I had a debate with a guy at uni today who claimed that because video games apparently activate the same synapses in the brain that gambling and playing the stock market do, that children are at risk of being socially isolated and run the risk of becoming psychopaths.
When I questioned his cause-and-effect theory (and suggested that maybe certain (reclusive/socially shy people are just more likely to want to play games than go outside, and asked if the book was written by someone who had ever actually played a video game in their life), he bitched at me for trying to pick holes in the book he read this in. Of course I wanna pick holes in it, that's what scientists do!
Plus, I've been a gamer since I was 4 and I'm a fairly balanced, happy person. A bit shy but I was always shy, even as a wee kid. I got kinda annoyed at him, but refused to back down and he thinks my addiction has made me not see sense.
I mean, I read a lot as a child, because my parents didn't want me spending unhealthy amounts of time in front of a screen (but too much of ANYTHING is bad for you). I played outside too, I did well in school, I ate all my vegetables. I grew up and preferred quiet nights in to going out and being "social" (getting shitfaced) throughout uni. Which is more harmful to society, do you think? I'm sure more offences are committed by folk under the influence than by "impressionable" gamers. Gaming, like reading and writing the kids stories and poetry that I have, has engaged me in worlds it will never be possible for me to explore, expanding my imagination and even encouraging me to be more resilient - if you can't do something first time round, do it again and again until you can.
There's more to gaming than "immediate reward for repetitive mindless actions". And I'll be the first to defend that.
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