Do... Games influence children that much?
Swearing, yes, but I can't see how games would have that much of an impact on a child's mental health.
Well, having played violent vidya gaems since i was like 3 or 4 years old, i can confirm that it hasn't made me an overly violent or aggressive individual, since i've always been able to tell games from reality. The worst thing(s) about it is that i've wasted a LOT of time on games, and there might also be some kind of "soft" addiction going on. :U (and by soft i mean i don't get physical withdrawal symptoms)
I think it's more of a "i have spent much of my relatively tormented childhood in safety here so i feel safe here" thing, since i'm not always gaming, and i'm not constantly craving to be there.
And in sad news, i find myself still falling behind on classes despite having reduced work load (4 courses instead of 6) at uni. I'm going to try hanging on till summer at least, but i'm starting to doubt whether i can feasibly continue past that without risking further stress sickness. My actual dreams for my own future are seeming more and more like pipe dreams, and in general it's not easy to get up in the mornings when you feel that your dreams are unachievable and there's no reason to spend energy on them. So naturally, i find myself seeking an easy way to support myself while trying to make my dreams less unachievable, but alas, there is no such thing as an easy way to support oneself (and if there is/was, everyone would be taking it anyways). This brings us to me today: A lazy daydreamer in a world where hard work is paramount, and i'm not lucky enough to strike gold anywhere. :/