emancipated patients:: esport

Emancipated Patients

esport

By Patrick Neustatter, MD

My immediate response to hearing about schools adopting Esport as part of the official school sports curriculum was "not sure about that." Multiple local high schools and colleges are creating teams to play computer games as a school sport with championships and leagues like any other. There are already multiple national league organizations, like the National Association of College Esports - that has awarded $9million in scholarships since 2016. Shenandoah University is offering bachelor of Science in Esport, and the Washington Post predicted in 2018 that it will be a $1.5 billion business by 2020. A few particularly talented kids are making big bucks playing - one from Colonial Forge HS, reported in the Free Lance-Star claimed to have made $20,000 in a 5 month period. Am I being a dinosaur that it just doesn't seem right to me?

Your Whole Life in Front of the Computer

One of the main criticisms I have is how much time it requires these kids to spend in front of their computer. The claim is you have to train 8-12 hours a day to be competitive - when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no more than 2 hours a day for kids over 12 (and, incidentally, none for kids under 2). Likely at the expense of exercise and face to face social interaction. Gaming can cause repetitive movement injuries, and there are reports of collapsed lungs - The Washington Post reports "players are being warned not to hold their breath during intense moments." Local child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Scott Young, MD, commented in an email response to my inquiry. "In general I don't see any problem with video gaming." It can promote problem solving, teamwork, anticipating consequences, alertness, sportsmanship and provide opportunity to those kids "who are not athletic and have to watch all the successful athletic kids get all the accolades" he says. Research is ongoing about if, and

how, gaming may have adverse effects on the brains of our progeny - in whose brains we invest so much hope. And there are definite concerns about addiction to video games. Dr. Young does note that the local schools are choosing games like League of Legends and SMITE because they claim they are not as violent as others. Or at least don't encourage sociopathic behavior like Grand Theft Auto or the like. There is some hypocrisy in condemning some of the most violent "shoot-em-up" games, like Call of Duty , he says, because "our society adulates and venerates the soldier/veteran." My comment would be that even though League of Legends and SMITE are not the most violent, you are still killing - usually minions and monsters, though sometimes opposing players. Not to mention rampaging and destroying your opponent's home base "Nexus" or "Phoenix" - or whatever they call it. Supervision is Needed

The AAP's official publication, Pediatrics (https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/co ntent/138/2/e20161298), says the answer is supervision and provides a list of recommendations. They have reservations about not celebrating or encouraging violence. In particular "eliminate the use of violence in a comic or sexual context" they say. And some have pretty bad language and frank sexual content. "Manufactures adhere to the classification system" notes Dr. Young, like labelling games MA (mature audience). But, "like cigarettes and vaping teens want to cross the line and manufacturers don't care who buys or plays their product." One hopes schools and colleges would prove responsible in selecting appropriate games for Esport competition for our impressionable kids to play. And parental monitoring is recommended for kids roaming the internet on their own. "We have a large and diverse population hopefully with a niche for everyone" notes Scott Young. "Esports may fill a niche."

Patrick Neustatter is the Medical

Director of the Moss Free Clinic.

About Town

Delivering Front Porch to your Neighborhoods

Snowden

Expands Behavioral Health Care facility

Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) recently held a virtual ribbon cutting for the expansion of its behavioral health acute care facility, Snowden at Fredericksburg . Snowden at Fredericksburg is a private, dedicated facility on the campus of Mary Washington Hospital, offering a full spectrum of inpatient, outpatient, community, and emergency care.

"I am proud of MWHC's commitment to providing resources that allow community members to access behavioral health and medical care services right here in their own backyard. This is crucial for both patients and families in these unprecedented times," said Charles Scercy , Director, Snowden at Fredericksburg.

Snowden at Fredericksburg provides mental health inpatient services for adults and adolescents age 13 and up, an adult intensive outpatient treatment program for substance abuse, and adult

By Tamra Wheeler

outpatient programs for both mental health and substance abuse. Highly trained, experienced specialists including psychiatrists and physicians, clinical social workers and licensed professional counselors, registered nurses, and expressive therapists, provide services with the utmost confidentiality and discretion in a safe and caring environment. The virtual ribbon cutting and informational video can be found on MWHC's You Tube channel.

"Behavioral health is always a priority, and it's been a desperate need in this community," said Mary Katherine Greenlaw , Mayor, City of Fredericksburg, Virginia. "We are fortunate to have MWHC in our community, and, once again, its Board of Trustees and leadership has stepped up to meet the healthcare needs of our citizens and those of the entire Fredericksburg region."

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 19.1% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2018 (47.6 million people). Each year, approximately one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness, and one in 25 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness.

Tamra Wheeler is the Public Relations Coordinator, MW Healthcare