Video Games are bad... or something

[Mupen64 Man]

Quiting videogames is like quiting in life. Are you a quitter?

 

[Mealou]

OP has major self esteem issues and likely plays video games way too often due to lack of real social life.
OP's brother seems like he will always overshadow little brother's accomplishments, unless little brother can go to Harvard law and become the ultimate lawyer.

 

[WynautQueen]

Compared to media and forms of entertainment more established in society, video games are relatively new even though they've existed in some form or another since the 1940s. It's fairly common for any form of new media to be regarded with derision or skepticism as to its legitimacy. Heck, just look at how people view the Internet.

 

[DaAuraWolf]

It`s because some people view them as a bad influance to kids.Video Games can be a good or bad influance by just as how you view.I for one like video games and they can sometimes be educational.

 

[Dubstep]

Video games aren’t bad. Sex isn’t bad. Alcohol isn’t bad. Ice cream isn’t bad. Watching your figure isn’t bad. All of these things can become addictions or be done in extremes (which is when they become bad), but in and of themselves they’re fine. It’s just people playing the blame game.

My brother casts a really large shadow and I just want to be great too.

Don't spend your life trying to be someone you're not. Success isn't just measured by what college you went to or what job you have. If you find your life truly fulfilling and can survive on your own, you're more successful than many.

 

[lethal Xsanity]

Although I really Don't Play many Video Games aside from Pokemon,This might not relate to me.
But I can see that Many People feel Video Games are a Detriment to ones health,and Social Life.
Because I guess if we're talking about older generations,having not a wide variety of Video games,and the way Society Worked,They played outside.
Now,we still play outside,but far less.
You can hear more people say "Lets Play COD" Than Lets go outside.
Now it depends on the person but I guess Kids growing up like that could grow up fat. Although this is an Ignorant comment,People Agree that Being Fat = Less of a Social Life.
In some cases true,but I don't believe much in that.
So, too much Video Games might shroud People in living that way because they can not experience much outside of it because of Appearance,but this all leads to other factors such as Self Esteem and past events.
I'm pretty sure I got lost somewhere in this,
But I don't feel Video games are that bad.
I really don't play much of anything but I can admit I play alot of Pokemon,and I have friends,Socially active friends,we play sports,we go out,I love my Friends,and I have a Beautiful Girlfriend for over 2 years.
I just can't seem to fathom how Video games can link the problems that someone may or may not have had.
It all has to do with the experiences the Person and I guess a Child could have gone through.

 

[fourdrunkduck]

video games are so addictive like drugs and smoke.

It is bad if it makes you forget anything else. Like media, video games are also propaganda. It is particularly dangerous for children when for example contains violence and sex.

But, there are also educational video games that can be fun. Main rule is kids play it under parent's supervision.

I recently gave video games as birthday gifts for my twin 6 years old cousins. And they love it.

 

[Aquanova]

I think thatsome people think Video games are a waste of time. They would rather you pay attention to them than the game. I agree with the point that some people think that they are social hermits, but alot of people enjoy them and thats not a bad thing. Everyone needs to have something they like. I spend most of my free time playing games, but I want to do this, I enjoy it. Im not really a very social person.Sometimes I just watch TV, or go somewhere, etc. There is alot of time Im not playing either. I consider myself a nerd. I like this stuff and wouldnt mind working with Electronic games for a living. Thats just me.

 

[DemokaronesX]

I also think video games are bad for those that waste their life on it...
And video games aren't what make the people completely stupid...
They are also many things that the person neglects, or maybe
the person doesn't get out much. Their is just more than one
cause to a stupid person. Video games might be a part of it,
but their will be something else to the problem.

 

[Moonlight_Murkrow96]

Video games don't rot your mind, like some people say. To prove my point, I got a scholarship to a really good high school. Just be yourself, don't try to live in the shadow of your older brother. Just relax & focus on your life. You'll do just as good as your brother, video games or not. Just as long as you don'y become obsessed with them, you should be fine.

 

[facetious]

We seem to be beating the dead horse now.

Most of you seem to believe that video games are fine in moderation. I disagree. If the OP wants any chance of gaining admission to Harvard, he needs to cut back on, or totally eradicate, the video game element in his life, irrespective of how addicted he actually is. An hour each day might not seem like much to any of you, but multiply that by 365 and that equates to 15 full days wasted in one year to video gaming. Span that across ten years and you've lost nearly half a year of your life. I'm willing to bet most of you average much more than one hour each day though, which is pretty sad.

If you don't give a rat's ass about gaining admission to an Ivy League institution or equivalent, by all means keep wasting those precious hours away. For those who want to try and be the best they can in the academic sphere, these are the kinds of sacrifices that need to be made.

 

[Aquadon]

If you don't give a rat's ass about gaining admission to an Ivy League institution or equivalent, by all means keep wasting those precious hours away. For those who want to try and be the best they can in the academic sphere, these are the kinds of sacrifices that need to be made.

You make it sound like if you play videogames you're not a good student 100% of the time, which is completely BOGUS.

One of my best friends (and housemate next year) is probably one of the smartest students on campus. You know what he does when he isn't doing homework? Slaving away making sure he beats 100% of any videogame he plays. I watched him stress over and over again to try and get the Nintendo coin on Donkey Kong 64, just so he could have that 101% complete. And Electrical Engineering is far from an easy major.

