Do video games cause attention problems?

Do video games cause attention problems?

                    

Several scientific hypotheses may explain the relationship between video games and attention problems.

Many children, teenagers, and even adults spend long hours a day playing video games, which are witnessing rapid development and attracting people of various cultures and interests. 

While many find these games suitable entertainment with a touch of excitement and challenge, scientists, on the other hand, are busy investigating any potential effects of these games on the human brain, whether these effects are positive or negative.

According to a report published by the specialized website "Psychology Today," reviewed by Al Arabiya.net, researchers have proposed several hypotheses that may explain any relationship between video games and attention problems. 

Researchers say that video games are so exciting that everything else is boring in comparison, and that the long hours spent in front of electronic screens prevent us from engaging in other activities that help build attention. Some believe that because it is easy to focus on video games, we miss opportunities to build attention through activities such as reading or learning a musical instrument.

According to the report, "People who have difficulty concentrating are more likely to play video games. People with ADHD seem particularly drawn to video games because they are easier to focus on than many other hobbies."

Scientists say there is another variable associated with both attention span and video game play. For example, boys are slightly more likely than girls to play video games, and they are three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ADHD. This is one explanation for the apparent link between video game play and inattention. 

Scientists also say that video games affect sleep, which impacts our ability to pay attention. Sleep is essential for concentration, and anything that prevents us from getting enough sleep may also be linked to attention problems.

Several studies have explored a possible link between video game play and attention difficulties. A group of researchers surveyed 3,000 Singaporean teenagers about their gaming time, their favorite games, and their correlation with ADHD symptoms, impulsivity, and how well they performed on recent tests. They repeated the survey three times, one year apart.

The researchers found that the time spent playing video games was associated with a very small increase in ADHD and impulsivity symptoms. It's worth noting that the study relied on teenagers to accurately estimate their time spent playing video games and assess their ADHD symptoms. However, another study asked 85 gamers to complete an attention test. During the test, participants watched a computer while symbols flashed on the screen.

Each participant had to press a button on a game controller as quickly as possible when they saw a particular symbol, but not when other symbols appeared. This test, called the "Go/Don't" test, measures impulsivity. It has been shown that impulsive people tend to press the wrong button when the wrong symbol appears on the screen. Researchers found that people who played video games more often performed better on this test, suggesting that dedicated gamers are better at concentrating.

However, the researchers said this study had some flaws. The test was correlational, meaning that people with better reflexes may be naturally better at video games and therefore enjoy them more. 

A third study surveyed 600 Hispanic people in Texas, ages 10 to 14, about the amount of time they spent gaming and a number of life stressors, such as exposure to violence at home and in the community. Parents and children were asked about attention problems and their GPA. They found that several variables predicted attention problems, especially anxiety.