get off your consoles, losers

When you think of a hard-core gamer, do you picture a teenage boy battling his friends in World of Warcraft?

Think again.

The average gamer, far from being a teen, is actually a 35-year-old man who is overweight, aggressive, introverted and … often depressed, according to a report (.pdf) out this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The study also showed when children and teenagers become game players, a trend toward physical inactivity and corresponding health problems extends and exacerbates into adulthood.

“Among researchers, there is growing concern and uncertainty about the health consequences of videogame playing,” the CDC reported. “Given the ubiquity of video games — industry estimates suggest that they are played in 65 percent of American households — these concerns may be justified.”

The study notes that half of gamers are between 18 and 49 years old, while 25 percent are 50 and older. The CDC also pointed out that of online gamers aged 8 to 34, nearly 12 percent showed multiple signs of addiction.

The study, based on a 2006 online survey of 552 people between the ages of 19 and 90 who were living in the Seattle/Tacoma area of Washington state, also shows differences between male and female gamers.

Men reported that gaming gives them a “reason to get together,” while women are looking more for a diversion than social interaction. Despite their differing reasons for playing, many of the health effects remained the same.

Jim McGregor, an analyst at In-Stat, noted that his concern isn’t just with gaming but with social networks, as well.

“My issue is that it’s not just gaming. It’s social networking. It’s the web in general,” said McGregor. “We’ve gained so much, but still it puts people in front of a computer screen for hours on end. It gives Americans just another reason to be fat, dumb and lazy.”

According to the CDC, both male and female gamers were more likely to report being overweight, having more poor-mental-health days and being less socially outgoing. Women, however, were more apt to deal with depression and report more health issues than women who aren’t gamers. For men, they reported more obesity.

“One interpretation of these findings is that, among women, videogame playing may be a form of digital self-medication…. In short, they can literally take their minds off their worries while playing a videogame.” noted the CDC. “Among men, the association among sedentary behaviors, physical inactivity and overweight status observed in children and young adults may extend into adulthood.”

honor m4n wrote:i am so the poster child for that article.

honor m4n wrote:i am so the poster child for that article.

Talon wrote:OMG sausage fest!

Nice place to just sit in the living room and play Xbox.

Omni wrote:

honor m4n wrote:i am so the poster child for that article.

Honestly I don't know how the fuck you're addicted to so many video games. I was checking out your games on live last night and you've gotten 1000 gamerscore points on some games I wouldn't even be interested in playing at all.

dunnas wrote:Being an achievement whore is a whole other issue. I know a few of those.

As for this article, i'm flying 2 hours to the Gold coast tomorrow for a 5 day Xbox 360 LAN with another forum i'm on for Aussie gamers who are at least 24 years old.

There's 20 of us and we've hired this place out.
http://www.opulencemansion.com/

honor m4n wrote:

dunnas wrote:Being an achievement whore is a whole other issue. I know a few of those.

As for this article, i'm flying 2 hours to the Gold coast tomorrow for a 5 day Xbox 360 LAN with another forum i'm on for Aussie gamers who are at least 24 years old.

There's 20 of us and we've hired this place out.
http://www.opulencemansion.com/

I am an achievement whore to some extent but I only do it with games I would be playing anyway. I don't go out and buy games like Viva Pinata or something to try to get the points on those. I know achievements and gamer points are basically worthless but it's still satisfying to try to collect them all, or as many as I can at least. Plus sometimes the stuff you have to do to get them is actually fun.

But the pigeon hunt in GTA4? That was awful.

honor m4n wrote:Not really. If you enjoy getting them like me and alot of other people do, then they arent.

honor m4n wrote:id say most of them arent that bad. the multiplayer ones are the real pain in the ass most of the time.but its just one of those things. you either like collecting them, or you dont. kinda like pokemon or pogs, or something.

honor m4n wrote:the pigeons were awful. getting all the stunt jumps in saints row 2 was pretty fun though. i decked my guy out in black leather and shades, and he drove around in a flat black bootlegger (muscle car) with a blower sticking out of the hood getting all the jumps.

honor m4n wrote:the pigeons were awful. getting all the stunt jumps in saints row 2 was pretty fun though. i decked my guy out in black leather and shades, and he drove around in a flat black bootlegger (muscle car) with a blower sticking out of the hood getting all the jumps.

honor m4n wrote:you need a hobby or something.

Talon wrote:

honor m4n wrote:you need a hobby or something.

He needs a bullet with his name on it.

honor m4n wrote:so apparently the dude with the highest gamerscore in the world has like 380,000 or something. seriously, how could you find that much time to play? what a sad, sad little man.

i kinda compete with this other kid i know in gamerscore. he is about 1100 points ahead of me, once i pass him i will probably cut back.

Talon wrote:

honor m4n wrote:you need a hobby or something.

He needs a bullet with his name on it.