[Nestorian]

Are video games "BAD" for people?

What do you think, do video games poison the youth, and render the young adults brain dead. Thus sucking the life and morals from all who play the games on the Teli Vision?

[rockerchick_682]

Sitting on your butt playing video games all day instead of running outside isn't so great for your health. I'm amazed at how long people can sit there and play Halo!

Also, I think some video games have caused kids to accept violence too much and to see it as "fun."

If used less frequently and adjusted to age, then no, video games aren't as bad as some parents seem to assume.

[simoneaugie]

If someone is complaining that you spend too much time playing, consider that they may need your help and support.

Do games make you brain dead? No way! They exercise the mind and sharpen the reflexes.

Do video games poison the youth? Only if the youth remain unaware that the food, clean clothes, electricity and heat they are enjoying while playing is paid for, by someone who is not playing.

[Nestorian]

Sitting on your butt playing video games all day instead of running outside isn't so great for your health. I'm amazed at how long people can sit there and play Halo!

Also, I think some video games have caused kids to accept violence too much and to see it as "fun."

If used less frequently and adjusted to age, then no, video games aren't as bad as some parents seem to assume.

Well rocker-chick, you are very wise. THe fact that you pointed out "less Frequently" and adjusting to a child's age, very inpressive. I like your idea, and I totally agree.

Thanks.

[ITstudent2006]

Here is my opinion. I can sit and play Halo 3 for hours. I love it, and I love playing video games, I like the plots and storylines and ten to put myself in thir shoes.

I live with my fiancé and I pay my own bills, I have a job where I work 40-55 hours per week. I am aware of the bill aspect as well as the health aspect, I also do a lot of weightlifting.

I would say NO to the braindead theory and to the poisoning theory.

WHen a videogame gets dangerous is when it becomes addictive and where the child puts themselves in the game to a scary extent.

Parents must regulate the gameplay, I know it sounds hipacritacal but hey when I was a kid I wanted to play all day but my mom wouldn't let me.

[Nestorian]

Here is my opinion. I can sit and play Halo 3 for hours. I love it, and I love playing video games, I like the plots and storylines and ten to put myself in thir shoes.

I live with my fiance and I pay my own bills, I have a job where I work 40-55 hours per week. I am aware of the bill aspect as well as the health aspect, I also do a lot of weightlifting.

I would say NO to the braindead theory and to the poisoning theory.

WHen a videogame gets dangerous is when it becomes addictive and where the child puts themselves in the game to a scary extent.

Parents must regulate the gameplay, I know it sounds hipacritacal but hey when I was a kid I wanted to play all day but my mom wouldn;t let me.

Did you notice the part where you said, "WHen a videogame gets dangerous is when it becomes addictive and where the child puts themselves in the game to a scary extent." You said children and not gamers, which is you and I, but we're not children are we. I'm afraid I was once addicted to video games, I worked 12 hours a day, some times more, 6-7 days aweek. I worked as a welder in the oil industry. My life was get up eat, work, go home eat, sit for an hour or two. Go to bed. My ex girl friend was mad that I didn't see her because I switched every 2 weeks from days to nights. So she got mad that I was always tired or sleeping. But the games became all I did.

So I do agree with you, but I'd just like to clarify that grown adults can be addicted too. I was 22 at the time I'm 24 now.

But as for the rest very insightful. The story part is rather true, I love the story lines. It's like a book that reads it's self, haha. Literally.

Resident Evil 2 was a great story.

And metal gear solid for PS1.

[ITstudent2006]

Oh I completely agree that anyone at any age can be addicted to video games. To many it's a way out! I only said child because the OP declared he/she was talking about the youth so I figured she was talking about children.

I am 21 years old and I play Halo 3 every day. I also like playing NCAA (created my own guy and play seasons as an NCAA superstar) and I also love he GTA series, I put myself in a mental state so whereas I am the character, I play like I was in that situation and it is entertaining, just like a book but more interactive.
I believe it is a way to relieve stress but there is a difference between appreciation for a storyline and addiction to second life. (virtual life)

But anyway I agree!

[sneakers o tool]

I think that it is not the video games that should be judged but instead the gaming system. For example, while people gain weight weight sitting down and playing a playstation all day others might lose weight and increase their health by playing on the Nintendo Wii since it requires movement. Studies show that as long as you take a 15 min. for every 30 min. you play a video game it will hepl increase your hand and eye cordination. If you do not take the 15 min. break like most gamers or play for over 30min. Without a break it can strain your eye muscles.

