Gaming Rickets, Gaming and Righteous Fury

This morning, the UK's third largest newspaper ran a headline blaming gaming for a rise in a serious disease. We take a look at this wild claim, and what it has to say about the ways in which research and gaming are reported by the mainstream media.

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/2010/01/22/rickets-gaming-and-righteous-fury/1

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oh god. its like reading research on a wonderful new material with little known properties apart from it doesnt like being hit with a hammer and proclaim it a cure for aids.

I think people should be more objective to the things they read, and point out the literary comedy gold moments through eyes unclouded.

 

Answer: write a similar story to the metro's replacing blaming people staying in to "play computer games" to "read the Metro"

 

or you could write in and say there's a heady surge in racism every time an issue of the daily mail is published. at least that would be partially accurate.

 

I'm very glad someone else has enjoyed Ben Goldacre's book, I usually avoid books of a similar type, especially about statistics, but the Mrs got a copy for xmas and insisted I give it a go. Having done a couple of statistics courses it's easy to see where the media and advertising companies get their ideas from, and why they pervert statistics so totally to arrive at the wrong conclusion.

Definitely a must-read for those even vaguely interested.

 

If you like the book, I recommend adding Ben Goldacre's blog (also called Bad Science) to your RSS reader of choice. As a real, bona fide, qualified doctor Goldacre does a good job of highlighting the poor representation of medicine in the media. He's also a charming guy to meet in person.

 

I read this too this morning and it brought on a serious case of WTF!?

 

Well-written article.

I wonder, by the way, how many outraged Metro, Daily Mail or Sun reading parents who think that "video games are teh evil" have bought a video games console or handheld for their kids this Christmas. I'll indulge in some scientifically and statistically unsubstantiated speculation that it will be quite a few. When you ask them (as I have done --at least my opinion is based in anecdote) why they are so critical of video games and then buy their kids one, they admit to doing it for a quiet life free from the kids' nagging (on that note, I also wonder how many of them have bought their little dote a TV for their own bedroom). So there you have it: ineffectual parenting is teh evil, not video games per se.

Of course I could also comment on how parents drive their kids to school rather than let them walk or cycle. Physical exercise begins at home; if children learn to ride in cars rather than to get on their feet/bike, then they are less likely to see physical exertion as a normal way of life. Or perhaps all those 4x4's should come with a sunroof as standard.

 

i absolutely agree with what you're saying, do not, DO NOT get me wrong.

but i feel this kind of article has no real place on the frontpage;
i have this little feeling this should have been a blogpost

 

I read this and actually burst out laughing... I should really stop reading news articles in class

 

It was originally planned as that, but the length quickly reached a point where it would be too hard to read on the blog pages. The format there is so narrow that the article would have gone on forever. And we don't want people stuck inside reading our articles for too long. They might get rickets.

 

true:d i appologise

 

Roffle!

The problem with the overabundance of this kind of journalism (the Metro, not you Joe) is that you end up taking everything with a pinch of salt and become a cynical old man.

Now I only believe things I read on the internet

 

Good read. Cases like this appear from time to time, and I think it's because of ignorance and/or young journalists trying to get their name out there.

We had a similar case in my town recently, but it was about young people playing poker in "secret poker-clubs" (gambling with money is illegal here), and the journalist made these guys seem like hardcore criminals hiding from the police in an underground enviroment with illegal distribution of alcohole and whatnot. It was a long crime-story that appeared on the front-page, but the police said they didn't even assign any resourses fighting illegal gambling.

 

the ben goldacre book was far from perfect. he was often guilty of exactly the same things he was critical of... sometimes in the same paragraph. I still enjoyed it, it helped clarify a couple of things which i was already sceptical of. Secondly, i think you are right to question the integrity of the story, however is it necessary to take the 'press hates video games' tone? I found it just blunted what could have been a very sharp attack.

 

WTF, seriously. They have better things to do than blaming games for everything (violence, drugs, rickets...). I bet my kidney that they buy a console to their kids so they don't get disturbed.

 

Bludgeon, stab - who cares as long as they end up dead?

Spoiler

Maybe not necessary, but certainly it felt like an important and attached topic that was worth mentioning considering where the story appears and who is writing it

 

As a PhD student and scientist, I appreciate and applaud the article in showing it as the farce that it is. Goldacre's book is indeed an interesting read and would recommend it to many, especially those who view homeopathy and such nonsense as valid medical practices. The placebo effect is a powerful one, but one we do not understand fully and as such, there is no need to play on it and potentially endanger peoples lives.

The general populace will, no doubt, read the article and expect that in the next decade or so, that half the country will be suffering from Rickets. People have no common sense these days and rarely have the cop-on to open their eyes. Hell, most people these days cannot even spell properly and subjects are being dumbed down to "acceptable" levels.

Sorry, went off the track a bit there.

I had spotted the offending article in a few places today, but didn't look into it as I debunked it looking at the title.

However, there will be some who can "link" this to people who do spend almost every waking hour sat in front of a PC/console levelling up or doing marathon 17 hour sessions drinking milk, trying to get into MW2 and punching walls (sorry, had to, it was just too funny).

Solution; balanced diet. Done.

 

I was told 25 years ago that the only thing the average journo is interested in is in getting a story, usually this means making sensationalist claims and/or repeating unfounded claims or stories just to get noticed. I see nothing has changed and probably never will.

Take a look at the tripe that gets published in the tabloids, they blatantly make up stories just to have something to print.

 

I only read the Metro for the personal ads