WHS to screen documentary that looks at impacts of digital age

In his book “Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids – and How to Break the Trance,” Dr. Nicholas Kardaras recounts a study conducted by Dr. Anderson, Director of the Iowa State University Center for the Study of Violence. 

 He wanted to know if watching violent video games early in a school year could predict physical aggression later in the school year. 

 In short, the answer was yes. In another study conducted by Dr. Yang Wang (Indiana University School of Medicine), brain-imaging showed a direct relationship between playing violent video games and changes in the frontal lobe, the area of the brain that controls emotional expression, judgment, and self-control.

 A more positive result of video gaming was discovered in 2008 at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. 

 First Lieutenant Sam Brown was recovering from third degree burns over 30 percent of his body from an IED explosion in Kandahar, Afghanistan. 

 Concerned about the potential for becoming addicted to the narcotic pain killers used to dull the constant pain, Dr. Christopher Maani, the anesthesiologist in the burn unit, suggested they try an experimental therapy and had Lt. Brown play a video game called SnowWorld. 

 The game had been developed by two researchers at the University of Washington, Dr. David Patterson and Dr. Hunter Hoffman, who were trying to find a non-opioid pain management alternative. 

 The game was a virtual reality game set in the arctic where the player throws snowballs at penguins marching back and forth while Paul Simon’s song “You Can Call Me Al” plays in the background.  

 It worked. Lt. Brown reported that he felt less pain than he had with morphine. Brain imaging confirmed the results. The military continues to explore the use of virtual reality and video games as a quasi-drug in order to treat pain.

 So, are screentime and video games dangerous or not? Some research supports the supposition that excessive exposure to violent video games like Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Combat Arms, etc. can blur a player’s perception between reality and the virtual game world.  

 There is a name for this phenomenon, Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP). Additional research indicates that addiction to screentime and gaming has the same biological effect on the brain as other addictions.

  Screenagers is a documentary film, produced by Dr. Delaney Ruston, that takes a look at the impact of the digital age on children and how to help families minimize the harmful effects and find balance. 

 The film will be shown in the Weiser High School Auditorium on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 6:30 pm. 

 A panel discussion will follow. Dr. Raissa Miller, a professor from BSU who specializes in adolescent addiction, will be there along with a parent, students, teachers, and administrators from the district.