FAT gamers PHAT games

The link between childhood obesity 

and the use of video games and the 

watching of television is as the 

Vandewater study contends is of 

no significant relevance. (Vandewater 

2004)

The child's body mass index in my

opinion is directly linked to genetics 

and environment. The child will eat

as their parents eat or as they are 

allowed to eat. Diet is also, in my

opinion based on economics. The 

parents have to drive to the supermarket

to buy wholesome foods and have the

money to afford them. Inner city

children or parents of substance

abusers in many cases rely on  

the local deli. And as we all know 

hey are not stocked with wholesome 

foods. 

Is their a link between violent aggressive 

behaviors and the playing of video games 

or (Phat games) as I like to call them?

I don't know for sure, in a scientific sense.

My gut reaction is to say, their has to be.

But my feelings don't mean much in

the world of empirical research.  

The journal "An update on the effects

of playing violent video games" 

(Craig A. Anderson* 2003) is in my

opinion not a valid study. I see  the 

survey of existing literature as an 

attempt to fit a round peg in a square 

hole. The survey of literature is flawed

it blends the watching of violent videos 

with the playing of violent video

games. I see it as comparing oranges 

with grapefruits both are citrus fruits

but both taste totally different. In the 

case of video and video games they

in my opinion employ different types 

of literacy. The similarity is that they

are both viewer on a video screen.  

It also makes an dubious attempt to 

link school violence with the playing

of violent video games. By stating , "For

many in the general public, the 

problem of video game violence first

emerged with school shootings by avid 

players of such games...",then Anderson

by listing thirteen citations to link 

violent acts with the playing of video 

games has in effect fooled the reader

into an false sense of validity. And upon 

reading the rest of the survey I believe

that it was written to demonize the gamer.

I don't have the time to pick it apart 

line by line.

The other case study was both very 

scientific and very interesting. "Violence

exposure in real-life, videogames, 

television, movies, and the internet:

is there desensitization?" (Jeanne B. 

Funk 2004)  I gained a much greater 

understanding. The desensitizing effect 

that violent incidents and experiences

either through real or virtual experiences 

on emotional and cognitive functions is

a sobering thought. " Emotional and 

cognitive desensitization to violence 

decrease the likelihood that violent
behavior will be either censored or 

censured...." This statement should 

become a educational wake up call. The

implication of this in relation to the 

educating the our children leads 

me to the following thought. We as 

teachers need to reevaluate the way

in which instruction is delivered in

light of the psycho-social make up of

the desensitized student. 

To paraphrase  J. B. Funk, moral 

development is fostered through 

empathy. "Violence in screen-based 

media may affect empathy by 

desensitizing viewers to the true
consequences of violent actions...." 

The moral development of a child

directly effects the place in which

that child takes in society. Droves 

of  children that grow up with out

empathy leads me to believe that

the society in the  movie a Clock

Work Orange could become a reality. 

Where are we going as a society?

What can we expect from such

students in the classroom?