Hooked to video games?

Hooked to video games?

Last updated:
Saquib Moosa, Product & Acquisition Manager
3 MIN READ

Until a few years back, I used to regularly play games on the computer. Titles like Need For Speed, etc. And the addictive nature of some of them would ensure that I was glued to it.

And when I finished there would be some form of residual image in my head. Everywhere I went, I would see the racing tracks from the game. Hold something and my mind would tell me that I was still holding the steering wheel.

Small wonder then that computer games have always been the bane of parents who are constantly behind their children for neglecting other activities and spending hours in front of it. But, there is a small glimmer of hope for the video games industry.

Hope for the industry?

Research done recently has found that video games can do a little good as well. Fast moving action-based games help boost visual ability, a study from the University of Rochester has shown.

For the study, two groups of students were given two types of games to play — an action game Unreal Tournament, and the less visually intensive Tetris.

After the test period the results showed that whereas playing Tetris had virtually no effect, Unreal Tournament did show some improvement.

"After just 30 hours, players showed a substantial increase in the spatial resolution of their vision, meaning they could see figures like those on an eye chart more clearly", said professor and researcher Daphne Bavelier from the university.

Beware of addiction

Despite this new study, the cons still outweigh the pros of video games. For one, addiction to such games can lead to playing long hours and the constant staring at the screen is undoubtedly a strain on the eyes. And in addition there is dizziness, fatigue, blurry vision, and obesity that comes with the lack of exercise.

The writer is a twenty-something techno-nut

Good Practices

Here are some general eye care tips that you would do well to follow when playing video games or games on a computer:

Don't sit too close to the screen. Go as far back as the cables or wires let you.

Take breaks of 10-15 minutes per hour if you're going to play continuously. Look away from the screen for a while if you can, focusing on some stationary object.

Avoid playing if you're feeling tired or have not had proper sleep or rest.

Read the manual before you play a new game, for any warning or requirement. One that I went through recently warned that the game was unsuitable for those with epilepsy and that the flashing lights in it could trigger an epileptic seizure.

Digital injuries

Newer technological innovations are going to let you burn calories while you play.

Controllers such as the one in the Nintendo Wii let you swing your arms while playing a game of tennis, giving you a realistic feel of holding a racquet at the same time.
But they also are causing some minor injuries.

The 'Wii elbow'

The Wii's controller is good, but it has caused some physical discomfort as well, in addition to pain caused by bumping into furniture, something described as a 'Wii elbow', playing tennis!

Digital injuries

Newer technological innovations are going to let you burn calories while you play.

Controllers such as the one in the Nintendo Wii let you swing your arms while playing a game of tennis, giving you a realistic feel of holding a racquet at the same time.
But they also are causing some minor injuries.

We ask: Are video games a guy thing?

"Guys like to play these games, but I am not as hooked. I prefer to watch a movie instead."
— Shaikh Mohammad Adel, foundation year, SZABIST, Dubai

"Yeah I guess girls don't like the violent games and stuff."
— Saeed Hussain, foundation year, SZABIST, Dubai

"Yeah that's true, we are just not fond of these things. We have other interests."
— Disha Kulchandani, engineering, Bits-Pilani Dubai Campus

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