Customer Reviews

Playstation Nation: Protect Your Child from Video Game Addiction

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is a chilling book as it describes the addiction to video games that are of serious concern regardless of the good or bad content of individual games. Boys and young men are becoming addicted to games that are interferring with their high school and college years and even into their marriages. One of the chapters is appropriatly entitled "Lost Boys". I grieve for the lost potental stolen away by video and computer games. I recommend this book highly to parents who are struggling with trying to control video games in their homes and achieve balance with something that was supposed to be for recreation but is now taking over all of their kid's free time. The behavior that I have observed regarding my own sons, their friends, and students at school is accurately described in my book.

This is not another false alarm from overly anxious 'experts'. The research is compelling: video games are highly addictive. I have four boys who play and I see the signs of addiction: loss of interest in other formerly enjoyed ctivities, inability to stop playing or set limits on their own behavior, willing to risk negative consequences for more play time (sneaking, whining, etc.). I see video games the same way I see alcohol. Many people can drink alcohol without becoming addicted. Many kids can play video games without becoming addicted. Regardless of which category you believe your kids are in, read this book. Educate your kids and parents of kids who clearly have a problem limiting their play. I'm returning all video games this Christmas and am giving my kids board games instead.

I used to play many games all the way from the first Nintendo through to Playstation 2, and still feel the aftermath of addiction. Most of my gaming experience consisted of RPG's (Role Playing Games) and MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). I am currently married and have a child on the way, and have many friends that play video games on a regular basis (When ever they are not at work). They shared much of the same enthusiasm as I did, and always talked about the newest games, and the amount of development their characters went through. I have mostly found that gaming allowed me to be someone I could not, in real life. Playstation Nation has helped me to realize most of the addictive qualities in the gaming industry. This should be no surprise considering Gamboling, Smoking, Drinking, and doing Drugs, are all Billion Dollar industries, and you look at the sticker on PC games: "40 Million Sold" (you would think they would add the same addictive qualities targeting children and adults alike).

This book was the push I need to stop game playing in our home. The authors spelled out exactly what was happening with my two boys and online game playing. It was like reading dialogue from my boys and I. Since, the boys stopped playing online games our entire household is a much more peaceful place with the boys spending their time playing outside, reading, using their imaginations and I am no longer the bad mom constantly telling the kids to get off the computer. I feel like our children, teens, and young men are having their lives stolen by computer games. It is a free choice but it is truly addictive. Think of the hours wasted playing online games, especially while a child is growing up. I have friends whose husbands spend hours playing games. What a loss. I recommend this book to all.

I think this book was written at a good time. If it would have been written in 1985 or even 1995 I think the illustrations wouldn't have been as timeless as this. While media is ever changing I think this book will stand for quite a while. I needed a good book on video games for sermon material and for the parents of the teens in my youth group. Excellent, excellent book.

I purchased this book because of my concern for my 12-year old son and his future. This book affirmed my strength to resist letting him lose: a zest for real life, social skills, and maturing. It's too easy to turn to a virtual world than to face the real world and build coping skills needed for life. Without being overly dramatic or too technical, the Bruner's provided factual and subjective information while citing other authors, sources, and scholars on video game addition.

This book is well written and contains citations for the references used. There are an increasing number of kids and adults who fit the criteria that this book illustrates. It will teach you how to understand and deal with the newest addiction that is destroying families and children all over the world. This is an easy book to read and will give you the references to do your own homework on the issue as well.

I travel and speak about gaming addiction and right now this is the only book on gaming that I sell. I am going through this book for the second time because it is so good. If you are a parent and have a concern about your child's gaming this book is a great investment.

This books only limitation is that it has an over the shoulder point of view of gaming. The Bruner's lack of first hand experience sometimes shows. But what they lack in game experience they more than makeup for in parental expertise. I own several books on this topic and if you are a parent and you only buy one book on this subject you should buy Playstation Nation.

Too many parents use "harmless" video games as a babysitter so they can have a moment's peace and quiet to themselves but at what expense. Children over the years have forgotten how to be imaginative... to go outside and play baseball with the neighborhood kids - instead now they can DO IT INSIDE on the Wii???? Is this really what our society has "evolved" to? I thought this book had many great points - especially that BOREDOM IS NOT A BAD THING... it can be the catalyst to creativity! Another GREAT BOOK empowering parents to follow their gut and step outside "the norm" of where our society is going - "RAISING A GEEK (Genuine Enthusiastic Empowered Kid)- How to Protect Your Kids Childhood in a Grow-Up-Too-Fast-World" ... really anyone can be a parent but parenting with PARENTING WITH PURPOSE takes time and consideration at each step.

This book seems to have potential until chapter four, where it loses its momentum as the authors bring in religion to their argument. There is current research on computer and video game addiction - it is a real and serious problem. Unfortunately, this book, with its religious undercurrent is an immediate turn-off for those searching for objective science on the topic.