by Louise Wallace

Youngsters should put down the gaming console and log onto Facebook to improve their wellbeing, an Australian study has found.

The study, which surveyed over 900 adolescents aged between 13 and 19, found that Victorian youngsters spend more than two hours watching television each day, followed by 35 minutes playing video games and nearly 20 minutes on the computer.

Those who played video games rather than using the computer showed poorer health and higher levels of psychological distress, and computer users showed slightly lower behaviour problems than non-users.

While games may stimulate aggressive behaviour and reduce social involvement, the study notes that surfing the net may, in fact, encourage social networks and improve mental health.

“E-mailing and instant messaging are an important means of communication and interaction… Boys who spent more time on the internet and doing homework reported a more active lifestyle and higher self-perceived social support to those who used the computer for playing games,” the report’s authors say in Academic Pediatrics.

Contrary to associations linking television use with obesity, TV was not linked with poorer health or wellbeing and was found to provide an avenue to educate and relax compared to video games.

“This study supports development of interventions to reduce high video game use and explore the possible role of computers in health enhancement,” the authors from the Centre for Community Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne conclude.