Get smart: Exercise and get off computer
Get smart: Exercise and get off computer
People playing computer games to train their brains might as well be playing Super Mario, new research suggests.
In a six-week study, experts found people who played online games designed to improve their cognitive skills didn't get any smarter.
More than 8,600 people aged 18 to 60 were asked to play online brain games designed by the researchers to improve their memory, reasoning and other skills for at least 10 minutes a day, three times a week.
Researchers said the people who did the brain training didn't do any better on the test after six weeks than people who had simply been on the Internet. On some sections of the test, the people who surfed the Net scored higher than those playing the games.
"If you're (playing these games) because they're fun, that's absolutely fine," said Adrian Owen, assistant director of the Cognition and Brain Sciences unit at Britain's Medical Research Council, the study's lead author. "But if you're expecting (these games) to improve your I.Q., our data suggests this isn't the case," he said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Computer games available online and marketed by companies like Nintendo that supposedly enhance memory, reasoning and other cognitive skills are played by millions of people worldwide, though few studies have examined if the games work.
"There is precious little evidence to suggest the skills used in these games transfer to the real world," said Art Kramer, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Illinois. He was not linked to the study and has no ties to any companies that make brain training games.
Instead of playing brain games, Kramer said people would be better off getting some exercise. He said physical activity can spark new connections between neurons and produce new brain cells. "Fitness changes the building blocks of the brain's structure," he said.
"If you set the level for these games to a very high level where you don't get the answers very often and it really annoys you, then it may be useful," said Philip Adey, an emeritus professor of psychology and neuroscience at King's College in London.
If people are enjoying the brain games, Adey said they probably aren't being challenged and might as well be playing a regular video game.
He said people should consider learning a new language or sport if they really wanted to improve their brain power. "To stimulate the intellect, you need a real challenge," Adey said, adding computer games were not an easy shortcut. "Getting smart is hard work."
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- Posted on April 21, 2010
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I do not think you can remember things by videogames. Also playing to long is veary un healthy. They should just go out side and be active.
That's kind of dumb how people actually thought that playing video games on a computer might help on a test!!! That's like saying that potato chips are healthy and that fruits and vegetables are the worst food to eat... EVER!!! The test probably just made the kids just have there eyes hurt like crazy!
While I can understand that playing games for to long is unhealthy and that games don't always help in remembering things, I do think there are still many games that actually do help in you when it comes to learning. Take Brain Age for an example, it helped me in math tests and memorize difficult multiplying problems, though the people who they may have made take said test and use there game might not have put a 100% into actually playing the game. And if you want a game that gets you fit, go buy a Wii and Wii Fit :P or just one Wii game that makes you get up and move about, I honestly think it helps at times and gives you a real good work out.
this is really good. people can excise their brains and get smarter then before. this Mario game can hell you with hand eye coordination. people can work hard
I totally agree with this article, kids need to get off the computer and stop playing video games and get some exercise and some sun. If kids do not stop playing games and get some exercise, they will ruin there lives.
This information is interesting! I have a game called Brain Age. It has a bunch of little games about math, spelling, social studies, and English! It has you do all of these little games and takes all of those scores and averages them together then you get your final grade! It is fun and it helps me in school!
This information is interesting to me, I've used games like this and they helped me. I actually used a DS game to study for the SATs and I really liked it. I think that the benefit of these games really depend on the person using them. I think that programs like Luminosity are geared towards people that don't particularly like working out of books. Either way, if the studies show that these programs aren't efficient, then we need to find an alternative way to keep our minds working at the best of their ability.
i also think you should do more things like burning energy at home instead of on the computer or staring at the TV all day long. also people are starting to make you lose energy in games like just dance 3 we just got there is a mode called "sweat".
I am writing about the author's purpose for this article. I believe that the author of this article is intending to write to inform people that use these games that they are not actually becoming smarter by using this software. I know this because he/she includes many facts that support the fact that they do not improve brain power if you are playing the games for fun. However, they do state that it could be possible if you reach a level so high that it is a challenge and is almost no longer fun, then you may be getting smarter. They want to allow you to take your side because they do not clearly state their opinion, it is strictly facts about the study and quotes from scientists.
Yes i do think that kids should get up and exercise more often, there are many kids that sit around in front of a t.v or a computer playing video games for hours.