Question: Please respond to the following

you did a nice job discussing both the advantages and disadvantages that smartphones might have for adolescent's physical development. One interesting thing that I think is important that you noted as a disadvantage is how smartphone usage discourages manual behavior in adolescents. Therefore, they no longer walk to places or go places because things are at their fingertips. Reflecting on the disadvantages and advantages, do you think there are more of one or the other when thinking about the effects on adolescent physical development? Why is this important to understand?

Please view: Canadian Digital Task Force (2017). Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world. Pediatrics and Child Health, 22(8), 461-468. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxx123

The use of gaming consoles can have both positive and negative effects on the physical development of children. These effects can be largely attributed to the types of games played on consoles. While most video games, which require sitting or very little movement, can be shown to have an adverse effect on motor skills and health, some more active video games can improve skills and support optimal physical development. Stublefield, et al. (2017) report that gaming can lead to an increase in obesity due to its possible increase in sedentary behavior. This study sought to determine if there was a correlation between problem gaming and those seeking treatment for problem weight management (PWM). The researchers utilized an online survey to collect data, but despite the connection between gaming and obesity found in the literature their findings did not support their hypothesis that problem gaming would be associated with PWM treatment. (Stublefield, et al., 2017). Hulteen, Ridgers, Johnson, Mellecker, and Barnett (2015) also report that video games can have a detrimental effect on the development of physical skills, but also illustrated some benefit of active gaming systems, such as increased overall physical movement, physical skill improvement, and active engagement. Adding to the discussion of active gaming, Jenny, Schary, Noble, and Hamill (2017) conducted a literature review to determine the potential benefits of motion-based video gaming (MBVG) on physical skill development. They reported that MBVG appeared to have potential benefits to novice athletes and children with special needs. They reported that video games in general have been shown to improve hand-eye coordination and decrease reaction times (Jenny, et al., 2017). In another study, Vernadakis, Papastergious, Zetou, and Antoniou (2015) endeavored to determine if an exergame-based program would be beneficial to teaching object control skills. They conducted a quantitative study on elementary school children. The researchers found that the results of children who were given the exergame-based program did not differ significantly from those in the traditional program and concluded that the use of active video games was a viable resource for enhancing physical development (Vernadakis, et al., 2015). Overall it appears from the literature that while problem gaming may result in more sedentary behavior and lead to obesity and problems in physical development, more active gaming might enhance physical development in children and improve some physical and athletic skills.

References: Hulteen, R. M., Ridgers, N. D., Johnson, T. M., Mellecker, R. R., & Barnett, L. M. (2015). Children's movement skills when playing active video games. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 121(3), 767-790. DOI: 10.2466/25.10.PMS.121c24x5

Jenny, S. E., Schary, D. P., Noble, K. M., & Hamill, S. D. (2017). The Effectiveness of Developing Motor Skills Through Motion-Based Video Gaming: A Review. Simulation & Gaming, 48(6), 722-734. doi:10.1177/1046878117738552

Stubblefield, S., Datto, G., Phan, T. T., Werk, L. N., Stackpole, K., Siegel, R., & ... Gentile, D. A. (2017). Problem Video Gaming Among Children Enrolled in Tertiary Weight Management Programs. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 20(2), 109-116. doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0386

Vernadakis, N., Papastergiou, M., Zetou, E., & Antoniou, P. (2015). The impact of an exergame-based intervention on children's fundamental motor skills. Computers & Education, 8390-102. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2015.01.001