“I learned many skills from playing video games. It's more interactive than watching TV because there are problems to solve when you use your brain. This quote was said by the famous American athlete Shaun White. (Quote 1) Video games emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (Story 1) Later, companies such as Sony and Nintendo released larger and better consoles. “Sixty-three percent of parents believe that games are a positive element in their children’s lives.” (GCP 1) Although video games can promote violence and make adolescents lazy, video games are beneficial for adolescents because they help reduce stress and anxiety, they provide a fun way to learn, and they make exercise more attractive. First, video games are beneficial for adolescents because they help reduce stress and anxiety. Video games help reduce stress by giving ordinary people an escape from reality. In an online reality show called “Chore Wars,” the missions you have to complete revolve around the cleaning tasks you would see every day. (Real 1) For example, escaping reality even for a short time, you can release stress by killing bad guys in "World of Warcraft" or focusing on different angles to complete daily tasks. Video games can also help reduce anxiety by taking a different approach to problems people face throughout their lives. Alternate realities can help people when they get sick or injured by helping them stay optimistic and set real goals to achieve. (Real 2) Real worlds can also help a person build a barrier of support by inviting them to play a game instead of directly asking for help. (Real 3) Since the inception of games, many different genres have appeared, including f...... middle of paper ......The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond beyond: the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world. Roseville, CA: Prima Pub., 2001. Print. McGonigal, Jane. Reality is broken: why games make us better and how they can change the world. New York: Penguin, 2011. Print.News, ABC. “The benefits of video games.” ABC News. ABC News Network, December 26, 2011. Web. April 26, 2014. Rigby, Scott and Richard M. Ryan. Glued to games: how video games attract us and keep us in suspense. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print. Wilson, Lee. “Video games are useful educational tools.” Media violence. Ed. David M. Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Views. Rep. excerpt from “Being Wrong: Defeating Myths About Video Games”. Technology and Learning (September 15, 2007). Opposing viewpoints in context. Internet. April 25. 2014.