by Natalie M. Wolverson

Created on: August 09, 2009   Last Updated: August 10, 2009

The debate about video games is a hard issue to write about, because both sides of the argument have very good points. We all know that excessive gaming is bad for people's health, and can lead to serious problems in later life. However, I believe that young adults need an escape from reality, and although some teenagers may choose drugs, many choose to enter the world of gaming. Online gaming provides a huge escape, because it gives the teenager a chance to be someone different. People say that video games cause teenagers to behave violently, do drugs, swear, and basically just replicate what they see - I don't believe that this is the case, unless the teen has been playing video games from a very young age.

Video games should be used as a temporary escape; however teenagers should be taught the dangers of gaming for long periods of time and limited to how often they play games. I also disagree with claims that video games damage teenage creativity, this is because playing video games lets you see other people's ideas and then you end up coming up with ways that you would like to improve the game.

I don't think that children should be allowed to play video games from a very early age as this shows that it is okay for the child to do so, and children don't know any better than to copy what they see or hear.

I think that teenagers who are addicted to playing video games also find it harder to communicate with other people, as they are not used to being in a position where they need to. This could affect their later life and also how well they do in school.

Many parents also say that they would rather have their child play video games than be out on the street where they could get caught up in trouble. I think that this is a valid point, however there is always going to be times when the child could get caught up in trouble and therefore you can't always keep them 'wrapped in cotton wool'.

All in all video games are beneficial as long as the parent keeps control of the situation and educates the teenager of the risks and the importance of having a break from the game. Video gaming should never become a need, necessity or constant way of life; they should be used just to take a break from reality and to keep stress levels down. As long as teenagers understand the effects of video gaming and still continue to go to school and complete schoolwork then I see no harm in playing video games.

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