Unpopular opinion: gaming isn't the villain here

Nov 241 min read

Everyone's always going on about "screen time bad" and "video games rotting brains" but my kids actually learned to read faster because they wanted to understand the dialog in Stardew Valley. Plus my 10yo and his friend play Minecraft together and they're constantly problem-solving and building crazy stuff. Yeah, they probably play too much some days, but at least they're thinking? I limit it to like 1.5 hours on school days and 3 hours on weekends and honestly they've hit better grades since I stopped fighting the gaming thing and just made it part of a balanced routine. Just saying maybe the gaming isn't the problem, maybe it's the balance.

10 comments252 views

Comments(10)

RRon D.New Dad22h ago

This take is refreshing. The 'all screens are bad' argument is outdated. The CONTENT matters way more than the medium. Your kids learning from games is genuinely valuable.

CCliff B.Regularjust now

This take is only unpopular with people who don't actually watch what their kids are doing on screens. There's a massive difference between mindless TikTok scrolling and intentional gaming.

DDominic E.Regular12h ago

Okay but there's a difference between curated gaming (like your examples) and just scrolling YouTube shorts for 3 hours. Both are 'screen time' but one has actual engagement. That distinction matters.

RRyan M.New Dadjust now

This is unpopular but also pretty accurate. Gaming gets a bad rap when the real issue is BALANCE and what specific games they're playing. Stardew Valley teaching reading is actually awesome - that's the opposite of 'brain rot'.

RRuben A.New Dadjust now

Stardew Valley teaching reading is actually legit though. Kids motivated to understand something will learn WAY faster than forced reading programs. Your 10yo is basically hacking his own education.

MMike T.Regularjust now

Every generation had the same panic. 'TV will rot your brain' turned into 'video games will rot your brain.' Meanwhile your kids are literally learning literacy and logical thinking. The medium isn't the villain.

DDale A.Regularjust now

The key difference you're describing is ENGAGEMENT though right? Like they're choosing games that require problem-solving vs passive consumption. That's the actual variable that matters, not 'gaming' itself.

SSam P.Regularjust now

The Minecraft problem-solving thing is real and honestly underrated. Kids building elaborate systems are learning spatial reasoning and planning. Not the same as reading a book but it's not nothing.

MMike R.New Dadjust now

Don't let people shame you for this. Your kids are learning real skills through games. Just keep an eye on the balance (which you clearly are) and you're fine.

TTyler K.Regularjust now

The Minecraft problem-solving thing is real. My kids actually build complicated stuff and have to think through spatial reasoning and mechanics. Way more engaging than mindless screen time would be.