Addiction to video games linked to anxiety and depression in children

Kids who are addicted to video games may be more prone to depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems according to experts.

A recent study reveals that kids who are hooked to video games or what they term pathological video gaming, end up having problems fitting with their peers. They also tend to be more impulsive compared with other children who are not addicted to video games.  Addicted video gamers are more prone to phobias, depression and anxiety aside from the fact that their grades in school also come low.

The proponents of the study cannot really point out whether the addiction to video gaming came first or is it the depression that started the addiction. What is clear though are the risk factors because of video game addiction of the kids.

The study involved 3,034 kids from Singapore in different age groups who were subjected to surveys from 2007 through 2009.

The experts pointed out though that there are kids who play video games without having any effect to their social lives or life in general. Parents can consider it an addiction when the other aspects of the kid’s life is affected. Some symptoms may involve long hours inside his or her room playing video games, different set of friends, or decreased performance in school. Some factors that contribute to video addiction include playing video games 30 hours every week, decreased empathy, increased impulsiveness, and lower social competence.

Ways to Improve a Bad Memory: 1

bad-memoryLosing your memory can be incredibly scary.  Even if you are just beginning to forget things more often than you usually did, it can make you worry.  You might start to have trouble concentration.  Then again, you may have never had the best memory.

Whatever the case, there are ways you can improve your memory quite naturally.  You do not need to do anything too overwhelming.

Often, playing certain, challenging games can help you improve your memory.  For example, people say that playing soduku can be extremely beneficial.  Doing crosswords puzzles can also be helpful.  Any kind of brainteaser, actually, is going to benefit your memory.  It helps to keep you sharp.

For that matter, even reading can be good for your memory.  It is much more challenging than simply watching television.  It, too, will help to keep you sharp.  Heck, you can even read the infamous old “who dun its,” to see if you can figure out the mystery for yourself.

Getting over your Bad Mood – Getting Happy

swearingBad mood is not just something that makes you feel of the “gray skies” above you. This is a mood that weakens your immune system making you susceptible to illnesses. But there are ways on how to boost your mood, your soul and your well-being.

One of the most widely accepted ways on getting over a bad mood is through laughter. It helps to bring about the secretion of endorphins, a substance in our body that provide pain relief. Laughter also enhances our immune system, protecting us from diseases.

Europeans make use of amino acid supplement known as SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-Methaonine), which is extracted from methionine, an amino acid that is responsible for the production of feel-good hormones, serotonin and dopamine.

Another method of lifting one’s mood is touch. Studies confirmed that recovery is faster in patients who are regularly touched than to those who are not.

There are also exercises that are recommended to bring good mood. These are knee bends, push-ups, rowing and weight training.

Deep breathing exercises are also beneficial in alleviating the mood. 70% of body wastes and toxins are removed from our body through our respiratory system.

Continue Reading »

Online Racial Discrimination: Officially a New Stressor

Online Racial DiscriminationCould racial discrimination transcend the Internet culture where anonymity is prevalent?

The Internet has been an escape to most of the people who’d like to hide their real persona. There are those who come out of their closet online without having people know what they are in real life. There are those who pretend to be someone else. It’s easy to be anonymous online. But a recent study has it that there’s such a thing called online victimization.

Brendesha Tynes, a teacher for educational psychology, worked along with Michael T. Giang, David R. Williams, and Geneene N. Thompson to see if racial discrimination has anything to do with negative psychological adjustment. From this goal came the categorization of online and offline discrimination.

The team found out that, indeed, online discrimination is part of reality. And the more challenging part of the study they faced was in proving that such a phenomenon causes depression and teen anxiety.

Continue Reading »