Are Books Better than Video Games?

2/5/24

By: Laura Chupp

You might have just settled down to play your favorite video game. Wait, did you realize this could ruin your life? Now look at the books on the shelf. These actually can help you lead a better life. I think books are a better choice than video games. I think this because books can make you more healthy, video games are addictive, and video games are more expensive.

This is the safer choice: a book

My first reason is that books can make you more healthy. It’s true. WebMD, a website some doctors use, says, “Reading books can offer many benefits for your overall health.”

This is true. Too much gaming, however, can increase your chance of a heart attack by 114%. Some students interviewed said they spend about six hours on video games a day! Now tell me, does playing video games sound as good as curling up with a book?

My second reason is that video games are addictive. If you disagree, did you know the fact is that over 60,000,000 people are addicted to video games? That is the truth. Are you among that number? If you are, here are 3 ways to stop:

Slowly reduce the amount of time you spend playing video games by around 15 min each time.
Keep yourself busy with other activities that are good for you. Things like exercising, reading, and taking a walk are all good ways to pull you away.
Don’t get more video games. The more you get, the more you will want to play.

Overall, these three tips should help you stop. Also, the most addictive video games are the ones that don’t end.

My third and final reason is that video games are more expensive. The average modern video game costs around $70.00. Whereas the average book costs around $18.00 . If you look at that, books cost around $52.00 less. It may seem funny to look at a video game for its price but a serious middle school gamer usually has around 15 video games. If you do the math, it adds up to paying around $1,050. That’s a lot to pay for something that harms you.

This is what you're wasting.

Overall, books are a much better way to spend your time. Not only are they fun, but they also make you a better person. So today when you have free time, read a book instead of hopping on the couch to play video games. Remember, if you think you might be addicted to video games, use the three strategies suggested above.

Authors Bio:

Laura is a 6th grader who loves to read and write. She has two siblings and a sweet puppy named Mabel. Her favorite subjects are ELA and Journalism.