OPINION: The administration is right about the new gaming policy

By Hadley Cress ‘27

Courtesy of Ila Reynolds-Kienbaum.

Throughout our time at Catlin Gabel School (CGS), most of us have witnessed or been a part of a group of students sitting together, completely absorbed in their phones. It’s sad to see how dependent we are as a community on technology, and the amount of community building that is lost by our inability to separate ourselves from our screens.

It is difficult to create an environment that is open, with strong connections, when students are so sucked into their phones playing video games instead of socializing with their peers, and a defining part of CGS as a school is its community.

While gaming is largely recognized as a distraction to learning, there are other negative impacts as well. Studies have shown that excessive playing of violent video games can lead to a numbness towards violence and an increase in violent activity. 

In addition to violence, gaming can lead to isolation and prevent students from socializing, as well as impairing self-control through its effects on your brain, and much more. Although these effects are not necessarily present all of the time, it's important to recognize the possible impacts.

Online video games use addictive algorithms to suck you in, and so you spend more of your time gaming. Due to these algorithms, it can be difficult for people to manage their time spent gaming. People can easily get sucked into a game and forget about their other responsibilities.

In addition to the ones mentioned above, excessive gaming can lead to sleep loss, lower grades, and even weight gain, according to Healthy Kids Zone at the University of Utah.

Although not all of these issues will affect students, it is important to understand why gaming isn’t just a fun activity on the side. 

To help guide students to make better use of their time in school, the administration has implemented a new gaming policy. The rule states, “there is no recreational computer or video gaming allowed anywhere on campus between 8:00-4:00 pm.”

By implementing a policy to help limit the amount of gaming students participate in, the school works to minimize the harmful effects that come with it. This policy will help students learn to be productive and manage their time outside of video games.

School is not the place for video games because it prevents students from focusing on their work and socializing with their friends without technology. School is a place to step away from gaming, as said by John Harnetiaux, the Upper School Dean of Students, “The purpose of coming to school is to be with people.” 

By limiting gaming in school, CGS is helping to prevent the isolation and lack of self-control that come with gaming and encouraging students to find new ways to connect with the people around them, like the games in Alexis Doling’s office.

Despite all the negative aspects of gaming, it can still provide students with positive social benefits and an opportunity to work on their problem-solving skills. “There are some really cool games out there that are highly collaborative, that are really good problem solving, that are pro-social,” said Harnetiaux when talking about gaming. 

Gaming can give students an opportunity to relax after long and stressful school days. Some games encourage socializing between students and can help students learn problem-solving skills.

“Why do I play games? Because it’s a good bonding experience with my friends,” said an anonymous student. 

School is a place where most people spend their free time with their friends; it’s easy to want to use it as a time to play video games in person with them. The student argued that gaming in school allowed him to socialize with his friend more than gaming outside of school because they can see their friends in person. 

To encourage students to keep the benefits of gaming while also preventing an excessive amount in school, two new clubs have been created: The Gaming Club that meets once a week during Co-Cu led by Winston Ray, and CGS E-Sports, which meets on Saturday evenings online led by Gus Hobbs and Boone Wilcox.

While the social aspects of gaming are helpful for student connection, there are many other ways students can socialize with peers outside of technology. For example, they can play a sport or a board game offered in Doling’s office.

In addition, playing video games outside of school will allow students to gain problem-solving skills that can benefit them, while also reaping the benefits of school without distractions. Allowing students to have time away from online video games allows them to avoid the downsides while also giving them time outside of school to reap the benefits.

The new CGS policy is not meant to say all gaming is bad; instead, the policy is meant to help students step away from video games when in a school environment. 

Without gaming, students are able to socialize in person with their friends and connect with their teachers in new ways. By limiting gaming, students can focus on their work and grow as students instead of being sucked into screens. 

Hopefully, the gaming ban will help to strengthen the community bonds in CGS and allow students to find new ways to have fun with their friends outside of technology.