Are video games bad for your kids? Not so much, experts now believe

Ask any parent how they feel about their kids' video gaming and you'll almost certainly hear concerns about all the hours spent in a virtual world and the possibility of antisocial or even violent behavior. But are these concerns valid? My teenage son is a gamer -- bigly -- and I've wrestled with how proactive I should be in monitoring an activity he's clearly passionate about. Research on the subject is all over the map, from those who say gaming is a benign part of young people's lifestyles to those who see it as a gateway to the next Columbine. The U.S. video game industry generated more than $30 billion in revenue last year, according the Entertainment Software Assn. Two-thirds of U.S. households have at least one member who plays three or more hours a week.