"What Every Parent Needs to Know about Video Games" - Richard Abanes
Richard Abanes attempts to familiarize parents and so called “antigamers” with the video games that are so captivating their children on an unsettling scale. This is definitely not a book against video games. Richard Abanes himself seems highly dazzled by this fantasy world. On the one hand, he has played many of these games and knows what he's talking about, and also is an intelligent man with seemingly good judgment. However, there are segments of this book that bother me personally. Chiefly this one particular paragraph on page 49, which I would desire to quote:
“A major problem seems to be that most of the politicians and antigaming pundits have never actually played a video game for any significant period of time – let alone experienced the thrill of mastering the increasingly difficult levels of a game or joining an online multiplayer match with other from all over the world. This ignorance of electronic entertainment in general, not to mention specific details, helps no one. In fact, it actually harms fruitful dialogue and confuses the issue.”
Now, assuming video games are highly addictive, which I hold are, what if we replaced a few of Abanes' words with others?:
“A major problem seems to be that most of the politicians and anti-narcotic experts have never actually taken drugs for any abusive purpose – let alone experienced the thrill of a dopamine high. This ignorance of narcotics in general, not to mention specific kinds and effects, helps no one. In fact, it actually harms fruitful dialogue and confuses the issue.”
No one could ever make a statement like this and be held in respect. Or a similar statement concerning alcohol. One needs only have a single friend addicted, to know the extreme danger they pose. I am not opposed to alcohol or drugs – as long as they aren't abused. The thing is, nobody says, “he/she is abusing video games.” I don't agree that people need to experience the thrill of any addictive thing in order to know the evils of it. I know what its like to have your whole world revolve around video games. And seriously, its fun.
When I think of the times in my life I've thought of nothing else except the next roller coaster I want to build or how many more Egyptian farms I need before I can build a temple, or how many levels I need to train my pokemon up to defeat the next gym leader, its a happy place in my memory. The excitement and gladness of when I finished my school and could finally turn on the computer was exhilarating. However, thinking of how that was seriously the only thing I wanted to do, is saddening. I didn't want to hang out with people or go outside or read or make anything, all I wanted to do was play my game. I didn't care if someone in my family was really upset and there was something I could do about it. I didn't care that I needed to eat or go to the bathroom; I didn't care that people starve to death every day or how many babies get aborted, or how history and science have played out and brought this country to where it is today. I didn't care that every single person in the world is broken or how vital prayer is. Most desolate of all, I didn't care about God, my beloved Father in heaven. All I cared about was my virtual apartment building and how it needed another elevator. Honestly, though, they never made me complete, which I'm extremely thankful of. All those games got old after a while and God made sure of that, that they would never satisfy me completely – so I'd seek Him out.
I don't think video games are saturated with sin or the essence of evil, but I do know the power they have to suck people's time, thoughts, and energies away from anything that matters.
I want to know, are they actually worth it?
