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by nature is not a terribly physical activity. The games are very compelling, though. It can be difficult for someone to turn off a game and walk away when they are involved in it. But this is just what is needed in order to achieve a healthy life. Too much gaming leaves little time to participate in other things, risking a life with little dimension.

Devoting all one's time to computer gaming also threatens a young person's future. School work will suffer as studying and homework become less important to the excessive gamer. Although computer skills are necessary for a successful career, a solid education is at least as vital, and certainly more difficult to obtain. Neglecting school in favor of computer games puts a young person at risk of falling behind and failing to achieve his dreams.

Relationships with family and "real world" friends will almost certainly deteriorate if not pursued. Computer gaming can prevent adequate social interaction, especially for people who don't play online games. Learning to have face-to-face relationships is an important part of becoming an adult. This can't be done by playing computer games, even online games. It is important to have a social network that includes "real world" relationships. Time spent in front of the computer is time spent away from people in the flesh. Parents need to be sure their children are getting enough time away from the computer. Young adults need to be able to break away from the computer and seek out people in the flesh.

There has been much debate over violence in computer games and how it effects young people. Many people believe that violence in computer games leads to violence in real life. Another argument is that violent games desensitize young people to tragedy. There are compelling arguments on both sides of the debate. The issue has yet to be decided, but it makes sense that the danger is greater the more time is spent playing games. A young person who leads a life of diverse interests seems to be at much less risk than one who plays violent games to the exclusion of all else. Parents should decide how much violent content is acceptable in the games their children play, and not allow their children to have access to games they deem inappropriate.

Computers and computer gaming are an integral part of our modern life. Children and teenagers need supervision from the adults in their life to insure that they are playing age appropriate games for reasonable amounts of time. Young adults need to remember that there is a whole world to explore beyond the confines of the computer. Computer gaming can teach important skills that will be valuable later in life, and it's a lot of fun, too. But computer gaming cannot replace the full experience of living, for young people or anyone else.

Learn more about this author, Lora Pfundheller.
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