Study: Video Game Addicts Aren't Nerds

The stereotype of the hard-core gamer as a friendless geek may be as outdated as Pac-Man, Reuters reports. An Australian study looked at "problem gamers" who spent more than 50 hours a week playing and discovered that less than 1% had poor social skills. The findings contradict statements from the American Medical Association suggesting people hooked on games like World of Warcraft struggle to cope in the real world.

"Our findings strongly suggest that gaming doesn't cause social problems, and social problems are not driving people to gaming," one of the researchers said. "What is important to note is that even problem gamers did not exhibit significant signs of poor social skills or low self-esteem." (More video games stories.)