Scaremongering and game-induced seizures
by Dan Choi 
{ Jan 14th 2006 at 11:59PM }
The story of a nine-year-old boy from California who was not allowed by a doctor
to "play PlayStation anymore" (or "at least the next month" or so) has been getting a certain amount
of play in the blogosphere lately.Sure, having your head jerk back and forth from playing games too long is a serious matter, but claiming on the local evening news that "excessive video-game playing can produce the same in any child" seems a bit irresponsible, despite the sensible safety precautions given (e.g., "set time limits for games, keep lights on in the room so it's bright, and make sure children stay at least two feet [a]way from the screen").
The fact of the matter is that photosensitive epilepsy (which produced the so-called "Pokémon seizures" of '97), while often first exhibiting symptoms in childhood, does not affect all or even most children, though sensitivity may be increased by "alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, and other forms of stress." Warnings concerning seizures are fine, but excessive scaremongering is symptomatic of a shallow headline-seeking tendency in mainstream media outlets.
[Thanks, Back_Lit, Ian, & Carl]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brandon @ Jan 15th 2006 12:28AM
Heck yeah, Drudge Report link within!
Blake @ Jan 15th 2006 1:35AM
It disgusts me how the media will take such a shallow story, struggle to find the means through which they can embellish it, and then release it as headline news. What ever happened to righteous news, or moral conduct? Sheesh, all people want is a quick fix, its pathetic.
KNsT @ Jan 15th 2006 1:39AM
At least two feet from the screen? I can't sit any closer than that to a computer monitor, let alone a TV. I'd say more like four or five feet.
pukgreenuniform @ Jan 15th 2006 2:32AM
http://digg.com/gaming/Doctor_Bans_Boy_From_Playstation_To_Stop_Head_Twitching
Zachary @ Jan 15th 2006 2:36AM
Thats the evil of the local news, my local news does nothing but this "scaremongering" always pertaining to video games, the internet, how the iPod with video can play porn, etc.........
Tim @ Jan 15th 2006 2:37AM
Very well, Joystiq! I ACCEPT your challenge!!
"[...] sensitivity may be increased by 'alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, and other forms of stress.'"
I will drink ENTERTAINING amounts of alochol, deprive myself of sleep, and somehow stress myself out (I think having someone scream at me every few hours "do something MEANINGFUL with your life, JACKASS!!" should do the trick, possibly a slap to the back of the head at random points) whilst playing the most dangerous seizure inducing games known to man all in the name of science.
My prediction- No clue. I'm curious myself! But at least I have a REASON now.
Kajex @ Jan 15th 2006 5:18AM
Medically, video games don't cause epilepsy. They can trigger it, but such a thing is an inate thing that varies from person to person.
scott @ Jan 15th 2006 9:52AM
I thought Video Games were only a Masterbatory Activity, Now its Dangerous?
Sentience @ Jan 15th 2006 12:04PM
There is some amount of truth to this. Some people are just more prone to epileptic seizures than others. You're dumb enough to sit that close to the screen, there are a plethora of other problems that can come up as well. Aside from the fact that you're looking at an object rendered in three dimensions, your eyes are still physically looking at a flat object, two feet away.
Sentience @ Jan 15th 2006 12:06PM
And those "so called Pokemon seizures?" Shit...you should've been in Japan when those happened. Parents went apeshit in Tokyo. Anyone's who's experienced in watching anime knows a mundane thing like powering up can be a raver's dream on earth.
LaughingTarget @ Jan 15th 2006 12:14PM
I honstly don't see how this is all "shallow". Epilepsy isn't and on-off thing. The effects of the shapes and lights build over time and cause things like this to happen. By removing yourself from stimuli that causes it (in today's world, video games are the most common kind by a wide margin), the effects wear off. The month is probably enough time to wear off the effects completely. Afterward, a more limited play time would keep the problem from occurring again.
epobirs @ Jan 15th 2006 4:33PM
Another important thing to remember about the Pokemon incident is that mass hysteria played a major role. Only after reports of the few genuinely affected children made the news did thousands of others retoactively decide they had been affected.
It could be worse. At a long ago E3, where the Virtual Boy had its first interactive public demo, I asked a group of NOA execs if they'd considered the possible repercussions of this thing becoming a major success. They didn't catch on until I asked them if they remembered 'The Andromeda Strain.' Then one of them got an 'uh oh' expression on his face...
Simon @ Jan 15th 2006 5:26PM
Breaking News: A blind man died driving a car.
Officials said 'anybody may die while driving a car' and 'these kind of accidents happen every day'.
In some cases even colateral damage occured, so driving is now under consideration for ban by the Homeland Security as it may become a means of attack for terrorists.
Cars are 'extemly dangerous' a mechanic stated. 'They contain easily fameable liquids and my explode at any time'. Actually, 'explosions are a regular part of their normal operation' he continued.
Parents around the country are shocked feaderal governement ever allowed such dangerous machines outside of highly controlled areas. 'Our children are at constant danger', one wheeping mother was heared saying.
---
But back to the topic: People photosensitive for epilepsy should not play video games with lots of flashing stuff, just as blind men should not drive.
Now that's *Breaking News*, isn't it ...
