Exploratory Essay

Sean Murray

Ms. McKoy

English II- Block 2

September 4, 2013

An Addiction: Video Games

I believe playing video games affect you academically. Video games have put a major impact on my life. For sometime all I did was play, then I started doing bad in school. I was getting anywhere from 50's to 60's on tests and quizzes. That was when I realized something was wrong. I limit the amount I play now only because I have expectations to follow. If not I would play as much as I do over the summer. Now that I play only on the weekends and for only an hour or two, I've noticed my grades going back to the 80's and 90's like they once were. A personal experience I've had was once when I got in trouble at school and my mom blamed it on me playing video games so much. Video games have played a major roll because it was my life over the summer, because it was the only thing I had to do. Video games can cause academic failure and prevent you from becoming what you want. Do you believe video games affect you academically?
Although video games can be used for entertainment, it is also a distraction from succeeding in school. In the article, Computer Games Can Rot Your Brain by Brock Picton, Jayden Stewart, and Jared Nichols, their studies suggests, "playing video games too often can slow brain development; a condition called 'game brain." This is basically saying the more play

time, the more it can impact the brain in the long run. This also proves that playing video games can not only cause distractions, but also can be hurtful without being aware it's happening. Although a lot of video games are bad educational video games, Brock Picton, Jayden Stewart, and Jared Nichols, the writers of Computer Games Can Rot Your Brain, " have a positive effect on children's academic skills". Some studies have also showed, explain, " violent video games have been found to decrease kind behaviors". (Brock Picton, Jayden Stewart, and Jared Nichols, page 62) While you think video games have no impact simply because it's just a game, it can shape the mind into something similar to the character in the game. Video games are like cigarettes, your hurting yourself and you don’t even realize it how bad it really is. It is also very addictive and you lose yourself doing it.
Video games regardless of the kind, have a negative impact on the person playing them. I believe the amount of time playing video games should have a limit. Limiting yourself can not only keep you from turning you to a mean person, but it can also help in school. Although some might disagree saying video games no matter how much play, it has no affect on the mind, there is no evidence to support that. Also there is no evidence stating when video games have had a positive effect on the brain and the actual person.