Could the high rates of video game addiction in China be related to the comparatively low availability of facilities for more traditional outdoor sports? That’s the theory being espoused by researchers at Central China Normal University, according to Sina Games.
The answer came to researchers at the university after they asked why gamers in the US and Europe, despite a comparable level of interest in video games, did not seem to get addicted to games as frequently. “We thought it might be related to the amount of space at sports facilities available per capita,” said a researcher.
The numbers, as it turns out, do suggest that that’s a major difference. China has just 1 square meter of “sporting space” available per person, whereas in the US and Japan that number is more like 16-19 square meters per person.
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Of course, that’s merely an interesting correlation; it certainly doesn’t prove that a lack of gyms and soccer fields is what’s making Chinese children addicted to games.
But it is possible that there’s a connection. Personally, I spent time studying at colleges in both the US and China, and I have to admit that while I did play some recreational sports in the US, I barely ever did during my studies in China. The reason: in the US my friends and I had easy access to soccer fields; in China we had to reserve a time in advance just to play badminton, and I never found a soccer field at all.
Whether or not there’s really a causal connection remains to be seen, but it’s an interesting avenue of inquiry. Perhaps China could solve some of its problems with game addiction not by regulating games but by creating more gyms and more green spaces for kids to play in instead.
(via Sina Games, image via Wild East Football)
This post Is gaming addiction the result of too few places to play real-life sports? appeared first on Tech in Asia.
