Eli is 12 and loves video games. He plays every day—sometimes for hours. It started out as fun, but lately, he’s been skipping homework, ignoring messages from friends, and staying up way too late. His parents are worried. His grades are slipping. Even Eli knows he feels tired and irritable all the time—but when he tries to take a break, he just ends up back at the screen. It’s the one place where he feels in control. Where he’s good at something. But at what cost?
From Gaming to Learning
Jordan is 13 and loves playing strategy and simulation games. Games like Civilization and Assassin’s Creed have sparked his interest in history more than any textbook ever has. He even started researching real events and cultures after playing. But when Jordan tells his teacher he learned something from a game, she frowns. "Games aren’t real education,” she says. “You need to focus on more reliable sources.” Jordan’s confused. He knows games aren’t always 100% accurate—but they made him care about learning in a way school never did. He starts to wonder: Is it wrong to trust what he learns from a game? Should he stop relying on them, even if they inspire him?