Note: this article is one part of a two part series offering differing perspectives on gaming and its effect on kids. Check out the article “Video games are actually good for kids” here.

Over the past decade or so, online multiplayer games have become increasingly popular on all platforms, and more and more people are playing them. Amongst them are violent first-person shooters, scary and gore-filled horror games, and other games that have different effects on the people playing them.

Gaming is addictive

Most video games are extremely addictive because they often have a reward system, like achievements or money after you complete certain tasks. This paired with the online community of several games make gamers feel useful and part of a bigger community, which is why they keep on returning to games. This is how gaming companies earn more money.

Games now are extremely addictive mainly because they simulate what people can’t do in real life, like crazy D-Day warzones, Star Wars themed space fights, and building huge criminal empires that are not only filled with criminal aspects(like drugs and weapons) but also include activities like attacking the police and killing civilians.

Kids who play violent games learn violence

While some games might look like they are good for gamers, these video games can have negative effects on the player. A 2015 resolution by the American Psychological Association stated that violent video games can cause changes in a person’s behaviour over time. This is concerning because up to 85 percent of video games contain at least a little violence.

Despite age restrictions, it is extremely easy for kids to fake their age. Many games such as Grand Theft Auto V, an extremely violent and controversial game, that are rated 17+ are easily accessible to young children because all they require are any date of birth, and often, kids can just enter a date over 18 years ago and play the game because games don’t really have a good way to check your age. Video game creators know this too, but don’t do anything about it, since children who know nothing about money are a great source of income. However, if children are exposed to violent video games at a young age, they are even more likely to develop a violent personality than people who are older.

Video games are a waste of money

Many video games use paywalls and fake currency to trick players onto spending real money on items that would be painful and tedious to earn otherwise. These microtransactions are often overpriced, and some players are repulsed by the very idea of it. However, other players that are either still learning the ropes or are misled by bad information could spend a lot of money on things in-game that have little value. For example, if I wanted to buy a new car in a game and don’t have enough money, I could either spend a small sum of real-world money in the game and get the car in a minute, or I could spend a full 4 hours in the game, slowly earning enough to buy the car

In some cases, forms of gambling such as loot boxes are traded with real currency in some games designed for children, while other games let players trade real money for in-game currency, and then let you use that money in casinos. This can cause children to spend a lot of their parents’ money on games and pick up gambling habits at a young age.

Video games are a distraction from sleep and school

Video games are also designed to get players addicted so they will spend more time and therefore more money on gaming. While adults have better self-control and can limit themselves, children will become addicted and spend more and more time on video games. While this is what the game companies want, it is bad for children and young people because they lack the self-control and will play a video game for long periods of time, causing them to put off other “less important” things like homework or socializing.

Some gamers desperate for screen time will also play after they are supposed to be in bed. This can make them sleepy and inefficient the next day. Gaming too much can cause players to lose focus on what is important and instead just keep on worrying about the game.

The benefits of gaming are overstated

While some may argue that games offer certain benefits, like better hand-eye coordination, social skills, visual-spatial attention, and concentration, this is all wrong because with things like social skills and concentration, any benefits games offer will just be useless if people spend all their time indoors, in front of a laptop or computer.

Of course, not everybody is an antisocial hermit that spends all their time in front of a computer, and most people might be able to gain something by playing video games all day, however, the few skills that can be acquired through gaming can also be gained from other activities, for example, hand-eye coordination can be trained through juggling.

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Video games are extremely popular these days and most children in the US play at least some amount of video games. While they are fun, they can be harmful to the people playing them. Many game developers have techniques to help them sell more units. In this process, they might hurt some players by getting them addicted or violent. To keep yourself from becoming a mindless gaming zombie, try to limit gaming time to less than one hour per day and take breaks.