Chapter 1014: Refutation
The camera cut to Chen Mo.
Instantly, a torrent of bullet comments flooded the livestream screen, even obscuring the image entirely.
The earlier statements from the opposing guests had already sparked a wave of curses and laughter in the comments. While many players found those arguments ridiculous and laughable, there was more anger beneath it—did being an expert give them the right to spout nonsense?
Many players were fuming, but posting comments was useless since those people couldn’t see them. Now that the camera had finally turned to Chen Mo, everyone was waiting for his rebuttal.
Unlike the other guests who had been arguing red-faced, Chen Mo remained calm and composed, even as the three opposing guests relentlessly smeared video games. He looked utterly unruffled.
In truth, Chen Mo possessed something like an intelligence-reduction aura, but he didn’t use it this time.
Why?
Because that aura was meant for normal people. Using it on these three would be a waste—Chen Mo himself felt it would be beneath him.
Chen Mo first addressed the “well-known blogger” Yuan Mugang: “Mr. Yuan, though we’re both dealing with lumbar discs, I don’t quite understand why yours is so ‘prominent.’ But I should clarify that your disc issue is entirely due to poor sitting posture and a long-term lack of exercise. No matter what you’re doing, sitting for ten hours could cause a herniated disc. As for the VR games we’re discussing today, the Matrix Game Pod was designed with the help of many ergonomics experts. Lying inside it is even more comfortable than a hospital’s intensive care bed. Spend ten hours in it, and not only will you avoid a herniated disc, it might even function like a massage chair.”
He then turned to “Wolf Dad” Chen Baiyou: “As for your point about games affecting children, I can only kindly remind you that our country has a strict game rating system. GTA is rated for ages 18 and up. Unless parents deliberately help their children cheat the system, it’s impossible for kids to play GTA.”
Finally, Chen Mo looked at the gray-haired Professor Xu: “As for Professor Xu’s claim that violent games cause left-brain damage… well, as an S-class designer, I have the right to access the database and review all relevant literature, including domestic and international sources. Unfortunately, when I searched for keywords like ‘brain degeneration’ or ‘left-brain damage,’ this is what I found.”
Chen Mo tapped lightly on his phone, and a virtual projection screen appeared in front of him, clearly displaying the titles of the papers retrieved.
*Brief Analysis of Brain Degeneration*
*The Relationship Between Mirror Writing and Brain Function Integration and Degeneration*
*Study: Eating Two Servings of Leafy Greens Daily Can Delay Brain Degeneration and Prevent Dementia*
*Diabetes Can Lead to Brain Function Degeneration*
*Study on Stress-Induced Aging and the Anti-Aging Effects and Mechanisms of Ginseng Components*
…
Page after page, there was no mention of “games” anywhere.
Chen Mo continued, “Considering that Professor Xu, as a professional, might access information through different channels than I do, I tried another search method.”
This time, he opened two search engines—one domestic and one international—and searched again in both Chinese and English, this time using the keywords “games + brain degeneration.”
*Prevent Brain Degeneration and Dementia by Playing These Games!*
*Regularly Playing These Three Games Can Delay Brain Degeneration*
…
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Chen Mo smiled and went on, “Of course, I’m not saying Professor Xu’s argument is entirely baseless. In fact, I went to great lengths to find the source of this claim. A medical professor from Neon Island suggested that frequent gamers tend to lack facial expressions and have poor self-control, but this view hasn’t gained widespread support. It’s just one person’s opinion, not an authoritative conclusion. Moreover, there are many similar claims, like ‘watching TV causes children’s brain degeneration’ or ‘long-term running may lead to brain degeneration.’ These are more like alarmist hypotheses that haven’t reached any consensus, and mainstream academia barely studies them.”
“On the contrary, I have a study from game neuroscience that shows:”
“People who spend a lot of time each week playing shooting games show significant improvements in dynamic vision and contrast sensitivity compared to before playing. These games require players to constantly observe their surroundings, enabling them to quickly discern details in cluttered backgrounds. Long-term play is actually a form of training.”
“Frequent gamers have more developed and efficient parietal lobes, frontal lobes, and anterior cingulate cortex, meaning they can better control and maintain attention and multitask compared to non-gamers.”
“The scientific journal *Nature* specifically studied the effects of games on the brains of the elderly. After a period of game training, older adults’ multitasking abilities reached levels comparable to young people and remained stable for six months. This means cognitive decline due to aging can be effectively improved through gaming.”
“European scientists scanned the brains of 152 adolescent gamers and found that children who played more games had larger gray matter volumes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontal eye fields—areas responsible for executive function. This indicates that gaming can significantly enhance children’s executive abilities.”
“Additionally, action game players not only react faster than non-gamers but also with greater accuracy.”
“British scholars and game designers jointly developed a game called *Ocean Journey*. By recording people’s navigation in a 3D environment, it provided unprecedented, vast data for scientific research on amnesia and Alzheimer’s disease, causing a sensation in the neurology academic community. This game not only aids in patient therapy but also supplies valuable data for research.”
Chen Mo looked around at the three people across from him: “So, I feel your arguments aren’t very convincing. What do you all think?”
The three guests wore expressions of indignation, especially Professor Xu, who looked ready to slam the table.
At that moment, Hu Yue quickly steered the conversation back: “Alright, the five guests here have shared their views. Now, let’s invite the audience to speak freely. Have you ever felt that a certain game was poison, that it harmed you or your friends’ health? Do you have any such experiences to share? Let’s start with this student in the blue shirt.”
A raised-hand audience member stood up and took the microphone: “I think games make many of us immerse ourselves in virtual worlds. For those of us with few friends, what should we do? The more we play games, the more we lack social interaction, and we feel disconnected from society.”
Chen Mo spread his hands helplessly: “You have few friends, and you’re blaming me? Games like *League of Legends* and *PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds* help many people find partners in-game, and many friends who play together organize local meetups. They actually expand social circles. If you have low emotional intelligence and can’t make friends, reflect on yourself. It’s not like you’d suddenly find friends without games.”