Gaming for kids? I think not

So the other day at a family reunion my mom said I could be a doctor if I didnt play games all the time.

That made me think because i dont have any doubt that gaming good for the brain. its just the image of gaming thats not good, cause if i was reading books all the time it would be fine, or if i a chess champion, or some other well seen hobbies. but no i play video games instead and i could argue that its a particularly good hobby as far as stimulating the brain goes.

the list of benefits is huge, games allowed me to fully integrate several concepts that allow me to play better. I then apply these concepts to real life situations and im able to analyze them quicker and find a solution faster. For example i wrote a blog entry a while back about positioning and pressure while playing games or sports. if youre not immersed in a competitive world that demands you to perform you just dont fully grasp the importance of these things.

Playing Guild Wars at a high level allowed me to learn these things, and i dont think just anyone could play at that level. yo uactually need to be good because in a balanced environment where everyone has access to the same tools. the only way to get the upper hand is to play better, have better teamwork and better strategies. and to get these advantages you actually have to make your brain work hard.

When i was about 15 year olds i used to play unreal tournament 2004, I averaged between 15-35% accuracy with hitscan weapon. How come that number suddenly jumped to 35-50% when I started to play 3 years later after taking a really long break? You dont just magically become much better at aiming if you dont practice, the only explanation i can provide is that during these years i didnt play FPS games i played other games, and in the end i had a better understanding of games, had smarter movement and was able to anticipate better.

If gaming wasnt challenging, if i wasnt good at it, i wouldnt be playing at all and there would be no interest in doing so. I have no doubt gaming played a big positive role in my development and its not wasting time.

Reckless driving

couple months ago there was a case on the news where some teenagers stole someones car at night, the owner had another car and he heard them take off so he got in his other car and chased the teens down. in the end the stolen car crashed and 1 one the 2 teenagers died

we didnt hear much afterward but today the latest development came out. the guy who chased down the kids is accused of dangerous driving that caused death

The "by the book" thing you have to do when you get your car stolen like that is to call the police and they will handle it. so in that sense the guy who chased the 2 kids made a mistake.

but seriously if youre in such situation, its kinda hard to just sit tight and wait mostly when you feel you cant act. The driver shouldnt have to pay for having his car stolen or for the kids to take the decision to increase their speed and drive beyond their capacities. The guy can be charged with reckless driving, i dont have a problem with that, but i have a problem with the fact that he could be charged for causing the death of the other teen.