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Comment by novalis78 | Hacker News Reader

Social media and computer games in general.

The scores have increased since the 70s until a peak in 2012. Social media may play a role, but "computer games in general" have existed for decades, and been blamed for decades, and in most of those decades test scores have improved. Leave blaming "computer games" to the 90s.

Games have changed significantly though. I feel like the PS4 in 2013 was the first games console to make online gaming widespread. Playing a self contained game by yourself or in person with friends is a very different experience to loot boxes, IAP’s, and games designed to make you play more and more. Maybe it’s not impactful but I don’t think you can dismiss it as easily as you have.

Agreed, but I would argue that the PS3/Xbox 360 generation was the first where the majority of console owners played online. I was an adolescent/teenager at the time and it was almost a guarantee that any other boys in my class had one of those consoles and played online. Almost invariably first person shooters.

Very different from today's pay-to-win manipulative Skinner Boxes, but probably not very healthy. Living someplace where I couldn't physically hang out with other kids easily after school (thanks, car culture) it probably helped me build better social skills. But at the cost of my attention span and physical social skills.

It certainly makes me wonder what skill tradeoffs today's video game kids are making.

Opiates have existed since ancient times so fentanyl is not a problem.

Potency and availability matter. I've heard of multiple cases of kids soiling themselves rather than stop playing a game. I never heard of that growing up surrounded with video games.

https://www.news24.com/life/archive/how-a-9-year-old-became-...

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