video game study

-back on track-

I've been away for a while, using my busyness with academics and yoga teacher training as an excuse. I went to speak with one of my journalism profs today, and he asked about my website... and when I told him the news, he gave me the nice plite version of the "get your ass in gear" speech. And then I realized he was right. Boo.

I already wrote 9 stories within a 2.5 hour period today (this celebrated event is called "speed day" in my news-writing class), what's one more, right?

Also, YFG is still recruiting. If you're still interested, shoot me an e-mail.
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I found this study evaluating the positive and negative effects of online and single-player videogames, and the results are ambiguous as ever, claiming gaming's effects to be a "double-edged sword."

However, online, multiplayer gaming seems to have more negative effects than single-player gaming.

Smyth’s research found that online, socially integrated multiplayer games create greater negative consequences (decreased health, well-being, sleep, socialization and academic work) but also garner far greater positive results (greater enjoyment in playing, increased interest in continuing play and a rise in the acquisition of new friendships) than do single-player games.

I don't know, but the "positive results" don't seem to outweigh the "negative" too much.
"Greater enjoyment in playing": cool, a new hobby.
"Increased intrest in continuing playing": awesome, you obviously enjoy this hobby.
"rise in the aquisition of new friendships": Are these friendships offline or online? It's hard to say. You make loads of online friends, which are nice to have and are always there to talk to. You'll most likely make non-online (in-real-life, or IRL) friends, too. The greater a game's popularity, the more likely you are to run into someone IRL and befriend them... not to mention you'll play the game together afterwards.

How are the factors of decreased health, well-being and socialization measured.

The kind of irony with the online world versus real-life is that they're both forms of socialization--just very, very different. Playing online games is all right, but not if you become a hermit. There's a reason my roommate and her friends had once created WoWoW, the widows of World of Warcraft, after their boyfriends began playing.

This study helps reiterate common sense: moderation in all things.
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ick, my writing is sooooo lackluster. sorry guys.