The mother of a 14-year-old boy from Roxbury, Massachusetts, called 911 in an attempt to get him to stop playing videogames. “I woke up in the middle of the night and saw the light on in his bedroom,” Angeles Mejia said, explaining that he was playing the game “Grand Theft Auto,” a violent game in which the player assumes the role of a criminal.
Recent studies show that video game addiction has been linked to several adverse effects among children, including obesity, Vitamin D deficiency, lack of bone-building exercise, attention deficit disorders, poor sleep, and aggression.
In September 2007, 16-year-old Daniel Petric snuck out of his bedroom window to purchase the videogame Halo 3, which was forbidden by his parents due to its graphic, violent nature. When he returned home, his parents caught him with the game. His father, Mark Petric, a minister at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, OH, put the game in a lockbox in a closet where he also kept a 9mm handgun.
About a month later, Daniel used his father’s key to open the box and removed both the game and the gun. Daniel then came up behind his parents, who were sitting on the couch, and said, “Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you.” Then he shot both of his parents in the head. His mother, Susan Petric, died instantly with wounds to her head, arms, and chest, and Mark Petric survived to tell the tragic tale.
Video games have quickly become a popular hobby for many preteens and teens across the world – and why not? Thanks to continually advancing technology and increasing plot sophistication, many gamers are becoming lost in these 3-D worlds. Even adults have gotten into the game according to a recent research report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, with more than 53% of American adults playing a video game of some kind. … Continue Reading
