Gaming hampering people's lives?

[ilnadmy]

So this is completely and unabashedly off-topic, but it's an interesting discussion.

My parents recently saw a TV spot about game addiction and ever since have been bothering me about it. Specifically, they want me to cut gaming completely out of my life.

Anyway, that's not the issue, because we all know that's never going to happen. The issue here is, is gaming a waste of time that could better be used in some other capacity? I mean sure you can make the argument that instead of watching TV or going out you play games, so instead of wasting time one way you have another. But when you go out, you increase your social circle and meet new people, and when you watch TV you can catch up on news and current events.

A while back my Alienware broke down, and I was, for all intents and purposes, without games for a good three weeks. I did a lot more reading, I would go the gym more often, and basically I didn't have that gaming distraction effect. When I got it back, I still went to the gym and read books and all, but there was always this voice in my head that kept nagging me to go and play. While I was working I would be tempted to take "short" gaming breaks.

I don't play much anymore - around 2-3 hours a day, and even though I used to play a lot more, I still sometimes think that instead of gaming I could be reading, practicing the piano, working on my French, or just basically doing something else with a more real-world application.

There's this YouTube video about a guy who plays WoW 16 hours a day, seven days a week. It's his addiction, basically. While I realize that I'm nowhere near the level of obsession that that particular guy has with gaming, I still can't help but think that I might be a little like him in some respects.

I know this post is borderline rambling, but I know I'm not the only one who's looked at himself in the mirror and wondered whether or not games are really worth it. Don't get me wrong, I love gaming, and I'm not going to stop anytime soon. My question is, though, what do you guys think about this topic? Have you had similar thoughts? Do you have ways in which you manage your game time? Do you think gaming takes up way too much of your time? Would it be better spent elsewhere?

Anyway, I think I've said all I have to say, so I'll turn it over to you.

[Dancer O_o]

gaming has:

improved my hand-eye coordination
improved my memory
improved my patience
improved my problem solving skills
Improved my attention to detail

I game about 2 to 3 hours a night, sometimes more. I usually lift weights while gaming, play 3 minutes hit pause, do a set, rinse and repeat until done (takes about 2 to 3 hours to finish the workout), take a shower and continue gaming until tired, go to bed, wake up refreshed. I have done this same routine for 4 years 3 to 4 nights a week and it has worked out well as I am in super good shape. I used to just sit there and game 6 hours a night for years, got about 20 pounds heavier than I'd like because of that, but that was long ago. There are a lot worse things a person could waste their time and money doing.

Good post

[Bane]

You hit a nerve with this one.I think about this all the time actually.I remember a few months back i played wow for 2 months straight an average of 10 hours a day and to be honest it made me depressed and moody and totally made me feel like i was wasting my life away on it.I actually web browse more now then i game but when i get into something i can still go for 12 hour sessions from time to time.Might be alittle easier for me though as the city i live in is boring and never anything to do and considering were pretty much snow covered 6 months out of the year i cant exactley take strolls on the beach when i want.This is the biggest reason why i use to stay away from MMORPG games and stick primarly with FPS games just for the simple fact i can play an FPS for an hour or two and get alot accomplished in that time.With MMORPG games it takes you 2 hours just to start getting into it.Yes some people take it way to far ive heard of doctors losing there jobs over everquest.My last job i had before they went under i missed one day in 11 years there and i didnt miss it because i was sick i missed it to finish zelda ocarina of time back in that time span i was really bad.Then came NWN i payed that 8 hours a day and was working 10 hours and getting 3-4 hours a sleep then going through the same cycle day after day for a year so ya i wasted a huge chunk of my life gaming.If my PC breaks ill play my PS 1 but i still feel lost not having my PC.But ive accepted this as a part of who i am.Im sure if i lived in a warmer cliimate i wouldnt be this reliant on entertainment.As far as exersize it would be pretty hard for me to do that considering my job im hauling around 200+ pound swing frames all day actually keeps me in good shape and im dead tired when i get home and the last thing on my mind is hitting a gym.I lift more weight at work then i ever could at a gym anyways

[trebor]

My life is hampering my gaming, to be honest.

