Playstation Nation
by Olive Bruner and Kurt Bruner
A Book Review by Sue Derr

      Playstation Nation takes a sobering and somewhat startling look at the issue of video game addiction.  If you are a parent, or if you purchase gifts for friends, family, or ministries that might include video games, you should educate yourself on the intrinsic dangers that lurk in this arena.  It will probably affect the choices that you make and the boundaries that you set. 

      It is a myth that, while these games can be engrossing, they are not addictive. There is more than childish irresponsibility that leads some to play for hours.  There are actually physiological, as well as psychological, effects.

      Up to 25 percent of children become hooked on video games, much like dependence displayed by substance and behavioral addicts.  “Seriously ill children in a hospital who played Nintendo required half the pain medication as those who didn't...[T.V had no effect]...Do we really want our children 'sedated' on a daily basis?...Kids who play video games submit their developing brains to a pleasurable chemical reaction similar to an amphetamine drug injection!  And the more often they play, the more likely they are to become hooked on the feeling” (quoted from the book)/  After just twenty minutes of play, an infusion of dopamine takes place in the brain.  “Dopamine is one of the most important neurotransmitters in the brain, controlling movement, attention and learning...it is also associated with reinforcement – triggered by events that produce pleasure – and with the reinforcing effects of addictive drugs like cocaine and amphetamines.”

      In Playstation Nation you will find a wealth of information, including

• testimonials by parents and addicts
• information from researchers
• questions to help evaluate how concerned you should be
• an explanation of the driving forces of game addiction
• an explanation of the processes that occur in the brain which lead to addiction
• how to avoid common mistakes
• suggestions if you need to provide intervention for your child (or yourself, for that matter)
• a non-comprehensive list of alternate activities

 
   

      I'm a book person myself, but for those of you who are not, visiting the website at videogametrouble.org will encapsulate some of the information in the book, as well as link you to Family Life's website where you can hear an interview with the Bruners.  You may not agree with all their assessments and recommendations, but hopefully you will become better equipped to make a wise and informed decision for you and your family. 

      Two factors have influenced Gary and I greatly as we weigh our own decisions regarding the issue of video and computer games. The first is the reality that computers are a fact of life.  Keeping away from them altogether is not a realistic option in today's world, much as someone with a food addiction cannot avoid food entirely.  This is a factor that makes our decision a weighty one.  Secondly, and most importantly, is that we will have to give an account one day before our Creator and Lord.  This account will include not only how we have used our own time here on earth, but how we raised our children.  What message do we want to send them?  How can we best teach them to redeem the time, which will affect their own lives and their relationship with the Lord in endless ways?

      “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Colossians 5:15-16)