Tips On How To Avoid 'Xbox Vision', 'Nintendonitis', And Other Gaming-Related Discomforts |
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We were watching a rerun of Hollywood Squares (only because the guest celebrities were former child stars-turned-media curiosities: Leif Garret, Danny Bonaducci, Todd Bridges, Erin Moran, and so on)with David Spade on the center square. Anyway the host, Tom Bergeron, had a question for David. Something like a "recent study showed children who played too much video game grow up having poorly developed hand and arm muscles to do what?" David Spade being David Spade made the usual double entendre smart ass jokes eliciting obligatory snickers from the celebrity curiosities around him. (Spade after all hired them as extras in his movie Dicky Roberts: Former Child Star). To make a long introduction short (or is it too late for that?) the answer was... “kids who played too much video games grow up with poorly developed muscles necessary for handwriting.” Not exactly Jack Thompson material, but it got us thinking. Everybody's been too busy debating the effects of sexy and violent video games on our brains, we forgot too much gameplay time affects our bodies, too. How much is too much? We couldn't find an exact figure but experts say between 20 to 40 hours gameplay a week (about 3 to 6 hours a day) is probably overdoing it. Sounds like you? The price for too much fun can be potentially devastating. Find out how you can keep the doctor away.
“Xbox Vision”Staring at the PC monitor or TV screen for hours can cause blurred vision, eye irritation, dry eyes, pain in the eyes (or surrounding muscles), excessive blinking, squinting, difficulty focusing and increased sensitivity to light. The stress on your visual system doesn't stay on your balls (eyeballs, we mean). It causes headache, body fatigue, reduced efficiency at work (or school) and, don't look now, possible increased risk for glaucoma.
The cure for “Xbox Eyes” is simple. Cut down on your gameplay hours (but you already knew that). If you can't take your eyes off your favorite game even if it blinded you, you can reduce (not totally eliminate) the strain by using anti-glare screens. You can also wear computer glasses with stress-relieving lenses. When playing, sit directly facing the screen, not at an angle, to stimulate both eyes equally. Sit 6 to 10 feet away from the TV screen. Take your eyes off the screen every 15-20 minutes and focus on other objects around you.
"Nintendenitis" Too much use of hand-held controllers and joysticks can cause repetitive-motion hand and arm injuries. When you start experiencing swollen muscles and tendons, it's time to cut back. They may not bother you that much now but they could lead to more serious conditions like tendonitis, bursitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Your PSP or Nintendo DS are not exactly healthy alternatives to your Xbox, Xbox 360 and PS because these consoles involve intense gripping, repetitive punching motions on small buttons and sharp wrist movements.
Experts suggest a brief warm up period before you turn on your consoles. During game play practice good posture and use chairs that provide solid back support and allow the feet to rest comfortably on the floor. When using hand-held systems, put pillows on your lap to support your arms. This also helps keep your head in a more upright position reducing neck strain.You can protect yourself against injury by taking breaks every 30 minutes or every hour. Don't confuse this with your bathroom or snack break. You're supposed to perform the following finger, hand and arm stretching exercises (for at least 10 seconds each):
- Place your hand just above the back of the elbow and gently pull your elbow across your chest toward the opposite shoulder. Do this for both arms.
- Raise one arm overhead and bend your elbow behind your head. Place your other hand on the bent elbow and gently push the elbow down. Do this for both arms.
- Extend an arm in front of you, elbow completely straight, your palm facing down. Use your other hand to bend that hand down. Do this for both hands.
- Open up your hands and spread your fingers are far as possible.
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Comments [refresh]
Ya definetrly gaming can be SUPER harmfull to your body, i mean your sitting at home on the couch, as opposed to outside where you could die one of a million different kinds of deaths. I'l take a little carpel tunnel over getting quashed by a taxi thank you very much.
Although once i was on a Counter-Strike binge, i played over 200 hours in less than a month. And I developed a calice on my wrist where it would drag on the mousepad/table.
Honestly, this is stupid, gaming is safer than 90% of other things you could be doing.
yeah i have that calous too, only i'm fairly fit....i'm mean seriously it's not that hard to head to the gym or play with your dog at the park.
Notice how Sony is left out? I know this is not an attack on any system and even if it was I would ignore it but I am curious how whenever the media has something bad to say about video games Sony is always absent wether it is serious or not.
I remember when I was very young, I always wanted glasses. I never knew why, since most people I know have them don't want them. Well, after years of staring at computer monitors and TV screens more then I should daily, I need them. Well, I'm near sighted now and I have to wear them.
