A recent study has concluded that kids or young adults, who use handheld gaming objects or cell phones for a prolonged period, are at a greater risk of experiencing pain in their wrists and fingers. The study was conducted with 257 school children based at St. Louis. They were between the ages 9 and 15.
The study tried to note the effects of using gaming devices like Xbox 360 or Gameboy on the wrist and fingers of those children. Mobile phone use and even texting was also considered a part of the study. The findings indicated that the use of gaming devices involved higher degree of the pain in comparison to what was found to be associated with the use of cell phones.
According to Yusuf Yazici, MD, a professor of rheumatology at New York University Hospital, "Our study has shown the negative impact that playing computer games and using mobile phones can have on the joints of young children, raising concerns about the health impact of modern technology later in life."
Students were distributed questionnaires where they were asked to mention about game consoles, handheld gaming devices and cell phone use. Researchers noted the number of hours spent while using these devices and the pain experienced by the users from the data obtained from the questionnaire.
Users of Gmaeboy or Xbox suffered the highest degree of pain than those who used the iPhone. Researchers found that the "pain' complaints became doubled with every single hour of play. Users of mobile phones complained about wrist and finger pain, which was mainly caused due to sending text messages and the type of keyboard.
Researchers are of the opinion that the findings of the study may allow parents to think about the perfect age from which they can allow their children to start using gaming devices and cell phones.
