HEALTH NOTES: Video games can give teenagers a blast of joy
Zapping away for hours on video games has long been demonised for destroying teenagers’ mental health, but it can actually make them happy, according to a survey.
Despite warnings of associations with depression, less than ten per cent of players said it had a negative effect on their mood, and more than a third said it gave them a boost.
Those who played less than ten hours a week were the happiest, the survey by WePC found.
An analysis earlier this year of 21,000 young people concluded that playing video games – including shooting ones – did not increase the risk of aggressive behaviour.
Zapping away for hours on video games has long been demonised for destroying teenagers’ mental health, but it can actually make them happy, according to a survey. Pictured: Stock image
Thousands of Scottish children have been spared life-threatening asthma attacks – thanks to their parents stepping outside to smoke.
The number of young children hospitalised because of the debilitating respiratory condition has dropped by a quarter since 2014, researchers at the Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling and Glasgow have found.
The scientists say that the dramatic change is directly related to a 2014 Scottish media campaign – Take It Right Outside – which encouraged smokers to only light up when outdoors.
Past studies have shown that young children exposed to second-hand smoke have an increased likelihood of developing asthma.
Professor Steve Turner, a consultant paediatrician at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian, said parents were now creating ‘smoke-free bubbles’ around their children.
Sweaty workouts cloud your brain
Don’t sign a contract after exercising as you’re more likely to make a decision you’ll later regret, a study has suggested.
Researchers at University College London gave gym-goers a series of choices with an immediate or delayed reward, such as whether to take £10 now or £50 six months later.
Those who had just finished vigorous exercise were more likely to make an impulsive choice.
Scans showed reduced activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex part of their brain, which aids cognitive control.
Dr Bastien Blain, author of the study, advises a period of rest before making life-altering decisions – giving brain activity a chance to return to normal.
