Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

Active Video Games Have Exercise-Like Effects in Kids

Adolescents who play active video games increase their heart rate, use more oxygen and expend more energy, according to a small new study.

Low levels of physical activity are associated with obesity in children. Compared to video games that youngsters can play while sitting on the couch, active video games encourage movement and could help children increase their physical activity levels, according to researchers Stephen Smallwood and colleagues at the University of Chester, in England.

The games, "Dance Central" and "Kinect Sports: Boxing," increased the children's energy expenditure by 150 percent and 263 percent, respectively, above resting values. Energy expenditure while playing the active games was 103 percent and 194 percent higher, respectively, than playing traditional video games.

The active games also led to significant increases in heart rate and oxygen uptake, in the study published online Sept. 24 in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Source: U.S. News & World Report
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/09/24/active-video-games-have-exercise-like-effects-in-kids-study

Risk-Glorifying Video Games Linked to Reckless Driving

Teens who play video games that glorify reckless driving may bring some of their virtual dangerous habits to road, a new study shows.

Researchers surveyed more than 5,000 U.S. teenagers over four years in four waves of telephone interviews that occurred when the teens were, on average, between the ages of 14 and 18. Half of the teens reported in the first interview that they were allowed to play mature-rated games — among them, Grand Theft Auto III (58 percent), Spiderman II (32 percent) and Manhunt (12 percent).

By the third interview, when most teens were 16, a quarter of them answered "yes" when asked if they engaged in any unsafe driving habits, the researchers said. By the final interview, 90 percent said they engaged in at least one unsafe driving habit, including speeding (78 percent), tailgating (26 percent), weaving in and out of traffic (26 percent), and running red lights (20 percent).

The study found that playing mature-rated, risk-glorifying games was associated with an increase in self-reported risky driving, as well as sensation seeking and rebelliousness — qualities measured by the teens' rating of themselves with regard to such statements as "I like to do dangerous things" and "I get in trouble at school." And higher rankings in thrill seeking and rebelliousness were directly linked to risky driving habits, car accidents and being stopped by police, according to a statement from the American Psychological Association (APA), which published the study in its journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture.

Source: LiveScience
http://www.livescience.com/23104-video-games-teen-reckless-driving.html

 

How Game Addiction is Ruining Boys [INFOGRAPHIC]

Created by: www.OnlineGraduatePrograms.com

Study: Internet Dependency Alters Human Brain

Internet addiction has for the first time been linked with changes in the brain similar to those seen in people addicted to alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. In a groundbreaking study, researchers used MRI scanners to reveal abnormalities in the brains of adolescents who spent many hours on the internet, to the detriment of their social and personal lives. The finding could throw light on other behavioral problems and lead to the development of new approaches to treatment, researchers said.

An estimated 5 to 10 per cent of internet users are thought to be addicted – meaning they are unable to control their use. The majority are games players who become so absorbed in the activity they go without food or drink for long periods and their education, work and relationships suffer.

Henrietta Bowden Jones, consultant psychiatrist at Imperial College, London, who runs Britain's only NHS clinic for internet addicts and problem gamblers, said: "The majority of people we see with serious internet addiction are gamers – people who spend long hours in roles in various games that cause them to disregard their obligations. I have seen people who stopped attending university lectures, failed their degrees or their marriages broke down because they were unable to emotionally connect with anything outside the game."

Researchers in China scanned the brains of 17 adolescents diagnosed with "internet addiction disorder" who had been referred to the Shanghai Mental Health Centre, and compared the results with scans from 16 of their peers.

The results showed impairment of white matter fibres in the brain connecting regions involved in emotional processing, attention, decision making and cognitive control. Similar changes to the white matter have been observed in other forms of addiction to substances such as alcohol and cocaine.

Source: The Indpendent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/addicted-scientists-show-how-internet-dependency-alters-the-human-brain-6288344.html

The Apple of Their Eye

A recent Nielsen survey shows kids’ holiday gaming and electronics appetites are whet by a number of top-selling Apple devices. The Apple iPad is the most desired consumer electronic among kids ages 6-12 for holiday 2011. In fact, the iPad increases its stronghold, with 44% of kids expressing interest in the product, up from 31% in 2010. Two other popular Apple devices, iPod Touch and iPhone, round out kids’ top three, with computers and other tablet brands each appealing to a quarter of younger consumers.

Many kids will also ask for gaming devices this year, with two products that offer unique gaming technologies: Nintendo 3DS, and Kinect for Xbox 360, leading the way. Given the 3DS’ spring 2011 release date and the surge in Kinect interest versus last year, parents can expect both devices to be frequently requested this holiday season. Beyond these, older Nintendo DS models continue to resonate with young gamers, while the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 edge out the Nintendo Wii as the most desired gaming consoles.

Source: Center for Media Research
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/163036/the-apple-of-their-eye.html#reply

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Sets New One Day Sales Record

With the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Activision has broken the records set by the franchise’s previous outing, Call of Duty: Black Ops.  The game has sold 6.5 million units in North America and the United Kingdom in only 24 hours, with an estimated sell-through of $400 million.  Comparatively, Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 had one-day sell-through totals of $360 million and $310 million, respectively.

Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia believes MW3 could generate between $700 and $750 million during the first week, as compared with Black Ops' $650 million in sales during its first 5 days.

"We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories," said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc.

"Call of Duty is more than a game. It's become a major part of the pop cultural landscape. It is a game that core enthusiasts love, but that also consistently draws new people into the medium. It is the most intense, adrenaline pumping entertainment experience anywhere," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing.

Source: Industrygamers
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-sells-65-million-in-one-day/

Mobile Gaming Rises Rapidly Among Kids and Teens

Traditionally, gaming has been for kids, and despite the demographic and psychographic shifts that mean mom (and even grandma) is now likely to play a social game, children have hardly given up the video game pastime.

According to research from The NPD Group, gaming growth among children under age 17 is speeding up. The population of kids ages 2 to 17 increased 1.5% in the US since 2009, the researcher reported, while the gaming population of that age group has grown almost 13% during the same period. This year, 91% of children and teens will play video games, up from 82% in 2009.

The growth in gaming may be partially due to increased usage of smartphones and other mobile devices by children and teens. The NPD Group study indicates that the share of kids and teens playing mobile games climbed 30 percentage points from 2009 to 2011. eMarketer estimates that 15% of children under 11 currently own a mobile phone—that number will rise to 22% by 2015.

Source: eMarketer
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008671

Study Links Swearing on TV to Teen Aggression

A new study finds that the more profanity teens are exposed to through television and video games, the more accepting they are of swearing and the more likely they are to use profanity themselves. Those kids who swore more were also more likely to engage in physical aggression.

"Profanity is kind of like a stepping stone," said study researcher Sarah Coyne, of Brigham Young University. "You don't go to a movie, hear a bad word, and then go shoot somebody. But when youth both hear and then try profanity out for themselves it can start a downward slide toward more aggressive behavior."

The researchers found links between the amount of swearing in video games and television and how often the students used profanity themselves; participants who used more swear language were more likely than other students to exhibit physical and relational violence. However, because the study is correlational it can only show that swearing on TV is indirectly linked to aggression, not whether one causes the other.

Source: Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/17/swearing-on-tv-linked-to-teen-aggression/

91% of Kids (Ages 2 - 17) Are Video Gamers

According to Kids and Gaming 2011, the latest report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, 91 percent of kids (approximately 64 million) ages 2-17 are gaming in the U.S., an increase of 9 points when compared to 2009.

Since 2009, the population growth of kids ages 2-17 increased 1.54 percent in the U.S., while the gaming population of that age group has grown 12.68 percent. This growth in kids’ gaming population is far outpacing the growth experienced by the population of 2-17 year olds in the country.

While the percentage of kids gaming has grown significantly across all age groups, the fastest growth has been among kids ages 2-5, with an increase of 17 points in gaming incidence when compared to 2009. The other segments driving this growth are females and teens ages 15-17.

While gaming on most devices has grown for 2-17 year olds, platforms such as mobile devices and computers have experienced the most significant increases in gaming activity. For example, since 2009, gaming on mobile devices is up from 8 percent to 38 percent, while gaming on traditional portable gaming devices experienced more modest gains, up from 38 percent to 45 percent.

The impressive growth experienced on mobile devices has been driven in large part by the availability of new devices on the market such as tablets, iOS and Android-based smartphones, as well as the abundance of content for these devices in the form of free and paid apps.

Source: NPD Group
http://www.npdgroup.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/pressreleases/pr_111011

Top 20 Games to Watch for Holiday 2011

Which video game titles top gamers’ wish lists this year? Nielsen’s Top 20 Games to Watch reveals the most anticipated games of the 2011 holiday season, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 the most coveted among active U.S. gamers. The list was developed by examining a variety of consumer measures from Nielsen’s Video Game Tracking survey, including the top five titles active gamers are considering for purchase.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

2. Gears of War 3

3. Madden NFL 12

4. Assassin's Creed: Revelations

5. Batman: Arkham City

6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

7. Battlefield 3

8. Just Dance 3

9. NBA 2K12

10. Need for Speed: The Run

11. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

12. Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

13. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

14. FIFA Soccer 12

15. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

16. Dead Island

17. Kinect Sports: Season 2

18. Resistance 3

19. Dance Central 2

20. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

While Action/Adventure games hold the most spots in the Top 20, the list is a testament to the diverse interests of today’s gamers—from the intense action of First Person Shooters like Square Enix’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution, to the energetic enthusiasm of Music / Rhythm games such as Ubisoft’s Just Dance 3, to the epic sense of adventure in Bethesda’s RPG Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Sports and racing titles like 2K’s NBA 2K12 and EA’s Need For Speed: The Run are represented as well.

Source: Nielsen
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/top-20-games-to-watch-gamers-make-their-holiday-wish-lists/