As with any form of media, it has to be approached responsibly and mindfully. The same arguments were being had when television was blossoming - but now, those kids are adults, and they arguably watch too much television. It's up to parents and teachers to preach moderation, and more importantly, being thoughtful about what you're actually learning and developing when participating in the activity.
I'd argue that games are an infinitely better medium than television (movies/shows/etc) when consumed mindfully. They have the visual and audio feedback of television, the story telling capabilities of books, the social development capabilities of school and clubs, and an interactive element which traditional forms of media (artwork, books, movies) don't have. But as with anything, it can be misused and abused.
Spending 5 hours a day playing video games, watching television, or even reading books can all be bad, or they can have a transformative experience on someone's life. Moderation and mindfulness are key.
That’s a very interesting one! Especially bc. of the sometimes very conservative and questionable view on video games in the comments .
Not every game is addictive or stupid as hell.
In general it’s part of the 20th and 21st Century culture and Art. I totally agree that the user behavior has to be moderated bc of *potential* addictive tendencies especially under children and young teenager.
But I think that this discussion and consideration should be conducted by people who are involved in gaming. So that generalised statements like "gaming makes you stupid" or "gaming is addictive" don't come out of it. Because it simply doesn't apply to all games.
When I say absolutely not, I just mean generally no. The cons in this situation outweigh the pros in such magnitude that I personally think there are few to no consequences when it comes to not playing video games. This does not mean that I think playing video games is wrong, I just think that there is no advantage that you are going to get from this.
One of the pros listed for playing video games was lowering stress levels- and I do not agree with that. I believe video games lower stress just the same as any screen- which is not at all. I wish I had scientific studies behind me when I said this: screens, in my experience, just push down the stress that anyone has and holds it there until the happiness fuel is cut off (the video game is shut down). This is predictably followed by an explosion of stress and anger.
This addiction that any child has- once formed- cannot be removed or reconciled. I have seen parents lose their connection with their child and siblings fall apart because no one told them to get off their device and spend time together. And while I’m hearing portioning it out can help, I do think that portioning will help drastically with attitudes or addiction. Just like giving a child only a bite of the cake instead of a slice is not going to make them a better person and more immune to the addiction of sugar.
I wouldn't exactly agree that they're pointless, but they can be brain-rotting for sure. I don't like video games as a whole, but I do have a very specific selection of games that I play. And I only play for a little while every day.
Ok, I maybe didn't phrase this very well. I don't like video game culture (it's dumb), but I think that some are good (like those kid-friendly Nintendo games). Although some games are straight out stupid and mind-rotting. Does this make sense?
Video games can end up being addicting, but so can other things to. I've heard stories of people who ended up getting addicted to thing like DnD, certain books, and watching TV. These things aren't necessarily wrong, but when all a person does is play/read/watch them, then it gets addicting. That's why they need to be moderated. The reason kids get addicted to stuff is often because parents don't get involved because either they don't care or they don't think their kid will listen. However, yes video games can be addicting, although moderating and restricting time played often keeps it from becoming so. (I will also add that for some people it can be more addictive than others).
As to nothing coming out of video games, there are people who make money playing video games. There are video games that teach kids coding, math skills, reading skills, and other things. Video games help to connect people who live miles apart. And some video games (like the Wii) can promote exercise.
If a child is absolutely addicted to video games, that's when the parent may need to make the choice to take it all away either temporarily or permanently.
I'm not much of a gamer. I probably played the most video games when I was 11-12 (and even then, I only played on Saturday mornings). That being said, I have some fantastic memories of crazy game achievements with my siblings. We had a great time and it grew our relationships. Now my brothers and I reminisce about those days and how much fun they were.
Every now and again my Dad and Mom will play Halo or Mario Kart with us, and it's always a blast. It's so fun to play a game like that as a family; it's a great way to connect and compete.
I do think video games can be addictive, and I don't think they're worth spending too much time on. However, I do think there's a lot of value in IN-PERSON GROUP games (that aren't online but that are you sitting around the family room with your family).
I know some people say that they aren't worth spending any time on period and that they have no major benefits, but I think that might be a little too harsh. It's okay to do something fun every once in a while that doesn't have any major benefits. Just like it's okay to eat a piece of cake or have a coke every now and then. Now, don't take that out of context; I'm not saying it's okay to do things that HARM us, like read bad books or watch bad movies every once in a while. I'm saying it's fine to do things that aren't majorly helpful. There can be a big difference.
