Go out, socialize with other kids, experience a broader variety of things, grow up. I'm now absolutely certain my using video games as an excuse to stay inside as a teenager and young adult severely delayed my emotional and social growth. I was always a rather solitary kid but there was no merit in reinforcing those habits.

Few things are as useless as watching TV and playing video games. Especially when you're young, the world is your oyster, you should hang out with friends and do things in the real world.

Yes, playing video games occasionally with friends or watching the odd film can be good things but that's obviously not what we're talking about here.

I'm very happy most of my childhood memories revolve around tree houses, bicycles and gangs of friends roaming the streets.

Spot on. I wish I “played” in my 20’s by starting side businesses in real life rather than ones that only exist on a tiny piece of silicon.