Researchers Say Some Video Games May Not Be For Kids

The holiday shopping season kicks into high gear Friday. Many kids will ask Santa and their parents for video games. But researchers, and now even some doctors, say some games are trouble. It's time

Friday, November 26th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6


The holiday shopping season kicks into high gear Friday. Many kids will ask Santa and their parents for video games. But researchers, and now even some doctors, say some games are trouble. It's time to start filling holiday orders and that means stuffing stockings with items that will bring lots of smiles. But could you also be giving bad health and stress to your children? Some researchers say yes, if that present is a violent video game.

"I really started wondering what was making him act this way," says Paul Lynch.
Lynch is a second-year medical student at the University of Oklahoma. His research on the effects video games have on the body began long before med. school.

"I started 10 years ago on my younger brother. At the time, I was 14 he was 7 he used to play video games in my room he was a pretty normal even-keeled kid, but when he would play video games he would get very angry and aggressive," says Lynch.

Since then, Lynch has studied the subject and even presented his findings at national medical meetings. He says while other people look at the emotional effects these games have, it's time for someone to research the physical influence of the games.

"We've showed with hostile aggressive boys their adrenaline goes up by 17 percent and this is not only a hormone that has been linked to psychological side effects, but also aggression in children," says Lynch.

Some parents say they've seen enough research in their own homes.

"I think it's true. I think that's what's wrong with a lot of these kids today," says Forrest Hummel.

"If you really look at it, it's true. I can see it sometimes on my own 6-year-old he'll get down there and get to playing on it and he gets excited and it's just a sports game," says Ray Bruce.

"I look and I can see already the aggression coming through here just wow," says Bruce.

Lynch says parents need to treat games like movies and follow the ratings system. Lynch says he's studied both girls and boys playing video games. He says girls do get aggressive, but in boys the aggression comes on stronger and quic
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