Popular culture project/Concept draft

Research Question: How do e-sports effect the health of professional gamers?

I choose this questing because mainly because I am already interested and invested in

health care. I am a nursing major and a working LVN. So many of the health problems I see and

study about are related to lifestyle issues. We already have a huge problem with obesity, heart

disease, diabetes etc. The population that dominates e-sports is a young generation that may not

yet show signs of chronic disease, but it seems that their lifestyle could yield detrimental health

problems.

I think the significance and importance of the issue is readily apparent when put in this

light. While parent and on lookers may have many valid concerns about these young people

becoming addicted, being distracted from education, not pursuing a good job, or even the

psychological toll that fulltime gaming demands of the individual, I’m not sure if the physical

health aspects are considered as much. Especially as for some it has become a viable career

option. Long hours of screen time can have bad effects on vision, concentration, and posture,

while the constant repetitive movements in the hands can lead to joint problems and carpal

tunnel syndrome. But of even more concern to me are the long term effects of a very sedentary

lifestyle. Exercise is a crucial health promoter and the fulltime occupation of a professional

gamer involves essentially no physical activity. There are also issues of lack of sleep or exposure

to sunlight.

I think the most direct beneficiary of my research would the gaming community.

However, I think it reaches farther into the South Korean community at large. E-sports have so

much involvement in South Korea that the health of the members of that community will affect

society at large. A significant up-surge in chronic illnesses puts a burden on the recourses of

society in general. More specifically, it affects the welling-being and success of the individual’s

families.

There are some youtube documentaries about e-sports and the lives of pro gamers. Some

focus on negative issues that come up. Also, I was doing some preliminary research to see if

there is much documentation of physical health problems with gamers. I found a few articles on

a quick Google search, and although I don’t know much about the reliability of the publications,

it did lead me to the name a physical therapist who specializes in working with gamers. I went to

her website and she has a lot of resources.

I mentioned above some of the effects pro gaming has on health and well being—namely,

an increase in chronic and lifestyle diseases. Things like obesity, weight loss, heart disease,

diabetes, hypertension, etc. Also, bone density loss, joint pain, back problems, exacerbation of

respiratory issues, increased mental health problems, and lack of healthy coping mechanisms.

Possible thesis: While finding success as a professional gamer has become a growing possibility,

long hours of e-sports may prove detrimental to these athletes’ health, if proactive positive

lifestyle practices are not put in place.

I want to prove that health and well being best attained through a holistic view point. I am

not involved in gaming because it is not something I want to invest my time in and I don’t like

the strong pull even a small amount of participation produces. However, I think that with most

things in life, balance is the solution. I think that the lifestyle many gamers lead is very bad for

their health now and will reap even worse problems after years of prolonged gaming. But I’m not

saying they should just quit altogether. That is not my place. It is a more balanced and

responsible approach to look at the problem and put solutions in place that help the individual

achieve the success they are pursing. If they trying to be professional gamers, that help them

become healthy professional gamers. I do not yet know much about the infrastructure of the

community, but I know there are coaches, official tournaments, and associations. I think that

health practices could be promoted or even required through these venues. I think the two basic

things I am trying to prove are that 1) there is a real health concern here and 2) health promotion

is something attainable that gamers themselves should be involved in.