游戏只是游戏吗？

电脑游戏可能很有意思，不过玩电脑游戏对你有好处吗？有些人担心过度玩电脑游戏可能会影响健康。不过也有一些调查数据显示，适量的玩电脑游戏也有一定益处。

Are you addicted to computer games? Do you stay up all night playing them? There's no doubt that the excitement and sophistication of games these days makes them hard to put down. But should we worry about their effects on our health?

We are spoilt for choice when it comes to gaming: You can role play – creating your own fantasy characters and stories, giving you a chance to step out of everyday life into an imaginary world. And there are shooting games where you can let out your anger and frustration in violent situations where you kill people with guns.

Can these kinds of games really be fun and can being absorbed in virtual reality be good for us? Popular games like Grand Theft Auto have been blamed for everything from falling results at school to provoking acts of extreme violence. Internet safety advisor, Alan MacKenzie, thinks "many people understandably will just think that a game is just a game and not realising the explicit content that's in there".  He gives an example of the violence and sexualisation of women which he says is "wholly inappropriate for anybody, never mind children."

Others will argue that gaming is a harmless form of entertainment. There is evidence that playing video games could actually be good for us. Some games are educational and using games consoles can help children learn good dexterity. Studies have also shown that the skills used in playing games can cause growth in certain areas of the brain, the ability to think in 3D and even improve our eyesight.

Video gamers are also no longer just solitary creatures. For some, gaming is having a positive effect on their social lives with games like Halo and World of Warcraft often being played in groups. When your group works together to win the game, your sense of achievement is higher than when winning by yourself. So it seems today, gaming isn't just for geeks and if used in moderation we can all take part. What video games do you play and how do they make you feel?