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Study shows that gaming may result in bad behavior in girls

By Staff Writer

Addiction in families can not only be related to drugs, but also video games when it comes to children. Although the American Psychiatric Association (APA) does not recognize video game addiction as a diagnosable condition, new studies are emerging that suggest that games may have negative effects on kids.

A study conducted by researchers from the Yale School of Medicine anonymously surveyed approximately 4,028 teenagers about their video gaming habits. More than 51 percent of the individuals said they played games regularly. Nearly 76 percent of the sample were boys, while 22 percent were girls. Researchers did not find any negative health effects relating to the males who participated in gaming. However, the females who played video games routinely were more likely to get into fights and bring weapons to school.

Rani Desai, one of the researchers who conducted the study, was able to detect behavioral problems in subjects who reported gaming for extended periods of time. Approximately 4 percent of the individuals surveyed said they had problems quitting once they started.

Although the APA does not consider video game addiction to be an illness, the condition may be re-evaluated and instated into the new Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders. The volume is set to debut in 2012. 

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