94 percent of U.S. teens play video games

BOSTON, July 5 (UPI) -- Almost all young U.S. teens play video games -- only 6 percent of the sample had not played any electronic games in the previous six months, a study found.

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Mental Health and Media asked middle-school youths in detail about the video and computer games they play. They found that most 7th and 8th graders -- ages 12 to 14 -- regularly play violent video games.

Two-thirds of boys and more than one in four girls reported playing at least one M-rated game "a lot in the past six months," according to the study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The researchers also found one-third of boys and 10 percent of girls play video or computer games almost every day.

Many children are playing video games to manage their feelings, including anger and stress, and children who play violent games are more likely to play to get their anger out, according to lead author Cheryl K. Olson.