Video games are becoming a very popular form of entertainment, but they cause a lot of controversy and are a regularly debated topic. “The World Health Organization recently added “gaming disorder” to its official list of mental health conditions.” This is concerning as many young children spend a lot of time playing video games, which begs the question: do you think video games are having a negative impact on children's lives? Spending too much time playing video games can lead to addiction, violent behavior, social isolation, and the possibility of being manipulated online. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay It has been suggested that playing video games can lead to violent behavior. Violent video games have been blamed for school shootings, homicides and an increase in bullying. A survey by procon.org showed that "sixty percent of middle school boys and forty percent of middle school girls who play/have played an M-Rated (Mature Rated) game have gotten into fights at school", this should be compared to “thirty-nine percent of middle school boys and fourteen percent of middle school girls who had not played an M-rated game and gotten into a fight.” This evidence clearly shows that playing video games has a negative effect and has made some children more violent. Many violent offenders have admitted to playing excessive amounts of violent video games when they were younger. For example, those responsible for the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which left thirteen people dead, were playing violent video games. Anders Breivik also played numerous violent video games and killed "seventy-seven people in Norway in 2011 in two scenarios." He admitted to using Modern Warfare 2 for "practice." This undeniably shows a tendency for violent offenders to play brutal video games in their youth. Online gaming can put you at risk of pedophiles. Statistics released by Barnardos show that in “2016, two hundred and ninety-seven children reported being sexually manipulated or asked to send explicit photos while playing online games. “Two hundred and sixty-five children were girls.” There probably would have been many more, because many children would have been scared and afraid to report these people. This is a clear issue that we need to address and ensure young people are informed about internet safety. A man called Adam Isaac targeted two young boys while they were playing Minecraft and asked them to perform sex acts for him. He has now been sentenced to two years and eight months for the crime. This obviously shows that pedophiles and child molesters have found an easy way to prey on children, particularly through online video games. It has been said that video games could perhaps have positive impacts on a child's life. There have been arguments to show that you can make new friends online. This is a negative effect because you meet complete strangers with no idea of ​​their history. The Telegraph carried out a survey which showed that "eighteen per cent of children aged nine to eleven have met someone online, with more than half of these children admitting they went it alone". Would you like your children to meet strangers? Do you think this has a positive impact? It is much healthier and safer to make friends face to face in protective environments and not through a screen. People claim.