Your Health and the Gaming Gadget

Play Gadgets don’t just cover gaming systems, gadgets, acessories, frequent, saucy rumours of the super-entertaining gaming industry and the occasional gaming babes, we also look into other important areas which are closely related to gaming. One such area is health. Yep, we all have health and it’s extremely important to take care of ourselves and if you are in the role of parents, you got the responsibility to supervise your kids when they are using their electronics gadgets (don’t pamper them to be like Cartman).

Here’s some interesting stats…

EARLY ADOPTERS
Device: Average age of first use
• TV: 3.8 years
• Desktop computer: 5.5
• Video game system: 6.1
• Portable CD player: 6.9
• Laptop computer: 7.3
• Portable DVD player: 7.3
• Cellphone: 9.0
• Portable digital media player: 9.2
Source: NPD Group, from a February online survey of 3,540 parents of children aged 4 to 14

As you can see, kids are introduced to the gaming world as early as 3.8 years old. Maybe they don’t know how to hook up the Xbox 360 but I’m sure they are witnessing their dads playing the next-gen console and screaming at the moving images on the TV (or both dad and kid scream together). At the age of 6, children know what’s the difference between an Xbox 360, a PlayStation and a Nintendo DS.

However, electronics-related health problems in children are rising. Overusage of cellphones and video game consoles and handhelds can cause strain injuries. Prolonged gaming without breaks will actually break you.

So how do Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo incorporate the health element in their products and do their best to keep the health problems at bay?

With its newest game controllers, Nintendo is making a change aimed in part at curing the painful problem some frequent players call “Nintendo thumb.” The controller for its forthcoming Wii console has a built-in motion sensor designed in part to limit repetitive movements like button-pushing. Sony’s soon-to-be-released PlayStation 3 has a similar controller.

Xbox game system maker Microsoft Corp. provides a “Healthy Gaming Guide” that suggests users take frequent breaks, use good posture and work the buttons with a light touch

We feel that healthy gaming is the key. If you lose your health, you’ll lose your gaming ability and that’s silly.

Read the full wholsome Report