Study says video games are good for eyes

[Z]

SINGAPORE, Feb 7 (Reuters Life! (http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2007-02-07T075235Z_01_SP181155_RTRUKOC_0_US-VIDEOGAMES-VISION.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-technologyNews-3)) - Video game addicts, rejoice: U.S. researchers have found that playing is actually good for your eyes, and despite all those dire warnings from your parents, it won't make you blind.

A study by the University of Rochester showed that people who played action video games for a few hours a day over the course of a month improved their vision by about 20 percent.

"Action video game play changes the way our brains process visual information," Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences, said in the study published on the university's Web site, www.rochester.edu, on Tuesday.

"These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it. That learning carries over into other activities and possibly everyday life."

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Bavelier and a graduate student tested college students who had played very few, if any, video games in the last year.

Test subjects were given an eye test similar to the one used at regular eye clinics and then divided into two groups -- one played shoot-em-up action games for an hour a day while the control group played a less visually complex game.

Their vision was tested after the study, with those who played the action game scoring better in the eye test.

The researchers said their findings could help patients with several types of visual defects.

[D3adcell]

I have eye problems and have played games for years. I am supposed to wear glasses but can see fine without them too. Just one of my eyes suck.

[Mecha Richter]

My eyes are getting worse...

[curryking1]

I have contacts :)

I have pretty bad eyesight, CRTs will do that to you, especially considering my eyes are apparently pretty sensitive, because I don't actually watch TV or game that often. Sucks I found that out after... o well. But now, LCDs are much easier on the eyes, it's very nice, I don't need to get a headache while typing something for 2 or a few hours.

But anyways, in essence this study is not actually 'video games are good for your eyes,' rather it can help to train your brain to better percieve things, or be more analytical, or train your ability to observe and differentiate, learn more and more specific patterns for the eye to recognize. I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with health, the title is very misleading. If you want sensationalist and misunderstood information being further passed on by the news, look no further than here for today's fix.

[Lucent Beam]

That's a really interesting study.

My eyes suck though and I don't think gaming is having any additional effect on that.



But anyways, in essence this study is not actually 'video games are good for your eyes,' rather it can help to train your brain to better percieve things, or be more analytical, or train your ability to observe and differentiate, learn more and more specific patterns for the eye to recognize. I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with health, the title is very misleading. If you want sensationalist and misunderstood information being further passed on by the news, look no further than here for today's fix.

Exactly. I think it's more about ability to process visual information (good for the BRAIN) rather than ability to see clearly (good for the EYES).

[Boggy700]

U.S. researchers have found that playing is actually good for your eyes, and despite all those dire warnings from your parents, it won't make you blind.
So it's just sitting too close to the TV and masturbation now.



I wear glasses, so it must've been all that reading I do.

(For your convenience, I've underlined the sarcasm.)
(Don't try and click it, it's not a link.)

[masteratt]

^*tries to click it*....god-darn it!

Anyway I agree with this study (that I haven't read)Edit: now read...nothing need to be added.
After I play a shooting game a lot or something, I notice the most smallest details on everything in real life and I think to myself "hmm, this has nice textures"

Also my eyes are as sharp as an Arabian sword now. Once my friends were like "where the hell is the bird?" and after 3 seconds of concentration I found the bird between bushes and trees and etc (we weren't bird watching, we were trying to catch it so we can have a nice snack)

The only game, I have played that, contrasts this research is Tomb Raider: Legend.
It DID make me go blind (momentarily). I basically had to sit INSIDE THE TV! in the last level to see what was going on despite having my brightness setting on max.

[HolyPaladin]

My eyesight is horrible, but both of my parents had bad eyes. I have worn contact lenses for years, but they bother my eyes quite a bit anymore so I normally wear glasses when not at work. I'm not sure exactly what my eyesight is at right now, but I know it's a lot worse than 20/400.


After I play a shooting game a lot or something, I notice the most smallest details on everything in real life and I think to myself "hmm, this has nice textures"

I do stuff like that sort of, but not just after playing games, and not so much a noticing of details as much as a viewing things as if in a game world. At least, I used to do that quite a bit. Back in the N64 era, I'd be driving down the road and pass a vehicle, and I'd wonder how many polygons it could be rendered with and look decent. More recently, I came to a stop at the end of an offramp and was studying the ground texture on the slop facing me.

[OnBake Platinum]

I have perfect vision because I am perfect.

[koten]

I have 20/15 vision in both eyes.

Thus, I am better than perfect.