So many people think that some video games are too violent and can harm a child’s mind. I know from personal experience that I was allowed to play violent games as a child and I am not going to steal and loot cars like in the Grand Theft Auto game. Playing games like Grand Theft Auto can actually give you some “street smarts” – your child may not do well in school due to the time he spends playing video games, but at least he’ll be smarter on the streets. Now, some would say that playing violent games is putting ideas in the child’s mind that they did not think of before.
My defense against that, is anything you learn in a video game that you will eventually learn anyway, and I prefer that my son know ahead of time in a controlled environment. The only thing that could really go wrong is that your child could be the one to curse or say inappropriate words at school, but that needs to be fixed by raising them and letting them know that they are not okay. There are many games that involve killing and harming people, and it shouldn’t be a problem for a child to play these games, as long as the parents teach them values and make sure they understand that they should not do this outside the home. They will eventually play these games later in life, so why deprive them of great video games in their glorious video game years?
I used to play video games too much when I was a kid; So much so that I skipped meals and slept a lot. I think that as a child you don’t have many responsibilities, if you have any. You are glad you can relax and have nothing to do afterwards. As a child you don’t have a car to go wherever you want. When I started driving, I was driving a lot more to my friends’ houses instead of playing video games. When you become an adult you have so many responsibilities and little downtime. With the downtime you have as an adult, chances are you will invest it in something that needs to be done, like housework or running errands, or just other hobbies that you enjoy.
Some people have the classic 9-5 job where they work 5-6 days a week, and in the 1-2 days that you have off, you won’t be spending it on video games. I also think video game makers market their games to a younger demographic because now playing some games I feel like they are really dumb and I like challenges when I play. It’s much easier to come home from work and just turn on the television, because by doing work-related activities all day, you won’t want to go home and use your brain power any more. Watching TV requires little effort and can also be on your phone at the same time.