Group games with my family have created great, fun evenings where we connect and provided awesome memories that we still laugh about together today. Video games in their place can be great relational builders, and I'm going to be honest; they can be a lot of fun!
I will also say that there are some games (like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the classic N64) that was the first form of media that caused me to really start thinking out of the box when it came to problem solving. OoT I believe is one of the hardest games of all time, and again, my brothers and I spent hours together trying to solve the game's puzzles. It was worth the time investment for the problem solving skills it's helped all of us build now.
Great post! I completely agree with this! I feel like video games have kind of helped me overcome boredom and possibly even develop better timing. I do also agree that video games can be very unhealthy when used too much or desired too much. I've never played any game with a rating higher than T, and I don't ever plan to. I only play for 1-2 hours a day. No matter how fun something is, we must remember that God is far greater and must be loved above all else.
I'm allowed to play video games, but I have limited screen time for wntertainment (TV, video games). I agree with how my parents brought me up: video games are fine as long as the parents moderate 1) how much time is spent playing them and 2) video game choices (so as not to end up with inappropriate content). As for the sitting in front of the screen creating inactivity for the body, our family has a console called a WiFi, which encourages exercise while playing (like you actually have to swing the remote in certain ways to play the game). This way of playing helps with the exercise aspect.
I already said something, but looking at what others are saying, I might need to go into more detail.
I think that, in moderation, letting children play video games is okay.
I drew a bit of childhood wonder and even inspiration for writing from video games. As I mentioned a while ago, my childhood wouldn't be quite the same without a few games (Angry Birds, Webkinz, Temple Run, Fresh Tracks, Animal Jam, DLS, etc.) But, obviously, what I remember most from my childhood was actual activities I did, rather than fake ones. I spent much more time playing outdoors and making art than playing video games. I don't necessarily regret playing video games until I got older and spent more time on it.
In conclusion, video games are okay in moderation (if you don't have anything to do with your time, I'd say it's not a bad idea (as long as you don't spend too much time on it or it is really dumb)), but they aren't necessary or even encouraged.
Perspective changes when you have kids and have to interact with other adults who don't have / hate kids. I have 4 kids in their 20s (+ 5 kids under 20) as well as ~3 grandkids under age 5.
Living in the city severely affects what can be done with all the Karens roaming the streets in every neighborhood, apartment complex, etc.
"Go outside and play" is grounds for arrest of the parent for "child neglect" in some areas. Back in 2020, going to the park to play outside by yourself as an adult was grounds for arrest in some areas. If you have limited / no space to play outside, you are restricted to the limited space you have to play inside.
Without being given "something" to do, kids get restless and bored. Bored kids are destructive kids.
Sure, I have a vast library w thousands of books both fiction and non-fiction, but after brain fatigue from school (even homeschooling), young children are tired of books.
Hence the rise of screen time to watch TV, YouTube, or play video games.
Yes, each child is limited to 2 hrs / day, but can you really stop them from watching their brother play their turn?
Young children don't simply tire of books... I'm one of six kids who all adore reading books without caring about video games or YouTube (and part of multiple reading communities with families with as many and 12 kids). No, we don't live in the big city, but my cousins do, one of the most cramped cities ever. But they love books and rarely play video games. Granted we all watch TV, but not too much. Video games are not a necessity and no children should be able to play the, no matter the circumstances. There are so many alternatives that won't damage children's learning abilities (by the way, as the only kid in my grade at private school who didn't play video games, was it a surprise I was the most successful and most focused?), eyesight, attention spans, or risk addiction. Now, am I going to say no children can play video games? Of course not. It's the parents' choice. But should they is a whole different story.
I learned programming in the 90s. I started learning modern 2D game development in Godot this year. My oldest son learned Python and is a programmer in his day job and does 3D game development in his spare time. My next 2 sons are our game testers. My SIL is game tester / starting a game playthrough YT channel. The younger kids find new games for us all to play which my oldest son and I then figure out how to incorporate into our own games. It's a family activity.
As with any form of media, it has to be approached responsibly and mindfully. The same arguments were being had when television was blossoming - but now, those kids are adults, and they arguably watch too much television. It's up to parents and teachers to preach moderation, and more importantly, being thoughtful about what you're actually learning and developing when participating in the activity.
I'd argue that games are an infinitely better medium than television (movies/shows/etc) when consumed mindfully. They have the visual and audio feedback of television, the story telling capabilities of books, the social development capabilities of school and clubs, and an interactive element which traditional forms of media (artwork, books, movies) don't have. But as with anything, it can be misused and abused.
