How many teenagers do you know that do drugs? I would say: "Every single one I know.” Now, don't get scared and worry about what kind of crowd I hang out with because the drugs they consume are nothing like cocaine and marijuana. Instead, it is video games. Further, you're probably surprised and say there is nothing wrong with playing video games.  However, I am here to prove that video games are harmful and addictive, just like drugs.

 If you play video games, answer this question: "How much time a day do you think about video games?" I want to point out that I asked "think" and not "play." As a high school student who plays sports every season, I don't sit down and play video games a lot, maybe at most two hours a day, but I think about them always.  With things such as chores, homework, and sports, you are most likely to stop thinking about them when you’re done, but video games are different. Regardless of what I was doing, I would think about how to pass the next game round, what car or player I should buy, and when I'd have time to play next. It was an endless background thought I could not eliminate.

Moreover, while some might say they can help improve strategy, planning, and increase brain matter, I would argue that this brain matter is increased only to get better at a certain game. “Relating to screens, though it may improve brain functioning, does not necessarily mean that it enables someone to be able to relate to others effectively. I think that’s the key,” explained Michael Manos, Ph.D., Cleveland Clinic Children’s pediatric psychologist. Based on my own experience, I can assure you that video games only distracted me from my goals, messed up my sleep cycle, and increased addictiveness. Even the game designers admit that they design the game to become more and more addictive by using techniques like "giving lives" and "habit forming games" to ensure you spend your time on that app. Mr. Siu, a founder of the mobile gaming developer Storm8, said: “For us, game addiction was by design: It meant success for our business.” He said he wouldn't let his children play video games because he knows how addictive they are. So why would you?

I quit video games two years ago and used the time I would waste in front of my computer on things like reading more books, sports and exercise, and spending time with meaningful people.  It truly made my life more productive, and my brain matter grew.  So, delete that video game and do something productive with your life.

                                                               Work Cited

Bigleyi. "Are Video Games Good for You?" Cleveland Clinic, 8 Feb. 2023, health.clevelandclinic.org/are-video-games-good-for-you/

Dewar, Gwen. "Video Game Addiction: A Parent's Evidence-Based Guide." PARENTING SCIENCE, 13 Mar. 2022, parentingscience.com/video-game-addiction/.

Harris, Brittany. “Do Video Games Have Cognitive Benefits for Kids?” Cleveland Clinic Newsroom, 21 Dec. 2022, newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2022/12/23/do-video-games-have-cognitive-benefits-for-kids/#:~:text=CLEVELAND%20%E2%80%93%20A%20recent%20study%20found,did%20not%20play%20video%20games.

Siu, William. "I Make Video Games. I Won't Let My Daughters Play Them." The New York Times, 2 Oct. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/10/02/opinion/video-game-addiction.html.