Do you want your child to be addicted to video games?  Approximately 3 million Americans between the ages of eight and eighteen are addicted to video games.  Children today spend too much time playing electronic games rather than playing outside.

Video games are way too addicting for kids!  Video games are on more devices than ever now.  You can find them on XBox, XBox360, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSI, Nintendo 3DS, Gameboy, Play Station 2, Play Station 3, PSP, Wii, WiiU, Ipod, Ipad, Smart phones and computers.  They are so accessible!

Parents are afraid for their sons and daughters to play outside by themselves.  More kids are stuck inside and they get bored.  This leads them to play video games and become addicted.   This also means that kids are constantly sitting down and maybe eating junk food.  Some might even lose motivation to play outside.  Lack of exercise combined with sitting inside all afternoon leads to obesity.

My first solution is to have fewer video game advertisements on television, in magazines, online and on billboards.  When kids are constantly exposed to advertisements showing new, “cool” video games, they feel the urge to rush out and buy them.  Video game makers should only be allowed 6 ads a day on television and not on kids’ stations.  There should be no ads in magazines.  If someone is online, an advertisement should not just “pop up.”  There should not be any ads on billboards at all.  The reason why fewer advertisements will limit video game use is because kids will not know when the latest games come out.  They will not think how “cool” and exciting these new games are because they have not been exposed to their advertisements.  Even thought video game companies will make less money, it is worth it because less children will be addicted.

My other solution is to make video games more expensive.  By making video games more expensive, parents will not buy them as often for their children.  Kids will find other activities to do like board games, sports and family time.

My last solution is to have more parental controls on video games.  Parents could set a timer for each day of how long they want their child to play.  Once that time is up, the screen would go blank.  Parents could also lock a game so that it could only be played  on weekends.  There would be a password so kids could not hack in.  With limited video game time, hopefully kids will find other activities to do.

By limiting advertisements, making video games more expensive and placing more parental controls, it will make it more challenging for kids to become addicted to video games.  It is more important and more healthy for children to be outside with friends and family rather than having virtual friends inside on a couch.  If you are a kid who is addicted to video games and you read this, you should get outside more often!