Spending 5 hours a day playing video games, watching television, or even reading books can all be bad, or they can have a transformative experience on someone's life. Moderation and mindfulness are key.
Very well said!
Wait. Hold on. I thought you hated video games, Jack! You're confusing me!
That’s a very interesting one! Especially bc. of the sometimes very conservative and questionable view on video games in the comments .
Not every game is addictive or stupid as hell.
In general it’s part of the 20th and 21st Century culture and Art. I totally agree that the user behavior has to be moderated bc of *potential* addictive tendencies especially under children and young teenager.
But I think that this discussion and consideration should be conducted by people who are involved in gaming. So that generalised statements like "gaming makes you stupid" or "gaming is addictive" don't come out of it. Because it simply doesn't apply to all games.
Very true.
When I say absolutely not, I just mean generally no. The cons in this situation outweigh the pros in such magnitude that I personally think there are few to no consequences when it comes to not playing video games. This does not mean that I think playing video games is wrong, I just think that there is no advantage that you are going to get from this.
One of the pros listed for playing video games was lowering stress levels- and I do not agree with that. I believe video games lower stress just the same as any screen- which is not at all. I wish I had scientific studies behind me when I said this: screens, in my experience, just push down the stress that anyone has and holds it there until the happiness fuel is cut off (the video game is shut down). This is predictably followed by an explosion of stress and anger.
This addiction that any child has- once formed- cannot be removed or reconciled. I have seen parents lose their connection with their child and siblings fall apart because no one told them to get off their device and spend time together. And while I’m hearing portioning it out can help, I do think that portioning will help drastically with attitudes or addiction. Just like giving a child only a bite of the cake instead of a slice is not going to make them a better person and more immune to the addiction of sugar.
I totally agree!! I've never played video games at all and I have no desire to do so. Video games are pointless and brain-rotting.
I wouldn't exactly agree that they're pointless, but they can be brain-rotting for sure. I don't like video games as a whole, but I do have a very specific selection of games that I play. And I only play for a little while every day.
Ok, I maybe didn't phrase this very well. I don't like video game culture (it's dumb), but I think that some are good (like those kid-friendly Nintendo games). Although some games are straight out stupid and mind-rotting. Does this make sense?
Basically every single game you can find on a free website is stupid and mind rotting (I mean, that's a hasty generalization, but I think I'm right)
And also being called a "gamer" just because I play some video games is kind of insulting to me because it makes it sound like that's all I ever do.
My mistake! That was not the intended meaning. I meant it as someone who plays video games generally, not that it's all they do.
Video games can end up being addicting, but so can other things to. I've heard stories of people who ended up getting addicted to thing like DnD, certain books, and watching TV. These things aren't necessarily wrong, but when all a person does is play/read/watch them, then it gets addicting. That's why they need to be moderated. The reason kids get addicted to stuff is often because parents don't get involved because either they don't care or they don't think their kid will listen. However, yes video games can be addicting, although moderating and restricting time played often keeps it from becoming so. (I will also add that for some people it can be more addictive than others).
As to nothing coming out of video games, there are people who make money playing video games. There are video games that teach kids coding, math skills, reading skills, and other things. Video games help to connect people who live miles apart. And some video games (like the Wii) can promote exercise.
If a child is absolutely addicted to video games, that's when the parent may need to make the choice to take it all away either temporarily or permanently.
This is a great discussion!
I'm not much of a gamer. I probably played the most video games when I was 11-12 (and even then, I only played on Saturday mornings). That being said, I have some fantastic memories of crazy game achievements with my siblings. We had a great time and it grew our relationships. Now my brothers and I reminisce about those days and how much fun they were.
Every now and again my Dad and Mom will play Halo or Mario Kart with us, and it's always a blast. It's so fun to play a game like that as a family; it's a great way to connect and compete.
I do think video games can be addictive, and I don't think they're worth spending too much time on. However, I do think there's a lot of value in IN-PERSON GROUP games (that aren't online but that are you sitting around the family room with your family).
I know some people say that they aren't worth spending any time on period and that they have no major benefits, but I think that might be a little too harsh. It's okay to do something fun every once in a while that doesn't have any major benefits. Just like it's okay to eat a piece of cake or have a coke every now and then. Now, don't take that out of context; I'm not saying it's okay to do things that HARM us, like read bad books or watch bad movies every once in a while. I'm saying it's fine to do things that aren't majorly helpful. There can be a big difference.
