oh good grief, here we go again.

First, yamdablam didn't read the article well: it is speaking about either one or a few very specific games, not every video game ever created. I doubt Madden 2008 has many medical benefits, but if a patient plays a game as a microscopic spaceship fighting cancer cells in a bloodstream, and medicine acts as a super powerup against them, I could see a patient wanting to "join the fight" as treatment is offered to them.

take yamdablam's comment and substitute "video games" with "music", "prescription meds", "guns", "the Internet", "food", and so many other things, and it's all the same argument: if done properly and not abused, it can be positive. If it...

oh good grief, here we go again.

First, yamdablam didn't read the article well: it is speaking about either one or a few very specific games, not every video game ever created. I doubt Madden 2008 has many medical benefits, but if a patient plays a game as a microscopic spaceship fighting cancer cells in a bloodstream, and medicine acts as a super powerup against them, I could see a patient wanting to "join the fight" as treatment is offered to them.

take yamdablam's comment and substitute "video games" with "music", "prescription meds", "guns", "the Internet", "food", and so many other things, and it's all the same argument: if done properly and not abused, it can be positive. If it is allowed to be overused or used improperly, yes, there could be negative effects.

Are there bad video games? Sure, just like there's violence in movies and TV, Internet porn, 1500-calorie meals at restaurants, illegal substances...you get the idea. Kids need supervision, and adults need discernment.