We all play video games and if a recent survey by the NPD group is anything go by, we have actually increased the amount of time we spend playing video games. Is this a bad thing? We suppose not if you’re a casual gamer who just wants to relax an hour or two everyday, but for the hardcore gamer who spends most of their day gaming, this could be a problem.
So much so that over in Japan, they are starting what they are calling “No Video Game Day”. This isn’t a nationwide initiative but rather an initiative rolled out by the Hokkaido Prefecture. The idea is that every month, two days will be spent not playing video games in a bid to help improve the test scores of their students, which apparently is down in the Hokkaido Prefecture.
While we can’t be sure what is to blame for the declining test scores, it seems that officials have decided that video games are to blame, but to be fair it has been found that video games tend to be played more by those in their tweens and teens, and less so in young adults, so perhaps that’s where they drew their conclusion from.
Of course this is a bit flawed since we’re sure other students in Japan are gaming just as much, if not more. There is also a social aspect to this “No Video Game Day” as it would encourage children to spend time with their friends and family, as opposed to staying home playing games. The initiative is expected to kick off on the first and third Sunday of February.
[Image credit – Rakuten]
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