do you think pc video games are good for kids or bad? (Denver, state)

[dspguy]

When I was younger (back in the days of the original Nintendo and Super Nintendo), I was only "given" games for birthdays and holidays. So, not only did I get a ton of playtime from one game, but I also got bored enough with the game that I was still outside playing baseball, meeting with friends, etc.

As for PC games... they aren't necessarily that bad if its stimulating. Bottom line though, as the parent you have to control when they can use the PC. If its limited in some way (doesn't matter how, that is up to the parent), then it could be ok.

I will say that by some absolute fluke, I actually did well on my verbal SAT due to words I picked up from playing some video game. That's not to say it is common, but a video game is usually better than watching TV.

Some kids can handle it and some kids can't. If a child can't limit his/herself, than the parent needs to put in the stops.

Keep in mind that just because a child is an honor student does not necessarily give you the green light to let them play games to their heart's content. I was an honor roll student myself but I was introverted in high school and I was able to hide away from that by immersing myself in a video games. It took a lot for me to get involved in afterschool activities to break out of those habits.

[th3vault]

No, I do not approve of video games...moderation or otherwise. Tobacco shouldn't be used in "moderation" and neither should games....because a powerful addiction is likely to develop.

Games rob people of real world experiences and can create an extremely strong addiction and destroy lives similar to drugs. People have died because they play games for 2 or 3 days straight and are too addicted to rest. Children have been neglected by video game parent addicts.

Games rob kids of life experiences, friendships, relationships, sports, physical fitness, academics. My roomate in college was an addict and bombed out because he was to addicted to an online game to bother going to class.

Video games are also very expensive. A PC gamer will have to shell out $1,000 to $2,000 every two or three years for a computer capable of playing the latest games. Games themselves will cost $60 each, and the online games will cost $20 each a month in subscription fees.

At least with TV and movies there is a definitive start point and an end point. With games, addicts can play forever in some such as World of Warcraft. Go on youtube and look up the video of the kid whose account was cut off and how angry he gets. Video games can be an extremely powerful addiction.

I agree with the previous posters that have said that excessive technology is fragmenting the country and creating social isolation. Video games are the bigggest culprit in this.


At the end of the day all games are is a set of 1's and 0's on your computer's hard drive. Is that really worth sacrificing sports, health, relationships, friends, academics and real world experiences? You can either have a real life or a virtual one. Make your choice.

[Dockside]

I'm fine with video games. Both Reader Rabbit and Math Blaster helped my kids math abilities when they were young, and my older son got a Playstation and fell in with the "gamers" in high school. The gamers are intensely competitive, culturally diverse, and drugs are strongly discouraged because it messes up reaction times, especially in a multi-player setting. It never interefered with his school work, in fact he has an interesting imagination and a lively take on the world.

Now, we also audited his games. There is total violent dreck out there. I had no problem with blowing up monsters and aliens in awful and colorful ways, but I drew the line at games with people killing or beating other people.

[natalayjones]

Originally Posted by th3vault

No, I do not approve of video games...moderation or otherwise. Tobacco shouldn't be used in "moderation" and neither should games....because a powerful addiction is likely to develop.

Games rob people of real world experiences and can create an extremely strong addiction and destroy lives similar to drugs. People have died because they play games for 2 or 3 days straight and are too addicted to rest. Children have been neglected by video game parent addicts.

Games rob kids of life experiences, friendships, relationships, sports, physical fitness, academics. My roomate in college was an addict and bombed out because he was to addicted to an online game to bother going to class.

Video games are also very expensive. A PC gamer will have to shell out $1,000 to $2,000 every two or three years for a computer capable of playing the latest games. Games themselves will cost $60 each, and the online games will cost $20 each a month in subscription fees.

At least with TV and movies there is a definitive start point and an end point. With games, addicts can play forever in some such as World of Warcraft. Go on youtube and look up the video of the kid whose account was cut off and how angry he gets. Video games can be an extremely powerful addiction.

I agree with the previous posters that have said that excessive technology is fragmenting the country and creating social isolation. Video games are the bigggest culprit in this.

And before y'all start wondering, yes I am speaking from experience. But I got over it and found much more enjoyable and real world activities in my late teens. But I will always regret the life experiences I missed out on in my early teens because of video game addiction.

At the end of the day all games are is a set of 1's and 0's on your computer's hard drive. Is that really worth sacrificing sports, health, relationships, friends, academics and real world experiences? You can either have a real life or a virtual one. Make your choice.

Yeah cause tv automatically shuts off at a certain point. Are you really comparing video games to tobacco? Really?

[th3vault]

Originally Posted by natalayjones

Yeah cause tv automatically shuts off at a certain point. Are you really comparing video games to tobacco? Really?

