The Scrivener - University Liggett School

Video Games: AModern AddictionBy Drew AmatoFallBy Jessica LancasterQuiet skieswhisper words of wisdom.Finally, Summer’s sins washed away.Now, monotone weather, followed by soberthoughts.Waiting, wishingfor loud winter nights, and habitual meetings.Families tied together with ribbon and bowbut this is Fall,where leaves run agaisnt the wind,we just sit there,waiting, wishingfor the present to pass,as we paint the past with hues of nostalgia.Madden, Halo, NHL, Grand Theft Auto; all video games, allsources of diversion from schoolwork and extracurricular activities.Why do we play them? The answer is simple: once westart we cannot stop. By these standards, video games can beconsidered a modern form of addiction. Although addiction tovideo games is safer than addiction to drugs or alcohol, they canstill ruin childhoods and lives.Take my brother for example: a 9-year old who couldpotentially be corrupted forever by these games. He used tosit in front of the computer for at least 4 hours a day, playingmind-numbing computer games. He would play games not forthe usual purpose of enjoyment; instead he would abuse thesegames by cheating and hacking into other users’ accounts. Hedidn’t even care about beating the games, he just played thembecause he was addicted. It got to the point where he had totake sleeping pills because he was stimulated by these videogames and he couldn’t get to sleep without aid. When he finallydid sleep, he would wake up early so he could play gamesbefore he went to school. At first my parents let him do this,because they didn’t realize it had any effect on him and theydidn’t think he had anything else to do. However, they realizedthe changes in his behavior and sleeping patterns. They decidedto limit him to 45 minutes per day on the computer. At first hewas reluctant to do this, but when he overcame his tempertantrums the changes were clear. His attitude has becomemuch better, and he has been able to take up other activities,like soccer, tennis, legos, etc. He has been getting to sleep byhimself, thus it is evident that the core of his problems had todo with video games. It is safe to play them once or twice aday, but it is easy to go overboard and it can ruin childhoods,as they can be spent inside the house all day staring at a computerscreen.You could also consider my neighbor for an example of theeffects that video games can have on older kids (I will leavehim unnamed). He, like my brother, was addicted to videogames, except instead of using the computer, he used Xbox.He would go home and put aside homework and play Haloall night. It got to the point where he didn’t even care abouthis grades or completing assignments. All he cared about wasgetting to a higher level in “slayer.” His grades saw a hugedrop, and oddly enough, he stopped during summer. Thisyear when he goes home and doesn’t play Halo, all he has todo is his homework, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Hisgrades have improved drastically, but it may be too late; it ishis senior year and colleges don’t look at these grades as seriously.My neighbor’s addiction to video games could affectthe college he attends, and furthermore his life.Be it homework, sports, dinner, sleep, or friends, the pointlesshours of video game playing cuts into valuable timethat could be spent on useful activities. Like crystal methand heroin, video games can force a person to not partake innormal activities. We’re dealing with serious stuff here, but itcan be avoided. My advice would be to limit yourself if youfind that you are playing more than usual; 1 hour a day shouldbe sufficient. Also, join more extracurricular activities. Thisway you have better things to do than to play Guitar Hero.Video game addiction is truly serious and can ruin lives.