Video games 'depriving kids of sleep'
Published: 30 January 2012
Sleep deprivation is becoming a major problem among British teenagers who play video games regularly, according to a leading charity.
The influence of video games on children's sleep patterns is becoming a major concern among social workers at a charity in Devon.Although reluctant to attribute some children's high level of video game playing with either addiction or obsession, Wings South West believes games are affecting sleep and children's emotional development.
One of the social workers who works with children at the charity, Paul Bowser, said: "We have a number of young people who most of the time look almost stoned, not necessarily on drugs, but just with sleep deprivation because they're gaming all the time."
There is also concern that games are affecting people's ability to form relationships, particularly with the perceived absence of empathy or compassion shown towards characters in a virtual world.
Research published in 2011 by Brigham Young University indicated that playing video games with a parent may have a number advantages for girls aged between 11 and 16 years old.
Girls were found to behave better, and feel more connected to their families as a result.
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