research

The Atari Video Computer System was one of the most popular systems around in 1985.

In 1985, Mitchell gave Atari 2600 consoles to twenty families and found that most families used the game systems as a shared play activity. Instead of leading to poor school performance, increased family violence, or strained family interactions, video games were a positive force on family interactions, "reminiscent of days of Monopoly, checkers, card games, and jigsaw puzzles" (Mitchell, 1985, p.134).

http://www.gamestudies.org/0102/squire/

Crowther made colossal cave to play with his daughters.

• "The year was 1972. Crowther, an amateur spelunker distraught over a recent divorce, wanted to create a game that he and his kids could play on the computer together. He whipped up a computer text simulation of the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky"

http://www.digitalhumanities.org/dhq/vol/1/2/000009.html

http://reeveslib.setonhill.edu:2053/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=107&sid=6dbade56-599f-4b53-9762-c4d8979b9fcd%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JmxvZ2lucGFnZT1sb2dpbi5hc3Amc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZl#db=afh&AN=20060292#db=afh&AN=20060292#db=afh&AN=20060292

"Results About one respondent in 10 skipped at least one meal every week for either television viewing or computer game playing. Weekly meal skipping for television viewing occurs more regularly in boys and first-year students, but particularly in teenagers who view 5 h or more daily (15% of the sample). The category of teenagers who play computer games four times a week or more (25.3% of the sample) is at increased risk of meal skipping; those who play more than four times a week are 10 times more likely weekly to skip a meal."

Van den Bulck, J., and S. Eggermont. "Media use as a reason for meal skipping and fast eating in secondary school children."   Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics 19.2 (2006): 91-100. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 14 Jan. 2010