The Negative Effects of Playing Video Games

After some very personal experiences recently I have come to this realization that not only has video games effected my family and our lives negatively, but there’s an epidemic occurring with this problem as well. Video games can be so damaging when overused. I have seen this first hand. But the crazy part is not only have I seen this first hand, but so have my children. My daughter was asked to write a “research” paper for her 9th grade English class and I was so impressed by her research and point of view, that I decided I to share it with you. So here it goes…

Written by – Maiya Campbell October, 2022
Playing video games too much can cause major depression and anxiety. When spending countless hours alone and secluded, it encourages complete isolation from the world. Often it causes a person to stop hanging out with friends and family, which can affect who they are and how they interact with others. Spending time playing video games can affect the gamer both mentally and physically. 

Online gaming becomes addictive and harmful on the gamers body. In an article by Kimberly Young she states that ¨as the addiction process grows, gamers become less interested in hobbies or activities that they used to enjoy and become more fascinated with living inside the game.¨ Many times gamers get caught up in the game and stop sleeping, eating, working out, and participating in outside hobbies. This addiction to the game can cause gamers to stop showering, socializing and noticing important things around them.  Many times these gamers become anti-social and forget how to interact with people in the real world.  As a result they become even more depressed with the fact that no one wants to be around them. Psychologist Rachel Kowert studies video games specifically, states that when kids really struggle to put the controller down, it could be a sign of a mental concern, such as depression (Hackett). 

Not only does video gaming affect the gamers mental health but it can cause physical harm as well. Gamers spend countless hours sitting and staring at a screen. They let their own health go as they do not get the proper rest and nutrition they need…and they may suffer a number of physical health problems including back strain, eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome as well as other health concerns (Young). The results of sitting for hours without proper exercise can cause gamers to struggle with being overweight or even obese. Research shows that ¨doctors recommend that kids spend less than two hours a day using screens, such as phones, tablets, and computers. Playing video games for longer can cut into time that should would be better spent doing physical activities and that keep their bodies healthy.¨

Many video games are very violent. These violent games can easily influence the gamers mood and cause them to change their attitude based on what they are playing. It can actually affect them so severely that they may even be influenced to become bullies or commit crimes. In a focus group held by Ron Moten, he found that ¨many of the youth wound up where they committed crimes very much like the ones they were committing on video games.¨ Some of those youth even stated that they mimicked crimes they first were exposed to in video games. Showing that these games have greatly desensitized youth to violence (Moten). 

Video games do nothing but ruin a life worth living. Video games are very damaging to the gamers mental and physical health. Even trying to take a video game away is like taking away a part of them and can cause major mental health issues. Overall, it would be best for one’s well being to keep video games to an extreme minimum or to nothing at all. 

Works Cited

Hackett, Jennifer. “Your Brain on Games.” SuperScience, vol. 31, no. 5, p. 4. Gale in Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A613339917/SUIC?u=klnb_gardner&sid=SUIC&xid=14098c70. Accessed 18 Oct. 2022.

Moten, Ron. “Video Games Are Responsible for Increased Youth Violence.” Has Child Behavior Worsened? Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010885209/OVIC?u=klnb_gardner&sid=OVIC&xid=4e057156. Accessed 27 Oct. 2022.

Young, Kimberly. “Online Game Playing Can Be Addictive.” Addiction. Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010103405/OVIC?u=klnb_gardner&sid=OVIC&xid=e76d5c31. Accessed 20 Oct. 2022.

“Parents See Benefits of Children Playing Video Games.” PR Newswire. Gale in Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A186995553/SUIC?u=klnb_gardner&sid=SUIC&xid=5aa5. Accessed 20 Oct. 2022.