Frequently, when someone seems to have too much time on their hands, the advice that comes their way is that they should take up a hobby. Does that mean any hobby is good for you? When it comes to video games, the jury is still out. It is true that video games are a multi-billion dollar industry and that they appeal to a very wide market. It is also true that they have a bad reputation for violence, addictive qualities and laziness. Typically, those who love video games really love them and play them as often as possible. But is this hobby helping or hurting the rest of them?

Some people do not think there are arguments in defense of video games, but there are actually some legitimate ones. For example, video games have proven to increase a person’s hand-eye coordination when played regularly, which translates to their hand-eye coordination in the rest of life. On top of that, some video game creators are deeply concerned with including educational material in their video games. For instance, certain games that are based on a historical war will include facts and trivia for learning as well as gaming, and historical accuracy within the game itself. It is arguable that attributes such as these make gaming a worthwhile hobby.

On the other hand, there are plenty of arguments made against video games as well by people who find them to be a waste of time. When video games became mass produced in the 1990s, one of the first complaints about them was that kids playing them were being inactive. The nature of video games is to sit and stare at a screen, moving only your hands, which is widely regarded as bad for the body. Video games are now associated with weight gain and muscle deterioration. Some video games have also been highly criticized for being very violent video games, and have even been considered contributors to school shootings. Presently, video games are also considered by some to be a legitimate obsession that can require inpatient treatment for addiction, as there are people who game obsessively for days at a time.