Superzapper2000 @ Jan 15th 2006 6:17PM
Anyhow if find someone having an Epileptic fit in a bathtub the 1st thing you should do is throw in your dirty clothes.
The ZeroCorpse @ Jan 15th 2006 11:31PM
First: Kudos to Simon! That's an excellent example of modern sensationalist journalism!
Second, it's not just videogames that can cause an epileptic seizure. A person can have a siezure just by watching a picket fence on the side of the road as they're driving by it. The on-off-on-off flashes of light through the fence slats will trigger the seizure, as will dozens of other things.
I find this is like the people who insist a whole school not eat peanuts or peanut butter or anything made anywhere near peanuts because ONE KID has a deadly peanut allergy. WE shouldn't have to adjust because your kid is an evolutionary dead-end. HE should have to learn to protect himself, and YOU should teach him that being anywhere near peanuts will KILL HIM FOREVER. Pound it into his head, but don't punish EVERYBODY ELSE because your kid is afflicted with a rare disorder.
Epilepsy is very rare, relatively speaking. Punishing everybody because ONE KID had a seizure is ridiculous. (And note, netizens, that word is spelled "r-i-d-i-c-u-l o-u-s" and not "r-E-d-i-c-u-l-u-s" despite the frequency of that retarded spelling.)
The ZeroCorpse @ Jan 15th 2006 11:37PM
And by the way: "siezure" was a TYPO. As you see, later in the piece, I spelled it correctly ("seizure") later. I realize the irony of my typo when lecturing people, but transposing two letters is hardly the same as using "e" instead of "i" in a word that has the root word "ridicule."
Anyway, mea culpa.
The ZeroCorpse @ Jan 15th 2006 11:39PM
And despite my extraneous "later", I'm still smarter than you.
Nyah.
(...gotta stop drinking after dinner.)
Cloud @ Jan 16th 2006 12:41AM
Its a disabily from the consumer not the videogame or tv show. Most people dont get seizures while watching crazy ass anime or playing games because they arent 'sensitive' or for a better word 'prone' to seizures. I hate it when the media outlet tries to discover things on their own. They should just let scientists figure stuff out without the media intervening. I don't kno why this is news because seizures happen every day to thousands of people around the world and seeing the continuous warnings of seizures in videogames (especially nintendo products) why is it a surprize that it can trigger seizures?
Dan Choi @ Jan 16th 2006 3:02AM
Don't worry, LaughingTarget, I wasn't calling epilepsy or seizures (or simply the act of reporting on them) shallow by any means; I was referring to the depth of reporting done by the television news station in question. As the last line of my post read: "Warnings concerning seizures are fine, but excessive scaremongering is symptomatic of a shallow headline-seeking tendency in mainstream media outlets." The news clip provided by the station claimed that "excessive video-game playing can produce the same in any child" without giving any solid statistics concerning the occurrence of (photosensitive) epilepsy in children, which could cause parents excessive worry due to an incomplete statement of the facts. That kind of reporting's great for headlines, but not so good for anxious parents of young children.
On another point, if you read the Wikipedia article on the Pokemon seizures that I linked to in the original post, the incident did spark some much needed dialogue for Japanese television broadcasters on what kinds of flashing effects to allow on the air (so the incident wouldn't strike prone children there again). Banning all kids from playing games (or watching TV) would be foolish, but the warnings in games and their packaging are necessary in this day and age -- and probably quite appreciated by informed parents, whether they know their kids are affected or not. I don't like that extra warning screen and delay whenever my DS and newer GBA games boot up, but if it does end up helping some kids, I guess I can live with a few seconds' inconvenience.
gh0st @ Jan 16th 2006 1:18PM
First, epilepsy is rather common in medical terms. Compared to other disorders, deseases, etc, it is most often categorized as "a common disorder." (about 1 in 200 people around the world have epilepsy)
Second, photosensitivity is a completely distinct disorder from epilepsy. Yes, those afflicted with epilepsy will sometimes also experience photosensitivity, but "photosensitivity" is a disorder of and in itself. (actually, the epilepsy + photosensitivity is where you get into the "rare" category).
Third, in very rare cases, people with neither of these conditions can experience seizures from videogames...just as, in very rare cases, from extreme fatigue...
Not to mention the article...we are talking about an article you know, that is supposed to be the origin of your disgust...you may want to give it, I don't know, a read...that an MRI was given to the kid and ruled out any disorder that could be IDed with such a test.
People getting all in a huff over an article that is supposedly hyped up based in large part on ignorant assumptions is is sublime irony.
The article was not over the top by any strech, it even quotes "video stimulation" over paraphrasing "games". It just said something other than, "all gam3z r rox!" and you are all in a tizzy.
(And just for the record, there is no quote of "excessive video-game playing can produce the same in any child" in the original article that I could find, nor search found. Not making any accusations, just saying you really should provide specific references to a source when quoting something like that.)
Dan Choi @ Jan 16th 2006 11:35PM
gh0st, please listen to the video linked off the original article (it's below the kid's picture to the right of the column). You'll hear the quote I recorded for you there. The opening headline-like intro for the video was: "A video-game warning for parents after PlayStation put a child in the hospital." Game-playing and the PlayStation were the obvious focus on the news clip.