Maybe it's just that I'm older and have more responsibilty and stress at my work, but there are many nights where I don't even feel like gaming. In fact, I've gone through multiple week stretches without even turning a console/handheld on. For the last week or so, I've been playing maybe 1 - 1.5 hours a night, but there are other nights where I simply just don't want to engage in anything and prefer the television to shoot images into my eyeballs.

[T.Tashi]

Buddha would say moderation in all things. Too much of anything can be bad for you. Like the woman who drank all those gallons of water in that stupid radio contest. It killed her.

But I would say in addition to playing games, there's about a million other things people do that they absolutely don't need. My dad's a gamer.... at the casino! Does he need to go? Nope. But he's retired, he enjoys it and he goes in moderation. So, no big deal. But plenty other people take their whole check to the casino and lose it. And that happens pretty regularly.

I hate the news. And I work at a newspaper. But particularly TV news with their sound bytes and fad topics. They seem to pull videogames, myspace, herbal supplements and a handful of other crap for recycling on slow news days and tout how bad these things are for you. For your parents I would suggest other sources of information. TV is not it. So because of one news report, it's not time to circle the wagons.

Personally for me the variety in life is what makes games fun. After work... or even pulling out the PSP or DS when it gets slow at work makes it more enjoyable. If I could play play games 24 hours a day, I'd probably get really sick of it. Dancer and I have similar playing times. 2-3 hours a night is about right. Longer on the weekend. I have a lot of other interests too. I just got into filmmaking. And right now I'd rather do that than gaming, if I had to make a choice.

I will say though when I first started playing WoW it was easy to fire it up at midnight when I got home, and suddenly the sun is coming up. Then Im draggin' around drinking caffeine most of the day. I had to get a grip on that really quick. There is some stuff Blizzard designed specifically to make the game a bigger timesink than it has to be. You shouldn't have to kill 2 dozen mobs to get 1 or 2 item drops.

Well I'm off to get some gaterade and do a workout. :thumbsup:

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I always try to balance all the unimportant stuff that's going on, whether it's gaming, watching tv, listening to women babble on about absolutely nothing while at work, sports (wait, that's important) or whatever. I make sure that gaming isn't taking time from something else that's more enjoyable, even if it's something as simple as getting out of the house for no real reason. I see gaming as a release after a day at work (though not everyday) and/or as another form of entertainment, but not as entertaining as cutting the grass. :D

I think I'm past the point where gaming can hamper important stuff in my life.

[PapaSmurf]

I'm pretty sure I'm the youngest one here. For me it's the complete opposite or at least it was until up to a very short time ago. I was always trying to just find time to game. In high school I was doing two sports and that took up most of my time (football in high school is basically a year round sport and track just complements it). I remember the summer before my senior year in high school I would wake up at around 8 or 9 in the morning to get some FFXI in and than at 12 I was already off to football practice and when I got home I was too tired or wanted to go out. After high school I went to the Naval Academy for the first year and a half of higher ed and I had NO time whatsover for gaming. Between sports practice there, school, and military I couldn't even do something I love the most.

Now I'm at a regular college being a regular person for the first time in my life and I still don't get as much gaming in as I would like. Sometimes when I'm bored surfing the internet I think I could be gaming, but then my mind won't allow me to if I know I have to study for a test or get a paper done. This whole thing is definitely the other way around for me. I'm still trying to get more gaming for the make up gaming I missed in Navy and in High School. Christmas and Spring breaks are marvelous times for gaming for me and during those times it's hard to get me off the couch. It's true that if you haven't done something in a while you do it nonstop when you first get back into it.

Also gaming of all things that are out there to take up your time is better than just mindless MTV shows or going out and getting high. Some people want to hate that I'd rather stay in on Friday night in college and have a good GRAW session than go and get drunk. I guess it's peer pressure or whatever.

