GAMING, your life, productivity and society...

Okay... I bet many of you were accussed at some point in your life for just "wasting" your time with video games.

Well... recently I had a discussion with a couple of friends about gaming etc... 1 of them plays from time to time but I'd never say he's a gamer or something. He just plays DIABLO and Pro Evolution Soccer. THat's it... the rest not into gaming at all.
So they've been saying stuff like  "I'm simply wasting all my free time and that I could do some other stuff and being more productive etc". You see I do complete all my obligations, have a job... an apartment, a car... go after chicks somestimes and I do even pay my taxes lol. but it is true that MOST of my free time I'd be spending on gaming. Sometimes when I have a day off or something I can spent straight 12+ hours and not even go out (it's not always like that lol, only sometimes).

So they lately they're kinda mad at me and saying that games are totally bs and nothing good out of them comes and that I just waste money and my precious life (aka time) on them. Sometimes when I think about it it feels like they might have a point... after all it's a time consuming hobby, and you can't get all that time you invested back. Sure you having fun but you pay a high price imho. Well dunno I'm somehow confused.

WHat do you guys think? Do you feel like you're wasting too much of your precious time and money?

Well what kind of hobbies do your friends have? Are they off doing something productive?

Gaming is a hobby. If you're enjoying it, keep gaming. Forget what your friends say or think. It's your life. Not theirs.

I don't know why some people accuse others for wasting their time on games when they have hobbies of their own as well, such as reading books, playing football, etc. It's like saying reading books and playing football is a waste of time.

Ridiculous. You better ignore them.

The question over here is whether gaming is a decent and productive hobby... I they are not saying that gaming ain't fun but what they say is that in the end you just waste time cause there nothing to get out of it.

Playing football for example makes you fit...

Besides saying that I do not agree with them, I mean there are plenty of things that you can gain from games nowadays. It's like watching a good movie or reading a good book, there are plenty of hidden messages.

I'm done with school, got a decent job at the moment, saving up for a nicer place, and play games when I have a few hours to spare. I'm okay with my life. 

Sure I could do some travelling if I wanted to and see the world like alot of my friends, but thats not my style. 

well, diablo is definitely a time waster but so are star wars and taylor swift. that doesn't mean films and music are all just time sinks. there are works in each medium with real value and others that are just meant to be treats. and just like with food, it's fine to have treats but you should also have something that is good for you.

as for comparing art and exercise, it's a good idea to spend time with both. a person who only spends their free time with art isn't going to be as healthy as they could be just like a person who only spends their time working out isn't going to be as healthy as they could be. it's important to expose yourself to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Do what you like to do. None of them have anything important figured out and probably aren't doing anything "important" to society's advancement either. They are doing things that are important to THEM. You do things that are important to YOU.

I see productivity as a way of improving yourself. And there's tons of ways to do that.. you can improve yourself career-wise, socially, physically, intellectually, mentally,or by gaining new skills.

So I think it's important to reflect on what you get out of your time playing video games. I think if a game challenges your brain, requires you to learn and practice new things, stimulates your imagination and exposes you to new ideas and themes, then that's productive time spent. Even just gaming in social situations can improve social skills and strengthen relationships. Or just the fact that you have an enjoyable acitivty to unwind with after a long day will improve your mental well being.

For example, I see playing a new game with interesting art and music (or some noggin-challenging puzzles) to be not time wasted. But playing through yet another round of Zombies in COD for the 100th time, or whatever other game to simply pass the time with, is wasted time. Even though I  more than likely have a good time anyhow.

There are plenty of potentially good benefits from video games, depending on what you get out of it. Playing challenging games could be increasing your attention span and patience, strategy games could help you practice your organizational and planning skills, shooters could help you release stress, fighting games could be helping you're memory as you memorize combos, etc. Aside from that, if you enjoy doing it a lot, it is also contributing to your happiness and contentment with life.

I wouldn't worry about them anyway, you don't owe them an explanation. 

I don't feel like I'm wasting my time or money at all. As long as you have a job to fund your hobby of gaming, don't worry about it.

What makes playing games any worse from other unproductive activities such as browsing Facebook or watching TV? I'll admit, gaming isn't productive because beating a game won't help you in the real world unless you compete in MLG tournaments.

A week ago, a friend of mine and I spent a whole Saturday playing video games. (We had recently purchased a bunch of classic used games from a Game Xchange and were trying them all out.) I didn't feel like I was wasting my time. I was hanging out and talking with my friend while we played video games. If I'm hanging out with friends all day, like most people do on Saturdays, we're not going to be doing anything productive. So why not play video games?