Yes I am. They both have the potential to cause a serious addiction. The comparison was to point out that tobacco is never to "be used in moderation" because an addiction can develop. Not everything is ok in moderation. Some things are best to avoid entirely.


Tv shows start and end. The longest movies never last more than 4 hours. If someone continues to watch show after show, then that is multiple occurences. 5 TV shows in a row is 5 hours of time. 5 video games in a row can easily be 5 weeks or longer from start to finish. Some games are purposely designed to go on forever, and only end when the player gets bored.

I also haven't heard of people watching TV for 3 days straight with no breaks until they collapse and die. That has happened several times with video games.

[mike8290]

Originally Posted by ManGoneADreamin

30 minutes is not enough to play a video game... at least for a good game



I don't understand though, why some people think it's ok for kids to go to school for 7 hours a day when about 5 of the hours could be cut out completely if they actually had efficient teachers and course work.

Much of the day is wasted on busy work and that of teachers who love the sound of their own voice while kids daydream and wish they were doing something productive.


So how can you be against video games, yet be for inefficient/waste of time schools?


Truth is- kids (10-18) should be going to school for about 3 hours a day (with one break of recess/gym) , working for about 4 to 6 hours, and have free time for the rest of the day..

If school is your "inefficient/waste of time", how is video games any different? What do kids learn by being in their rooms, not going out with friends, etc. etc. Exactly, nothing. School is not a waste of time, I want my kids to go to college, get a job, and be a productive member of society. I think I'm weird because of that.......

[ozzie679]

Originally Posted by cruxan

well i kinda think they are some what bad for kids... because thats all the kids want to do nowdays. my brother has 2 kids boy girl the boy wants to play video games all the time rather go boating or camping or just hiking something physical... makes me wonder. when i was a kid i was extremally active skateboarding biking swimming hiking sailing diviing fishing etc

Video games are terrible. Our kids are getting so fat. It's sad.

The same thing with this dang internet. I can't live without it. But the more time I spend on the net, the more time I have to spend on the treadmill.

[17th Street]

Originally Posted by th3vault

No, I do not approve of video games...moderation or otherwise. Tobacco shouldn't be used in "moderation" and neither should games....because a powerful addiction is likely to develop.

Games rob people of real world experiences and can create an extremely strong addiction and destroy lives similar to drugs. People have died because they play games for 2 or 3 days straight and are too addicted to rest. Children have been neglected by video game parent addicts.

Games rob kids of life experiences, friendships, relationships, sports, physical fitness, academics. My roomate in college was an addict and bombed out because he was to addicted to an online game to bother going to class.

Video games are also very expensive. A PC gamer will have to shell out $1,000 to $2,000 every two or three years for a computer capable of playing the latest games. Games themselves will cost $60 each, and the online games will cost $20 each a month in subscription fees.

At least with TV and movies there is a definitive start point and an end point. With games, addicts can play forever in some such as World of Warcraft. Go on youtube and look up the video of the kid whose account was cut off and how angry he gets. Video games can be an extremely powerful addiction.

I agree with the previous posters that have said that excessive technology is fragmenting the country and creating social isolation. Video games are the bigggest culprit in this.


At the end of the day all games are is a set of 1's and 0's on your computer's hard drive. Is that really worth sacrificing sports, health, relationships, friends, academics and real world experiences? You can either have a real life or a virtual one. Make your choice.

I do agree with that part. My mom refused to buy my brother a Playstation, but she said that he could buy one if he had the money. So he saved money from his job and paid about 360 dollars for one, but he refused to spend anymore money on the actual games, which did cost about 60 bucks. My brother and I spent less than a month playing the free trial games (which all ended at the first level). He returned the Playstation shortly after and got a full refund. After that, my brother and I spent the rest of the summer playing tennis. I can't say that was a bad thing (much healthier).

[Spindle]

when i was a kid i was extremally active skateboarding biking swimming hiking sailing diviing fishing etc

lol. "When I was young, I had to walk bare feet from Tucson to Denver each morning just to go to school..." :P

[Hoarfrost]

Originally Posted by hawkeye2009

Ban them, or trade time on the video for equal reading time. Only allow use at certain hours of the day (early evening). Tie use to not only reading, but performing certain chores or achieving grades. Video games are mind rotters.

Statements like this...

I'm not even a hard core gamer, but anyone who can master a strategy game like Hearts of Iron 3 is a wiz. To say nothing of the modern RPGs with their almost literary story lines and character development.

You have your pointless video games, and then you have video games that do require a bit of thought and taste. Just like you have your pointless books/films/music/sports etc.