Eh my post is turning into a rant but the bottom line is I still don't get enough gaming!!!

[Mochan]

Two things:

1. Like trebor and Papa, life gets in the way of my gaming, usually not the other way around. Today I'm busier and I have to divide time between work, social life, etc. so I have less time to gaming. In addition my physical condition is no longer as good as it was 10 years ago. 10 years ago I could game 12 hours straight (or more) without breaking my concentration, only needing to take a break to eat and piss. Now I tend to lose focus or get tired or have a headache if I game for too long so my gaming time is limited.

2. Now the question is did my condition worse due to gaming? Or did gaming give me benefits? This will answer the question of whether there is better stuff to do than gaming. I don't watch TV. Instead of that, I game, I surf, and I watch anime. Before I still used to watch Discovery Channel or natGeo. Now I no longer have time for that, so I truly did cut out all my TV viewing from my life. Is the tradeoff, gaming (and anime) better? Nat Geo and stuff let me learn and dip my toes into a pool of knowledge. A far cry from hard reading but it gave me a good starter set of knowledge on a vast variety of subjects.

How does gaming do better than this? Gaming doesn't seem to have improved my memory -- my memory still sucks to this very day and age. Puzzles that require memorization, like those pattern puzzles in Wild Arms 2, made me squeel in agony and I had to write the patterns down instead of commit them to memory. Embarassing.

Did gaming improve my hand eye coordination? Maybe, but I am wondering why I am no longer as good in CS today as I was 10 years ago. Did gaming really improve my hand eye coordination?

Things like that have me thinking. Or is it that my lack of exercise and not keeping my body in shape have taken a toll on my brain, making it harder for me to do things, and gaming is not a relevant factor to the equation other than depriving me of exercise time?

It seems my patience has suffered, too. Before 20 years ago I could play levels over and over til I gained tons of skill, but now if I fail I fail (still can't finish DMC) and it's not uncommon for me to hack my games to get tons of cash instantly rather than build them up the hard way. Is htis the fault of gaming, or are other things that come into my life stress me so I feel "hurried" and "rushed" in games that I can't sit down and enjoythem as much, and instead have to get quick results?

I think though that gaming helps me with my critical thinking skills -- I may have lost my patience and stuff but problem-solving and attention to detail are still there, my critical faculty is still as good as it ever was. This skill though DOES get exercised every time I post on these baord and when I watch anime.

So does that mean gaming doesn't really benefit or lose me that much? My other activities seem to govern my skills -- critical faculty is aided by the fact that I watch anime and post on message boards. My weaker hand-eye coordination, memory, and endurance etc. seem to be more the result of not exercising and not living a healthy lifestyle rather than gaming.

So yes, it seems gaming might really indeed be a "not so beneficial" endeavor in terms of pure utility. I have indeed spent time pondering these things il (like I said my Critical Faculty is as sharp as ever). I don't have any real best practices while gaming but I do have a view on how gaming affects our lives. Gaming may indeed offer a great deal of entertainment and allow me to live a more colorful life, but I think ilnadmy is correct in asserting that it does not really give the same kind of benefits I would have gotten had I done any of these activities:

1. Practiced jamming on my guitar
2. Spent time writing more fiction
3. Exercise
4. Cook
5. Read more books (though arguably I do read anime)
6. Concentrate studying Japanese
7. Learn martial arts
8. Take up masteral and doctoral degrees
9. Develop my mental and spiritual powers

But while I do realize this, I don't particularly regret focusing on gaming. This is me, this is who I am, and I am enjoying it, I am living the way I want to. I could be better, sure, maybe I could improve my total person if I focused on some of these other activities, and in the long run the time investment might result in a more fulfilled life, but I don't care, I feel that I'm perfectly happy gaming my life away to be honest and if I end up regretting it at the end of this life then I'll use the next life to do things differently.