Group games with my family have created great, fun evenings where we connect and provided awesome memories that we still laugh about together today. Video games in their place can be great relational builders, and I'm going to be honest; they can be a lot of fun!
I will also say that there are some games (like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the classic N64) that was the first form of media that caused me to really start thinking out of the box when it came to problem solving. OoT I believe is one of the hardest games of all time, and again, my brothers and I spent hours together trying to solve the game's puzzles. It was worth the time investment for the problem solving skills it's helped all of us build now.
Ocarina of Time is very hard indeed.
i don't think videogames are bad in moderation like you said. just don't get addicted or damage your eyebals and you'll be fine
Well even in moderation it will negatively affect you
It depends on how strict the moderation is and what you play
Explain.
Great post! I completely agree with this! I feel like video games have kind of helped me overcome boredom and possibly even develop better timing. I do also agree that video games can be very unhealthy when used too much or desired too much. I've never played any game with a rating higher than T, and I don't ever plan to. I only play for 1-2 hours a day. No matter how fun something is, we must remember that God is far greater and must be loved above all else.
This has been a really helpful post and i definitely will show it to my mom. Good post abby!!!
Are you not allowed to play video games?
I'm allowed to play video games, but I have limited screen time for wntertainment (TV, video games). I agree with how my parents brought me up: video games are fine as long as the parents moderate 1) how much time is spent playing them and 2) video game choices (so as not to end up with inappropriate content). As for the sitting in front of the screen creating inactivity for the body, our family has a console called a WiFi, which encourages exercise while playing (like you actually have to swing the remote in certain ways to play the game). This way of playing helps with the exercise aspect.
I already said something, but looking at what others are saying, I might need to go into more detail.
I think that, in moderation, letting children play video games is okay.
I drew a bit of childhood wonder and even inspiration for writing from video games. As I mentioned a while ago, my childhood wouldn't be quite the same without a few games (Angry Birds, Webkinz, Temple Run, Fresh Tracks, Animal Jam, DLS, etc.) But, obviously, what I remember most from my childhood was actual activities I did, rather than fake ones. I spent much more time playing outdoors and making art than playing video games. I don't necessarily regret playing video games until I got older and spent more time on it.
In conclusion, video games are okay in moderation (if you don't have anything to do with your time, I'd say it's not a bad idea (as long as you don't spend too much time on it or it is really dumb)), but they aren't necessary or even encouraged.
From reading this, I can safely assume that you either don’t have any children &/or you live in a rural area.
Um...we're teens...why would we have children...
Perspective changes when you have kids and have to interact with other adults who don't have / hate kids. I have 4 kids in their 20s (+ 5 kids under 20) as well as ~3 grandkids under age 5.
Living in the city severely affects what can be done with all the Karens roaming the streets in every neighborhood, apartment complex, etc.
"Go outside and play" is grounds for arrest of the parent for "child neglect" in some areas. Back in 2020, going to the park to play outside by yourself as an adult was grounds for arrest in some areas. If you have limited / no space to play outside, you are restricted to the limited space you have to play inside.
Without being given "something" to do, kids get restless and bored. Bored kids are destructive kids.
Sure, I have a vast library w thousands of books both fiction and non-fiction, but after brain fatigue from school (even homeschooling), young children are tired of books.
Hence the rise of screen time to watch TV, YouTube, or play video games.
Yes, each child is limited to 2 hrs / day, but can you really stop them from watching their brother play their turn?
Young children don't simply tire of books... I'm one of six kids who all adore reading books without caring about video games or YouTube (and part of multiple reading communities with families with as many and 12 kids). No, we don't live in the big city, but my cousins do, one of the most cramped cities ever. But they love books and rarely play video games. Granted we all watch TV, but not too much. Video games are not a necessity and no children should be able to play the, no matter the circumstances. There are so many alternatives that won't damage children's learning abilities (by the way, as the only kid in my grade at private school who didn't play video games, was it a surprise I was the most successful and most focused?), eyesight, attention spans, or risk addiction. Now, am I going to say no children can play video games? Of course not. It's the parents' choice. But should they is a whole different story.
I learned programming in the 90s. I started learning modern 2D game development in Godot this year. My oldest son learned Python and is a programmer in his day job and does 3D game development in his spare time. My next 2 sons are our game testers. My SIL is game tester / starting a game playthrough YT channel. The younger kids find new games for us all to play which my oldest son and I then figure out how to incorporate into our own games. It's a family activity.
So basically I'm dumb because I play video games...
My childhood wouldn't quite be the same without Webkinz, Temple Run, and Angry Birds.