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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: CountDeMoney on August 18, 2009, 10:46:20 PM

Title: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: CountDeMoney on August 18, 2009, 10:46:20 PM
I take offense to this article as a sweeping generalization.  I'm 39.

QuoteStudy: Average gamer is 35, fat and bummed
CDC study finds playing leads to 'lower extraversion' in adult gamers


By Suzanne Choney
msnbc.com
updated 5:09 p.m. ET, Tues., Aug 18, 2009

A new study says the average age of video-game players in the United States is 35, and oh, by the way: They're overweight and tend to be depressed.

Investigators from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University and Andrews University analyzed survey data from 552 adults in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The subjects ranged in age from 19 to 90, according to the study, published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The hypothesis was that video-game players have a higher body mass index — the measure of a person's weight in relation to their height — and "a greater number of poor mental health days" versus nonplayers, said Dr. James B. Weaver III of the CDC's National Center for Health Marketing. The hypothesis was correct, he said.

The findings, he said in the article, "differentiated adult video-game players from nonplayers. Video-game players also reported lower extraversion, consistent with research on adolescents that linked video-game playing to a sedentary lifestyle and overweight status, and to mental-health concerns."

The Seattle-Tacoma area was chosen for the study, researchers said, both because of its size as the 13th largest media market in the United States and because its Internet usage level is "the highest in the nation." The study was done in 2006; the results analyzed in 2008.

While the study helps "illuminate the health consequences of video-game playing," it is not conclusive, its researchers say, but rather serves to "reveal important patterns in health-related correlates of video-game playing and highlights avenues for future research."

Female video-game players reported greater incidents of depression and "lower health status" than women who do not play video games, researchers said, while male players reported a higher BMI and more Internet use time than nonplayers.

The findings "appear consistent with earlier research on adolescents that linked video game playing to a sedentary lifestyle and overweight status and mental health concerns," Weaver and other co-authors say in the article.

'Digital self-medication'?
One interpretation of the findings, researchers said, is that among women, video-game playing "may be a form of 'digital self-medication.' Evidence shows that women are effective at mood management through their media content choices, so some women may immerse themselves in cognitively engaging digital environments as a means of self-distraction; in short, they can literally 'take their minds off' their worries while playing a video game."

An implication of that, researchers said, is that "habitual use of video games as a coping response may provided a genesis for obsessive-compulsive video-game playing, if not video-game addiction."

Among men who play video games, compared to those who don't, "male video-game players spend more time using the Internet and rely more on Internet-community social support," researchers said. "They also tend to report higher BMI and lower extraversion.

"These findings illustrate that, among men, the association among sedentary behaviors, physical inactivity, and overweight status observed in children and young adults may extend into adulthood."

Both male and female video game players spend more time than nonplayers seeking friendship and support on the Internet, the study found, "a finding consistent with prior research pointing to the willingness of adult video-game enthusiasts to sacrifice real-world social activities to play video games."

The data, Weaver said, points to the need for "further research among adults to clarify how to use digital opportunities more effectively to promote health and prevent disease."

In a commentary in the same issue of the magazine, Dr. Brian A. Primack of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine agrees, and asks: "How do we simultaneously help the public steer away from imitation playlike activities, harness the potentially positive aspects of video games and keep in perspective the overall place of video games in our society?"

For children and adults, he writes, games that require physical exertion, such as "Hide and seek" and "Freeze tag" are "still probably what we need most."
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: BuddhaRhubarb on August 18, 2009, 11:05:28 PM
:lol:  A lot of CdMs in training are bringing down the average. I blame Timmy.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: DontSayBanana on August 18, 2009, 11:08:43 PM
:blush:
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Eddie Teach on August 18, 2009, 11:08:56 PM
We bash the brains out of pixels so we don't have to do it to ourselves.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Monoriu on August 19, 2009, 01:14:30 AM
33, fat and depressed, yes.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Razgovory on August 19, 2009, 01:23:42 AM
I'm only 28!
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Tamas on August 19, 2009, 03:19:16 AM
Maybe, just maybe, it is lack of extraversion in the first place that leads people to play videogames, than the other way around, hm?