It's an art form. Just like movies and books. Sometimes playing through a video game is an valuable experience that you can't experience anywhere else. These kinds of games that can be classified as art can help one improve oneself.

There are plenty of potentially good benefits from video games, depending on what you get out of it. Playing challenging games could be increasing your attention span and patience, strategy games could help you practice your organizational and planning skills, shooters could help you release stress, fighting games could be helping you're memory as you memorize combos, etc. Aside from that, if you enjoy doing it a lot, it is also contributing to your happiness and contentment with life.

I wouldn't worry about them anyway, you don't owe them an explanation. 

lensflare15

Gaming is a hobby. If you're enjoying it, keep gaming. Forget what your friends say or think. It's your life. Not theirs.

I don't know why some people accuse others for wasting their time on games when they have hobbies of their own as well, such as reading books, playing football, etc. It's like saying reading books and playing football is a waste of time.

Ridiculous. You better ignore them.

Cyberdot

The question over here is whether gaming is a decent and productive hobby... I they are not saying that gaming ain't fun but what they say is that in the end you just waste time cause there nothing to get out of it.

Playing football for example makes you fit...

Besides saying that I do not agree with them, I mean there are plenty of things that you can gain from games nowadays. It's like watching a good movie or reading a good book, there are plenty of hidden messages.V3rciS

videogames is my hobby and i enjoy doing it.

gaming isn't a productive hobby unless you consider improving in that particular game productive. i wouldn't say it's a waste of time since it is a hobby and you enjoy it. but maybe your friends are complaining cuz they think you do it too much. it wouldn't hurt to hang out with them a bit more often. but either way i don't think it's a big deal do what you enjoy.

I find myself in a situation similar to yours to be honest. I dont have friends constantly reminding me that i waste my time or anything, but i think of this dilemma myself.

I spend at least 4 hours a day playing games, time where i could be improving my skillset (i work in IT), but honestly, after my 8-5 work is done i am mentally exhausted, so gaming comes to my rescue every day. I love gaming and i enjoy it!

Sure, it is not very productive and i do agree that as i grow older i would find less and less time to game.

But, i also play sports on the weekend, go out with friends once or twice every two weeks and have two jobs - a full time one and a part time one.

So, i do a lot of different activities and it seems gaming is my savior when tired/stressed out.

when you do what you like and you do all your obligations, then how is it a waste of time? you actually spend more going out. Going out for a beer can cost you $20 and at the end of the night, what do you have to show for it? Going to a club-easily $100 and coming home with a girl is not guaranteed...and even then it doesn't mean that you get to smash

I think it's okay to buy three or four games a year, but beyond that, you're not likely playing through the games you buy and have developed the central symptom of an addict-- a pile of shame. Gaming doesn't accomplish anything and nobody in the real world gives a damn about what games you've played this year. Consumption of other people's creations should not consume all of your free time. I think that playing World of Warcraft (or any game) every day is a waste of human potential. You should be producing something in your life, whether you're into writing, sculpture, photography, inventing gadgets, remodeling your house, restoring cars, or independent game design.Dustin_W

The question over here is whether gaming is a decent and productive hobby..

Playing football for example makes you fit...

You just have to remember that it's your time, and if you enjoy gaming in that time, then it's not wasting it. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

It does effect my social life. But Im ok with that. I am a full-time student and work two part time jobs. I would rather spend my free time reading, playing games, or writing rather than spend time with people. Being a unattractive young male, it is best that I stay indoors during my spare time.

Time you spent enjoying is hardly wasting your free time. I don't see why your friends would get mad either at your spending your free time how you want to.

Okay to clear things up a little bit... because people started saying how bad and disrespectful my friend are.

Well I'm an independent adult with GF and a lot of other obligations etc... my friends are not mad at me or think that I'm a moron or something. We were simply debating in a mannered way whether my hobby (gaming) is idd worth doing it. Whether it is worth "spending" my so "precious" time aka life on this hobby. If it benefits me (or gamers in general) in some way or even the society around me. Some people made some very valid points over here tho.

I've been gaming for about 26 years now, and as a 31 year old man, I still find that my "hobby" tends to get the best of me with my time management. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't kept me from doing a number of significant things with my career (Professor, Chief Information Security Officer, owning and running an information security consulting business and attending law school), but I KNOW that it slowed me down.

Take SimCity for example -- I've played nearly 150 hours of the game since it came out... that's nearly a month's worth of work that you could probably take out of the time I could/should have been spending on my legal studies and business. In the end, I justify it by saying that like most, I need a break every now and then.

