Center on Media and Child Health

The Problems and Promises of Video Games

In April, Dr. David Bickham, Staff Scientist at CMCH, spoke at Penn State's Institute for Information Policy conference titled Playing to Win: The Business and Social Frontier of Videogames.  The goal of the meeting was to bring together experts whose work centers on the economic, social and cultural aspects of videogames. 

A video of Dr. Bickham's 30 minute presentation is available online (seems to work best in Internet Explorer).  He outlines the benefits and concerns about video games according to recent research, and explains how research on this topic is conducted. 

Should Children Get Fit Using Video Games?

Some players already use the Nintendo Wii as a form of exercise, but the new Wii Fit brings the concept to a new level. The game includes a weight-sensing balance board on which players stand and move to participate in strength-training, yoga, and balancing via video game. Nintendo calls it “a combination of fitness and fun.” Buyers seem to agree.

This new release highlights some growing questions about exercise-focused video games. In particular, what effects do they have on children (especially those under 6) who use them? In a recent San Diego Union Tribune article, Dr. Don Shifrin explained that we don’t really know yet, and Dr. Daniel Anderson said that parents should limit children’s video game time and make sure that they don’t play even mildly violent games. There is plenty of research to support these recommendations, but when it comes to fitness by video game—at least for the moment—the jury is still out. For more information, see the following links

• Energy expenditure of sedentary screen time compared with active screen time for children
• Selecting appropriate toys for young children: The pediatrician’s role

 

Take This Game and Run With It

Back in April we told you about an "active-adventure" video game in development by students at Carnegie Mellon.  The Pittsburgh News interviewed the creators and got to see the game in action! 

Players run on a pad when they want their character to run on-screen; jump when they want the character to jump; and step forward and swing their arm when they want the character to punch. The creators are hoping that this game offers a full-body action experience to combat the sedentary nature of most video games.  See video of game play

Wii Helping Rehab Patients and Seniors

The Nintendo Wii, which allows movement in real-life time and space to control movement on a video screen, is offering a chance for rehab patients and seniors to take part in their favorite activities. 

This video shows a cerebral palsy patient, stroke victim, and disabled veteran all using Wii to practice their balance and hand-eye coordination as they attend physical therapy.

The Daily Times reports that older residents who never thought they'd bowl again were throwing strikes with gusto.  These kinds of activities encourage seniors to sharpen their movement skills. 

A txt a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?

A recent Wall Street Journal article highlights the use of text messages as part of the "telemedicine" wave.  In some countries text messages are cheaper, faster, and more private than phone calls or e-mails, so they present a useful alternative to calling or visiting a health professional.  Text messages are being used all over the world for a variety of health-related purposes:

• in the US: finding an HIV testing center near the user's location
• in Canada: using picture messages to consult about a meal with a nutritionist
• in the UK: reminding women to get breast cancer screenings   
• in Australia: allowing people to ask potentially-embarrassing sexual health questions   
• in Africa: monitoring AIDS patients   

Researchers have already tested the effectiveness of some health uses of text messages.  Rodgers et al found that people were twice as likely to successfully quit smoking if they received text messages containing advice and support for 7 months.

Your Mission: Re-Mission

When this blog first started, I posted about some new video games that aimed to improve health.  One of those games, Re-Mission, has recently been shown to be an effective mode of health education about cancer. 

Beale et al tested the game with 375 teen and young adult cancer patients.  Participants received either a commercial game and the game Re-Mission or just a commercial game.  They were asked to play the games for an hour a week for 3 months.  Both groups were tested on cancer knowledge at the beginning and end of the study. 

Researchers found that the group who played Re-MIssion had significant knowledge gains over the group who did not play the game.  They conclude that video games can be an effective way to teach patients about health.

Positive Action for HIV: MTV's Global Campaign

In 2002, MTV launched Staying Alive -- a global campaign geared toward increasing communication about HIV and encouraging prevention among 16-25 year olds.  The campaign was made up of public forums, web content written in 10 languages, and documentaries and public service announcements shown in 166 countries. 

Two articles in this month's AIDS Education and Prevention demonstrate that the campaign positively impacted social norms surrounding HIV:

Geary, CW et al. (2007). Exposure to MTV's global HIV prevention campaign in Kathmandu, Nepal; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Dakar, Senegal. AIDS Educ Prev, 19(1), 36-50.

Geary, CW et al. (2007). MTV's "Staying Alive" global campaign promoted interpersonal communication about HIV and positive beliefs about HIV prevention. AIDS Educ Prev, 19(1), 51-67.

The School Dance

Today a number of readers pointed me to an article in the New York Times about Physical Education classes across the US that are using Dance Dance Revolution to get kids to exercise.  According to the article, "at least several hundred schools in at least 10 states are now using Dance Dance Revolution, or D.D.R., as a regular part of their physical education curriculum.  Based on current plans, more than 1,500 schools are expected to be using the game by the end of the decade."

• See previous post about research on DDR and weight loss

Fun Resources for Body Image Media Mastery

Anyone who compares themselves to celebrities and models always falls short.  No one can live up to the flawless images in advertising or on the red carpet.  On top of having an entire staff of stylists ready to make them look good, photos are often digitally retouched for advertisements and magazines. 

Next week, CMCH will be partnering with TeamUp Marblehead to speak to 7th and 8th grade students about how media affect body image.  In our presentations, we use these fun resources to give students a "behind the scenes" look at how ads and magazine photos are altered to present an image of perfection:

• Greg Apodaca's Portfolio - roll over the picture to see how digital retouching makes this woman have a smaller waist, a larger chest, clearer skin, a smaller belly button, and no wrinkles.


• Fluid Effect - click on Portfolio, then Before & After to see how these photos are changed so that people appear flawless.


• This video shows how a woman is transformed from regular person to billboard ad:

Public Service Announcements: By Teens, For Teens

Today I heard about two organizations that offered teens a chance to engage in media production by creating Public Service Announcements (PSA's).  Just as writing skills are a key element in print literacy, media production is essential for enhancing media literacy.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy held a contest for young filmmakers, resulting in PSA's for their campaign "Sex Has Consequences." 

• See Baby Talk PSA
• See Smooth Talker PSA
• See other PSA's in this campaign

Another organization offering teen-produced media is Scenarios USA.  This group asked teens to write about issues such as peer pressure, body image, and commitment, then turned their stories into short films produced by some of Hollywood's finest filmmakers (including the directors of Sex and the City, Wag the Dog, and Meet the Parents).