Since I could remember, I have always had a game in my hand. I even remember a Christmas when I got a Game Boy, and slowly that started my love for it. My mom would call it a hobby, my grandma would call it an addiction, to which I’d say sarcastically, “It’s not going to kill me.” As a kid, I had limits on when I could play, and sometimes I would just forget about anything that was bothering me.
Now, as an adult, it’s a little different. I still do it to escape, but I am able to do it on my terms. I would not consider it to be a bad thing because it never hurt me. I could think of worse things to get addicted to. Then there are these people, like Dr. Phil(who I see as a quack), who try to put a negative spin on it and blame video games for the reason kids are doing bad things, like theft or worse. I don’t agree with that at all because there is no scientific proof that it does more harm than good. If a kid is getting bullied at school or even at home, and gaming lets him forget that for even a second, I would say it’s positive.
I mean, unless they are failing school or not getting enough sleep, then leave them alone and let them play. The joy that gaming gives me every day, and the way I fall in love with characters or hate them, just gives me something to focus on. I can live in that player’s world, immerse myself in the story, and just imagine what it would be like to live in their world.
I think that the creators of most video games want you to imagine yourself as the character, or, as the creator of Zelda said, “Link to the character,” so that you can feel more connected to who you play. My main point is, don’t blame video games for bad habits, be it from adults or children. Their actions can usually be blamed on something way worse.
