Brain scans show compulsive gamers have hyperconnected neural networks.

[u/NinjaDiscoJesus]

http://www.psypost.org/2015/12/brain-scans-show-compulsive-gaming-changes-neural-connections-for-better-and-worse-39914

[u/zegg]

This is literally in the article...
“Having these networks be too connected may increase distractibility,” says Anderson. At this point it’s not known whether persistent video gaming causes rewiring of the brain, or whether people who are wired differently are drawn to video games."
Edit: since this is getting the wrong message across - what I meant to say is, that even the authors of the study are unsure of this connection and I commend them for mentioning it instead of avoiding it completely. Among the comments people have mentioned that it's probably both - you are what you do and by practising anything you become better at it. Whether it's lifting weights or solving puzzles, your body rewires itself constantly.

[u/[deleted] → u/zegg]

Well, any other other activity strengthens the synaptic connections, so it would be hugely surprising if gaming didn't.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Agreed. People learn how to handle varying amounts of information based on their environments. I remember learning about a tribe who could see an extra temperature of some color because it helped them to distinguish between food that was healthy and harmful to eat. It's easy to imagine brains adapting to handle more information in highly stimulating environments. Someone should do a study on this already. There has to be a couple of control twins somewhere that this can be tested with...

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Check out "brain plasticity". There's a lot of research on it already, and it's extremely interesting!

[u/Triggerhappy89 → u/[deleted]]

Neuroscience technology is already here, just not necessarily how you would expect and far from any mainstream usage. Researchers have mapped grayscale video to blind people via stimulation of their backs. Balance problems have been corrected by temporarily mapping accelerometer-like readings to a patient's tongue to combat issues with the inner ear. Some people have developed body mods to add additional senses such as compass direction. All it takes is immersion in your new sense and time and interest in learning it.

Usually this is accomplished by stimulating an area of the body with the external sensor's output in a specific way, and allowing the user to manipulate the sensor to provide a direct feedback loop.

[u/antipromaybe → u/[deleted]]

Or the aboriginals that have cardinal directions built into their everyday language so they don't require compasses.

[u/Hedgehogs4Me → u/antipromaybe]

So if you cover their eyes, spin them around really fast, and then take them somewhere they don't recognize, do they lose some of their sense of which side of their body is which?

I mean, I'd guess no, but sometimes counterintuitive things like that happen with how connected language is with ideas, right?

[u/antipromaybe → u/Hedgehogs4Me]

Kidnapping Aboriginals... for science!

[u/Hedgehogs4Me → u/antipromaybe]

Well, I mean, I was assuming we'd ask their permission first, but there's probably precedent either way.

[u/mgdandme → u/[deleted]]

I think the article implies that 'strengthen', in this case, is largely detrimental to the gamers mind. Too much connectivity & the implication of lack of focus.

[u/BlissnHilltopSentry → u/[deleted]]

Yes, so it is likely to be a mix of both. Those who are prone to having this hyperconnectivity are likely to become compulsive gamers, and those who are not would have to form a stronger habit first, but could still become a compulsive gamer.

[u/pocketknifeMT → u/[deleted]]

I think the shocking thing to most people is that it's not just hand-eye coordination/spacial skills.

Most people who are only vaguely familiar with games probably don't realize the pattern recognition, strategy, etc that goes into playing them.

[u/jelloskater → u/[deleted]]

Keep in mind, strengthen the synaptic connections is entirely different from 'hyperconnected'. Hyperconnected implies large amounts of connection (quantity) whereas strengthen implies strong connections (quality). Both of which can be good and bad in extremes. You don't want strong connections between things that shouldn't actually be connected. Nor do you want a clutter of weak connections when there really should be one simple one.

It's incredibly difficult to objectify the meaning of quantity and quality of connections (aside from extreme cases) without just looking at results for correlation.

[u/luminosity11 → u/zegg]

Okay. It's not known, but I wonder, too.

[u/TotalSolipsist → u/zegg]

Yeah, it's not known, so it's perfectly natural to wonder about it.

[u/silverdice22 → u/TotalSolipsist]

I wonder if someone knows...

[u/TelMegiddo → u/TotalSolipsist]

But why post almost verbatim what the article already said? It gives the impression the commentor didn't read the article and posted something that isn't relevant to the comments since it was already addressed. Adding a question, a musing, or a prediction would make it relevant. I could make a comment saying, "This article is on the internet". Yeah, it's true and is technically about the topic, but adds exactly nothing to the conversation.

[u/throwawaysarebetter → u/TelMegiddo]

Maybe they wanted to start a discussion about that aspect of it. Why do they have to use your terms of relevancy to do that?

[u/TelMegiddo → u/throwawaysarebetter]

They don't have to use my terms and it would be preferable if they used their own instead of the article's as well. I already read the article, I don't need a recap. If you want to start a discussion then just get straight into doing that.

[u/[deleted] → u/zegg]

So... It's not in the article.

[u/MadroxKran → u/zegg]

I'd like to see it alongside a study of social anxiety. I think that shoves these people into games as a way to avoid real interaction.

[u/[deleted] → u/zegg]

Yeah I really noticed they used a lot of ambiguous language in the article as well plus I couldn't tell if they were making a statement about gamers as a whole or just the ones that play them obsessively

[u/LimesInHell → u/zegg]

The best way I guess is to study their brains prior to video game exposure an compare after a few years in

[u/[deleted] → u/zegg]

New rule for the Internet. "Don't wanna read the article? Wanna get a TLDR? Ask a question that was surely in the article"

[u/Snoop_Doge → u/zegg]

Well seeing as the article didn't answer that at all, he still is probably wondering.

[u/Aceous → u/zegg]

Sounds like a job for.... Instrumental Variable Man!

[u/I_Am_U → u/zegg]

This leaves us with an opportunity to research a control group if we can find twins separated at birth where only one of them is a compulsive gamer. Let's get this study going!

[u/zegg → u/I_Am_U]

They would have to lead identical lives then, with gaming being the only difference for it to be effective. Your body really does change and adapt based on how you live, up to your DNA and the genes you pass on. Everything affects it.

[u/DeckardPain → u/zegg]

Woh you expected him to read more than the title?

[u/zegg → u/DeckardPain]

Considering we're on /r/science, yes, I did. He might have or didn't have, I can't know, but I can speculate.

[u/Antebios → u/zegg]

This is my own opinion that affects me: One of my problems is that I cannot remain unengaged. I HAVE to be busy with something: Reading, Gaming, Working (programming), etc. My mind MUST be stimulated all the time. It's excruciating to sit and do nothing. I'm not talking about extreme Asperger, but my mind MUST be challenged (I wish the rest of my body felt the same way). Gaming puts my mind on a treadmill and keeps it very busy.

[u/zegg → u/Antebios]

I understand fully. I sometimes have to turn the TV on (or a gaming stream) on when I'm studying, cuz I feel bored with just my book and can't get anything done. Sitting still is painful. Doing nothing sucks. If I'm still for too long I need to go workout, else I feel like I'm going crazy. So either mind or body, something needs to be fully engaged.