The average age of gamers, according to a 2016 survey from neurocorecenters.com, is 35 years old. But parents are worried about children getting addictions to video games. Actually, not many people have addictions. Of the about 300 million people in the United States, over half play video games, but only around 3% actually have an addiction. Most evidence suggests that video games might not be as bad as you thought.

            Most studies actually have shown that playing video games have a positive effect on behavior and the brain. They say that it can help with attention span, brain size and efficiency, and even better memory. However, this does not mean it is totally risk free. Playing video games for too long can hinder your social skills and physical health. You should stay active on a regular basis and have face to face real life interactions often. Being active can also help reduce risk of anxiety and depression.

            Some signs of having an addiction, even though it’s not that common, are playing for a longer time, thinking about video games while doing other things, playing games to escape real life problems such as anxiety and/or depression, lying to family and friends to hide gaming, and feeling short tempered/irritable when cutting down on playing games. This is why you should stay active and play games moderately.

This is why video games aren’t as bad as you thought they were. But, keep in mind, that you still need to do other activities.