Violent games effect sleep patterns less than previously thought

Another day, another study by a group on the effects of videogames on the human psyche.

This time, it's from researchers in Australia who have concluded that violent games don't make falling much more difficult than normal.

Two groups of teenage boys ages 14 through 18 who usually fell asleep within 15-minutes, were observed.

One group played Modern Warfare for 50 minutes, and the other group watched March of the Penguins and were gauged on whether it took them longer to fall asleep afterward.

Apparently, there wasn't a very significant difference, as the researchers concluded that "the direct effect of pre-sleep videogame playing on adolescent sleep may be more modest than previously thought".

Eleven teens took 7.5-minutes longer to fall asleep after playing Modern Warfare, while it took those that watched the film three-minutes longer to go to sleep.  Two fell asleep faster after playing the game, and four teens fell asleep during the film, which was described as "slow-moving and tranquil" compared to the game.

I guess some of the researchers have never watched March of the Penguins, because it is rather sad and far from tranquil, in our opinion. Poor fellas.

However, Michael Gradisar, a Child Psychology Professor at Flinders University, and lead researcher of the study, believes that the "dose of 50 minutes was too low to have any major ramifications on their sleep,” as the limited time with it "didn't allow the teens to become emotionally invested" in the game.

There ya go then.

Via GamePolitics.