Academics warn 'junk culture' ruining childhood

[Joey2ness]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0916?hub=World

September 16, 2006
A leading group of British intellectuals warned this week the modern world is poisoning childhood with unhealthy food and virtual reality.

Often, experts said junk food is actually fueling children's time on the Internet and playing video games. The result appears to be affecting minds and learning ability.

We're talking about depression and people can no longer think in a common-sense kind of way," said psychologist Del Lowenthal. "At least in surveys, they're showing that people are worse now as children than they were a few years ago."

[Kärnfysikern]

I dont think video games are a problem. Heck its alot more intellectualy challanging to play a video game than to watch tv. There are loads of video and pc games that require alot of thinking. Im willing to bet many video games stimulate intellect more than reading because of the active participation.

But I think all the junk food will have a impact. I remember reading about some school in america that just switched to healtier foods and as a results the kids started behaving better and making better results in studies.

[breacherup]

"British Intellectuals"- piss on them all, there is a mind set that believes if you aren't sitting around reading Dickens or Wordsworth then you are wasting your time. A few generations ago it was Rock and Roll that was ruining the world, the folks that grow up on Rock invented the Internet and the micro technology that we all benefit from today.
Sorry for the mini rant but I grew up around academics and don't have much respect for them as a group.

[singern]

I dont think video games are a problem. Heck its alot more intellectualy challanging to play a video game than to watch tv. There are loads of video and pc games that require alot of thinking. Im willing to bet many video games stimulate intellect more than reading because of the active participation.

But I think all the junk food will have a impact. I remember reading about some school in america that just switched to healtier foods and as a results the kids started behaving better and making better results in studies.

Agreed.
Video games are not a problem, Much more thought evoking, and mental exercise then watching TV. I love them, I play them with my kids all the time.

Having said that, I have to add that the sedentary lifestyle of sitting on the couch with a remote control in one hand, pizza, and cheesecake in the other hand, Nothing good can come from this, be it physically, mentally or even socially.

[Phreak101]

Moderation in all things leads to a great and lasting lfie. The problem, mostly from my fellow Americans, are fat assed, lazy 12 year olds who do nothing but eat the McDonald's their lazy mothers by for them while they sit in front of an ultra-violent video game for 6 hours on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

I see it all the time and it makes me sick. I see no problem with video games in general, albeit the messages some of them are sending could be a little better. (I don't enjoy having my 8 year old cousin ask me about the main character is Grand Theft Auto screwing then killing a hooker)

[Logan13]

I dont think video games are a problem. Heck its alot more intellectualy challanging to play a video game than to watch tv. There are loads of video and pc games that require alot of thinking. Im willing to bet many video games stimulate intellect more than reading because of the active participation.

But I think all the junk food will have a impact. I remember reading about some school in america that just switched to healtier foods and as a results the kids started behaving better and making better results in studies.

I think that their point is that children are not out playing and getting exercise, instead they get this "exercise" via gaming. Unheathly diets and a sedentary lifestyle equates to fat kids.

[Kärnfysikern]

I think that their point is that children are not out playing and getting exercise, instead they get this "exercise" via gaming. Unheathly diets and a sedentary lifestyle equates to fat kids.

sure. But to specificly target video games instead of saying that a sedentary lifestyel is the problem is wrong imo. The article wasnt very well stated.

[J.S.N.]

I think that their point is that children are not out playing and getting exercise, instead they get this "exercise" via gaming. Unheathly diets and a sedentary lifestyle equates to fat kids.

no, you're missing the point. they're claiming that tons of gaming at a crucial age leads to underdeveloped cognitive capacity in children, much like when you don't learn a language by a certain age you will never learn it flawlessly.

this may be true but meh it's not like these little ****ers aren't in school for hours a day.

at any rate i hate alot of shit in tv. instead of socializing children ki's shows just grunt and drool at them. it's like it's designed to produce morons.

[Logan13]

no, you're missing the point. they're claiming that tons of gaming at a crucial age leads to underdeveloped cognitive capacity in children, much like when you don't learn a language by a certain age you will never learn it flawlessly.

this may be true but meh it's not like these little ****ers aren't in school for hours a day.

at any rate i hate alot of shit in tv. instead of socializing children ki's shows just grunt and drool at them. it's like it's designed to produce morons.

"(Children) still need what developing human beings have always needed, including real food (as opposed to processed "junk"), real play (as opposed to sedentary, screen-based entertainment), first-hand experience of the world they live in and regular interaction with the real-life significant adults in their lives," the group warns.
No, I do not think that I missed the point at all (BOLD above)
Kids have always been in school as they are today. The facts are that athletics participation is down, test scores are down, and obesity is way up.
As for the claim that tons of gaming at a crucial age leads to underdeveloped cognitive capacity in children, they seem to have quite a few learned people and studies behind this statement. What do you have to counter these claims besides your opinion?

[Kärnfysikern]

"(Children) still need what developing human beings have always needed, including real food (as opposed to processed "junk"), real play (as opposed to sedentary, screen-based entertainment), first-hand experience of the world they live in and regular interaction with the real-life significant adults in their lives," the group warns.
No, I do not think that I missed the point at all (BOLD above)
Kids have always been in school as they are today. The facts are that athletics participation is down, test scores are down, and obesity is way up.
As for the claim that tons of gaming at a crucial age leads to underdeveloped cognitive capacity in children, they seem to have quite a few learned people and studies behind this statement. What do you have to counter these claims besides your opinion?

