Research suggests minimum gaming age should be enforced

PC Games News

By Stevie Smith Jan 17, 2008, 8:10 GMT

Technology experts concerned with the development of children have this week offered that videogames should be withheld from kids until they reach the age of seven, claiming that gaming before such an age creates the risk of damaging attention spans and learning abilities. Should kids be kept away from gaming until the age of seven? Credit: ec.gc.ca

Should kids be kept away from gaming until the age of seven? Credit: ec.gc.caSpecifically, while discussing the effects of electronic games on children at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, educational psychologist Jane Healy said that computer games and videogames promoted "flight or fight" instincts over more considered learning and reasoning. Healy went on to suggest the observation of young kids playing computer games revealed that the majority simply strike keys or frantically move the mouse controller with no clear direction: "It reminds me of rats running in a maze," she said in a Daily Mail report. According to Healy, parents should therefore consider keeping their children away from electronic games until the age of seven, which will allow an appropriate length of time for proper brain development. Backing Healy’s claims, research from the Joan Ganz Cooney Centre (which studies the effect of the media and technology on children, and also played a part in the creation of Sesame Street) outlines that age ranges related to the use of electronic gadgets has dropped from eight in 2005 to around six and a half in 2007.The Centre’s research, which included some 300 different toys, games, and virtual environments, found that only two utilised proven learning techniques while many products simply relied on the user being isolated before a computer monitor.The CES discussion resulted in experts claiming that an industry code of ethics should be brought into practice that would protect young children from falling foul of online commercial exploitation in light of hugely popular interactive - but isolating - product Web sites.

Your Talkback on this Story

Note posts made on our older Talkback system will still show below. However, new posts can only be made via the new system (above). We will export the old comments to the new shortly. You can still comment as a guest on the new system but it also allows you to login using various social network and other accounts.

Other features coming soon.

Talkback

page: 1

PsychobabbleJan 19th, 2008 - 00:50:19

.

'promoted 'flight or fight' instincts over more considered learning and reasoning'.

'It reminds me of rats running in a maze,'

'protect young children from falling foul of online commercial exploitation'

Come on. That's not science. That's socialist wishy-washy bets.

Besides... why 7 years old? why not 8 ? or 9 ? or 6 ?
If they can't answer this question with NUMBERS (indexes, control populations, replicable studies, etc), it is not much different from ignorant puritan grandma advice...

Report this comment

ParisJul 27th, 2008 - 14:21:58

Good site! It is very creative and includes a wealth of information.

Report this comment

page: 1

PC Games

Research suggests minimum gaming age should be enforced

PC Games News

Your Talkback on this Story

Talkback

Similar articles

Latest Headlines in PC Games

From Sites We Like

Latest PopEater News

Latest Cinema Blend News

Latest Tech Herald News

In Monsters and Critics

Corporate

The Fine Print