The Blog of Genius

If you are like me, you have never looked at an X-box and thought to yourself: “Gee, that thing could cause me serios physical harm.” I was looking on the xbox live site earlier and found this… disclaimer? Most of this is the kind of stuff you would expect your dog to know, but having been on xbox live, I cannot properly make any judgements as to the intelect of the average gamer. To quote one boy “I got mail!”

Use of game controllers, keyboards, mice, or other electronic input devices may be linked to serious injuries or disorders.

When playing video games, as with many activities, you may experience occasional discomfort in your hands, arms, shoulders, neck, or other parts of your body. However, if you experience symptoms such as persistent or recurring discomfort, pain, throbbing, aching, tingling, numbness, burning sensation, or stiffness.

Later in the document…

Consider the following suggestions to reduce the effects of low forces on your body:

* Press gaming controller buttons with a light touch, keeping your hands and fingers relaxed, as it takes little effort to activate these buttons. Also, use a light touch when using control sticks or pads on a gaming controller.
* Avoid resting your palms or wrists on any type of surface while using game controllers.
* Relax your arms and hands when you’re not actually using game controllers. See “Taking Breaks” section below for additional information.
* Hold the game controller with a relaxed hand. Do not grip the game controller more tightly than is necessary.

A healthy lifestyle can help you perform and enjoy your everyday activities, including the time spent playing video games. For overall good health, consider the following:

* Eat a balanced diet and get adequate rest.
* Exercise for overall fitness to give strength and flexibility to your body. Keep in mind that you should consult a qualified health professional to help you choose the stretches and exercises that are right for you.
* Learn to manage stress.

To this, I would like to add that I eat a terrible diet, haven’t exercised in something like 7 years, have yet to get a full nights restful sleep, and manage stress by playing video games.