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More Canadians picked out a book during the second week of January than watched hockey on TV. According to the National Campaign for Reading, Canadians bought or borrowed more than 2.7 million books during the week of January 10–16. The book count found that 11.2 million Canadians bought or borrowed 2,714,946 books. Book sales through book chains and independent bookstores accounted for 1,110,568 of the books (in both French and English). Sales did not include digital downloads. The book count was organized to draw attention to reading on the eve of the second annual TD National Reading Summit, in Montreal.
Caution: video gaming is depressing
A two-year study in Singapore found that almost 9 per cent of children and teens who play video games are addicted, a condition that can lead to anxiety, depression and poor grades in school. The study of students in Grades 3, 4, 7 and 8 provided researchers with data on risk factors associated with becoming a pathological gamer. According to researchers, gaming is considered pathological when it interferes with everyday life—emotions, relationships and school. “Many clinics assume that children may be depressed or anxious and therefore retreat into games as a coping strategy,” say the study’s psychologists and social workers. “Our data demonstrate that this assumption is overly simplistic.” The good news is that students who stopped being pathological gamers displayed reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression and social phobia compared with gamers who didn’t stop. The findings were published in the journal Pediatrics on January 17.
Schools’ snow day snow fun for parents
An anticipated snowpocalypse prompted Toronto’s school boards to shut down operation February 2. When the threatening storm failed to live up to expectations, disgruntled parents faced with last-minute child-care arrangements questioned the boards’ judgment. Chris Spence, Toronto District School Board’s director of education, acknowledged that the board’s decision met with opposition. “I know that no matter what decision you make, somebody’s not going to be happy. There’s a whole series of things that weigh into your decision. But at the end of the day, this is about safety of our staff and our students.”
