The Effects of Video Games on the Brain

  At age 17, Anthony Rosner of London, England, was a hero in the World of Warcraft online gaming community. He built empires, led raids, and submerged himself in a fantasy world that seemingly fulfilled his every need. Meanwhile, his real-life was virtually nonexistent. He neglected his schoolwork, relationships, health, even his hygiene. "I never saw my real friends. I gained weight, became lazy, and spent nearly all of my time slumped over my computer," says Rosner, who played up to 18 hours a day, every day, for nearly two years. Rosner nearly threw away a university degree in pursuit of the game. According to a study by the NPD Group, a global market research firm, his gaming obsession isn't unique. Nine out of 10 children play video games. That's 64 million kids—and some of them hit the keyboard or smartphone before they can even string together a sentence. The problem: many researchers believe that excessive gaming before age 21 or 22 can physically rewire the