If its something you enjoy doing and you aren't letting it stop you from going to work/school, then I don't see a problem.

WHat do you guys think? Do you feel like you're wasting too much of your precious time and money?

V3rciS

And do other people waste time casually playing soccer, golf, chess and billiards? No.

Playing video games are not a waste of your life, but a part of your life, if that's your hobby. You can also take it to the next level and make a carreer out of it, a.k.a professional gaming - tournaments, making money, etc., exactly like professional soccer, golf, chess and billiards.

If you can't organize your life properly like any other functional human being, then that is your own fault, not the fault of the hobby you're interested in.  

I've been gaming for about 26 years now, and as a 31 year old man, I still find that my "hobby" tends to get the best of me with my time management. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't kept me from doing a number of significant things with my career (Professor, Chief Information Security Officer, owning and running an information security consulting business and attending law school), but I KNOW that it slowed me down.

Take SimCity for example -- I've played nearly 150 hours of the game since it came out... that's nearly a month's worth of work that you could probably take out of the time I could/should have been spending on my legal studies and business. In the end, I justify it by saying that like most, I need a break every now and then.

Ernesto_basic

My gaming time schedule is basically two hours per night, and about three hours per weekend, and i don't view that as something that 'slows me down'. Because if i take it one step further and really think about, also walking instead of driving slowed me down, so does relaxing at home playing with the kid, practically doing anything els than focusing on my career slowed me down. I always take it one step further and really think about it wen i'm bored pondering random stuff, and that's basically the conclusion my logic let me towards. 

I mean, i'm 33, i own a business (painting car rims), besides part-time web site & logo designing, and family responsabilities. But i would never consider that playing video games slowed me down. They just added to my life experiences that i could have never comprehended otherwise. 

[QUOTE="Ernesto_basic"]

I've been gaming for about 26 years now, and as a 31 year old man, I still find that my "hobby" tends to get the best of me with my time management. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't kept me from doing a number of significant things with my career (Professor, Chief Information Security Officer, owning and running an information security consulting business and attending law school), but I KNOW that it slowed me down.

Take SimCity for example -- I've played nearly 150 hours of the game since it came out... that's nearly a month's worth of work that you could probably take out of the time I could/should have been spending on my legal studies and business. In the end, I justify it by saying that like most, I need a break every now and then.

Lucianu

My gaming time schedule is basically two hours per night, and about three hours per weekend, and i don't view that as something that 'slows me down'. Because if i take it one step further and really think about, also walking instead of driving slowed me down, so does relaxing at home playing with the kid, practically doing anything els than focusing on my career slowed me down. I always take it one step further and really think about it wen i'm bored pondering random stuff, and that's basically the conclusion my logic let me towards. 

I mean, i'm 33, i own a business (painting car rims), besides part-time web site & logo designing, and family responsabilities. But i would never consider that playing video games slowed me down. They just added to my life experiences that i could have never comprehended otherwise. 

You sound like you're better at managing your time than I am -- two hours can easily turn into 10 hours for me.

You sound like you're better at managing your time than I am -- two hours can easily turn into 10 hours for me.

Ernesto_basic

Well, that's practically the same situation wen i'm watching movies and TV series. Sometimes i'm telling my self that i'm only going to watch a couple of episodes of a particular series. Eventually i end up spending the entire night like a zombie in front of my screen... It's a pain in the ass of a feeling wen i'm half asleep spending a entire night awake, and i've got one hour left before work.   

[QUOTE="Ernesto_basic"]

You sound like you're better at managing your time than I am -- two hours can easily turn into 10 hours for me.

Lucianu

Well, that's practically the same situation wen i'm watching movies and TV series. Sometimes i'm telling my self that i'm only going to watch a couple of episodes of a particular series. Eventually i end up spending the entire night like a zombie in front of my screen... It's a pain in the ass of a feeling wen i'm half asleep spending a entire night awake, and i've got one hour left before work.   

Oh, I hear you -- I think I let myself down when I waste my time, crafting cities in SimCity, instead of focusing exclusively on passing my final exams. I suppose I could chalk it up to an attention deficit disorder, but that isn't an excuse when I know better.

Okay to clear things up a little bit... because people started saying how bad and disrespectful my friend are.

Well I'm an independent adult with GF and a lot of other obligations etc... my friends are not mad at me or think that I'm a moron or something. We were simply debating in a mannered way whether my hobby (gaming) is idd worth doing it. Whether it is worth "spending" my so "precious" time aka life on this hobby. If it benefits me (or gamers in general) in some way or even the society around me. Some people made some very valid points over here tho.

