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Barrie Psychologist Warns of Gaming Dangers
Following reports of the disappearance of the 15-year-old Brandon Crisp, along with the news media’s angle on the boy’s societal decline due to an addiction to videogames, a child psychologist has voiced his concerns about the desensitizing effects of playing games.
Brandon Crisp went missing from his home in the Southern Ontario city of
"He left because we took his Xbox away," said Steve Crisp, who also asserts that his son was losing sleep because he spent so much time playing the mature-rated Call of Duty 4. "This was his addiction," he added.
Now a child psychologist from the same city, Dr. Ken Marek, has given his opinion on the negative effects of videogames.
"You're essentially just sitting there, staring at the screen and other aspects of your brain aren't being exercised. A child could be great at these games, but can't handle doing fractions in math," Marek told local paper the Barrie Examiner.
"The real danger of playing video games is when the child isn't able to differentiate reality from fantasy," he added. "They get trapped in a mindset that what characters do is fun and OK so it must be the same for us in real life.”
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I think there ARE some serious psychological issues we need to evaluate when it comes to games like COD. I only found this article because I am worried about someone I love and their reactions to this game and I am looking for answers. I'll just call him Bob
I love games and myself have founded myself addicted to Tetris & Sonic 2 but I don't believe there is a serious problem there. These games are simply fun interactive puzzles. I agree that addictions to TV, music, & books only seem to have minor effects like a waning social life and expanding waistline.
The big difference and problem I see with games like COD is the normalizing of very realistic violence combined with participation. Personally I don't feel like WWII should be a 'fun' escape for anyone. Just read Sledge's first hand account, With The Old Breed, and you'll see what I mean. It's educational, not fun. Not somewhere I want to go to every weekend on my couch. Violent movies can be terrible but can also be educational and open your eyes to events of the past. When Bob plays COD he is not gaining a better appreciation or understanding of the sacrifices made by our older generations, but merely trivializing the terror they experienced.
The most serious problem however, is certain things I've heard Bob say since his COD gaming. . .a new fascination with guns and death. I know there has to be some other deep psychological problems beneath this but trust me. . .COD is NOT helping. For people like Bob this is not a healthy escape. The sad thing is. . .he only started playing because his friends were and he wanted to join the crowd. I just wish the crowd was playing Mr. Driller instead and my house wasn't filled with the sounds of automatic weapons, and dying thumping hearts.
$50,000 reward for missing gamer!
Brandon Crisp is missing and we need the community to help in the search. If you have seen this gamer online or in person or have a clue please contact the paper or local authorities.
Here's the story:
http://www.thestar.com/article/524494
Ok I contacted my local news and found some more info if anyone is interested
http://www.thestar.com/search?&q=Brandon%20Crisp&r=
72 hours and 12 days... Tomorrow I'm contacting the local news about this... Nope... Today I will.
48 Hrs and 11 days... Anyword on Brandon?
It's been about 24 hours since I read this, and about 10 days since Brandon went missing... Where is Brandon?
Common sense is probably the way to go on some topics.
Seriously if we compare videogame addiction and its consequences to other types of addictions one has to admit that Videogame addiction is a very very small problem.
That, in turn, may explain why there has been so few studies on the topic and why the scientific/psychologists communities have shown low interest in the issue.
I could compare videogame addiction to drinking, gambling, firearms obsession and of course will find videogame addiction to be rather harmless.
But the interesting fact is that I could also compare it to excessive behaviors related to movies, books and even music and still find that in term of yearly number of cases and their consequences I am facing a very marginal and relatively harmless phenomenon.
I am not trying to dismiss anything, a life is a life, but I am wondering if it is really necessary to always blow things out of proportion...
A few points to add from a psychologist (and obviously a gamer myself since I am reading Edge) who does actually specialize in helping those who are self-identified “addicts”:
1) As John Petersen (previous poster) pointed out, perhaps we should be focusing more on finding Brandon than on vilifying video games.
