Video Game "Logic"

My kiddies think I'm anti-video games. Anti? Humph! That is  such a strong way to say it. To me 'anti' means against, opposed to, maybe even having abhorring feelings towards or hate for something. Anti? Let me think about this one.

I'm no scholar on the subject. I've read a few articles on the effects and seen a few print-ups and reports from doctors asking parents to limit the use of video games and television for their children, but when it comes down to it, all I really have is what I've seen in my own home and in the other children I associate with. Besides that all I have is my own "Mama Bear feelings."

So let's reason together, why do people play video games? Here's a small list of good reasons I've come up with (don't worry, this is not an all inclusive list):

-We play to get away from reality. What's wrong with that? This is life, and it can be hard. We are here to learn, to grow, to progress, to experience. What's wrong with running away from it all?

-We play for entertainment. Entertainment is good. Aren't violence and obscene words and graphics good if they are for the sake of entertainment because that helps us to be cultured. These things have no real or lasting effect on us anyway. Those old sayings about thoughts turning to actions and what we think about is what we become are so old fashioned and outdated. They were certainly said before the invention of the video game!

-Quality time. We love it when our husbands spend so much time with our sons. They choose video games so they can be together. They don't need to talk to each other (in a soft voice anyway). They don't even need to look anyone in the eye. That's always so awkward for young men.

-They are good for hand/eye coordination. That logic is also good for a great laugh!

-They are stimulating.  Never-ending rhythmic patterns are stimulating to any mind. The growth one must be experiencing when they can't think of anything else is intriguing for any parent or teacher who is trying to get a single word of intelligence out of a child.

-They breed habit. We, as parents, want our children to have good habits, so we give them video games. And since these games are made in such a way that people want more and more of them, we are just helping our children form addicting behaviors before they are old enough to know what is happening inside their little brains.

-They are fun. Ever notice that a child who loves video games tends to find reading, playing outside, hiking and camping boring? They are boring. That's because they have been exposed to the most fun a person can possibly have, so anything that requires effort, brain power, or muscles is just plain boring.

Why would my children insist I am anti-video games?!? With all the compelling reasons to allow them to spend their days and nights in front of a screen, large or small, I think the greatest reason I can think of to let them play is that I really don't want to deal with children right now. So kids, stand back. Summer is on its way. Pull out the video games!!!!

(Sorry, children, this really is all too good to be true. We will have shovels, books, and balls in our hands, just like we did last summer and the summer before that and the summer before......you get the picture.)