Game On! Does the name "Newton N. Minow" ring a bell? No? How about "S.S. Minnow"? I'm sure fans of Gilligan's Island recognize that one - it's the name of the boat that set out on the doomed "three hour tour." Television lore has it that the Minnow actually took its name from Minow, who was the FCC chairman during the Kennedy Administration. This sly joke was good-natured payback for an infamous comment during a 1961 speech in which Mr. Minow referred to television as a "vast wasteland." That phrase has become somewhat famous, in spite of the fact that Mr. Minow, in that same speech, also made this comment: "When television is good, nothing - not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers - nothing is better." Yikes! I think that comment might be even more outlandish than the "vast wasteland" quip. No doubt, there's a full spectrum of values between Animal Planet and Jerry Springer. And it appears that the choices we make from that spectrum may actually impact cognitive health, according to a study from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. The Brooklyn College researchers used data gathered from a study that recorded the television watching habits of women over the age of 70. When television program choices were matched against tests that measured the subjects' cognitive health, results showed that women who mostly watched talk shows were more than seven times more likely to have long-term memory problems. But soap opera watchers fared even worse. Those who mostly watched soaps were 13 times more likely to have attention problems. Based on this one study we can't jump to the conclusion that talk shows and soaps damage cognitive health. For instance, it's possible that people with declining cognitive function find these types of shows appealing for some reason. But study leader Joshua Fogel believes that the demonstrated link between TV program choices and cognitive function provides a useful tool. Fogel told HealthDay News that doctors could take TV viewing habits into account when evaluating whether or not older patients might require special screening for cognitive decline. The HealthDay article about the Brooklyn College research also quoted Frederick Zimmerman, another researcher who has studied the effects of TV watching. Zimmerman believes that television programs that reduce active mental engagement may play a role in poorer cognitive outcomes in older people. "Active mental engagement" is exactly what the game developers for the gaming giant Nintendo had in mind when they designed a series of games called "Brain Training." As I've noted in other e-Alerts, some studies suggest that keeping the brain active will help prevent cognitive decline. Based on that theory, Nintendo game designers believe that games such as "Brain Age" can help keep brains young when timed mental challenges are performed repeatedly. According to the Washington Post, "Brain Age" tasks include memorizing words, solving math problems and counting the number of syllables in phrases. With all due respect to Nintendo execs (after all, they're the billionaires, not me), counting syllables and memorizing words has all the appeal of a prison sentence. Frankly, I'd rather watch Jerry Springer. I think Nintendo can do better than "Brain Age." In fact, I know they can. I have some friends who have a 10-year-old son, Josh. When I paid a recent visit to their home I watched Josh play a Nintendo game called "Chi Bi-Ro Bo!" It's a role-playing game in which the player takes the part of Chi, a four-inch robot on a mission: He has to clean up spills, paw-prints and trash as he races throughout several complex levels of a house and a backyard. But life isn't all fun and cleaning for Chi. For one thing; he has to frequently find an electrical outlet so he can refresh his power. And he has to cope with dangerous spiders and a platoon of menacing eggs. (Why eggs? I have no idea. Neither did Josh.) I was most impressed with the fact that when it came to figuring out key tasks, Josh was pretty much on his own. Situations that at first seemed like dead ends or red herrings turned out to be important. In other words, he had to recall details, make connections and plan a strategy, all while managing his power level. So if Nintendo can make an engaging and visually exciting game like this for kids, then why not the same for adults? Given the choice between playing the adult "Brain Age" or "Chi Bi-Ro Bo" there's no contest. I'll take the mini robot challenge. Sources:
"Television and the Public Interest" Newton N. Minow, Address to the National Association of Broadcasters, 5/9/61
"Soaps, Talk Shows May Dull Aging Brains" Randy Dotinga, HealthDay News, 3/20/06, news.yahoo.com
"You May Unrot Your Mind" Aalok Mehta, The Washington Post, 3/28/06, washingtonpost.com | 