[Tappy_Tibbons]

I would say any sort of game with a persistant online world could be destructive to daily REAL life, hence, I've never touched any MMO game.

[Pandarbock]

My life is hampering my gaming, to be honest.

Maybe it's just that I'm older and have more responsibilty and stress at my work, but there are many nights where I don't even feel like gaming. In fact, I've gone through multiple week stretches without even turning a console/handheld on. For the last week or so, I've been playing maybe 1 - 1.5 hours a night, but there are other nights where I simply just don't want to engage in anything and prefer the television to shoot images into my eyeballs.


By god I have to say that I have this same problem often, I had thought maybe I had just got to lazy to game even but it is probably most likely that after 15+ years of gaming I really am not as much into it as I used to be and really just buy games that collect dust in hopes of recapturing the manificent feeling I used to have while gaming (snes days).

[ilnadmy]

Alright, so how about this: do you feel you could have been more successful in life if you didn't game as much? Bane mentioned doctors losing their job over EverQuest, so it's not out of the question that games sometimes take over people's imaginations. If you had spent your gaming time reading, or going out, or doing something else, then maybe it could, in the long run, lead to more success for you. That's the one thing bugging me really. I'm still young, so I sometimes feel like I could be better spending my time.

I don't regret the time I spend gaming, and I've already started cutting down on my gaming and inserting other things to fill that void, but still I feel like maybe this is a waste of time.

Meh I'm probably just rambling on now, but it is something to consider.

[Pandarbock]

I would say any sort of game with a persistant online world could be destructive to daily REAL life, hence, I've never touched any MMO game.


Yeah mmo's are evil in its purest form (I am looking at you FFXI). Never start one if you never have and you will live a much better gaming life. I mean you kill stuff for a month only to get some godly peice of gear and then after you buy it, it becomes obsolete or drops in price 1-2 million (insert money units here) and becomes worthless, so you either quit the game like a normal person would, or start over in the same process to get that new peice that was introduce in the last expansion or update so that you can feel like it is ok to level again and not get laughed at.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

Dude 2 to 3 hours EVERYDAY?! That's still a lot I'm lucky if I get 6 to 8 hrs a week. Sometimes one game comes along and I get totally sucked up in it till I finish (God of War 2) but after that I usually settle down and may not play for a couple of days.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

I agree a lot with what Trebor said. I remember back during the XBOX days I had much more time to game. While I've never been able to game 10hours straight, I would game 3-4 hours on my off days and 1-2 hours on days I worked. I was on XBOX LIVE. Now with the 360 I rarely go on LIVE. Some days I never game. And when I do, it is short 1-2 hour burst.

But it seems like society in general has changed. There is a like an impending doom hanging over our heads. Just a few years ago I had this sense that everything was cool in my life, I had a good job, good family, house, I wasn't concerned I felt my future was on track. Now there are lay-offs left and right, global warming, the war, and I just feel unsecure, despite the fact NOTHING in my life has personally changed! But it has made me feel my job is not good enough, I need more education(hence I am wrapping up my grad degree), I sold my house to capitalize on the housing market and put the huge gain in investments for the future, and I just feel this sense of urgency to start putting away nuts like a squirrel. So every minute I spend gaming comes with some sense of guilt sometimes.

But then I calm down and put it into perspective. Gaming is like the last thing I do in my day or if i'm studying i'll take a break by gaming. But on a typical day its Family, Job, School, Exercise, Guitar, Movies, and then finally comes gaming. And after all of that I am gleeful that the kids are in bed everything is quiet and I can just relax by playing a game.

