Do Children That Play Video Games Perform Better in Surgery

Study Objective To determine if children that spend average to above-average amount of time playing video games perform in a shorter time a designed surgical task compared to children that play less video games. This is the first-ever experiment purely on children. Design According to the Center on Media for Kids, the average video game playing is about 2 hours per day (14 hours per week). Questionnaires, consent forms were sent and accomplished. Age-appropriate set of surgical tasks using laparoscopic trainer were devised. Instructional videos, personal directions shown in how to do surgical tasks. Task completion was timed. Data collection and interpretation done. The primary outcome, secondary data computed by averages/mean, percentages, percent differences. Setting Participants tested in schools. Patients or Participants 32 grade school student participants. Interventions Age-appropriate set of surgical tasks using laparoscopic trainer were devised. Real-time video used. Task completion was timed. Measurements and Main Results Mean age = 11.3 years. Equal number of males, females. Average years of playing video games = 4.9 years. 28 right-handed. 17 played musical instruments. 21 kids use ≥ two types of video games. Older students were 25% faster to complete the task. Boys were 21% faster. Left-handed kids were 39% faster. Musical instrument players were 26% quicker. Students who have been playing videos longer were 21% faster. Kids who use more than one video platform were 12% quicker. 12 students play ≥ 2 hours a day, or ≥ 14 hours per week. Children who play 2 hours a day (14 hours per week) were 24% faster. Conclusion Average to above-average usage gamers were 24% faster than less-than-average usage gamers. Data showed faster times with males, older than the mean age of the study group, left-handedness, musical instrument playing, playing multiple video game platforms, playing video games more than the 4.9 years.