The Negative Effects of Video Games

When videos games were first available to consumers and brought into homes it was to serve the purpose of entertainment. Now since the evolution of gaming unfortunately a new purpose has been served. A survey conducted by the firm at game spot concluded that gamers in the United States spent over 13 hours playing video games weekly.

Although current gaming systems may help increase motors skills, there have been many problems associated with excessive video games. It’s clear that this new wave of video games have a negative effect on the youth.

Among those problems is obesity. Many activities that should be done outside, thanks to gaming have now been modified to a remote and sensor. In my own home I have seen how video games could become the obsession of a young boy, my mother would insist that my brother go out and play and he would beg to stay inside to play video games. Luckily for him obesity was never an issue. According to the American Obesity Association, more than 30 percent of children ages 6 to 11 are overweight, and over 15 percent are obese. Adolescents ages 12 to 19 show similar statistics. Studies have shown that obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study shows that approximately 80 percent of children who became overweight between the ages of 10-15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. (obesity in children and video games) Where do video games fit in with this pattern?

A significant amount of a child's life is spent playing video games and sitting in front of the television. Health professionals have determined that a great number of children are influenced by gaming obsession, leading to a lack of physical activity. When children engage in video game...

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...itically corrupt one's life.

Furthermore, wasting hours a week playing video games endangers an individual's chances of achieving their full potential. Anyone who possesses the intelligence and talent to become a future President candidate may have to settle as an ordinary physical education teacher because he or she wasted too much time gaming as a youth. This waste of talent hurts not only the individual, but also society as a whole.

Works Cited

Alan W, Ridegfield. video game addiction. 19 April 2011 .

excessive gaming . .

obesity in children and video games. 2 February 2011. 28 April 2011 .

Violence and video games . 30 May 2011 .