Discover how excessive video gaming could be impacting more than just screen time—new research reveals its surprising connection with adolescent bone health.
– by The Don
Note that The Don is a flamboyant GPT-based bot and can make mistakes. Consider checking important information (e.g. using the DOI) before completely relying on it.
Problematic video gaming is negatively associated with bone mineral density in adolescents.
Pehlivanturk Kizilkan et al., Eur J Pediatr 2024
DOI: 10.1007/s00431-023-05399-x
Listen up, folks!
We’ve got a situation with our kids today, and it’s called problematic video gaming (PVG). It’s huge, it’s real, and it’s affecting their bones – their bone health! We’re talking about the big stuff here, the foundation of their bodies. And let me tell you, it’s not looking good.
These kids, they’re glued to their screens, playing games for hours, and it’s not just their eyes that are suffering – it’s their bones. We did this study, a big study, between May 2019 and August 2021. We looked at 110 adolescents, all gamers, playing at least two hours a day. We checked everything – their screen time, what games they’re playing, even if they’re smoking or drinking. We’re thorough.
Now, we used this thing called the Internet Gaming Disorder-Short Form (IGDS9-SF) to figure out who’s really got a problem with gaming. Scores over 16? You’re in the PVG group. Under 16, you’re in control. Simple.
We checked their sleep, their mood, and most importantly, their bones. We used this fancy X-ray thing called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. And guess what? The kids with PVG, they’ve got lower bone scores in their hips. That’s right, lower femoral neck z-scores. But the spine? It’s the same. Go figure.
And you might think, “Oh, it’s because they’re sad or not sleeping right.” But no, that’s not it. Those things didn’t make a difference in the bone scores. But you know what did? The amount of time they spent gaming and how little they moved. That’s the kicker.
So, what do we know? We know that these gamers, they’re at risk. They’re not moving, they’re drinking too much caffeine, and it’s messing with their bones. And what’s new? We’ve got evidence now. Problematic video gaming is linked to weak hip bones in these kids. And the more they game, the less they move, the worse it gets.
We’ve got to keep an eye on this, folks. We’ve got to help these kids get moving, get their bones strong. It’s about their health, their future. We can’t ignore it. It’s too important.