2) I have to respectfully disagree with Dr. Marek’s comment that “the real danger of playing video games is when the child isn't able to differentiate reality from fantasy.” I have worked with many people who are trying to develop healthier / more moderate gaming habits, and I have yet to see anyone who is not able to differentiate fantasy from reality. The vast majority of gamers seem to play responsibly and use gaming as a temporary and enjoyable escape from the real world (similar to how a movie also allows for a temporary escape). In my experience, the real danger is when the game becomes more of a priority than work, school, family, and friends. I’m not referring to the temporary increase in play that often comes with a new game (e.g., spending a weekend immersed in a new game) – I think many gamers can identify with this phenomenon. I’m talking more about the person whose gaming time increases from a few hours per week to 20, 30, 40, or 50 hours per week, lasts for months, and significantly interferes with functioning away from the game (failing classes, poor work performance, serious relationship problems). Whether we call this an “addiction” or something else (I prefer excessive gaming habits) I think most would agree that for *some* people, too much gaming can be a real problem (but so can too much drinking, eating, gambling, watching TV, or even exercise).
3) Admittedly, many psychologists have relatively little experience in this area, but as younger psychologists (who probably grew up with games) join the profession and as the research develops, I think we will have a better understanding of when gaming is problematic and when it isn’t…and how to help if necessary.
4) Can’t say much about the actual case but would like to mention that although losing the Xbox may have been the catlyst for leaving home, there may have been other problems that just havn’t been reported.
@Nickgamer,
I usually only write on this site to bash xbox but yur statements on gaming compared to other mediums really impressed me and your absolutely right, Its ridiculous to think that gaming has any negative effects compared to watching movies or reading a book, I know that when i watched the first fast and the furious I wanted to go out and race but did I do it ? No, because I knew better .Gamings a hobby of mine and why should that hobby be any different then say playing guitar or knitting. To think that gaming is seen in such a negative light disgusts me and is obviously a result of ignorance.
Please update this story when Brandon is found.
Unfortunately, John, the police have suspended their ground search. I know it's not the best news, but since you asked for more information I thought it was only fair to provide it. Microsoft has now doubled its reward to $50,000 for finding the child, which is good, as it should help spread the search and inject a bit more vigilance in the area. Here: http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=773d3d8a-5dfb-...
Its a tragity, but why are the parents letting a 15 year old play a mature game?
First things first... Find the boy!
I use to runaway alot as a child and he is in danger! Danger from the environment, other people and himself... Find him before something goes terribly wrong and get him some help.
About games:
We need more games like fishing, and hunting that teach real survival and day to day skills. We need games that promote real opportunities. We need more games that touch on morality. We need games that teach.
Find the boy!
You know, if these murder simulators are just that; simulators, then he should be able to handle an M16 or M4, or a .50 caliber sniper rifle and have no problem with other people right??? Right??? Oh, you mean he has to have REAL training with those weapons AND have access to them in order to use them??? Oh, ok. I guess maybe they're not simulators after all.
You're right, he does need to be found. He could just be at a lan party, or at a friend's house. He could have done an account recovery to get his gamertag onto someone else's HDD and just be playing CoD4 online somewhere else. One thing parents may not be aware of; you can take the console, but you can never take the soul...er...gamertag.
The other thing is, there could be all kinds of problems with this boy and his family. I highly doubt he ran away JUST because they took his 360 away, I'm sure there's other issues. But that wouldn't make a very interesting headline I guess, at least not in the way it would make videogames the scapegoat. "Boy ran away from home because the family has had issues for years..." Wow, what a shock. But "Boy ran away because his parents took his xbox away" is much more of an attention grabber...and now we're talking about it. I feel like such a pawn.
His safety and well being is the only thing that matters right now.
I live in the Toronto area, and Barrie is a small city/large town which is about an hour highway drive from the greater Toronto Area and has grown quite a bit mostly due to people wanting bigger houses for their $$ and a quiet place to live. I make this statement as the odds are that this psychologist probably isn't the most experienced in this area and probably doesn't deserve to have his findings to be taken as seriously as say an academic psychologist that has spent years studying a relating topic. If I had to guess this guy is probably a police/family psychologist, and he's operating his practice in a city with a population of just over 150,000 people.
There's no doubt he has some ignorance as to the complete scope of games in this situation, to throw around the popular realism/violence argument, and to make a statement like "You're essentially just sitting there, staring at the screen and other aspects of your brain aren't being exercised. A child could be great at these games, but can't handle doing fractions in math," is ridiculous on a few levels.
From my perspective, I think that the supposed "addiction" may have stemmed from the community and competitive aspect of COD4. If he was in a clan, a competitive team, or maybe just played with a group of guys who had a sense of personal pride and competitive spirit. So when his ability to play was taken away, it was his sense of responsibility to his teammates and competitive drive that fueled him, not because his murder simulator was taken away like the psychologist implies as the motive. Possibly the same thing would happen if he was competitively involved in hockey (or another sport) and he was punished by not being allowed to participate in that sport for a period of time?
