Do you think Gameboys are the equivalent of drugs and alcohol?

Question

Does anyone else have a problem with regulating the use of this little device?

Answer 1

Absolutely not!!! My oldest has a Nintendo DS and is allowed 15 minutes per day- no more. It is not an issue. If she were to ever complain then it would be taken away for 1 week, which happened only once. It is up to the parents to regulate how much media/technology our children are exposed to.

Answer 2

I think this is really a far out there idea....if you have trouble regulating the use of this device, then it's your parenting skills that are to blame, not the device!

Answer 3

I think if you are comparing yours or your kids addiction to a gameboy to drugs and alcohol, then you have an issue... Take the gameboy away, and only let it be played for an hour a day...That seems like a reasonable amount of time! If your kid flips out, too bad, they'll have to get over it! Kids should be out playing.

Answer 4

No, gameboys don't get me fucked up. Just diverts my attention for 30 minutes.

Answer 5

no

they may be addictive to people with no self control

but you can not lead to fatality e.g drink driving car crash

drug overdose and other and gameboys aren't illegal

so i dont see much in common

Answer 6

They can cause obesity in kids indirectly. Too much games and the kid does not go out or move about. I would say they share some of the same symptoms as drug use but are socially acceptable.

Answer 7

Depends on the games that are in them.  Any bad message played over and over again can be just as bad as mind altering substances.

Answer 8

gameboys are nothing like drugs or alcohol. it is something kids can do when they have nothing else to do. my son has a gameboy and he plays it when we are in the car and that is about it.

Answer 9

Give him some pills and do a comparison.

^ That was a joke, sure he may be addicted to the gameboy but I bet the majority of his friends are just the same. When I was in primary school I remember all of us playing gameboys, he should grow out of it.

Answer 10

absolutely not.  

I don't think the government should interfere with people playing gameboys.  I don't have a problem with certain places (schools, offices etc) banning them or controlling them though.  They can be a distraction and are often used irresponsibly.  Just remember, work then play.

Answer 11

Any thing can become an addiction if you allow it to gain some form of control over your normal routines. No they are not like drugs and alchohol as the iminent danger of the usage of a game boy is extremely low.

Saying that all adictions come with a negative impact on your social and natural well being.

Regulate it, enjoy it and stay safe.

Answer 12

They are nothing like drugs and alcohol.

Not even close.

They are like watching TV or reading comic books.