Video games… they can range from adventure to violence, from car racing to arcade, from Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 all the way back to Atari. Therefore, we can pretty much sum it up that about 97 percent of all teens and children today play video games on a regular basis. However, parents often place limits on how long their child should play a video game on any given night. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that video games could actually have a positive impact on teens’ lives, helping them to become better American citizens. How? Take these following three facts from The Pew Internet and American Life Project into consideration.

1.Video games help teens and children develop better communication skills for life. This is because playing video games is mostly about socializing and communicating. Also, many teens have said that in addition to communicating about the particular game to others, they often relate what is going on in the game to society today. This type of communication helps them to become good, well-rounded critical thinkers and analyzers.

2.Video games teach teens the lesson of teamwork. Many times, games are played by more than one person at a time. Therefore, whether it is with your friends or people you do not know too well, playing video games forces you to communicate with the other individuals and work together to get the mission accomplished.

3.Video games give teens a bigger, broader view of the world around them, while allowing them to have a hands-on experience. For example, the PC game Simcity allows players to build a community. Although in order to keep the community functioning properly, players must think about the nature of a true community, in real life, and put it into respect to the game. The ability of a teen to do this develops great observation and critical thinking skills for life.

Therefore, video games are not as bad as parents and teachers make them out to be. They actually teach teens and children important and essential skills for life and how to put them into effect in respect to the world around them. Consequently, you should continue to play your video games. However, allow yourself about a fifteen minute break for every one hour of playing. This will allow your brain to take a rest, reduce strain on the eyes, and reduce the risk of developing a headache.