About one in ten video game players shows signs of addictive behavior that could have negative effects on their family, friends and school work, according to a new study conducted in New York.
Researchers at Iowa State University(ISU) and the National Institute on Media and the Family found that some gamers show at least six symptoms of gambling addiction such as lying to family and friends about how much they play games, using the games to escape their problems and becoming restless when they stop playing.
They may also skip homework to play video games or spend too much time playing games and do poorly in school. “While the medical community currently does not recognize video game addiction as mental disorder, hopefully this study will be one of many that allow us to have an educated conversation on the positive and negative effects of video games,” said Dr Douglas Gentile, an assistant professor of psychology at ISU.
Dr David Walsh, the president of the National Institute on Media and the Family which tries to reduce the harm of media on the health and development of children and families, said the findings are a wake-up call.“This study gives everyone a better idea of the problem,” he explained.
The researchers, who studied 1,178 American children and teenagers, aged 8 to 18, found some displayed at least 6 of 11 symptoms of pathological (病态的) gambling as stated by the American Psychiatric Association. Addicted gamers played video games 24 hours a week, twice as much as casual gamers. Some addicted gamers even steal to support their habit, according to the findings that will be published in the journal Psychological Science.
While video games can be fun and entertaining, some kids are getting trouble. “I continue to hear from families who are concerned about their kids’ gaming habits. Not only do we need to focus on identifying the problem, but we need to find ways to help families prevent and treat gaming addiction.
【小题1】The author mainly tells us about________.| A．video game addiction in children |
| B．positive effects of addictions |
| C．families’ concern about their children’s addiction to video games |
| D．treatment for video game addiction |
| A．disappointed | B．sleepy |
| C．annoyed | D．exhausted |
| A．they play games to escape their problems | B．they lie about how long they spend gaming |
| C．they perform badly in their studies | D．they often stay away from school |
| A．parents will prevent their kids from playing games |
| B．the media will arouse people’s awareness of the problem |
| C．parents will stop buying video games for their children |
| D．they will find ways to help families deal with this problem |
