What is Wrong with Video Gaming Anyway?

By: James Snow

www.RiseAboveAddiction.com

March 31, 2008

It is always interesting to see how people respond to the idea of video gaming addictions. There are many who think there is no such thing and that addictions only refer to things like drugs and alcohol. The Kaiser Family Foundation may suggest otherwise. Some of their recent data about children and technology says that children spend an average of 6.5 hours a day entertained by one form of media or another. If you count time spent in front of multiple media sources at once it is nearly 8.5 hours per day. This represents a sizable increase from recent years with video games accounting for the lion’s share of the increase. So what is wrong with video and computer gaming anyway? To answer that question literally: nothing – or at least not per se.

            Video and computer games themselves can be harmless. In moderation they can be a good way to relax on occasion. Children are under increasing pressures at school and having an outlet is not a bad thing. Excessive gaming becomes a problem, however, when other aspects of their current or future lives become harmed. This harm can come in many forms. From slumping grades, to decreased social skills and changing patterns of thinking, to the opportunity cost of what they missed out on while gaming, the price can high. Some psychologists warn that excessive video gaming fosters rapid but superficial thinking in children. It may also lead to decreased attention spans, and difficulty expressing themselves emotionally.

            Many might ask: “are that many children really affected by excessive gaming?” Again, the data from the Kaiser Family Foundation tells us it is not out of the question. Their data reports that approximately two-thirds of all children aged 8-18 have a television in their room and almost one half have a gaming console in their rooms. Not to mention it appears that most parents are not placing limits on the amount of time their children are allowed to play video games. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that only 23% of parents placed restrictions on the amount of time their teens were allowed on the computer.

            The bottom line is that computer games themselves are not harmful by definition. It is when they become an addiction and begin to negatively impact the life of the addict that they become harmful. Droves of parents are unaware of the dangers of gaming and computer addictions. Children today do not remember a world without internet and the “technology tangle” we now know is all they know.

This article should not be used as or interpreted as medical advice. Full legal disclaimer.

Copyright © 2008 RiseAboveAddiction.com

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