Games to blame for global crisis says UK scientist

A UK scientist says computer games could be behind the recent global economic crisis – as gaming is encouraging more reckless behaviour in adults. The scientist, prominent Oxford neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, revealed the theory whilst speaking at a Business Higher Education Round Table in Melbourne this week.

According to reports in The Australian, Greenfield warned the attendees of the Round Table that screen culture may be changing our brains, possibly by pandering to our desires and prompting our brains to release dopamine that suppresses functions such as memory, attention span and problem solving.

Greenfield speculated that as the current global economic crisis has been blamed on reckless behaviour and greed, that perhaps gaming and screen culture be partly to blame for encouraging risk taking and infantalising our brains.

“I’m not saying it is responsible for the economic downturn necessarily but perhaps it is responsible,” said Greenfield, “at least in part, for poor decisions made by a generation brought up in this way.

“It is a man and woman-made scenario where on the one hand people had aspirations and a ‘here and now, want it now’ mentality that made them borrow.”

Last month whilst speaking with the House of Commons, Greenfield again caused an uproar when she blamed social networking sites for reducing our capacity to think clearly. She stated if we were not careful the mid 21st century mind would be
“characterised by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity.”

Source; The Australian

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