Over the years I’ve heard many things about video games promoting violent acts, making kids lazy, people becoming addicted, etc. and many news stories and reporters complaining about them. The thing I don’t understand is why people aren’t considered “addicted” when all they do is play an instrument, run track, weight lift, or do any other sport on a daily basis for a few hours. Games are no different, they’re here for FUN and for many people it’s a favorite hobby.

Parents are a large source of complaints. Some ask their children, “Why don’t you go outside and play?” “Why don’t you play basketball or football like the other kids?” These are the people that don’t know what their kids like and think they’re abnormal. You see many people that love playing sports, but does that mean that everyone likes them? The truth is that many children and teens don’t have fun with sports, or any activity that parents consider “normal.” (I’m using sports as the main example because it’s what many adults think kids/teens should be doing)

As for the violence, it’s fake. Any sane person knows that killing people in video games is completely different than killing real people. The reason many have fun with this genre of games is because you’re doing something you can’t do in real life, no matter how much you would like to. Many shootings or other violent acts that have been linked to video games don’t know the true cause. The true cause to the acts are mental or social problems and games are only a minor influence to the problem. These people often have no friends, are social outcasts, and/or may have a mental instability that remain unknown.