8. They're Addicting
This statement is stupid not because it is necessarily wrong, but for the implications those that say it are trying to make. When people accuse video games of being addicting, they are implying that this somehow makes them bad and thus must be removed or censored from society. Lets just get this out of the way: yes, video games can be addicting, as can food, sex, medication, sleep, television, reading, and pretty much anything in existence. While video games can be addicting due to the pleasure/reward system inherent to them, it is more a matter of how one manages their intake than the fault of the games themselves. Like with anything else, moderation is the key. What gets me about such an implication is the hypocrisy behind it. If the only reason for regulating or banning something is that it can be addicting, than such logic should be applied to everything. Since food can and often is extremely addicting, why dont we regulated how much each individual may take in at a time? Because we recognize how absurd such a notion is. Well, the same goes for video games. Of course they can be addicting, as there are numerous examples of players who negate themselves and their loved ones because they just cant tear themselves away from
World of Warcraft. However, the fault doesnt lie with the game but the individual addictive personality. Like with anything, gaming is all about balance. For some, even myself, this can be difficult to do, which is why we should look out for each other and not blame the games.