All fun and games

Video games capture teens free time

By Chloe Smith

Call it playing, slaying, bowling. Call it a break or an addiction. More and more teens everyday get sucked into the world of video games.

Students on both sides of the issue express strong opinions about the effects of video games.

“Playing video games may give you bad social skills,” freshman Victoria Milam said.

After a day full of tests and essays, who wouldn’t want to lounge around instead of doing homework? This creates a problem for students who must choose to open a book and start studying or play video games.

Even so, video game industries are targeting a larger audience, making the games even more tempting.

“I think that they are a fantasy world for someone to live in when they don’t want to be home,” freshman Hailey Berkenkamp said.

Several high school students said they were mostly tempted to play when they had to study. Various students might see this as a negative, but others see it as a benefit.

“The economy is low and the government stinks,” freshman Dylan Connell said. “Buying video games helps the industries and the people who work there.”

Video games can be used for either family or individual play. Many of the video games, however, have become more violent.

Games that involve shooting, blood and guts are the main attraction and “more fun,” according to a poll of CSHS students. The top game right now is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, a game that involves soldiers killing the bad guys. Students who play video games said they spend anywhere from two to eight hours a day manning the controllers.

Students spending too much time playing video games can either have a positive or negative effect on health and social skills.

Sophomore Deaundrae Chadwick talks about the positives affects of video games on social skills.

“Video games allow you to have more things to talk about and create more friendships,” he said.

Rebutting junior Caulin Londenburg said, “You turn into a couch potato, and it hurts your eyes if you play too long.”

Good or bad, video games are definitely a presence among teens.

“During the day, you can sometimes hear people talk about video games a lot or even phrases that come from them,” freshman Sydney Waters said.

Regardless of any negative effects, video game addiction is probably here to stay.

“It’s a way of life,” Dylan said. “And it’s manly.”