Alyssa Smith

Debate

Mrs. Davis

February 14, 2019

Video Games Hurt Society

Videogames on different game consoles are not helping the development of teenagers.

They are big distractions towards schoolwork. Also, playing them for long periods of time is not

good for your health. Now a days, videogames are so violent. This violence hurts the teenagers

in more ways than one. Because of that, videogames are not beneficial to society.

Videogames distract students from their school work. This is because they go home and

get right on their game console instead of doing their homework or studying for any of their

classes. Many times, they will not pay attention of the time and stay up late on the game and will

not worry about their homework, or even forget about their work. This would cause their grades

to lower or even cause absents because of staying up late. “The average reading and writing

scores of the young gamers don't go down, but they don't improve either, said Robert Weis of

Denison University in Ohio, co-author of the study. "’For children without games, scores go up

over time,’ Weis said. ‘For boys with games, scores remain relatively stable. You don't see the

typical development in reading and writing’” (Geranios, n.d.). That quote shows that the kids

who play videogames are not improving any of their academic school work which proves that

they aren’t growing how they need to be because of video games.

Videogames cause many health issues. Some of these health issues are ADHD, obesity,

addiction, and bad eyesight. They can also cause confusion between reality and the real world.

Video games also affect the socialization on a teenager. Many times, they stay in their room on
their gaming console to play games rather than talking with their family or going out with

friends. That would have a negative on the teenagers’ relationships with friends and family and

on their mental health. Depression could end up evolving because of all of this. This quote shows

that videogames are addicting; “Researchers have discovered that video gaming can be addictive

- a phenomenon known as ‘Internet gaming disorder.’ In gaming addicts, there are functional and

structural alterations in the neural reward system - a group of structures associated with feeling

pleasure, learning, and motivation…monitoring their brain responses, highlighted these changes

- changes that are also seen in other addictive disorders” (Nichols, n.d.). Because of the addiction

to videogames the child could get many other health issues. “One of the most common health

issues that is faced by most individuals, adults and children alike, addicted to playing video

games is obesity…Playing video games for long hours at a stretch may also hamper an

individual's sleep thus leading to the development of insomnia. This may further result in

drowsiness and hypoactive immune system…Back pains are also commonly experienced by

gaming addicts since they sit in one place and in one position for long hours…social isolation

can be an immediate consequence of continuous and ceaseless gaming. People, especially

children, tend to spend lesser time with their friends and others because they want to get back

home/gaming place as fast as possible and continue playing” (D'Silva, n.d.)

Videogames have a negative effect on teenagers' behavior, videogames teach kids wrong

values, which has a negative effect on how they behave or even think. Now a day's videogames

released are extremely violent. Studies showed that the shooters in the Columbine School

shooting were actively playing violent video shooting games. This quote shows that violent

video games are bad. “Most of the bad effects of video games are blamed on the violence they

contain. Children who play more violent video games are more likely to have increased
aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and decreased prosocial helping, according to a

scientific study (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). Also, according to Dmitri A. Christakis of the

Seattle Children’s Research Institute, those who watch a lot of simulated violence, such as those

in video games, can become immune to it, more inclined to act violently themselves, and are less

likely to behave emphatically” (Tumbokon, n.d.). Teenagers that have acted out have played

violent videogames actively. “CBS News reported on Feb. 18, 2013 that the shooter at the Dec.

14, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre "was motivated by violent video games and a

strong desire to kill more people than another infamous mass murderer," citing law enforcement

sources…The controversy over violent video games resurfaced following the massacre of 13

people at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, CO on Apr. 20, 1999. The two teenage

shooters were revealed to be avid players of weapon-based combat games” (Violent Video

Games, n.d.).

While there are some educational videogames out there, there are still plenty of violent

videogames. These educational videogames are not going to stop a teenager from getting their

hands on a violent game. Also, even if the videogame is educational, it can still cause the health

issues that have been shown to come up from playing video games.

Because of the distraction from schoolwork, the health issues, and the negative behavior

that is not morally correct that evolves overtime from playing for extended times on a game

console, videogames are not a benefit to our society today.

Works Cited
D'Silva, R. (n.d.). Negative Effects of Video Games: It's Worse Than You Thought. Retrieved
from Techspirited: https://techspirited.com/negative-effects-of-video-games
Geranios, N. K. (n.d.). Study: Video games can hurt schoolwork. Retrieved from NBCNews:
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35897874/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/study-video-
games-can-hurt-schoolwork/#.XGWhGVxKjIV
Nichols, H. (n.d.). How video games affect the brain. Retrieved from Medical News Today:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC558687/
Tumbokon, R. (n.d.). 25+ Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games. Retrieved from Raise
Smart Kid: https://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-
bad-effects-of-video-games
Violent Video Games. (n.d.). Retrieved from ProCon:
https://videogames.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=006520