ESA calls forthcoming gaming study ‘flawed’

[Drakonis]

Another one

The ESA (Entertainment Software Association) has issued a statement calling a forthcoming gaming study “flawed”. The study, conducted by Douglas Gentile and due for publication in the February edition of the Paediatrics periodical, apparently attempts to link video games with mental health problems in children from Singapore

[Ron2K]

Calling a survey "flawed" before the results are even out - it's almost like the ESA is totally comprised of MyBroadband members...

[StarBound]

What is there age classification of children? And why do they allow them to play games restricted beyond their age?

[Drakonis]

Ron - I believe that the ESA have seen the study but it will only become available to everyone else once the Feb issue of Pediatrics is released.
Starbound - The study seems to revolve around games causing mental health problems in kids. The age rating doesn't seem to be an issue, but I'll only know more once I get my hands on the actual study. Douglas Gentile's previous studies tried to link gaming to addiction and alcoholism. Violence/age-inappropriate content doesn't seem to be the main factor in his work.

[StarBound]

So they mimic mario jumping on turtles and eating mushrooms to grow?

I think if you do any study at the right time you can find that anything that is in the loop can cause mental health problems in kids. It use to be comics, now its video games. Pretty sure it was TV at some stage to.

[Sojourn]

My single-parent neighbor's son (12yo) developed "mental" problems from not having a dad in the house.
He is a total screww-up, I'd say a bit of dad-parenting mixed with doom and half-life would actually straighten him out.

The point I am trying to make is, the cases where you can lay the blame square on gaming's shoulders is very far in between.
I'd wager if gaming affects your kid's mental state, it is more a symptom of something more serious going on, than the cause.

[StarBound]

Specificly in america.

Xbox/ps3 with call of duty or Roxy's interactive whorehouse kinect edition is no substatute for family attention. Dare I say that jobs and payment for jobs have become such a problem that it is taking away family time? I mean I look at a specific job type.
Petrol attendants work 12 hours a day. Why? Because the taxi's they are dependant on only operate when they want to. Further more the pay is crap because its a job everyone and his dog can do. Yet take it away then we will have a huge unemployment issue because people are too stupid and unskilled to do something that pays more that takes more time yet has a higher risk.

Yet that's the way the world turn. Back to the flawed study now.