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Douglas A. Gentile. The effects of video games on children: what parents need to
know. Pediatrics for Parents, June, 2004. January 3, 2007.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0816/is_6_21/ai_n9772319

Among elementary and middle-school populations, girls play for an average of about 5.5 hours/week and boys average 13 hours/week
~How much time do these kids spend reading or being outside?

Preschoolers aged two to five play an average of 28 minutes/day. The amount of time spent playing video games is increasing, but not at the expense of television viewing which has remained stable at about 24 hours/week.
~Is television viewing affecting kids as much as video game playing?

In a study with college students, playing a golf video game improved students' actual control of force when putting, even though the video game gave no bodily feedback on actual putting movement or force. There have even been studies with adults showing that experience with video games is related to better surgical skills. Research also suggests that people can learn iconic, spatial, and visual attention skills from video games.
~Is the negative effects of video games overpowering the positive effects?

Research has documented negative effects of video games on children's physical health, including obesity, video-induced seizures. and postural, muscular and skeletal disorders, such as tendonitis, nerve compression, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

A majority of 4th to 8th grade children prefer violent games

Playing a violent game for hours every day could decrease school performance, increase aggressive behaviors, and improve visual attention skills.