There is a large body of literature out there indicating that video games are bad for you and your kids. I don't buy into this false propaganda because there is so much more to video game playing than increased aggression, poor school performance and screen addiction. When played in moderation and with a purpose, video games can be wonderful tools for social interaction. It can be used as a tool to encourage interpersonal communication and bonding.

In our household, I am not allowed to play Mario Brothers by myself! Why? Because my wife enjoys a great interpersonal chat after work with me during our game playing. We have found that playing video games, like Mario Brothers or Donkey Kong, makes us less stressed, more focused, and definitely chatty and close! We play video games to keep our conversation up to date and our relationship strong. We have never felt addicted to video games. How do we know? Because we don't go into withdrawal after playing video games.

We don't feel more violent after playing video games, either. We might get "passionate" during the game but anger... No. Well, the former shouldn't come as a surprise because of the concept of catharsis, or what Webster's dictionary defines as -- the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. We definitely release our emotions when playing video games at night! By playing and conversing.

So, next time anybody tells you that you can't play video games because it will make you more violent, you reply back, no it won't. Video games are great for relationship building and communication. As long as it is played in moderation, I see no issues with having a great night of playing video games with your spouse or friends on a Friday evening. Video games can break the barriers of communication apprehension and perhaps make Friday so much more enjoyable, especially if you choose to spend quality screen time with your girlfriend or boyfriend.

I always look forward to playing video games with my wife at night. It can be quite therapeutic and an excellent way to engage in interpersonal communications with your mate and buddies. John Lennon once said, "give peace a chance." I would rather say, "Give video games a chance." I don't think you are going to regret it.