Park the Computers, Exercise Outside, and Engage in Active Conversation and Watch the Grades Go Up

Dr. Myers in his article entitled Entertainment-Soaked Culture Damages Kids’ Brains; Here’s the Antidote explained how Christian young men averaged 33.25 hours per week watching videos, playing games etc. while Christian young women averaged 27 hours per week. His research was conducted in 2003 so you would assume that the time spent in front of a computer screen is even more now seven years later. He continued by explaining how the brain works.

“Take a look at this picture of the human brain. The frontal lobe, shaded in purple, is the executive center. This part of the brain lights up when you come up with a plan and execute on it. In the center, in red, is the nucleus accumbens - a collection of neurons that forms the brain's pleasure center. When a person experiences pleasure, this part of the brain displays stimulation.” God created our brain to allow the cortex prefrontal, purple section, to be stimulated when work and accomplishments are completed. However, the pleasure center of the brain is bypassing the executive center and allowing stimulation without accomplishments. Hence, the once “work brings satisfaction, and the desire for life satisfaction motivates people to work” is no longer.

           

            To continue, Mr. Lax in his book, Boys Adrift, found that video games are shutting down the blood flow in the brain’s executive center in boys 7 – 14 years old. These same boys are receiving gratification while accomplishing nothing in return. Could this be the reason for lower grades and less social relationships? Mr. Lax would say yes. One study used the following to contradict the above mentioned outcomes. First a series of steps was followed as mentioned below:

• Take out TVs, Ipods, video game consoles, and computers from your kids' bedrooms.
• Allow no more than 30 minutes of video gaming per week.
• Set a bedtime of 9pm on weeknights, 10pm on weekends.
• Provide three nutritious meals a day (note that the headmaster had to define "nutritious" for the parents).
• Plan for one hour of playing outside every day, and three hours on the weekend days.

Secondly, engage in active conversation with your students. We are reminded by Paul Stanley that in the three years Jesus walked from place to place and asked over 288 questions to his disciples as displayed in the gospels.

Works Cited

Myers, Jeff. "Entertainment-Soaked Culture Damages Kids’ Brains; Here’s the Antidote." 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010.