I do think kids, teens, and young adults have to be careful though. There is no way I allow my kids to game for hours, in fact, they can't, they get bored with gaming after about an hour, simply because it is abnormal for them. But kids and young people now are in my opinion WASTING their lives gaming. I played videogames starting with Atari, Intellivision, NES and Coin-op arcade games when I was a kid. But that was the last thing we did! Plus many times there was only 1 tv in the house or in neighbor's house, so the parents kicked you out the living room. But we preferred playing football, basketball, riding bikes, skateboarding. As a teen I basically stopped playing videogames. I picked it back up as a young adult, but then still playing sports and partying and socializing took precedence. When I hear about or see 20 years olds sitting in their dorm playing videogames, that is sad to me, I feel sorry for those young people it seems they are missing out on what should be the most exciting part of their lives.

But in the grand scheme, gaming is just a form of relaxation. Some people sit around watching Oprah and the View and ET and American Idol,they relax by watching stupid entertainment TV. Others watch ballgames all day, some gamble, some go out and party. I think whatever you do to relax is cool, but if you are addicted to it, no matter what it is, it is bad, and gaming is no different. I would say anybody who is watching TV or Drinking, gambling, and gaming for 10 hours! That person is addicted and should get some help. I'm not attacking those people like Bane, but saying you have an addiction that is serious.

[GameLegend]

In the last month, i have gamed for more than 30 minutes, no joke.
Games have in the past hampered my grades.

Its gone soo low, that my only gaming session is when people call me up. The moment someone calls me and i know this is going to be a long one, u can sure as bet I'm playing a Silicon Knights or some other random game on my computer.

I mean, i did have that one day in the first week of march, i played for one hour, but i havent seriously gamed since christmas.
And i tell u guys i miss it a lot. I dont even post here often anymore. But i always make time to catch up gaming news for some reason.

[GameLegend]

Oh and TV wise...
I watch Robot Chicken on Teletoon every weeknight at 10pm (thats when i eat my dinner)
For those who dont know robot chicken is this show thats about 10 minutes long.
Thats about it for TV.

Robot Chicken 10 min ep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ls8qNqj7fQ

[ilnadmy]

Yeah TMG that's the sort of thinking I have right now. I figure that my time could be much better spent doing things other than gaming, but it's become part of my daily routine so I'm trying to work on that. It's got to the point where I plan it into my day, i.e. I'll get back home at 6, read a book for an hour or so, have dinner, then game for 2 hours before going to sleep. The problem is, when I don't play games, I just sit around for 2 hours watching TV or surfing the net.

Not only that, but our generation has come to see games as a regular thing that you incorporate into your life on a regular basis: all my friends play games regularly, and with my younger brother and his friends it's even worse.

I also think that saying games improve this or that part of my life is bull. Games are fun; you don't play games with the aim of improving your hand-eye coordination or problem solving skills. Saying that you do is just kidding yourself. Maybe it's something you gain on the side, but it's nowhere near a significant gain.

[Gadfly2317]

My life is hampering my gaming, to be honest.

Maybe it's just that I'm older and have more responsibilty and stress at my work, but there are many nights where I don't even feel like gaming. In fact, I've gone through multiple week stretches without even turning a console/handheld on. For the last week or so, I've been playing maybe 1 - 1.5 hours a night, but there are other nights where I simply just don't want to engage in anything and prefer the television to shoot images into my eyeballs.

Yeah, what Trebor said. Gaming is a valid hobby, but my life has so many demands I don't get to game what I'd like.

Really, I feel like my posting at Sys Wars is more a problem than my gaming. I could be sneaking in another paragraph on the Great American Novel with every post I dribble in here with at work.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

I personally wouldn't consider gaming a waste of time. It's a hobby you enjoy as long as it isn't becoming detriemental to your life,finances,relationships etc. It's O.K.

Everyone times is limited and life is finite. So if you enjoy something enjoy don't go read a book because you feel I should be doing this instead of gaming. If playing games bring you a form of entertainment or whatever that you don't get anywhere I don't see the problem. I personally have other hobbies but I've been known to not go out and stay home and crack into a new game. I don't see one thing neccessarily being better than the other.

Now I'm not going to miss my daughter cheer to stay home and play games but you get the picture.






