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View Full Version : Are Video Games A Good Or Bad In The Long Run



RyanClark1991
13-Jun-11, 17:11
Video games are destroying our children & teenagers lives.To be specific, Im not referring to every single youthful person, only the ones who choose to spend there lives in front of games all day long. Im not against video games as long as they are played for sensible amounts of time, games are kept within the age group they clearly state on the boxes. I myself do play them from time to time but i dont sit there from morning until night playing them. But when i see or know someone who spends their entire day in front of a games console it saddens me as there is so much more they could be doing wether its socializing with friends, going to work or finding work, or simply having fun. I can look at things from both sides though, i suppose for example a teenager who plays video games all day long is healthier than a teenager who drinks and smokes on a daily basis. Im aware that video games can become an addiction in their own way. But its better than smoking & drinking, im not against drinking and smoking so dont misunderstand me, im simply stating my point. But then on some occasions ive seen people become so addicted to playing video games that they have lost the know how and confidence to mix with people, and that is a very sad thing, so all they do is play games. Wether its Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Warcraft on PC is also very addictive i hear.

Cattach
13-Jun-11, 17:28
Video games are destroying our children & teenagers lives.To be specific, Im not referring to every single youthful person, only the ones who choose to spend there lives in front of games all day long. Im not against video games as long as they are played for sensible amounts of time, games are kept within the age group they clearly state on the boxes. I myself do play them from time to time but i dont sit there from morning until night playing them. But when i see or know someone who spends their entire day in front of a games console it saddens me as there is so much more they could be doing wether its socializing with friends, going to work or finding work, or simply having fun. I can look at things from both sides though, i suppose for example a teenager who plays video games all day long is healthier than a teenager who drinks and smokes on a daily basis. Im aware that video games can become an addiction in their own way. But its better than smoking & drinking, im not against drinking and smoking so dont misunderstand me, im simply stating my point. But then on some occasions ive seen people become so addicted to playing video games that they have lost the know how and confidence to mix with people, and that is a very sad thing, so all they do is play games. Wether its Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Warcraft on PC is also very addictive i hear.

Like everything else it is acase of making the right choices and not letting game rule you - you rule the game and restrict how long you or your child plays it. Some games should not see the light of day but most are just good fun in moderation.

annemarie482
13-Jun-11, 17:30
totally agree.
my 13 yr old brother no longer knows how to mix with "real people"
he finishes school and disappears into a world of nonsense either on the comp, ds or xbox [disgust]
can be having a conversation with him to find out half way through the conversation we're actually talking about ........wait for it........yep another game :roll:

personally.....i'd throw the ruddy things in the bin...

pat
13-Jun-11, 17:47
Agree with you Annemarie492.
Most of the youngsters now are unable to meet people in a normal environment and quite a few are fairly chubby and extremely pale. Ask them to run a 100 yds or walk a mile and they look at you in horror - that is what mums and cars are for!
I very rarely see youngsters out kicking a football or riding a bike, know all the neighbours children are on their boxes as soon as they get up and as soon as they return from school.
One of my friends as a punishment for her 14yo removes the power cable to the machine - if he misses the bus to school it means no xbox that night. She used to remove the box from the room now its just the cable - first time when he saw his box was still there went to use it but would not work, thought it was a power cut!

Definitely something for the bin as far as I am concerned.

Leanne
13-Jun-11, 17:53
I thought it was a question from the title lol

Dialyser
13-Jun-11, 17:58
As with most things in life, moderation is the key. I have enjoyed playing video games since the early eighties, but not to the exclusion of other things.
My own children play quite a lot of video games in the winter months and then hardly touch them in the summer. I remember doing much the same when I was young.

tori
13-Jun-11, 18:00
were can i start.. well video games ruined 4 years of my life i was addicted to playing the Xbox for about 12 to 14 hours a day maybe more. i started taking panic attacks and freaking out for two years after and iam still getting them i still cant socialize proper. I Applied For The Army but i got knocked back Because Of Them I Would Advise Anyone Who Plays Them For Long Periods A Time To try and Cut Down Or Stop.

RecQuery
14-Jun-11, 11:15
<satire>I think we should get rid of this subversive mass produced movable type rubbish and go back to illuminated manuscripts. They've made people lazy, all they do is read and they're addicted always carrying around a book with them.</satire>

I get the feeling that we're doing homework or coursework for someone here but anyway, the arguments against video games that I've heard before are:


They promote violence and crime.
They retard social skills.
They makes people unhealthy.
They're addictive.

