Pendharkar 1
AJ Pendharkar
July 29, 2014
Prof Hardwick
ENC 1102
Is It Really Okay?
Ever since the beginning of time, children have been viewed as ‘the key’ to society
because they are the ones that unlock the future. Parents and guardians protect their beloved from
danger and risk their life for the betterment of their child. Technology and entertainment has
taken off during the 21st century and is almost everywhere to be found in America; almost
everything can be done online from paying bills to taking classes. For the most part, these are
helpful alternatives that cut down the time and stress from doing the activity in person. However,
there is a thin line that distinguishes good and bad use of technology, and many people are not
aware of it. Developing children are allowed, and in some instances supported by their parents,
to put hours upon hours of their daily lives into video games. There are numerous researchers,
doctors, and experts in the field of the use of technology on adolescents that highly discourage
the use of too much screen time; so, is it really okay?
Video games are a fairly new form of entertainment for children and young teens to exert
their built-up stress and energy on. They are the most sense appealing form of technology; crisp
images are displayed on flat screen TV’s, sharp vibrations are felt through the controller in the
hands of the user, and deep rumbles are perceived through headsets. It’s no wonder why kids put
hours upon hours of their day into video games; it’s simply more pleasing and enjoyable than
reading a book or doing schoolwork. In fact, the gamers usually don’t know they are negatively
affecting themselves. Neils Clark, a writer who experienced firsthand the effects of video game
Pendharkar 2
addiction, recalled certain video games that mesmerized him as a child to the point where he
went to a friend’s house to play video games while his friend was doing another activity. “I
remember greeting him at the door, sitting down to play for a few hours and then refusing to get
up when everyone left to play with water guns. Something about Mario seduced me” (Clark 2).
There are many different types of video games, each causing a unique side effect that
pertains to the genre of the game. There are Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games where
users can interact with tens of thousands of players, usually in a fantasy game setting. These
kinds of video games are usually never–ending games that don’t have a main story line and have
no clear end to it. MMO’s are the most addictive type of game because there is no end; users can
put in 20 hours a day for weeks straight. The more time they put in, the more involved they get.
Then, there are first person shooters; these types of games are oriented around war fields and
other violent situations that involve a user to frequently kill other players. These types of games
usually desensitize users to violence. In the long run, a user won’t feel any different when they
experience a normally violent or vulgar situation. The last main type of video game is simulation,
where users can do various activities freely and at their own pace. These three categories of
video games are the main types that young teenagers like to play. Although negative side effects
may not be seen immediately, it can definitely happen.
When it comes to video games, parents and mentors don’t consider the bad effects video
games may have on their child; they’re focused on providing food and wealth for the family.
First off, excessive video game use can cause changes in sleep duration and sleep patterns. In
their article, Christopher Magee and JK Lee examined over 3,000 adolescents and their use of
video games. They realized that there was no correlation between age, sex, or nationality to the
amount of hours put into the games; however, those who came from a lower household income
Pendharkar 3
and maternal education tended to put more hours into video games and had bad sleeping habits
(Magee and Lee). Establishing a good sleeping pattern in children is crucial because their body is
developing. Children constantly not getting enough sleep can lead to more serious health
problems later in life. Dr. Julian Whitaker, a doctor specialized in treating all types of illnesses
for children, came to the conclusion that serious heart problems can occur directly from
excessive video game use. “People who spent at least four hours of their leisure time in front of a
TV or computer were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack or other cardiac event, and
they were 50 percent more likely to die of any cause during the four year follow-up”(Whitaker).
It doesn’t stop there; along with serious possible heart problems, video game users tend to be
more obese because they sit in one spot for hours on end, eat junk food, and don’t exercise. Bad
