adults between 19 to 90 from the Oslo-Trondheim area reveals that most gamers are Norwegian!"    Fucking idiots.

I lol'd