Regardless of the gaming reasons that contributed to this, really there is more going on than just the superficial facts, the average kid may threaten to runaway from home, but the average kid does not usually go through with it.
About the whole non-engaged mind, as was mentioned, there are many passive activities like watching TV and movies that really have you staring at a screen without any other requirements. Depending on the game and genre, games involve different kinds of problem solving, whether it's more explicit like solving a puzzle to move on to more abstract sub-conscious level tactical considerations in multi-player shooters. There are plenty of people in the world that have never touched a game in their life that cannot understand simple "fractions" or math. I have met plenty of people that live down to the dumb jock stereotype, where their great at a certain sport, but dumber then a plank of wood when it comes to other things.
It would've been better if he generalized his statement, and stated that anyone who lets anything consume their life to a certain level, is likely to be deficient in certain other areas of their lives.
Hopefully soon there will be more educated opinions from professionals, who take the time to actually learn about games and what motivates people to play them. Then maybe we can truly begin to identify what the positive and negative effects of games are on different types of people.
I couldn't agree more. You hit all the topics I wanted to touch on but you did it more eloquently that I could have. Well done.
Whether or not this story relevant to the actual outcome of events is certainly debatable it does though lead onto to a topic that appears to be how shall we say "conveniantly dismissed" by the entire industry and gamers as it would obviously have serious consequences if certain matters were proved scientifically just as the tobacco industry fought tooth and nail to silence any link between smoking and lung cancer.
What is not up for discussion now is the psychological mechanisms that underpin engaging in a videogame.
Anecdotal evidence of ones long term individual's experiences playing games means nothing from both sides of the fence. Whether or not games can and in effect do have specific qualities to alter psychological states is not really up for discussion any more. They do.
There is certainly still questions regarding if it is just specific types of personality who are more susceptible to become addicted to games, just as in previous generations, smoking, drinking or gambling were considered vices and also what the long term consequences of being immersed in what is essentially a virtual facade of reality can do to certain people.
It amazes me that the entire community be it both professional or elsewhere returns to the same retorts that are equally as ignorant when stories of these ilk with more substance than this emerge. Perhaps instead of raising their arms up in despair at the so called "incomprehension of outsiders" and trotting out the same cliches in response actually coming up with some reasons or explanations that hold validity may actually be more productive
It would be nice to see a magazine of Edge's stature tackle such issues with an objective eye. Having seen Baroness Greenfield speak in person and knowing her to be a incredibly intelligent woman instead of dismissing her views and opinions as was done on this site on a very similar theme interviewing her for a forthcoming feature would lead to some honest debate on this matter that many gamers would rather ignore for their own peace of mind, sense of security and place in the world.
Just a thought
Heretic! Burn him! Burrrrrrrnnnnnn hiiiiiim!
I don't think anyone ignores these issues Acroscopic, I just don't think it's my place to objectively decide what the truth is in this matter. Games arouse players, I agree - that's why players play them. But it's a long way from that concept to blaming a game or gaming for incidents like this one in real life.
It certainly is not the duty of gamers to undertake or even understand scientific research into the long-term effects of videogames on one's perception of reality. Neither should anyone stop watching TV or surfing the internet or using a mobile phone because of the perception of possible long-term effects of doing so. My personal opinion is that I would be incredibly surprised if gaming had any more negative effect on people or society than any other art form or medium - the ball is in the court of those who seek to prove different.
Surely one thing we all agree on - silly scare stories like this do nothing to advance the debate in the slightest.
"It certainly is not the duty of gamers to undertake or even understand scientific research into the long-term effects of videogames on one's perception of reality."
Of course not--who would want to understand anything? What, me worry?
I don't agree with the psychologist's notion that games only stimulate non-useful parts of the brain. He's singling out one game that has to do with war and conflict (which elicit emotion) rather than the millions of games available many of which emphasize problem-solving and math skills directly contradictory to his statement. I also fail to see any connection between the violence of Call of Duty 4 and this kid running away. If he has an addiction he needs help. People can be addicted to many things but that doesn't necessarily make them a bad; sex and food for example.
However there are certain games that encourage and create an environment for addiction. And many articles have been written on that topic, specifically WoW.