V3rciS

Time's preciousness is determined by the one who decides on how to use it.  For me, I don't care if a 30 year old guy likes to collect Barbie underwear, if that's precious to him than so be it.  I may differ in my opinion of what can be better done with his time, but don't judge him for it.  Maybe that's all your friends are doing.  Hard to tell from your posts if you're feeling judged or not.

You just have to figure out for yourself where to balance it out. It's okay to occasionally waste a lazy weekend solely playing video games. Even for the busy people life slows down occasionally and you're left with a huge chunk of time. There are a lot things people consider productive that I would ultimately say is still a waste of time.

You're either improving your lot in life or you're enjoying it. Anything else is truly a waste. 

Moderation is key to everything. That includes work, family, friends, etc.

Okay to clear things up a little bit... because people started saying how bad and disrespectful my friend are.

Well I'm an independent adult with GF and a lot of other obligations etc... my friends are not mad at me or think that I'm a moron or something. We were simply debating in a mannered way whether my hobby (gaming) is idd worth doing it. Whether it is worth "spending" my so "precious" time aka life on this hobby. If it benefits me (or gamers in general) in some way or even the society around me. Some people made some very valid points over here tho.

V3rciS

Do whatever you feel you can. Personally, I don't game as much as I did years ago. I only play about 1 or 2 hours at most now. As long as you have other things going on and other hobbies I think gaming is a great way to pass time at home.

I want to make a distinction between playing video-games and simply consuming them. The former is productive whilst the latter is not (though it might be fun). See, I highly question the value of playing sports over video games for the great majority of people. Most people who are in good health don't need to and wouldn't benefit from doing so (unless they are in a profession where physical health is a big deal). Here is the thing though, everyone has things that scratch a need they have and fulfils emotional and creative urges. Going along with that 'thing' (be it sports or gaming, reading or whatever) is a great thing; when people really get invested in what makes them tick they can come up with brilliant ideas (often ones not even related to the task at hand) and develop traits that benefit society at large. A crude example but some people love debating on forums like this and the world benefits from having those well-spoken people out there to speak for those of us who aren't so eloquent.

The thing is if you are just consuming videogames and not really connecting with them you aren't really doing anything productive at all. Nothing will come of it. It can be hard for some people to understand this distinction. Generally speaking simply consuming games isn't as fun and is a bit ritualistic whereas productively playing games tends to be incredibly addictive because it is stroking that part of your brain that needs stimulation to demonstrate a kind of brilliance. This isn't always the case though as it is possible to find a game boring (or even anger inducing) and yet find it extremely stimulating. Conversely you can be hopelessly addicted to an MMO but not really be engaging with it in a meaningful way. It is (I would hope) something that people just know when they find it.Articuno76

Excellent post, I was about to post pretty much exactly this, but then I decided to check out what other people were saying first.

Playing a video game can be very productive in my different ways, but it depends both on the games and the type of person you are. Personally, I completely stopped consuming video games; I only play those that stimulate me in some way and genuinely interest me. I gauge it like this: do I have more or less energy after playing a given game for, say, half an hour? I used to consume an obscene amount of video games, TV shows and movies and have significantly cut down on all of those when I realized that I only truly enjoyed a part of that consumption, and that only a fraction of what I enjoyed was actually stimulating.

[QUOTE="V3rciS"]

Okay to clear things up a little bit... because people started saying how bad and disrespectful my friend are.

Well I'm an independent adult with GF and a lot of other obligations etc... my friends are not mad at me or think that I'm a moron or something. We were simply debating in a mannered way whether my hobby (gaming) is idd worth doing it. Whether it is worth "spending" my so "precious" time aka life on this hobby. If it benefits me (or gamers in general) in some way or even the society around me. Some people made some very valid points over here tho.

jsmoke03

I think this is much more a debate of how the general public views videogames.  With music, film and such, people are quick to aknowledge how these things can enrich your life and make you a better person.  When people think of videogames, they think of Halo, COD, teens bad-mouthing loudly over the internet.  Videogames have a hard time being seen as a medium that can give experiences on par with the best of what, say, television has to offer.  Yet videogames can enhance how we perceive our surroundings in at least as many ways.

not to sound patronising, but if I saw a friend of mine playing multiple hours of war FPS's a day, I too would question how productive that would be.  If on the other hand, he spent his time playing games with intricate stories, or games that deliver unique impressions that last, he would be a richer person because of those, and I do not see a problem with that.