Teens+Online Gaming Sites Good or Bad?

[Angel]

Alright you guys, Angel needs some help with her English topic for the semester.
I'm doing it on the effects of online gaming sites on kids and teens, but right now I'm hung up on whether I want to side with them being a good thing, or a bad thing.
What do YOU think?
I need you to be serious if you're going to answer and have things to back up why you think its good or bad, don't just say "I think its good/bad" because that doesn't really help me.
Thanks a bunch you guys
~Angel
ps. I'm really looking forward to what you have to say about this ShadowStar, DON'T LET ME DOWN

[ObsidianTheGod]

A good thing.
If it's anything like FWG, it brings social communities together, as well as free gaming enjoyment.

If it's games/websites that require someone to be a certain age, they're only bad if under-age people go on them. Which can be bad. But still not the site's fault.

I'm sure there's many more aspects, but I'm too tired to think, but to my opinion, good.

[Shadow00]

It's a good thing, BUT an essay needs both sides of the argument in it, so I'll just play the Devil's advocate here and give you points why it could be bad.

-Person becomes antisocial
-Possible age-restricted material that everyone can access.
-Online gaming usually has to do with playing with other people, which aren't always great people.

[Angel]

It's a good thing, BUT an essay needs both sides of the argument in it, so I'll just play the Devil's advocate here and give you points why it could be bad.

-Person becomes antisocial
-Possible age-restricted material that everyone can access.
-Online gaming usually has to do with playing with other people, which aren't always great people.

For the sake of "practice" since I would have to argue points...I'm not disagreeing, its part of the assignment lol
You say a person becomes anti social, but they are playing with other people, people from different states and nationalities, so they aren't isolated. (theres the first one)
If you are on a pg13 site and you aren't 13 or older, shouldn't it be the parents responsibility to be monitoring their child? (the 2nd)
There are people your kids go to school with that aren't "great people" but you don't pull them out of school because you are afraid of them meeting those people, you hope they find decent people to make friends with. (that one was kinda hard...)

Anyway, all perfectly good points, thanks.

[danny]

It's a good thing, BUT an essay needs both sides of the argument in it, so I'll just play the Devil's advocate here and give you points why it could be bad.

-Person becomes antisocial
-Possible age-restricted material that everyone can access.
-Online gaming usually has to do with playing with other people, which aren't always great people.

For the sake of "practice" since I would have to argue points...I'm not disagreeing, its part of the assignment lol
You say a person becomes anti social, but they are playing with other people, people from different states and nationalities, so they aren't isolated. (theres the first one)
If you are on a pg13 site and you aren't 13 or older, shouldn't it be the parents responsibility to be monitoring their child? (the 2nd)
There are people your kids go to school with that aren't "great people" but you don't pull them out of school because you are afraid of them meeting those people, you hope they find decent people to make friends with. (that one was kinda hard...)

Anyway, all perfectly good points, thanks.

The antisocial part would mean in person. often times people who spend a large majority of time on the internet lack interpersonal skills in person, which to a the large majority of society would make them antisocial.

P.S. i lov ebeing a devil's a advocate :p

[Munter]

Perhaps the issue is with how the social aspect is used.

If it is used to supplement your day to day social experiences, or to add a social element to recreation you otherwise would not have, maybe it's a good thing. If, on the other hand, it replaces your day to day social interactions then maybe it's a problem.

And is it a good thing for tons of teenagers to be able to talk to each other with no adults present? What kind of crazy things will they plot? Who's house is getting TPed next? Oh the horror.