Staff Reports
In a new episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, host Megyn Kelly sat down with Dr. Leonard Sax, physician and author of Boys Adrift, to make a blunt claim: video games are helping to hollow out boys’ ambition. It’s not just a talk-show hot take. Dr. Sax points to patterns kids are falling into — too much gaming, weaker school drive, and a culture that rewards instant wins over hard work. Here’s why parents should pay attention and act like adults, not app stores.
Video games, boys, and the ambition gap
Dr. Leonard Sax argued on the Megyn Kelly Show that heavy gaming contributes to lower life planning and poorer school effort among many boys. Clinical groups take the issue seriously: the World Health Organization added “gaming disorder” to ICD‑11, and the American Academy of Pediatrics now urges families to manage digital use with a Family Media Use Plan. Research shows strong links between excessive gaming and worse grades, less sleep, and more depression or inattention in some teens — especially boys, who play much more than girls. That does not prove every boy who picks up a controller is doomed, but it does show a real risk when gaming becomes the center of life.
Parents need to set limits — and mean it
Here’s the plain truth: if you let a device run the household, the device wins. The AAP recommends parental controls, clear limits, and screening for problematic use — not vague lectures about “too much screen time” while Mom and Dad scroll away. Time limits, chores, sports, part‑time work, and real face‑to‑face friendships push kids toward delayed rewards and grit. Tech companies design games to be addictive; parents must design boundaries to build character. Yes, it takes work. Raising responsible young men is supposed to.
Not every game is the enemy
Before the panic button gets smashed, admit a nuance: some games can sharpen attention, teach strategy, and build teamwork. Studies show modest cognitive benefits from certain game types and that social play can be positive. The key word is “problematic.” Balanced, supervised play is different from compulsive, all-night sessions that displace homework, sleep, and social life. If you want citizens who can plan, save, work hard, and marry those savings into a house someday, don’t confuse entertainment with education — and don’t outsource parenting to an algorithm.
A simple call to action
Dr. Sax’s warnings on the Megyn Kelly Show should be a wake-up call to parents, schools, and community leaders. Start with a Family Media Use Plan, enforce chores and schoolwork before play, and insist on sleep and real conversations. Schools and pediatricians can screen for gaming disorder and give concrete help when gaming is a problem. If conservatives care about ambition, family, and future prosperity, protecting boys from the hollowing effects of excessive gaming is low-hanging fruit. Turn off the console sometimes — it won’t break the internet, but it just might save a kid’s future.
