In the past, research into the negative health impact of spending too many hours each day glued to a TV set, video game console or computer screen has focused on “tweens” and adolescents, generally between the ages of 8-18. While this age group certainly earns their reputation as gamers—with 59–73% manning the controller on an average day—new research published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine turns the microscope on a different class of video game enthusiasts, adults.
In a study of 562 people between the ages of 19–90 living in the Seattle-Tacoma area, 45.1% said they played video games regularly. The concentration of gamers didn’t surprise researchers too much, considering that the hub of Microsoft and Amazon is the country’s 13th largest media market, and has its highest level of internet use. Yet, what was illuminating for researchers led by James B. Weaver from the National Center for Health Marketing at the Centers for Disease Control, was the strong correlation between regular gaming and internet use, and increased risk for depression, higher body mass index (BMI), and other negative physical and mental health issues.
