Forget Teens: Gamers Are 35, Overweight — And Sad, CD...
<h1>Forget Teens: Gamers Are 35, Overweight — And Sad, CDC says</h1><div class="entryDescription">
When you think of a hard-core gamer, do you picture a teenage boy battling his friends in World of Warcraft?Think again.<p>The average gamer,far from being a teen, actually is a 35-year-old man who is overweight,aggressive, introverted and… often depressed, according to a report outthis week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ( download PDF). The study also showed that the when children and teenagers become game players, a trend toward physical inactivity and corresponding health problems extends and exacerbates into adulthood.</p><p>“Among researchers, there is growing concern and uncertainty aboutthe health consequences of video game playing,” the CDC reported.“Given the ubiquity of video games — industry estimates suggest thatthey are played in 65% of American households — these concerns may bejustified.”</p><p>The study notes that half of gamers are between 18 and 49 years old,while 25% are 50 and older. The CDC also pointed out that of onlinegamers aged 8 to 34, nearly 12% showed multiple signs of addiction.</p><p>The study, based on a 2006 online survey of 552 people between theages of 19 and 90 who were living in the Seattle/Tacoma area ofWashington state, also shows differences between male and female gamers.</p><p>Men reported that gaming gives them a “reason to get together,” while women are looking more for a diversion that social interaction. Despite their differing reasons for playing, many of the health effects remained the same.</p><p>Jim McGregor, an analyst at In-Stat, noted that his concern isn’t just with gaming but with social networks, as well.</p><p>“My issue is that it’s not just gaming. It’s social networking. It’sthe Web in general,” said McGregor. “We’ve gained so much, but still itputs people in front of a computer screen for hours on end. It givesAmericans just another reason to be fat, dumb and lazy.”</p><p>According to the CDC, both male and female gamers were more likelyto report being overweight, having more poor-mental-health days andbeing less socially outgoing. Women, however, were more apt to dealwith depression and report more health issues than women who aren’tgamers. For men, they reported more obesity.</p><p>“One interpretation of these findings is that, among women,video-game playing may be a form of digital self-medication…. In short,they can literally take their minds off their worries while playing avideo game.” noted the CDC. “Among men, the association among sedentarybehaviors, physical inactivity and overweight status observed inchildren and young adults may extend into adulthood.”</p></span></h1>
<h1>Forget Teens: Gamers Are 35, Overweight — And Sad, CDC says</h1><div class="entryDescription">
- <li class="entryAuthor"> By Sharon Gaudin idg@johnabell.com <li class="entryDate"> August 23, 2009 | <li class="entryTime"> 10:53 am | <li class="entryCategories"> Categories: Social Media <li class="entryEdit">
