Is there a subconscious stigma attached to being a gamer?

Sometimes with certain people who I know to be 'hardcore' gamers, I feel some hesitancy in them being comfortable making some people aware of it ie) hiding their FB gaming related posts from some people, articles they share or comment on or even deleting articles about games posted by others on their facebook even though they're huge fans.

It okay to read a good book, or go to the movies but somehow there is this underlying stigma attached to gaming that make people feel slightly on the outside. Have any of you had that experience or do you feel you tend to always surround yourself with people who share your passion. It is not always the case that your nearest and dearest will share your passion to the extent you do absolutely, but do you feel ashamed to be an avid gamer sometimes?

Sometimes I feel that way around my family, but I'm slowly getting rid of that mentality. I love gaming, and I'm not gonna feel ashamed about my passion.

You're stepping into the place where overly generalized statement are normal and psychological babble is used to prove points.

@moinsyyed: It's not something I talk about with people outside of the internet.... It doesn't help that I don't really have any gamer friends.

@MuD3: well yeah, it would be difficult in that circumstance but I notice you didn't answer the question/s. With those non gamer friends do you feel slightly embarrassed to confess you're a hardcore gamer? This isn't something that is wrong with people, it is something wrong with peoples 'perception' of gaming , a perception shaped by the lack of communication to the public that games are more than just a pastime. Game can be though provoking, compelling, they can be art, they can be educational but we only really get extensive advertising for COD,FIFA and perhaps the odd hyped shooter now and again.

Yeah well said.

I wholeheartedly agree with this, and it really is something that, not only do I continue to see, but something that I was once guilty of. I remember when I was younger, though I always played games frequently and in excess, I never tried to advertise it, as i felt that it was a bit weird and that other people might think less of me. All of my friends knew that I liked games, but there was always some social stigma to liking games publicly, and the abuse given to those who advertised it was enough to make me not really talk to people about it, though it was one of the things that i primarily wanted to talk about. As I got older, however, and began to use and interact more frequently online with various people, I learned not only were there many people like me who loved the same things, but people who weren't afraid to advertise it, and, as a result, my fear of this sort of negative attention and negative connotation that I used to carry around being labeled a gamer wore off, and I realized that there was nothing wrong with it. The issue is, and I still see this around, is that people still are afraid to get into games like they would other media. I've said it before here, but games still hold a sort of "new kid on the block" status in the global community, despite having been around for over 30 years and developing massive and loyal fan bases. This all stems from the misguided perception that games are for children, like toys or stuffed animals, and therefore should not command the same respect as a novel, show, or film in the entertainment community. The fact is that games have moved beyond small pixelated starships shooting at strafing aliens on a 10X10 screen. Games are able to convey far more complex and deeper themes and stories, sometimes being more effective than films, yet people still don't seem to understand them overall. When a person has their head pulled off in a film it's okay because it's just a movie or it's art, but if it happens in a fighting game we have to legislate it because it's teaching our children how to kill. If a person is raped in a show it's acceptable because it's reinforcing a theme, but if it happens in a game it's corrupt and shouldn't be published. I can go on about how many differences there are between games and other mediums of expression in the public eye for a while, and yes, games have been commanding more respect recently, but the fact is that games are still viewed as a childish hobby by some, and, so long as this perception exists, people may be hesitant to talk about games with others in a public setting away from the internet. This view needs to change, people need to accept that games are just like anything else, and are now just as much of a forum for expression as any Hollywood film or literary classic

People are just too concerned about what other people think of them. Unfortunately, gaming is still a relatively new form of media in comparison to music, literature and movies, so there's still a large portion of people who think they're still for kids. I'm 35, and I have seen many of friends growing up saying things like, "Well, it's time to outgrow games." You can't 'outgrow' games. They aren't just for kids. If you say that, then you're too concerned about 'acting like an adult'.

Then, there are the ignorant people that still associate the term 'gamer' with the fat loser living in his parents' basement with no job playing games all day. That really isn't the case. It was a stupid stereotype then, and it's an even stupider one now.

