Panel Discussion: The Hidden Side of Video Games

Project Context and Problem Statement

Video games are among the most widespread forms of entertainment among teenagers, and they are often accused of being the single main cause of poor academic performance. But is that the whole truth?

To shed light on this issue, the club organized an innovative interactive presentation that goes beyond direct traditional advice and becomes a session of critical analysis and honest confrontation. The main goal is to understand the real relationship between games and academic achievement, and to raise awareness about dealing with the digital world rationally while avoiding the trap of addiction.

Presentation Methodology: The Interactive Panel Rule

The club president led this session in front of the audience using a truth-court style, according to strict and innovative rules that guarantee full transparency:

• Full truth rule: the participant is asked a question and must answer with complete honesty without avoiding it.
• Red card (for the moderator): raised when the moderator notices that a student is avoiding the answer or hiding part of the truth.
• Green card (for the moderator): raised as appreciation for the student’s courage when they admit a mistake or reveal an embarrassing truth with confidence.
• Black card (for the student): a challenge card raised by the student if they feel the moderator was unfair in using the red card.
• Audience judgment: when the black card is raised, the entire room intervenes to settle the dispute through a direct vote for or against the moderator’s decision, making the audience an essential interactive part of the discussion.

Models Participating in the Critical Analysis

To ensure a comprehensive and objective analysis, five students representing different realistic profiles from the school were selected:

• Balance model (Hicham Oussroud): a top student who plays video games in his free time, showing the audience that organization is the key.
• Confession and addiction model (Bilal Lakhal): a student who bravely admits that addiction had a direct negative effect on his school results.
• Recovery model (Soufiane Saqqar): a former addict currently on a recovery path, who replaced the virtual world with a concrete hobby to fill his free time.
• Positive isolation model (Meryem Bouaouda): a top student who does not know video games and has never heard the names of famous games, devoting her time to learning and modesty.
• Rule-breaking model: a student who does not play video games at all, yet still struggles academically, proving that games are not the only excuse for failure and that other factors can also cause academic difficulty.

Educational Goals and Session Summary

This interactive session broke common stereotypes. The audience understood that the problem is not video games themselves, but lack of awareness, poor time management and escaping from reality. The session achieved deep goals, including:

• Raising awareness about the risks of digital addiction and encouraging students to engage in real hobbies.
• Spreading a culture of dialogue, self-criticism and courage to admit mistakes as a first step toward treatment and correction.

Browse the Interactive Presentation

We invite you to discover the presentation prepared for this discussion session, which includes critical analysis axes and educational guidance, through the direct link:

Connection to the Sustainable Development Goals

This project supports:

• Good health and well-being: strengthening students’ mental health and protecting them from the harms of digital addiction.
• Quality education: addressing the causes of academic difficulty through innovative educational methods based on persuasion and direct interaction.