For almost eighty years, video games have been prevalent. Over the past decade, PC (personal computer) and console games have become more popular among teenagers, along with the excessive amount of time spent playing them. There has been much discussion over the years about whether these video games are doing more harm than good. Many researchers have said that video games could potentially lead to addiction, lack of physical activity, and worsening of existing mental disorders in adolescents who play them. However, without supporting evidence, one can easily infer that they have a positive influence, in the medical sense. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay By doing so, it distorts society's view of how video games can negatively affect the player and creates a false narrative about the very real dangers of excessive video game play. Before we delve into the dangers of video games, it is important to discuss how they can actually benefit gamers, in terms of health, with regular play. In an article from the University of Toronto, whose study was conducted by psychological researchers, found that “one of the benefits of action games may be an increased ability to accurately learn the dynamics of new sensorimotor tasks.” These learned skills are the same ones surgeons must have when performing laparoscopic surgery, which involves inserting a small camera into the body that allows the surgeon to use high-precision instruments inside the abdominal cavity via remote control. In addition to this, several studies have found that playing video games can offer some cognitive benefits; leading some researchers to advocate regular video game play. Peter Gray Ph.D., an academic scholar and research professor of psychology at Boston College, wrote an article for Psychology Today explaining how "video gameplay can improve basic mental skills." He goes on to summarize recent research involving non-gamers participating in an action video game. These action video games often involve rapid movement, decision making, and multitasking. The results of this study allowed the researchers to conclude "that those who play the video game improve measures of basic perceptual and cognitive abilities, while those in the control group do not." ”. While research like this paints a narrative that all video games positively affect those who play them due to their history of improving cognitive abilities such as perception, attention, memory, and decision making, it is important not to let these findings overshadow the research that demonstrates the negative consequences of excessive gambling. In 2017, it was reported that gamers collectively spend approximately 3 billion hours per week playing games and in the United States, 150 million people routinely play video games each week. This amount of unrestricted gaming has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify a new, related disorder in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), called “gaming disorder.” The WHO, which is an active member of the United Nations Development Group, defines gaming disorder this way: Gaming disorder is defined in the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as a pattern of gaming behavior (“digital-gaming” or “video gaming”) characterized by impaired control over the game, increasing priority given to the game over other activities to the extent that the game takes precedence over othersinterests and daily activities, and continuation or intensification of gambling despite the occurrence of negative consequences. Furthermore, this gambling addiction is also included in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses (DSM-5), which is used by mental health specialists to diagnose mental disorders and illnesses. Harvard physician and medical instructor, Ranna Parekh, goes on to explain that “the DSM-5 includes addictive disorders related to substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, stimulants, marijuana, and opioids” (Parekh, 2018). It is evident that excessive online gaming has become such a problem. that addiction to it has become comparable to that of gambling and drug abuse. In 2019, a class action lawsuit was brought against the video game company Epic Games for their very popular and addictive game “Fortnite”. USA Today covered this story by contacting the law firm representing the two parents behind the lawsuit, who argue that the action-packed game is "as addictive and potentially harmful as cocaine." The game, which was partly designed by psychologists and statisticians, includes features that offer rewards that manipulate the player into wanting more and more. Games like these that offer such tempting rewards train the brain to release the “feel good” hormone, dopamine. This release of dopamine encourages the brain to continue playing for the satisfaction it gets. The constant release of this hormone when playing video games can lead to eventual addiction and lack of self-control in players, this possibility multiplies when considering children and adolescents. These young people are even more susceptible to this due to a lack of development in the self-control sector of their brains. Most people who play video games play them on consoles or PCs. Most of the games played are action or sports themed and consist of the player playing on a controller or keyboard. Only a small percentage of games actually require the user to be active and involved in the exercise. Therefore, the same number of hours a teenager chooses to spend in front of a screen equals the time they do not participate in physical activity. This start to a sedentary lifestyle could be harmful to teenagers or anyone of any age. Sedentary behavior, as described by the Sedentary Behavior Research Network (SBRN), is “any waking behavior characterized by energy expenditure ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs), while in a sitting, reclining, or recumbent posture.” . The editor, Erin Michos MD, of John Hopkins Medicine, published an article explaining the risks of a sedentary lifestyle. It tells how people put themselves in danger by putting themselves at risk of “health consequences including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer” which, if extensive enough, could lead to death. Time spent in the same positions or without movement could also lead to thrombosis. Thrombosis occurs when a blood clot becomes trapped in a vital vein, which interrupts blood flow to other parts of the body and can even cause a blockage to a vital vein. artery. The National Center for Biotechnology (NCBI) published a case study of a man who presented with leg pain and swelling after spending nearly a quarter of his day in bed playing video games. After taking a closer look, doctors confirmed that he had extensive deep vein thrombosis. Furthermore, the case study concluded that: With the growing popularity of video games, it is likely that the weight of this.