TAPESCRIPT Presenter As you all know, computer games are very popular with teenagers. Today in the studio, we're going to listen to arguments for and arguments against playing computer games. First, let's hear from Marianne Day. Marianne is a psychologist in a leading London hospital and she also used to be a teacher in a secondary school. She's going to explain why she thinks computer games are bad for young people. Marianne I'd like to start by telling you about a recent scientific investigation. Hundreds of teenagers were tested and it was discovered that when they were playing a computer game, they only used a small part of their brain. However, when they were doing a very simple maths problem, they used a much bigger and more important part of their brain. There have also been many studies that suggest that playing too many computer games makes young people aggressive and irritable. And it's clear that playing computer games can make teenagers depressed and unsociable because they spend so much time alone. Young people need to communicate with other young people, not just with a computer. Presenter Thank you, Marianne. That was very interesting. Now, let's hear from Thomas Barnes. Thomas is a computer game designer and - perhaps not surprisingly - he's here to explain why he thinks computer games are good for young people. Thomas . Thomas First, I'd like to say that some games are better than others. For example, simulation games such as Sim City and Roller Coaster Tycoon are games in which players have to create societies and look after people. These kinds of games help players develop their planning skills. Also, a recent investigation into the habits of 700 children aged 7 to 16 found that, far from being a lonely activity as Marianne seems to think, young people actually prefer to play games in pairs or in small groups. Finally, I'd like to say that some studies have shown that playing action and adventure games can actually help young people with their powers of observation. They can help improve what they notice in the real world. I don't mean fighting games, I'm thinking of games like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Presenter Thank you, Thomas. Well there's a lot to think about there. Let's start with . . only used a small part of their brain. However, when they were doing a very simple maths problem, they used a much bigger and more important part of their. hear from Thomas Barnes. Thomas is a computer game designer and - perhaps not surprisingly - he's here to explain why he thinks computer games are good