Action video games *may* improve vision

I wont insult your intelligence by reminding you that video games and television are not babysitters. But reality is, sometimes you may want to let your kid(s) play longer because it keeps them out of your hair for a bit while you get something else done.

Of course, us guys have long held the belief that video games are good for building fine motor skills and quick hand-eye coordination. Sprained thumbs and assorted Wii injuries are just part of the ‘experience.’

Here’s an interesting study to help ease your guilt when your children are on the family Sony Play Station, Microsoft XBox or Nintendo Wii. I heard about this a few weeks back on one of those ridiculous evening news teasers: “Video games improve your child’s vision! Learn how at eleven.” Of course, the evening news babble heads over simplified the claims. They snip of subtleties like *may* and *could* to carelessly overstate facts.

Visual function can improve significantly in people who “train” by playing action video games requiring quick reaction time.

Researchers at the University of Rochester have shown that people who played action video games for a few hours a day over the course of a month improved by about 20 percent in their ability to identify letters presented in clutter—a visual acuity test similar to ones used in regular ophthalmology clinics.

“When people play action games, they’re changing the brain’s pathway responsible for visual processing,” says Bavelier. “These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it. That learning carries over into other activities and possibly everyday life.”

In essence, playing video game improves your bottom line on a standard eye chart.

STOP! This doesn’t mean you should plop the kids down in front of first-person shooters. In fact a disturbing comment in the article was that the researchers had a hard time finding college students who had not played video games in over a year.

Keep in mind, data can be manipulated to tell whatever story sounds more pleasing. I know, because I am a professional marketer. So, let’s cut to the key take-away learnings of this story. In summary:

• The claim is that high action video games create an improvement in center vision. Those who played first-person shooter Unreal Tournament had significant improvement in object recognition, while the control group playing Tetris did not. Both require motor control but Unreal Tournament is more visually demanding.
• There is a variety of research suggesting that playing violence-punishing games may increase hostility and aggressiveness.
• Too much of anything is bad for you and your children.
• Your kids also need to get off their butts and get some exercise. (I do not mean playing Tennis or Bowling on the Wii.) Kick them out into the backyard if you have to. Air, sunlight and sustained movement are important for growing bodies.
• Reading goes a lot further than video games to stimulate the imagination and creative thinking.

Have fun!
Roland

Sources:
Science Daily

All About Vision