Re: “Our View: Esports shows that gaming can be more than idle activity” (Dec. 4):
Billy Dumond, 15, left, Titus Willey, 14, center, and Nathan Corey, 15, right, play Rocket League during an esports match at Temple Academy in Waterville in October. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
It is easy to agree with all the positive aspects of esports. They are a valuable addition to other activities, create camaraderie among students of different backgrounds and allow students to represent their school (just as students in Odyssey of the Mind do). Students use brain skills, and they also need “gym training, stretching, proper diet and sleep to prevent mental fatigue,” as the editorial notes.
All this is good, but how about being outside in the fresh air? I hope that “gym training” involves running and other cardiovascular activities, and I hope esports don’t contribute to a sedentary lifestyle and childhood obesity, which is 18.5 percent in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This winter, how about parents and kids going outside and build a snowman together?
Dinah Crader Johnson
Gorham
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