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Author Mike Tomich has been unoficially researching the effects of video-game controllers on children's hands. He recommends children should not start playing video-games until they are at least 8 years old, as their bones are still soft and the repeated motions of holding a controller can cause deformities in their hands...
If Mike Tomich is to be believed, colouring, video games and keyboard use are crippling our children. According to Tomich, each of these activities is responsible for deforming the youngin's hands. FOREVER.
"Children develop the injuries because their bones are too soft (not calcified hard) and readily yield to the strong repeating forces," writes Tomich on his web site (itself the result of 5 1/2 years of unofficial research). "The permanent and accumulative damage from these forces is silently inflicted without pain because of the numbing effects they deliver to the soft bones."
Additional sources:
- Author: Video Games Lead to Finger Deformities in Young C... (gamepolitics.com)
- Author claims video games lead to finger deformities in c... (joystiq.com)
Latest comment:
Most recently commented on by on Apr 2, 2009
Most recently commented on by on Apr 2, 2009
Comments
The difference is, I take breaks regularly and especially when my hands/wrists begin to ache.
My automatic response to any of these claims from now on will be this: Don't blame the equipment, blame the player!
Sure, playing video-games might deform certain children's hands. It's entirely possible. But the controller isn't to blame. It's the repeated movements. Spending hours each day for years doing the same repeated actions is bound to effect a few people.
And GTA3 at 10 >:]
Had Jack Thompson had his way, you'd be able to arrest your parents for allowing you to play GTA3 when you're <18.... let's thank god he didn't have his way...
And yeah, outdoors is so RL 1.0.
Firstly, like Gothic said, it's not the controller, it's the repetition of going over the same actions. Which happens in day to day life. DIY is a major cause of this and in fact in my experience, my wrists and fingers have ached quicker and more painfully by using a screwdriver and putting myself into awkward and silly positions than I have ever experienced with gaming.
Secondly, although they flash several PC's and other controllers, they have seemed to hit upon the N64 controller the most. Yes the design is out of this world but again, it's not the controller, it's the player and the repetition. The N64 controller only makes you ache depending on how you use it. The traditional controllers don't and even the Dreamcast controller which uses the same layout as the N64 but without a third grip doesn't cause problems.
The deformities maybe passed down through the family or caused by another activity, I just find it quite sad that people will go to these lengths to give false information just to cash in on it all
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