What is geek therapy? What are its benefits? by Wistar Murray | Apr 1, 2022 | Beginning Therapy, Mental Health Topics Geek therapy is a mental health intervention that incorporates so-called nerd culture into the therapeutic process. It’s a method that mental health professionals can utilize to reach clients who are interested in anime, gaming, comics, and other traditionally “nerdy” pursuits. Geek therapy operates on the principle of affinity, meaning that…
Screen time to green time: New study informs healthy screen habits as kids go back to school by Wistar Murray | Aug 19, 2021 | Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Parenting A new Australian study indicates that adolescents can benefit from daily screen time, but only in limited doses: under 75 minutes for girls and under 105 minutes for boys. The researcher attributes the gender divide to a lower “active contribution” from girls during media use. Boys tend to play more…
Do violent video games really cause aggressive behavior? Despite popular belief, research says gaming does not influence behavior change by Taylor Bennett | Mar 18, 2019 | Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Research You’ve heard it many times before: “Violent video games spark aggressive behavior in players and lead to violence in real life…” But, have you ever stopped to look at the facts and consider the validity of this statement? Heather Ness, a psychology professor and blogger who specializes in the psychology…
Your brain on video games: What are the benefits? Are there drawbacks? by Joe Slepski | Mar 6, 2019 | Media Use, Mental Health Topics In the digital era, both children and adults have been looking to video games for entertainment more and more often. The number of players getting involved, even when looking at a single game alone, can be staggering; for example, as of June 2018, the popular video game Fortnite had more…
Study Says Playing Video Games for Just One Hour Can Improve Concentration by Taylor Bennett | Feb 21, 2018 | Mental Health Topics, Research Some people spend hours with their eyes glued to their computer or TV screen and hands glued to the keyboard or controller in front of them—and others turn on their game console once every few days or weeks. In either regard, many believe that the effects of playing video games…
New Study Says Violent Video Games Do Not Make Players More Aggressive by Taylor Bennett | Jan 18, 2018 | Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Research A popular topic of conversation (at least in the world of psychology) is whether or not video games make people more aggressive. For years, the bulk of research said yes, they certainly do; even the American Psychological Association declared violent video games—such as Halo and Call of Duty—a danger to…
Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence by Taylor Bennett | Nov 20, 2017 | Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Research Growing up, my two brothers and I loved to play all sorts of video games. We’d crowd onto the couch and battle each other in Halo 2 and Call of Duty on the Xbox. We’d spend hours creating our dream houses and families on Sims (with the help of some…
5 Rules for Managing Video Games In Your Household by Ben Baynton | Nov 12, 2013 | Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Let’s face it- video games are here to stay. With the next generation of consoles about to come out, it’s a great time to review a few ways to make gaming a positive addition to your family, rather than a negative one. 1. No gaming before bed. This includes the…