I think:confused:

[Dancer O_o]

I also think that saying games improve this or that part of my life is bull. Games are fun; you don't play games with the aim of improving your hand-eye coordination or problem solving skills. Saying that you do is just kidding yourself. Maybe it's something you gain on the side, but it's nowhere near a significant gain.

I never claimed to play games as a way of improving anything, that's just the way it worked out FOR ME. You can talk directly to me you know.

[Dancer O_o]

Oh and TV wise...
I watch Robot Chicken on Teletoon every weeknight at 10pm (thats when i eat my dinner)
For those who dont know robot chicken is this show thats about 10 minutes long.
Thats about it for TV.

Robot Chicken 10 min ep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ls8qNqj7fQ

I love Robot Chicken, but lately their episodes have been lacking a bit

[Glockstar]

My parents recently saw a TV spot about game addiction and ever since have been bothering me about it. Specifically, they want me to cut gaming completely out of my life.

I get that from family and friends too. It's like gaming still has that stigma... that it's just for kids and whatnot.

My reaction is that I could be doing a lot worse things. Like going out to the bar. Yeah, I guess it'd be a more sociable thing to do, but it's also got to be one of the most irresponsible things I could do. Money and gas issues aside, to drink and drive is... retarded.

There are other things I could do besides imbibe alcohol... but everything costs money. And by my calculations video games give you the most bang for your buck; gaming is the most efficient form of entertainment there is - monetarily speaking.

One thing in their favor tho' is that I haven't done a good job of balancing. Then again, I rarely do. In anything. Ever. I am an obsessive-compulsive spazoid with ADD. Whatever it is I get into, I really get into. I've been into working out. Yes, it's a lot healthier than gaming, but I thought it was also more expensive and time consuming. Again, it's about balancing. And not obsessing. That's what I need to work on.

-

gaming has:

improved my hand-eye coordination
improved my memory
improved my patience
improved my problem solving skills
Improved my attention to detail

Gaming has definitely improved my hand-eye coordination - things fall and, out of the corner of my eye, I'll snatch them out of the air. I got superhero-like reflexes, I swear. Actually, it's more like super-villain reflexes. Because everything else has gone down the dumpits. Memory; patience; temperment... I've gained a lot of weight and gotten out of shape... And I find that my view of reality gets slightly altered after some gaming sessions too. Like driving games effect how I drive in real life. (Of course, I've always been impressionable like that.) Going back to the other things tho', it's probably nothing that a little exercise wouldn't fix. I realize that. But I'm still at point where I don't have time for exercise because it would cut into my gametime. My priorities are a bit out of whack, I'll admit. Like I said, I obsess too much and have no balance.

But if I did have balance, would I have the reflexes - the hand-eye coordination - that I have now?

-

*snip*

Good post, TMG.

-

Really, I feel like my posting at Sys Wars is more a problem than my gaming. I could be sneaking in another paragraph on the Great American Novel with every post I dribble in here with at work.

System Wars, yes - that's a problem too!

[ilnadmy]

I never claimed to play games as a way of improving anything, that's just the way it worked out FOR ME. You can talk directly to me you know.
I wasn't actually responding to you. :eek: Just in general, I've heard people (friends and acquaintances) say that gaming is fine as long as you get something out of it. I'm saying that's just being delusional.

Sorry if it seemed like I was responding to you, but I wasn't.

[ilnadmy]

So if you enjoy something enjoy don't go read a book because you feel I should be doing this instead of gaming.

But what I'm saying is, if you were to spend more time reading - not just any old book, but calculated topics to do with your chosen direction in life - then in the long run would that be time better spent? If you were to go out and meet new people and create new circles of friends, wouldn't that, in the long run, be a better use of your time? Nothing that leads to success is going to be "fun", so gaming is a way to occupy that time where you could be doing something that's not fun. However, were you to force yourself out of that routine and to do something that is less fun but more practical, would that be a better idea?