Also, after I got CS:S I would say my gaming hours increased. It would look like I tried to slice my own wrist because how I had my wrist on the edge of the desk, and at the time it was a wood desk and the edges were all sharp. I would sit there for over an hour without worrying about it, but after long sessions I found a solution to fix it. I just simply slid my mouse pad off the desk some so it covered the corner, this way it cushoned the sharp part of the edge where I layed my wrist on.
I dont get any of those things, i play games like 3-8 hours a day, but when i'm not playing i'm usually outside or hanging qith friends, none of the stuff they mention has happened and i only take breaks to either, eat, go to the bathroom, and go on the computer.i only play at night though, usually costing me some sleep time, but wut is skool for, for me its some sleeo (only in 1 class that is very boring though). i guess the part about the reduce efficiency at skool is true, but i get good marks and everything. But at work i dont slack cuz i am getting paid(and dont wanna get fired)
exactly #3
you can play alot of games and still be healthy and fit. there has to be limits, 8 hours straight is obviously going to hurt your eyes, if your willing to take that risk then go for it, basicly every 2 hours or so go do something else for 15 minutes away from your computer and you'l never have a problem.
did anyone mention the great hand eye coordination and even team work skilsl that games provide (doctors play video game for better lazer surgeries) the miliraty plays video games (full spectrum warrior) for combat simulations... many games give problem solving skills and logic
of anything is harmful.
Soon they'l be trying to say games cause cancer.
nintendo ds lite is much better system then psp. And the psp lost the war. And nintendo revolution is the future. And the reason is the new and much better controller that no other system will ever have. This controller will change the world to a better one. This controller will make people healthier. How this can be, first you will never had to be sitting in the chair like a fad lazy gamer all day. And the revolution is going to be less spending then 360 or ps3. More people will be able to buy the system for a better price. And the best part of revolution you can play nes, snes, n64, sega and gamecube moving your hands. Nintendo will be the king again.
Every time i play for over 3 hours i get dizzy, headaches, and fatuiged. I feel nausia too. As a little kid i played lots of video games, and now i have to wear glasses to see things far away...it suck.
And the guy above me is such a nintendo fanboy...get a life.
"nintendo ds lite is much better system then psp. And the psp lost the war. And nintendo revolution is the future."
you get the feeling hes never played another video games
console without the name nintendo on it.
ive been playing video games since 4 years old, and i am playing video games for around 4 hours a day on average.
the only effect i have is a lazy eye (one eye loses focus eventually) and that was at a very young age.
get out you nintendo fanboy! How will the revo's controller revolutioniz gaming? the thing suck enough said so does the ps3s boomerang but they were smart and are not using that controller!!
Fanboyism at its max.
meh, he's got a point there about the revolution's controller. the fact that it encourages you to move around and be active must be better for you than just planting your ass on the couch and playing for a few hours. not to mention it would suck you into the game a lot more.
if you were exausted after a long day of whatever though, i can see how that would be a bad thing.
now that i think about it i do spend way too much time in front of my computer monitor. i havent been playing a lot of games lately though, and i dont sit close to anything but my monitor unless im gaming on my tv, which i'll usually put a chair 3-4 feet in front of.
kthx
Im a little less worried about the damage todays screens and controllers are having on me, than the 8 hour sessions I had as a child playing Zelda and California Games on my NES.
A controller with all the ergonomics of a combine harvester and a 14" tv so far from flatscreen it was later used as a fishbowl.
Happy days.
nocomment
too much of anything is bad, I agree with #9.
You people are all imbeciles, your figures are all wrong and your assumptions are blatantly retarted.
I didn't start having problems with my vision until I bought the PSP, I don't know about DS Lite, and I could care less about it, it probably causes the same problem (not really a "healthy alternative", give me a break).
Anyways, Wear some kind of eye protection when playing PSP extensivley, I started freaking out when my vision became blurry and I couldn't see the map correctly in GTA liberty city, and also had trouble reading Manga for some reason.
Other than that, I'd say the PSP is entirely at fault, Even when holding it at an extreme distance the blur continued and did not halt until I discontinued playing.
My laptop, TV, PDA, and Phone do not give me these problems at all, so by process of elimination, Sony should be Sued, this could end up being another Pokemon situation, where instead of Japanese kids having seizures, it will be people worldwide losing their eye-sight.
And actually my eyes did not start becoming blurry until playing Grand Theft Auto, I played Metal Gear Acid, Megaman X, and Wipeout with no problems....
Something seems fishy...