1. Complete crap, if anything most legitimate peer-reviewed, double-blind studies from reputable institutions have shown that playing violent video games lowers violent impulses. People need to remember that fantasy violence is fantasy violence whether it's The Three Stooges and Laurel & Hardy or killing someone with a sniper rifle (various games) or using a cat as a silencer (Postal games) in video games.

Were I a violent criminal, I might use the video-games-made-me-do-it defence, in the hopes of counselling instead of prison time or to try and reduce the sentence I get.

Almost all people learn the difference between fantasy and reality from an early age, if they didn't then all art and entertainment would be dangerous and immoral. Those that don't were going to be crazy anyway regardless of the medium they're exposed to.

2. Once again the reverse is actually true except for the few crazy people who are all the media seems to tell us about. Various studies have been shown that video games actually improve social, organisation and interpersonal skills (actually a lot more than that but I'm just highlighting them). If you've ever played an online game this seems obvious to you - you've got people organising clans and guilds, planning raids and base assaults or dealing with conflict within said clans and guilds all using voice chat a lot of the time. There are also things like LAN parties and meeting up to play games and socialise.

3. This is one of those things that could be said about anything, reading, studying etc. You could say that people are less fit because they no longer hunt their own food or fight wild animals. You could say that children were more physically strong when they worked in factories and mines.

4. I've known people who said they were addicted to exercise or cooking or fishing etc. It's all they'd talk about or do etc. If you have an addictive personality you could potentially get addicted to anything.

Anecdotally I've been playing video games since around the early late 80s, I've played them consistently, I've done all night marathon sessions etc. Now I could be wrong but I consider myself to be a fairly balanced and productive person.

You'll always get the odd person blaming video games for 'messing up their life' but those people would blame anything because it couldn't possibly be the, they need to take some personal responsibility.

Finally I'd like to say that video games are just the latest demon du jour, for 'family values' groups and uptight people to sink their teeth into and rabble incessantly. Also just remember that from the media you only hear about the minority of crazy people in things like this.

This Penny Arcade comic seems somewhat appropriate:

http://i.imgur.com/qxjVV.jpg

weezer 316
14-Jun-11, 11:28
Totally Agreed Recquery. I play xbox live for an hour or two most nights and has infact led to me having regular conversations with people from places such as Boston, Los angeles, milan and Durban who are just like me, work all week and then log on and kill some people! Infact I would bet alot of people of my generation who were socially awkward the advent of online gaming has been an absolute godsend from a social point of view.

On top of that, many games, particularly the first person shoot-em ups are extremely educational with regular play, promoting teamwork to achieve objectives. Infact, it promotes it in a far more cohesive way than ever happens in real life due to the fatc you have a common goal which often isnt the case in real life!

My younger brother who I have looked after for 7 years is the same, 15 and loves games, but also plays bowls, rugby, football and shinty competitively, which would lead me to say that if your children are sitting in their room all year round and cant run the length of themselves then you need to take a look at your lifestyle and promote the correct example rather than blame computer games.

Cattach
14-Jun-11, 14:00
Started reading MacQuery's long post but gave up half way through realising that something had got him demented - maybe it was playing video games or maybe something else. However, hardly an example of a balanced view of what, when controlled properly, can be a fine recreational activity for a wet Sunday.

oldmarine
14-Jun-11, 14:52
No mention so far about adults who play video games. I have seen some adults (elderly) playing video games and they appear to be hooked on them.

weezer 316
14-Jun-11, 14:56
I really struggle to understand the issue with video games. I can only assume its a generational thing to be honest.

tori
14-Jun-11, 15:10
I really struggle to understand the issue with video games. I can only assume its a generational thing to be honest.

Of Course To Much Video Games In a Long Period Of Time Isnt Good For You sitting in front of flashing screen with your adrenaline pumping and your muscles isnt moving which is causing your brain to release Too much dopamine? Uncontrollable/subconscious movements (like picking, tapping, repetitive moments, jerking, twitching). Remember that the heart is a muscle, too, and too much dopamine will result in increased pulse and blood pressure. Thats y most people twitch and jerk when playing a action game

weezer 316
14-Jun-11, 15:19
Right well i think the point you are making is that sitting doing nothing contructive for 12 hours a day isnt good for you. In that I would definitely agree. But to say computer games are bad for you is way too far. As for dopamine im not sure its possible to release too much dopamine lol, without taking something like ecstacy.

You could easily make the assumption that working in an office, like I do, is bad for you, as I spend 9 hours a day here looking at a screen not moving much.