I don't know if I consider an addiction to anything social as bad, or even an addiction at all. People spend hours on their MySpace just talking to people or playing whatever that game is that's on there, or on forums (like these), or games, or anything that carries a social aspect with it.
Connecting and communicating with other real people I believe is the draw of socially related entertainment. Sports have been doing it for years. I played baseball from the age of 10 to my senior year in high school and I had 2 hour practices every day with at least 1 game a week. Was I addicted to baseball? And also, my parents didn't get mad and threaten to take my baseball away because I spend hours a day doing it. I was focusing on nothing but baseball while I played and wasn’t considering history class or English class while playing.
I think there's this opinion that society has that unless you're doing something physically active, then it’s not worth doing or not worth doing for very long and, "You should be outside playing football!" (At least if its video games you’re playing instead of being outside). Why? I can understand in the past before Xbox live had a robust online community that if you were in your house all day playing games, most likely you were playing by yourself and not socializing or communicating with people at all. You're essentially locking yourself away from everyone else in order to play. Regardless of how much educational value the game has, you should still have some sort of social involvement in some way.
And I'm not saying you shouldn't get exercise. But not everyone likes sports and if you don't like them, or are not good at them, you won't fit into that social group, and if that's all everyone does, it’s hard for certain kids who aren’t as physically able as others to fit into those groups. With the online community video games now offer, you can now fit into a crowd that you previously couldn't. Or you can be good at Halo, or Call of Duty, or Gears and now will feel more needed and have a feeling of belonging to something. Even for me at 27 y/o with a wife and 3 kids, I don’t really have much time to get out and I’m not about to ditch my wife with a newborn, 3 y/o and 9 y/o. So for me, Xbox live is pretty much the only social connection I have. So if my wife were to attempt to take that away, I may run away, too (I kid).
I think what they’re not understanding is that by taking away their kid’s Xbox, they’re taking away more than just his ability to play a video game, but taking away a social aspect of his life that may be very important to him. I have about 6-7 friends on my 360 that I play with on a normal basis, and if I don’t show up for some Halo or GH action, I feel like I miss out just like I would miss out if my friends from work had a get together and I didn’t go.
I believe it won’t be until we gamers start having kids we’ll have more of an understanding of our kids and their relationship with their game system. My wife and I argue all the time because my son just wants to play Halo or TFU and she has a problem with that even though he does go outside and plays quite a bit. My wife will tell my son to turn the game off and go to bed, and he’ll ask to play a couple minutes longer and I know he at least needs to hit a check point or save point so I’ll tell him he can play a bit longer and my wife gets pissed. If he was reading a Star Wars book instead of playing a Star Wars game, my wife probably wouldn’t care if he played as long (she says no, but I believe otherwise) It’s an ongoing thing with us.
Stuff like that can happen to any kid that doesn't play videogames, I won't blame the parents, all kids have problems sooner or later. I only hope they find their kid.
People can blame the parents but I think nobody has the right to judge them. They did their best to raise him I'm sure.
I'm a gamer, I don't have kids yet but when the time comes I'll try to balance fun with work, kids need to know theres more to life than beating some other kid in a FPS.
Isn't it about time we stop giving column inches to the inane rambling of hack-psychologists like this. I've been playing games for the best part of 20-odd years now and whilst many of them have probably included some element of fantasy violence I'm not desensitised to it at all (I'm not a big fan of overly gory media) and will do everything in my power to avoid any sort of potentially violent situation. However, I still loved Call of Duty 4 and look forward to any number of games where combat, war and violence form part of the overall experience.
I always wonder in this cases, what is it about videogames, as opposed to any other sort of entertainment medium (such as books and films), that makes this people think that someone can't differentiate between fantasy and reality?
I think psychologists are totally lost when it comes to this, they just use video gaming as a very convenient explanation. There are many ways to look at this:
- If so it happens that excessive gaming is the reason to his disappearance, then it isn't the industries fault, it's the parents'. It's like blaming a farmer because someone drinks milk until he dies.
- I don't think it's unlikely that the reason he disappeared was connected to his gaming. But that's not really because of the game itself, rather than maybe the solitude or some other concern. This is hardly unique to video games though. Music has proved itself just as "dangerous", does that mean every music but happy-go-lucky bubblegum pop should be banned?
- Why the hell did the psychologist even bring up violence? I can understand if the kid would have gone rampage or something, but what he did was run away. What has that got to do with violent games?