Mothers
Against
Video game
Addiction and
Violence.
I dont know about anyone else, but I've never heard of this organization.
But these folks here have the balls to compare the video game industry to the tobacco industry. Enjoy.
Fact: Video games aren't just for "fun" anymore, the video game industry made a net income of $6.3 billion in 2002, surpassing even the movie industry. Developers profit and continue to take advantage of today's youth with cute, loveable, addictive, and recognizable franchise characters. A practice and strategy similar to those used by the tobacco industry.
Fact: Video games have been proven to prevent the development of the proper social skills and interaction needed for a long happy and enjoyable life. Young gamers are prone to being burdened with depression and sadness all throughout their life
Fact: Health studies have found that even those casual gamers suffer from low self-esteem and self-pride compared to their athletic and more socially accepted peers in their same age group. Young gamers were found to be more likely to become lifetime gaming addicts and becoming social outcasts.
Fact: Hardcore gaming not only leads to video game addiction and abrupt lifestyle changes, but to crime and felony as well. Hardcore gamers never buy computer video games. Instead, downloading illegally copied video games or “warez” is the only method acceptable by the underground. Buying a legit copy is grounds for abandonment by community groups. You may not be buying your child videogames, but they can illegally obtain them off the internet.
Video Game Addiction: What to Watch Out For
Symptom: Child spending numerous amount of time in their bedroom and at home
This is a classic sign of a growing gaming addiction. The child spends the majority of his time at home in his bedroom, only breaking out of his “base” for food and bathroom breaks. This behavior is commonly known as a “gaming binge” which can last from a couple of hours, a whole night, and in some extreme circumstances, a full 24 to 48 hour gaming binge (occurring usually on weekends).
We highly recommend your child's bedroom be absent of all forms of electronic entertainment devices. This includes a home computer, and/or video game console systems. It is best for all electronic entertainment devices be placed in a common area where a clock is present and adult supervision is available. If this is not at all possible, we recommend having your child's door remain open and be checked in on every hour. Parents should be extra cautious around the time of bedtime until morning.
Encourage your child to be more active. Arrange for your child to go over to a friends house for the afternoon, setup a gathering party at your home, or even sign up your child for an after school sport or activity.
Symptom: Poor school grades
A typical report card by a troubled video game player:
Computer Education: Excellent
English: Poor
Mathemathics: Poor
Science: Poor
Social Studies: Poor
Physical Education: Poor
Never assume drugs or otherwise is the problem for your child's poor academic performance. Video game addiction is not to be under-estimated. It is a serious epidemic plaguing our children nationwide. We recommend getting professional psychiatric help.
Symptom: Unusual "Role-Playing"
Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) is a digital escape from the real world for emotionally unhealthy and mentally unstable people. It is a place for computer enthusiasts and social outcasts to gather un-bothered and un-harassed by the realities of real life.
While the focus and idea behind MMORPG seems utopian and innocent, the emotional and mental wellness of the gamer can be severely affected: increased anxiety and irritability, argumentative, appetite and weight loss, impaired judgment, paranoia, sadness and depression, loss of interest in appearance, and sleeplessness
Video game addiction has become so serious now that the mass-media now compares video game addiction to alcohol and drug abuse.
MMORPG's are the most addicting genre of video games available and developers are selfishly aware of these statistics. Developers take advantage of the situation by charging people hefty monthly rates for their "services" and release mediocre expansion sets to keep the game play fresh. We caution parents to never hand out credit card information or sign up their child for any suspicious online and monthly services.
MMORPG video games were recently labeled as one of the top 10 leading causes of students dropping out of high school.
Video Game Violence: The Hidden Dangers
Danger: Do video games make people violent?
Yes. What was once a debatable question, is now fact. New research has concluded that video game violence and behavior related violence are in fact closely related.
Danger: Do video games teach people how to kill?
Yes. When video games were linked to the Columbine high school shooters, a frenzy of new research was launched, in which, one team of researchers discovered that first person shooter games do indeed teach gamers with the basic knowledge of how to kill. This research arrived be so conclusive that the U.S. government Army developed a free video game to be used as a virtual boot camp and killing simulator.
--Now i dont say this a lot, but i think this is a load of crap.
Heres a [url=http://www.mavav.org/] Link [/url] for more lies, propaganda, and perhaps some laughs.
[Edited on 5/16/2005]
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I bet they work with the Fathers Against Gaming Society