Education News – Grace Smith
“According to a recent study published in the journal Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, the year’s most popular video game may also be the worst for a child’s health. The report, authored by Frans Folkvord, a behavioral scientist at Radboud University in The Netherlands, suggests that games that are related to candy, such as Candy Crush, can increase the number of calories a child takes in…The researcher and his team measured the effects of masked online food advertisements, used by Candy Crush and other games like it, on the eating behavior of over 1,000 children. In between playing these “advergames” in which there were real or embedded food ads, children were given five-minute breaks. During that time they were offered an apple or a piece of candy. The kids who played the games with embedded food advertisements consumed 55% more of the offered candy. They also ate an average of 72% more calories than children from the control group…The researcher added that supportive parenting can make a difference in this behavior…”(more)