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The veteran politician said at a meeting in Temple Bar, Dublin, that gaming may prevent children from using their imaginations.
"We must encourage all citizens, particularly children, to, as Raymond Williams put it, 'Be the arrow, not the target'," he said.
"It is possible to form the impression that many of today's children no longer fully appreciate the joy of taking refuge in their own imaginations, preferring to spend their time on computer games, or watching digital television or playing with pre-programmed electronic toys."
Higgins's public remarks follow concerns raised in Westminster by anti-games campaigner and Labour MP Keith Vaz, who claims that there is a link between playing violent games and real-life crime.
Michael D Higgins was sworn in as the ninth president of Ireland on November 11.
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