Playing Video Games In The 80's

As I was Christmas shopping last year, an uneasy feeling hit me as I was wandering down the baby toy isle at my local store. There it sat, right there on the shelf; an IPad case and screen protector for ages 0+. I stood dumbfounded, staring at the cuddly and bright colored stuffed animal cases. Are people really giving IPads and tablets to infants? It would appear that the sad reality is yes, since the shelf was almost empty. It seems that technology has a hold on younger generations, with video games at the top of the charts. I believe video games are programming kids to be lazy and robbing them of their ability to interact with others. Playing video games leads to a sedentary lifestyle. Gaming, whether on a gaming console, computer, tablet or phone, causes a …show more content…
Exercise and movement is all I remember from growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. My friends and I would be out the door after breakfast and stop in for lunch and dinner, and then be home when the street lights came on. We would ride our bikes for hours, play games of tag and red-rover, and organize games of basketball and softball. When I drive by my local park, it looks desolate. Occasionally, I see kids but instead of running about, they are sitting at the picnic tables playing on their phones. I’ve seen kids sitting face to face with their phones in their hands. I believe many kids have lost the ability to interact.
Screen time takes away from human interaction that would allow a person to develop personal communication skills. According to the WebMD article, “Children who play four to five hours per day have no time for socializing, doing homework, or playing sports” (Rauh). “Today 97% of teens in the U.S. play video games, and sales of games are growing” (Norcia). The result is teens and young adults who lack imperative interpersonal skills to succeed in the workplace and other social environments including school and