You can't really make those generalizations, as everyone has their own way of budgeting time and doing work. Many gamers can surprisingly get a 4.0 GPA with little to no effort, and then run back into Modern Warfare 2. It's all about time management. I do believe that this is pretty much a dead topic though.

 

[kochoupink]

You make it sound like if you play videogames you're not a good student 100% of the time, which is completely BOGUS.

One of my best friends (and housemate next year) is probably one of the smartest students on campus. You know what he does when he isn't doing homework? Slaving away making sure he beats 100% of any videogame he plays. I watched him stress over and over again to try and get the Nintendo coin on Donkey Kong 64, just so he could have that 101% complete. And Electrical Engineering is far from an easy major.

You can't really make those generalizations, as everyone has their own way of budgeting time and doing work. Many gamers can surprisingly get a 4.0 GPA with little to no effort, and then run back into Modern Warfare 2. It's all about time management. I do believe that this is pretty much a dead topic though.

I'm with Aquadon here. I'm at a top 10 school, and video games are the preferred weekday method of blowing off steam (the weekend method is getting smashed but whatevs). If a person has the natural ability to get into a good college, it doesn't matter how many video games he plays. And if he doesn't have that ability and gets by on hard work, he's gonna be totally outclassed when he gets here.

So, um, video games actually don't matter?
Not gonna join the 'topic is stupid' parade because I like seeing people whine.

 

[Chim-Charred!]

Oh! I thought this would have died by now. Umm, anyway I've been really good about not playing video games since I posted this thread. I did play Pokémon Battle Rev one Saturday night for an hour though but I not going to do it again! I hid all the controllers to my consoles, along with my DS away in our messiest closet. I really miss them a lot but for me personally, it seems like my life is kind of better without them. My mind feels sharper and I can play piano a little better now. Everytime I feel like playing a game, I either practice my sight reading, read a book or write Japanese characters. I've still been following game stuff on the internet so I know about things revealed at E3 and I'm really excited for some of those games, especially the 3DS but I probably need to stop because I'm afraid I'll get pulled back in. I hope that maybe someday once I've gone to a good college and have a worthwhile career that I can play them at least a little bit though.

 

[shiringomez]

No, that's not true absolutely because I like to play video games for refreshment and relaxing from the day to day busy life. Ya, at some level it is bad when it becomes addiction for you.

 

[JohnMasterLee]

You make it sound like if you play videogames you're not a good student 100% of the time, which is completely BOGUS.

One of my best friends (and housemate next year) is probably one of the smartest students on campus. You know what he does when he isn't doing homework? Slaving away making sure he beats 100% of any videogame he plays. I watched him stress over and over again to try and get the Nintendo coin on Donkey Kong 64, just so he could have that 101% complete. And Electrical Engineering is far from an easy major.

You can't really make those generalizations, as everyone has their own way of budgeting time and doing work. Many gamers can surprisingly get a 4.0 GPA with little to no effort, and then run back into Modern Warfare 2. It's all about time management. I do believe that this is pretty much a dead topic though.

I'd say you are closer to the mark here.

It isn't so much about how you waste your time (ie. gaming), it's about what you do that makes you productive. You can cut gaming out completely, and that still doesn't make your "resume" sing.

You need to find something you are passionate about and be productive with it. Gaming could be it. Maybe instead of playing, you create a game. Perhaps the game helps teach something, or has a strong educational message. Or perhaps you get a job as a game tester. Or maybe you start up a new gaming website and run it like a business. The point is that any of these things makes you productive, and shows how, once you apply yourself, you can do great things.

And I can speak from experience on this.

To be honest, trying to find something you are passionate about, and really stand out in it is the harder part.

 

[Cipher]

If a person has the natural ability to get into a good college, it doesn't matter how many video games he plays. And if he doesn't have that ability and gets by on hard work, he's gonna be totally outclassed when he gets here.

Woah, woah. Can I jump back to June 15th here, and you can read this when you get back from Montana?

This is way too much. I'm all for a little self-righteousness, and there are certainly fields (art, writing, music, sports, etc) in which there are walls of talent that no hard work can overcome. But as far as those fields including academics and "getting into a good college" is concerned, I call total bull. Those are one-hundred percent structured to accommodate good old time and effort just as much as natural ability.

You buckle down and work your ass off to learn the material and complete the assignments, and your grade will be the same as the effortless genius next to you. Outclassed hardly; he'd just be busier. It's exactly that cut and dried.

 

[7 tyranitars]

I learned 50% of my english from video games lol, but if you play them too often it can be an addiction and that is bad

 

[Mr. Mudkip]

Your syntax must be quite limited then.

 

[Dattebayo]

Video games aren't as bad as everyone claims them to be. They help you solve puzzle problems, learn some words you never heard of, and teach you math (if you're playing an RPG). Chim-Charred!, you can still play video games and say it to your older brother proudly until he's fed up with you and somehow finds a way to get rid of you for good (Okay skip the last part of the sentence). There's no other way to get rid of your video game addiction as it'll require you to replace it with another addiction (work, internet forums, Channels, etc.).