[Nestorian]

So video games are good for their creativity, and exercise (Wii), and so on. However, it is not good if you play any game for more than 30 min- an hour, MAX. Take a break, make your game last a few weeks/months. Just because you got it doesn't mean you have to finnish it right away.

I do think that one of the reasons people like them is because they are new, and intreesting ideas. You can put yourself in a whold of intense action, or stratagise how best to place your army across a board. THe possibilities are endless really. Also you can advance your characters, gaining levels and what not. Some people feel confident, and good simply because of this. Therefor games become rather addictive.

So, moderation is fairly key. I have heard and read about kids who become addicted to Videogames and when their parents take them away; either the kids will hurt some one, or they will run away from home. One runaway; I for get where but the story was in Mclanes mag; went missing and he still is. It's bin a few months or a year or something like that. Sorry on the details I read it at the Doctors office. But it is sad because the kid's life changed from friends out side to a war game online. It consumed him till it was all he did.

The question is what can change to make these things not happen. We can't stop people from buying them for there kids, it's against our right to be free. Maybe freedom is a new kind of imprisson meant. One that we have control over, only we don't see it because we think we are free to think and act as we please with out consequences. That is not true at all. So who steps in, the government, game producers, parents, or the game buyers?

[tankichi]

Theproblem with this topics I to many people look into different areas. Such areas as GTA4 or other games like that. But older games I know can be good for people. Games such as Final Fantasy 7 if your child has not the best but okay readding skills a game like this with a lot of text can help kids to read better, especially with some of the words they use in it.

[earl237]

Like all things, overdoing it is harmful, but games in moderation are okay as long as people don't take them too seriously and remember to have other interests outside of the game.

[Jentau]

I don't think video games are bad. It's another form of entertainment. Don't be dumb and play all day and night, get a blood clot and die. You've got to know when to take a break. Have some common sense right? Have other interests too that require physical activity.

I don't think video games "poison" the youth either. There are many things that mess kids up more than that. It's the parent/guardians job to make sure their child is raised properly and if they're allowing their children to play video games then they need to regulate what gets played and for how long. If you take the time to interact with your kids then you'll know when something is beginning to become too important to them and you can intervene when necessary. Games are good with hand eye coordination, and think how much technology is being driven this way, where you do something on a screen and the effect is somewhere else all together. Sure video games are for fun now but down the road those might be skills you can use for careers (not saying that in 5 years you'll be a professional Halo player or Left 4 Dead zombie shooter.. but that the kind of technology could be similar).

[darkvision]

Lets look at a very important fact first. Violence has been on the decrease for years now, video game sales have been increasing yearly. Hmmmm yeah video games make you bad.

now onto the sitting on your... yes to many Americans are over weight but what's worse? Watching TV or playing a video game. The answer is watching TV because not only are you doing nothing physical your doing nothing to interact with your mind. I have great math skills, I got them from playing video games. Im great at thinking strategically, again gotten from video games. Some other fun facts, taking a random group of 100 people 50 that play first person shooters and 50 that don't, all that have never shot a hand gun before. The 50 that have played FPS's will be at least 5% more accurate(their have been studies done on that).

but wait shooting a gun is bad right? Well I had to learn in basic training, and I was the most accurate in my class. And was the only one to have never shot a gun before. And considering I was learning for the purpose of protecting others I think that is a VERY good side benefit.


also I think video games have one other benefit that can be a very useful tool. People don't act differently online, they just act more true to themselves. So playing an online game with someone lets you know them better than you ever could in real life(how honest are they, are they willing to cheat? would they steal someone's account? Etc so forth) you would be surprised at what you could learn about a "normally honest" friend.

[Firefox_Answer]

Yes they do but not all video games.
Its only games with violence.

[Lowtax4eva]

Firefox_Answers, do you have a link to a published study that actually provides backup for this claim?

In fact there is still little research done in this field to prove any kind of link that video games cause violent behaviour

http://uk.reuters.com/article/techno...BrandChannel=0

[ironclad04]

Hi everyone ironclad04 here! Well well, my favorite subject!! Well the fdca once said the same thing about a year ago about games being more dangerous than drugs!! And the sad part is there spending about 50 million dollars to prove it!! Well I think people need to grow a f**** backbone! Nobody tells a little boy to sit and play videogames all day, and what age they are for that fact?? They play because it draws them in and creates curiousouty?? The average gamer is about 30 yrs of age stetically? Sitting and playing for a long time is tiring only, if that!! I play for 70-80 a week and I love it, but I have control of my violence as do we all!! No game tells us to go out and f**** shoot our neighbors or blow up their house, GTA does that!! I'm a long time Resident evil fan, the best damn game out their!! I played the whole series in a week and I would do it again!