Hoida
14-Jun-11, 15:21
I know adults who play video games and they are late 20's when I made a comment about this I was told they are a great way to unwind after work studying etc! I can think of many more ways to relax than sitting pressing buttons trying to hit strange characters wandering over a screen. A number of people I know play in aleague with others from different countries and cultures and I suppose they are interacting But I think they are a waste of time and money a sthey are not cheap.;)

tori
14-Jun-11, 15:26
i dont think you get me fast paced action games...like call of duty causes your adrenaline to pump.. sitting on a pc for 9 hours typing is hardly going to get your a adrenaline pumping

weezer 316
14-Jun-11, 15:58
i dont think you get me fast paced action games...like call of duty causes your adrenaline to pump.. sitting on a pc for 9 hours typing is hardly going to get your a adrenaline pumping

Look I think I can see maybe what you mean but you make it sound like adreneline pumping is a bad thing. Games are great fun, test your con-ordination and planning, let you speak to people from all across the globe and most of all is safe.

tori
14-Jun-11, 16:11
it is if your bodys not moving..your right gaming is brilliant i loved it a bit to much call of duty online was the best good laugh but i have addictive personality

weezer 316
14-Jun-11, 17:51
Right well addictive personaities, like you say, may be the problem. Not games, and dare I even say it, not drugs!

Connor.
15-Jun-11, 13:47
Just turned 20 and I've been gaming since I wasn't even in primary school. I'm 96% sure that my actual birth parents were an Atari and a Commodore 64 and my brother was a sega mega drive.

I would say that i am addicted to gaming at this age. When I was unemployed, although i would still be looking for jobs(online and in newspapers) I would easily, and quite happily spend around 10-13 hours a day sitting at my computer. It is a sad existence to live, but if you're happy to do so, then crack at it. It had gotten to the point where i would stop going out with friends as I'd be wanting to spend a couple hours gaming on the PC.

After a while with the self-exclusion I kind of got bored of being stuck inside. I quite happily balance the two now.

There are cases which I've read about that a "hardcore gamer" has died from being at their computer for days solid without moving which I do think is very extreme although I must admit I've had one or two occasions where i spent just over 31 hours gaming in a go. They have stated in the news not so long ago that gaming addiction is a real thing that many people suffer from. It's a source of fun, and some people just don't want it to stop.

At the end of the day though; each to their own.

Except people who are addicted to the Grand Theft Auto games; they have no souls.

secrets in symmetry
16-Jun-11, 00:37
Of Course To Much Video Games In a Long Period Of Time Isnt Good For You sitting in front of flashing screen with your adrenaline pumping and your muscles isnt moving which is causing your brain to release Too much dopamine? Uncontrollable/subconscious movements (like picking, tapping, repetitive moments, jerking, twitching). Remember that the heart is a muscle, too, and too much dopamine will result in increased pulse and blood pressure. Thats y most people twitch and jerk when playing a action gameIt's contagious!

The bit you stole from elsewhere and cut and paste into the middle of your thread without acknowledgement stands out a mile.

RecQuery
16-Jun-11, 08:07
Of Course To Much Video Games In a Long Period Of Time Isnt Good For You sitting in front of flashing screen with your adrenaline pumping and your muscles isnt moving which is causing your brain to release Too much dopamine? Uncontrollable/subconscious movements (like picking, tapping, repetitive moments, jerking, twitching). Remember that the heart is a muscle, too, and too much dopamine will result in increased pulse and blood pressure. Thats y most people twitch and jerk when playing a action game

Drugs like dopamine are also released in our brains whenever we have success to reward us with positive feelings. They're released when you skydive, win a tabletop game, score a goal in some sport, make others laugh etc. Release of drugs is a natural part of a human brain's activity. Drugs are what make us feel in the first place. They are in no way video game or addiction specific.

Video games don't magically conjure external chemicals to your body like actual narcotics. People who are addicted to games are addicted to some specific activity in the game, like the social aspect or raiding, which usually simply translates to success. It's hard to let go if so many people look up to you and think you as a really successful person in the game, especially if your life outside the game isn't successful and you have few friends. You have put a lot of effort into it, after all.

Also all games are not FPSes which is where I imagine your claims of twitching etc come from. I mostly play actual RPGs, Strategy and Adventure games. I particularly like turn-based strategy games that require a lot of thought (similar to a game of Chess of Go in many ways) and the problem solving aspects of RPG and adventure games.

TL;DR: There's nothing special about games, the people 'addicted' to them likely have addictive personalities or crap lives. If they weren't playing games they'd get 'addicted' to something else.