I've recently started doing that - consciously cutting down on my game time and replacing it with things such as reading and practicing the piano. I just finished a book today that I've put on hold for a good 2 months, and I only started rereading it yesterday. I then picked up another book and started reading it. I'm trying to squeeze in more time to practice the piano, even though I get bored to tears when I'm trying to learn a new piece and I can't get it down pat.

Of course I don't know how this will affect me 10 years down the line, but I do know that it'll be more useful to me than playing games during my free time would be.

[Dancer O_o]

Gaming has definitely improved my hand-eye coordination - things fall and, out of the corner of my eye, I'll snatch them out of the air. I got superhero-like reflexes, I swear. Actually, it's more like super-villain reflexes. Because everything else has gone down the dumpits. Memory; patience; temperment... I've gained a lot of weight and gotten out of shape... And I find that my view of reality gets slightly altered after some gaming sessions too. Like driving games effect how I drive in real life. (Of course, I've always been impressionable like that.) Going back to the other things tho', it's probably nothing that a little exercise wouldn't fix. I realize that. But I'm still at point where I don't have time for exercise because it would cut into my gametime. My priorities are a bit out of whack, I'll admit. Like I said, I obsess too much and have no balance.

I have noticed exactly the same things, things fall and out of corner of the eye you see it and then BAM! you find yourself standing there with it in your hand before it has fallen 6 inches wondering how that happened (soap in the shower). Once I was going through a parking lot I hadn't been in before and was going too fast and noticed far too late that I was about to jump a curb, whipped it left then right and avoided serious undercarrage damage, the people in the car with me noted how it seemed to happen far too fast to have actually happened and couldn't understand the quick reaction....I told them "Burnout baby!"..they were clueless. Shoot, I could literally list all day long the things like this that have happened in years passed that I know without doubt can be attributed to gaming reflex honing. Games won't give you super human relfexes but improved for sure. I work in a building filled with military and on the 2nd floor they do simulations all day long, urban assault, dessert warfare, mechanized combat....you name it. These guys live and breath simulation which is just a super high end video game with real world physics built in (I've stood there and watched it with much amusement), they too admit that sims have improved reaction times and critical thinking skills...it's why they do it among other reasons.

It took an enormous amount of discipline but working out while gaming has been one of the better things I've force myself to do as the two (for me) seem to go hand in hand and are comfortable to do together. If you can find a way I recommend some excercise if you feel you are a bit out of shape. The amount of energy you gain and how much better you feel is truly worth the effort you put in, plus you'll find the honeys looking at you a lot more than before.

[Dancer O_o]

I wasn't actually responding to you. :eek: Just in general, I've heard people (friends and acquaintances) say that gaming is fine as long as you get something out of it. I'm saying that's just being delusional.

Sorry if it seemed like I was responding to you, but I wasn't.

I apology needed then my friend

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

But what I'm saying is, if you were to spend more time reading - not just any old book, but calculated topics to do with your chosen direction in life - then in the long run would that be time better spent? If you were to go out and meet new people and create new circles of friends, wouldn't that, in the long run, be a better use of your time? Nothing that leads to success is going to be "fun", so gaming is a way to occupy that time where you could be doing something that's not fun. However, were you to force yourself out of that routine and to do something that is less fun but more practical, would that be a better idea?

I've recently started doing that - consciously cutting down on my game time and replacing it with things such as reading and practicing the piano. I just finished a book today that I've put on hold for a good 2 months, and I only started rereading it yesterday. I then picked up another book and started reading it. I'm trying to squeeze in more time to practice the piano, even though I get bored to tears when I'm trying to learn a new piece and I can't get it down pat.

Of course I don't know how this will affect me 10 years down the line, but I do know that it'll be more useful to me than playing games during my free time would be.

I see where you are coming from I don't really agree nor do I believe there is a right or wrong answer.

