Games, like anything else, are fine in moderation. Violent video games do not make a normal person violent any more than watching violence on TV. Millions of people watch horrific violence on TV every day and yet we don’t have millions of psychopaths running around in the US.

It seems “older” people that don’t understand and have no real exposure to something “younger” people are doing just seem to think it’s all bad. Look at comic books and the like from a generation or two ago. People thought those evil little books were going to be the downfall of all civilization.

Unfortunately, there will always be people with mental issues that will get HUGE amounts of press when they melt down. Just because someone with mental problems plays video games doesn’t mean the video games caused that mental illness any more than the Beatles caused Charles Manson to kill people.

I remember playing “War” and swordfighting and the like when I was a kid, and SHOCKINGLY I have managed to live 37 years without killing another human being.

Studies like this drive me up the wall. Let’s look at the results from a different point of view. Perhaps the teens who can afford video games are from families who can afford them. Families who can afford them are likely to have a two parent household, although not all. Families who can afford them are most probably economically stable and parent(s) are employed and able to buy them. Kids who play the non-violent games are most probably from families with parents who pay attention to what their kids are doing. All of this is predictive of a pretty stable environment and in itself predicts the outcome, not the video gaming.

That’s a pretty small sampling of kids and a giant leap to the conclusions such as “games may encourage teens to be more involved with their communities” or make them “more likely to vote”. Quite a stretch.

I’m going with the consensus on this one. The right content and moderation, sure I can see them having SOME positive influences on kids. On-line play often requires teamwork and communication. Many games are educational, require problem solving, etc. I’ve had video games from the Atari 2600 when I was 7 or 8, to the PS3 and Wii in my living room now. I like video games quite a bit, but I’d still rather play outside with my friends, and I still do play softball a few nights a week at the ripe old age of 35.

I’d like to take a moment to respond to Suzyjax regarding games such as Grand Theft Auto. The question posed here is “Do you believe video games can be a positive influence on KIDS”. Grand Theft Auto is rated “M” for mature for a reason. The purpose of these games is to entertain mature audiences. Kids shouldn’t be playing it. It’s uber violent, has nudity, and profanity. It is not the fault of the video game if it has an adverse affect on a child, it is the fault of the parents that purchase or rent these games for their children. Parents shouldn’t be getting their kids games like these any more than they should be renting them porn. I’m 35 years old, I’m a professional computer programmer analyst. I rented Grand Theft Auto and had loads of fun playing it. After a long stressfull day, it can be quite satisfying to come home and wreak havoc on a fictional world. That said, I like Grand Theft Auto… and porn, but I’d never let my kids have either.

Unfortunately, when many parents think of kids playing video games, they automatically think of their kids sitting in front of the TV for hours playing Grand Theft Auto games. That would never be good.

The right video games can be a good influence on kids as long as they are in moderation. I often play sports games with my 6-year old, and use them to explain how he would handle different situations in a real game, or to explain the rules of the game. We’ll then go outside and practice.

There are also great puzzle and mental challenge games that can stimulate the brain at any age. In addition to this, many games improve eye-hand coordination and reaction times.

The thought that playing a video game is parallel to living life is really scary to me. How does a video game help kids stay in touch with friends? We used to go grab a burger, take a walk around the block and round up other friends along the way and sit and talk on one of our porches. How does it help them get more involved in our community? We used to join social clubs at school and do volunteer work.
I am not opposed to kids playing a video game now and then, but there is no more life learning benefits to what they are playing today than what we got out of playing a good Parker Bros. game.

I am the mother of a 22 year old male and since he was 5 have bought him video game systems/games. From the days of Mario to the roll playing games and now Rock Band/Guitar Hero and Wii Fit. We play these games together on an almost weekly basis. It is entertainment for both of us and nothing more. It has never caused any violence and his hand/eye coordination is amazing. I’m convinced it helped him in his quest to become a helicopter pilot. It has also helped keep our minds active while learning new things.

what a silly poll, what kind of demographic did they use where 97% of the children even own video games. also the video games for socializing i believe are for adults not children. my children are mid-twenties and i have seen them or their friends with little head thingys on so they can talk on the internet to the other players in the game. why would you let your children do that, also these are adults with good paying jobs that are spending all their disposable income on these gaming features, everything is sold separately. how can children do this unless their parents are paying and then not supervising? you need a better study to even discuss this intelligently.

The Webkinz are fantastic for children.