And knowing some REALLY extroverted persons, I debate which category falls under "poor mental health"
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: saskganesh on August 19, 2009, 04:34:55 AM
as a skinning 40 something, I think its the people who never want to be alone that  have the issues.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Josquius on August 19, 2009, 05:28:28 AM
22, average and bi-polar.
....I think I'm a outlier.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Scipio on August 19, 2009, 06:59:30 AM
I'm 32, fat, and happy.

Once again, I beat the statistics!
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: PDH on August 19, 2009, 07:07:16 AM
Hey, I lost a lot of weight!
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Caliga on August 19, 2009, 07:07:58 AM
Quote from: Scipio on August 19, 2009, 06:59:30 AM
I'm 32, fat, and happy.
Same  :hug:
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Faeelin on August 19, 2009, 07:14:17 AM
Oddly, as I became happier and more popualr I lost interest in games. I can only assume video games fueled my teenage angst, and urge banning them to make happier geeks.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:58:21 AM
I cringe when I walk into a GameStop store nowadays.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Neil on August 19, 2009, 08:00:19 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:58:21 AM
I cringe when I walk into a GameStop store nowadays.
I used to do that too at the local EB Games, but the new girl they have managing the place is super hot.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 08:03:22 AM
Quote from: Neil on August 19, 2009, 08:00:19 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:58:21 AM
I cringe when I walk into a GameStop store nowadays.
I used to do that too at the local EB Games, but the new girl they have managing the place is super hot.

I went into one in a strip mall about 3 months ago, and the 2 clerks was play playing with their lightsabres. And didn't stop while I laughed at them.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 08:06:48 AM
Anyways, games suck nowadays.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Neil on August 19, 2009, 08:06:57 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 08:03:22 AM
Quote from: Neil on August 19, 2009, 08:00:19 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:58:21 AM
I cringe when I walk into a GameStop store nowadays.
I used to do that too at the local EB Games, but the new girl they have managing the place is super hot.

I went into one in a strip mall about 3 months ago, and the 2 clerks was play playing with their lightsabres. And didn't stop while I laughed at them.
The service economy has allowed everyone to be themselves.  When you have a shitty job at a game store, you don't need to be able to associate with regular people.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Caliga on August 19, 2009, 08:36:05 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 08:03:22 AMI went into one in a strip mall about 3 months ago, and the 2 clerks was play playing with their lightsabres. And didn't stop while I laughed at them.
The last time I went into an EB Games the clerk was a pizza face who kept trying to give me hardware 'advice' even though I tried repeatedly to make it clear to him I know what the fuck I'm doing in that regard.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 09:28:49 AM
I try not to make eye contact with the clerks.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Caliga on August 19, 2009, 09:42:24 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 09:28:49 AM
I try not to make eye contact with the clerks.
Thanks, this is good advice.  Oh, he also kept telling me that Age of Conan was "TOTALLY OSSUM" and was going to kill WoW.  :)
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 09:44:12 AM
Now of course, if the clerk is 19, female, cute and has a nice rack personality, then by all means, make eye contact.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Caliga on August 19, 2009, 09:45:25 AM
The EB Games around here are like 50% female in terms of staff, but they tend to feature skinny girls that are a bit lacking in the rack department.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 09:47:44 AM
Quote from: Caliga on August 19, 2009, 09:45:25 AM
The EB Games around here are like 50% female in terms of staff, but they tend to feature skinny girls that are a bit lacking in the rack department.

Skinny girls need love too.  :mad:
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Grey Fox on August 19, 2009, 10:48:40 AM
Quote from: Caliga on August 19, 2009, 09:45:25 AM
The EB Games around here are like 50% female in terms of staff, but they tend to feature skinny girls that are a bit lacking in the rack department.

You can be a nice bro & buy her some implants then.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: saskganesh on August 19, 2009, 10:50:40 AM
I agree. so do bodacious ones. they all need our depressed man love.

I found an EB near me, but Hairy Tarantula is down the street. I figure Hairy T is a better place for vintage games, especially as EB is now pretty much console driven. nothing to see there really. There's also a little vintage games store on Spadina near Bloor, A&C Games, that's good.
Title: Re: Report: Average gamer is 35, fat and depressed
Post by: Admiral Yi on August 19, 2009, 11:11:47 AM
EB near me has a skinny no-rack nerdgirl clerk and is 100% console.