I'm a in the sales field I fell as backwards into my job I went to the military and college and was in the IT field. It so happen I took a part time job in school that paid great. I finished college and was making as much in my part time job 10-15 hours a week. So I had to reasses my career. Do I like it as much as IT not really but it affords me a better income and a lot more free time. I'm not going to read anything about sales that I don't have to I've read a few books Trumps the art of the deal but that doesn't really do anything for me. I enjoy playing games. If I do read it's something that interest me not neccessairly anything I'm going to use but I feel rewarded for reading it. I love James Clavell asian epics but I really can't use that in everyday life. Is it a waste of time? I don't think so.

I think the key is moderation you can't do everything. No one can so pick and choose wisely the things you need to do, the things you should, and the things you want to do. In my case gaming falls into the want to do as it should for everybody, unless it's your livelihood.

I have enough friends and I'm at the age that I'm not really looking to meet new friends if it happens it happens but I have 2 life long friends and more associates than I will ever need. So when I have my free time and use it for entertainment to me gaming is more than a worthwhile use of my entertainment time and dollar.

[Dancer O_o]

I apology needed then my friend
I meant "no apology needed"

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

In the past year I think I've gamed more during the week than on the weekends. Not having to go to work the next day usually means the need for instant relaxation (aka gaming) isn't necessary, so I usually find other things to do.

Now I'm at a regular college being a regular person for the first time in my life and I still don't get as much gaming in as I would like. Sometimes when I'm bored surfing the internet I think I could be gaming, but then my mind won't allow me to if I know I have to study for a test or get a paper done. This whole thing is definitely the other way around for me. I'm still trying to get more gaming for the make up gaming I missed in Navy and in High School. Christmas and Spring breaks are marvelous times for gaming for me and during those times it's hard to get me off the couch. It's true that if you haven't done something in a while you do it nonstop when you first get back into it.

For some reason, when I was in college, I always had time to game during the early afternoons. I think it had to do with the fact that most of my classes were in the morning while my friends classes were usually scattered throughout the day, so I had time to study and game (Studying usually consisted of picking up chicks in the library. Nerdy chicks are hot!!!!!!)

[Mochan]

I wasn't actually responding to you. Just in general, I've heard people (friends and acquaintances) say that gaming is fine as long as you get something out of it. I'm saying that's just being delusional.

The only thing I get out of gaming is entertainment, really. I don't think my hand-eye coordination or concentration has improved any. And since I cheat in RPGs whenever I feel like it, I don't think I earned any points in fortitude and patience either.

Well actually I also get to exercise my imagination in gaming. Just like reading fiction, gaming stimulates the imagination, but in slightly different ways -- you get no mental visual stimulation, but I guess I get more imaginative thinking of ways to make a better game.

Problem is I can't become a game designer so where does this get me?

Well arguably I could get the same kind of growth if I tried to write. Instead of experiencing, I could try creating, and writing makes it possible to imagine how to write better works.

Well I'll get back tot his later.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

Not only that, but our generation has come to see games as a regular thing that you incorporate into your life on a regular basis: all my friends play games regularly, and with my younger brother and his friends it's even worse.

I also think that saying games improve this or that part of my life is bull. Games are fun; you don't play games with the aim of improving your hand-eye coordination or problem solving skills. Saying that you do is just kidding yourself. Maybe it's something you gain on the side, but it's nowhere near a significant gain.

I wouldn't say kids shouldn't game. But that is something parents should definitely regulate. Especially kids who aren't getting good grades, who are lacking exercise, and are having problems socializing with other kids. I think kids can get withdrawn into gaming to escape other problems they might be having, instead of learning how to cope with those problems. But even a healthy normal kid who is doing well in school should have his gaming controlled by his/her parents. But again, that can be said about any activity. Parents don't really control what their kids what on tv nor how much tv they watch, ditto for music, and young college kids, whew! That's another story. The funny thing about kids though, you can do everything right as a parent, and kids will still go off on a tangent, but I shudder to think about the future that awaits kids that are completely left to their own devices.