There are a number of defenses for video games, but it is probably not an exaggeration to say that there are far more criticisms. Video game playing is something that parents in North America unanimously monitor their children for to make sure they are not doing it in excess. Some parents forbid their children from playing video games entirely. Video games have been the cause of a great many break ups between significant others and even spouses. This would not be the case if there were not a few negative attributes to video games.

It is confirmed that video games can be a legitimate addiction. For whatever reason, video games create high levels of dopamine in some people’s brains which causes them to become addicted. Dopamine is the chemical the brain creates when the person is experiencing pleasure. This addiction may not put the person or those they are close to in immediate danger, but it does have very serious consequences over time. Just like with every other addiction, the person’s physical health, personal relationships and reputation among peers and coworkers decreases. The person becomes irritable and moody when they are unable to play video games and blocks out the entire world while they are gaming. Needless to say, this behavior is not sustainable and requires treatment if it cannot be brought under control.

Even if a person only plays a moderate amount of video games and is not addicted, the argument can still be made that video games are not the best use of time. Many point out that the benefits video games do have can be gained through other activities that do not have the negative side effects that video games have. For example, video games increase hand eye coordination but deteriorate muscle mass and weakens the circulatory system. Playing sports, on the other hand, increases hand eye coordination and muscle mass. Video games are quite terrible for the body as they require a sedentary stance in order to play them.