Video games blamed for return of rickets

[kelly]

Hi,

The main cause of rickets is a lack of vitamin D. Children in developing countries can suffer greatly from it. It leads to a softening of their bones that can result in physical deformity. Yet, according to the Times of Oliver Twist's London, scientists are seeing a worrying return of rickets in UK children.

"Kids tend to stay indoors more these days and play on their computers instead of enjoying the fresh air. This means their vitamin D levels are worse than in previous years," Professor Pearce told the Times.

Regards
Kelly

Source: Video games blamed for return of rickets | Technically Incorrect - CNET News

[SealLion]

ya. That I can believe. Going outside just doesn't seem to be the 'in' thing to do anymore. Computers and the addictiveness that is associated with them no doubt encourages people to continue behavior that they become so ingrained in.

When not going outside, of/c one lacks the natural application of Vit. D that the sun gives.

With the advancement of technologies, one can see this no doubt.
technology advances year by year.
Could this and other ailments become worse as time and technology (hand in hand relationship) progress??
Could be. ...

[saebrtooth]

I didnt notice that tree in my front yard 2 yrs ago

[SealLion]

The best way to tell if someone has got an addiction to computer games is to see if they have an extra bone or 2 sticking out of their a$$. This usually comes the result from sitting around from over 15+ hours a day in front of the computer.

Other notable symptoms are if your being woken up in the middle of the night by your wife who asks you what you mean by all that mumbo-jumbo and screaming something about 'suppressing fire-suppressing fire!!!' while sleeping.

Other symptoms include buying a brand new fridge and toilet for the same room as the computer. If symptoms become really serious, reports indicate that such devices become integrated into the chair itself.

additional symptoms also include hugely morbid Obesity and a lack of fingers.

In addition to the the above named symptoms, others include inhaling people while complaining and screaming 'the graphics are terrible on this!!"

sorry, kelly. I had to let some of that out. I was looking to spill some funny around.

On a more serious note, some of those symptoms are true you know. Such as obesity. You don't get out and about much and as such grow weight while eating at the computer.

[saebrtooth]

Other symptoms include buying a brand new fridge and toilet for the same room as the computer.

I just hope that indoor plumbing comes with the toilet

[SealLion]

that' cost's extra, eh.
Plumbers aren't cheap.
Neither are electricians if you want one that's digitally powered.

[saebrtooth]

Well then (241) the fridge will have two uses then if it has power. Then the plubing bills can be saved

---------- Post added at 13:54 ---------- Previous post was at 13:53 ----------

nah, thats just too gross, even for me

[kelly]

We gotto do justice to the food we consume.The only way of doing this is by exercising regularly . At least one hour a day

Now , what this bloody internet/game does is that it provides relaxation to the mind in one or the other way.Therefore mind always tries to get inclined towards it :(. We unknowingly tumble down the rabbit hole never knowing the way to come out . That's what imo basically happens.



Are we really evolving ? Or are we going back to pseudo -neanderthal age?

[SealLion]

Now , what this bloody internet/game does is that it provides relaxation to the mind in one or the other way.Therefore mind always tries to get inclined towards .....

That's actually a very interesting statement kelly with respect to the relaxation that it provides to the mind. I think that your most likely correct.

There is one other thing here and that is that when playing video games, I'm inclined to also believe that it provides an increase in functionality for the brain as well.

For example: the quick successive actions needed to work your way through a game also builds the brain's mechanism's for one to work his way through real-life strategies when quickness of action is required.

I suppose that could be considered the 'upside' to playing games over and over a long period of time.
So I'm inclined to think that it also develops some of the brain's functionality as well.

[kelly]

There is one other thing here and that is that when playing video games, I'm inclined to also believe that it provides an increase in functionality for the brain as well.
.

You are very much correct,Seal. In fact researchers have proved that Gaming increases your cognitive power or in other words ' thought process' . Also, i recall a similar show couple of years back in Discovery , where a doctor after a whole day of strenuous operation used to go back and play Halo in his home.

The military/airforce uses flight simulators for training and they help a lot and are a lot of fun.

This perhaps indicates that games do play a vital role provided when one spends a time of his/her in a day rather than the entire day in gaming.

[slikrapid]

I'm inclined to also believe that it provides an increase in functionality for the brain as well.

it sure does, up to a point

on the other hand games give us (feed us) with other messages embedded within them, some intentional some not, i'll give an obvious example - anyone think its weird that most of the games are about killing, destruction, war & stuff like that - i guess this says something about humanity (psychologists would say it speaks volumes)

as for blaming games for kids not having their outdoors exercise (and subsequent possible results), its ridiculous, one might blame the parents for not knowing (or caring) what is good for their children, or the industry for creating another consumer product with addiction-like effects or the whole society for indulging in the low awareness sphere of existence,...

In fact researchers have proved that Gaming increases your cognitive power or in other words ' thought process'

well, again up to a point

we saw a lot of dubious researches through the years, so i'll just say that if this industry field makes profit, it will be portrayed as 'good' or 'healthy enough' for sure (see vaccinations for an extreme example) - actually, real gaming (like outdoors or with real toys) is one that is more beneficial and natural too, whereas the pc gaming world is quite a limited one

Could this and other ailments become worse as time and technology (hand in hand relationship) progress??

a hard one, but as years pass by, it seems that technology & its usage has an important part resulting in new diseases/ailments (man/lab made or created indirectly) or 'reviving' old ones - things look even worse when we become aware that technology is primarily being developed & supported for its financial benefits/results, whereas product quality or health-related issues tend to be marginalized or at least become of secondary importance, let alone when whole industries (or worse, different international organizations) intentionally disregard these issues

Are we really evolving ? Or are we going back to pseudo -neanderthal age?

hard to say, if evolving means (temporary) adaptation to some imposed situation, then i guess so, but if it means like in the picture, a physical change that adapts to the environment, then i'd say no (people tend to create tools/objects to avoid/overcome physical obstacles)

btw. no one proved we came from apes or even some lower organisms, let alone the primordial soup - so far these are only amusing stories

[saebrtooth]

Very well said everyone

Just my 2cents. Games can be tools if used correctly, as long as we have a balanced life but more specifically a productive life then these games are alright imho. Some people play games 8-15 hrs a day but they make money from it here and here. But if we are playing 8-15 hrs a day and not being as productive then... it may boarder on the obsessive or a step or two passing the precipice.

As SeaLion said it improves your cognitive power and then Slikrapid mentioned that some scientist confirmed that gaming is good to but due to bias. But I believe if it can push you to make you think in different ways it has helped you to improve. But if your past pushing state where things are just normal to you it is no longer a trainer of rapid cognition but rather meer entertainment. Of course we can put the game AI settings to the extreme but how much time are we using to beat the game in order to gain the mind benefits? Thus we go back to the precipice point.

Entertainment is good relaxation therapy and needed (wanted) sometimes.


As a side note and the nitty gritty for the theorist and obsessed.

The word "balanced" used in these type of context can be so subjective, just like some fund managers mirror their portfolio to the broader market index or top 10 or 20 index and they call this balanced because they beleive the market in the long run will go up. But the famed Warren Buffett calls this type of selective balancing of their portfolio a zoo and not balanced portfolio.

Meaning it may not be alltogether good to try master everything, but learn of it and master those things that bring the greatest benefit.

Just like if walk from A to B in 10 minutes, but if we try to run can we do it in 5min? Improving to me in this example would mean we can do thing faster and faster. If at a time we can travel from A-B in 5min through our training but cannot go past that mark then the training must be reviewed.