I agree with just about everything you said.

But by the way many games are made they surely stimulated intelligence. Just take a game like starcraft where you have to have a good grip for strategy, what to build, where to place your units, how fast to expand ect.
Team first person shoothers where you have to cooperate, rpg games where you have to think how to develop your character.

I used to be the fat game freak in grades 6-9 but it never hurt my intelligence since I had the second best grades in the school. Games and the internet also taught me most of the english I know.

If I where a parent I would not let my kids play to much but I would encourage playing a bit. Especialy games that require a bit of thought. Gaming is surely a much more brain stimulating activity than tv. Its so obvious I dont need any studies to back it up.

Nothing replaces playing hide and seek, soccer or something like that offcourse.

One danger I think is real is that the increased comunication over the net is leading kids to become socialy underdeveloped. Every dude I know that used to play as much video games as me when we where kids are a bit odd in social situations and tend to shy away from them.

[Logan13]

I agree with just about everything you said.

But by the way many games are made they surely stimulated intelligence. Just take a game like starcraft where you have to have a good grip for strategy, what to build, where to place your units, how fast to expand ect.
Team first person shoothers where you have to cooperate, rpg games where you have to think how to develop your character.

I used to be the fat game freak in grades 6-9 but it never hurt my intelligence since I had the second best grades in the school. Games and the internet also taught me most of the english I know.

If I where a parent I would not let my kids play to much but I would encourage playing a bit. Especialy games that require a bit of thought. Gaming is surely a much more brain stimulating activity than tv. Its so obvious I dont need any studies to back it up.

Nothing replaces playing hide and seek, soccer or something like that offcourse.

One danger I think is real is that the increased comunication over the net is leading kids to become socialy underdeveloped. Every dude I know that used to play as much video games as me when we where kids are a bit odd in social situations and tend to shy away from them.

It is not my intention to bad-mouth gaming, man I love video games. I still every once in a while go to the arcade to let off steam. I have my online versions as well, but the shit is so addicting for me that I put it in storage. Tribes and Quake online frickin' rocked. I do not know about the brain development claim from these studies, but it is obvious that children are replacing playing football in the backyard with playing football online.

[J.S.N.]

"(Children) still need what developing human beings have always needed, including real food (as opposed to processed "junk"), real play (as opposed to sedentary, screen-based entertainment), first-hand experience of the world they live in and regular interaction with the real-life significant adults in their lives," the group warns.
No, I do not think that I missed the point at all (BOLD above)
Kids have always been in school as they are today. The facts are that athletics participation is down, test scores are down, and obesity is way up.
As for the claim that tons of gaming at a crucial age leads to underdeveloped cognitive capacity in children, they seem to have quite a few learned people and studies behind this statement. What do you have to counter these claims besides your opinion?

"We're talking about depression and people can no longer think in a common-sense kind of way," said psychologist Del Lowenthal."

stupid.

[Kärnfysikern]

It is not my intention to bad-mouth gaming, man I love video games. I still every once in a while go to the arcade to let off steam. I have my online versions as well, but the shit is so addicting for me that I put it in storage. Tribes and Quake online frickin' rocked. I do not know about the brain development claim from these studies, but it is obvious that children are replacing playing football in the backyard with playing football online.

Same here, if I get caught up in a game I waste far to much time. Nowdays I cant though because my computer is shit I cant play anything new.

If kids just get better food on the table I think some things will sort themself out. Bad food realy zaps energy.

I cant belive how stupid most parents realy are, cookies, icecream, candy, burgers...and then they think "why did little johnny get so fat, must be genetics".

[BajanBastard]

Moderation in all things leads to a great and lasting lfie. The problem, mostly from my fellow Americans, are fat assed, lazy 12 year olds who do nothing but eat the McDonald's their lazy mothers by for them while they sit in front of an ultra-violent video game for 6 hours on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

I see it all the time and it makes me sick. I see no problem with video games in general, albeit the messages some of them are sending could be a little better. (I don't enjoy having my 8 year old cousin ask me about the main character is Grand Theft Auto screwing then killing a hooker)

Last time i checked the GTA series and games like them are for adults (rated M for mature) so as usual parental negligence is at fault.

[biglouie250]

i think that video games instead of human contact is a problem. important social skills are learned in athletics and i think all kids should play sports and play minimal video games when there is no school work to be done. do we want to spawn a generation of overweight unathletic paleface morons? no.

[Logan13]

"We're talking about depression and people can no longer think in a common-sense kind of way," said psychologist Del Lowenthal."

stupid.

again, this is a fact based study. You may not agree with it, but you need more facts to back up your view, rather than just calling it "stupid".

[RA]

Like the junkfood and vids jumped out and made the kid fat...like this stuff has a mind of its own! If the parents would shut the shyt off and make the kid eat veggies=no problem. I have four kids. None of them spend excessive amounts with video games/watching tv/on computer/eating crap.

If they got fat I would adjust their diet/exercise amount.


btw, I usually have a couple of them working out with me

[J.S.N.]

again, this is a fact based study. You may not agree with it, but you need more facts to back up your view, rather than just calling it "stupid".

i wasn't talking about the study.

[Logan13]

i wasn't talking about the study.

10-4, what were you speaking of?