And then there's GamerGate, the feminist agenda and the SJWs. This whole debacle has brought such a negative light to our gaming community that people are now equating 'gamers' as misogynistic white male women haters. It's ludicrous, and if only people would STOP caring so damn much about what idiots think of them, more people would speak up and say, "It's not like that! I'm a gamer and I'm damn proud of it!"

So yeah, I'm a gamer and I'm damn proud of it, and **** you if you have a problem with it.

You most certainly can "outgrow" games or at the very least become disinterested and unsatisfied with the medium and move onto other interests. I'm at a point in my life where I'd rather take part in activities that I find more engaging: reading, movies, nature, friends, running, work, etc. It might just be a waning period and my interests might return later but to say someone doesn't change overtime is silly.

I'm not saying I agree with the statement games are just for kids; I'm just saying people gain new perspectives, priorities, and interests as time passes, and sometimes games don't fit with those new perspectives, priorities, and interests.

EDIT: And to answer the thread question. Sure, I think there is a stigma, but I think it's also partially self-induced, especially when there is a culture built around excluding people and making fun of those who enjoy playing video games casually. Why would you want to engage with someone who thinks they're superior to you? I don't try to flaunt my hobbies in public because I typically find that to be annoying, but I'm not afraid to converse with someone if the subject is brought up.

What goddam "stigma" ?

I don´t give a rat´s arse about what people think about my hobbies. Hell, I don´t leave home without my PSP or any of my Ninty handhelds.

Everyone who has ever interacted with me is well aware that I am a hardcore gamer. I don't get how anyone would be ashamed of something that they love and I have never had a negative reaction from anyone about my gaming habits. There really is nothing to be ashamed of and if you are worried about people seeing you in a negative light I can assure you that almost nobody will.

@hrt_rulz01:

I'm not ashamed of being a gamer, it's one of my favorite life-long hobbies! It's like any other hobby, it's the individual that makes it a good or bad thing.

We live in a society that likes to generalize a group based off a few bad incidents! And since gaming is mainstream now, it's easy to target it when something bad happens

Definitely not saying that no one can change. However, I don't view the phrase "I outgrew video games" to be accurate. You outgrow clothes. You outgrow teething rings. You outgrow Fisher Price toys. You outgrow sippy cups. Again, saying you "outgrew" something insinuates whatever thing you "outgrew" is only for children, or a younger audience in general.

It's definitely an enigma from my point if view. If you openly talk about gaming, you might get ridiculed for it. It's happened to me before on a number of occasions.

The thing is, if you enjoy gaming (like I do) along with many others on this board, I would continue gaming. There's no point in going back and forth with people who have no concept of the medium.

But gaming is way more acceptable than it was 20 years ago. Give it 10 years and it will be far more acceptable than today's standards.

If I were you, I'd just play the quality games you'd enjoy the most, and forget all the other BS.

It is thought of as childish and immature by some. Considering what is often heard in multiplayer sessions and more, that claim is something that has observational support, but it is contradicted by the observation that mature people who play games. That said, I am not ashamed or shameless, and I say that because I have life goals which I am meeting and I am making a positive impact on my family and my friends. I just happen to play games because they are a good way for me to destress.

This is not to insult video games. Playing a video game is a far cry of a challenge from understanding the nature of logic. However, the gamification of subjects is different (not video games).

Yeah I'm certainly not ashamed... I'm proud to be a part of the gaming community. But that's the thing, non-gamers or very casual gamers don't understand it and take uninformed views or opinions on it. But I think this will improve as time goes on.

I'm actually proud to be a gamer and to have the skill to be able to play video games and enjoy them, to be able to experience amazing adventures in the comfort of my own home. Playing video games is just like reading a good book or watching a good movie except you're the one in control of the action.

In my honest opinion I don’t believe people have a stigma to being a hardcore gamer or just a regular gamer, they have the stigma with the type of games that they play. For example most people don’t mind saying yea I play video games but when someone wants to know the type of game i.e. World of Warcraft they are embarrassed by that.

I can agree with this. None of my friends are really interested in games on the level that I am and my closest friends (including my girlfriend) don't have an interest in games at all. As far as I can tell, gaming is considered a legitimate hobby at this point (at least, where I am from), even though some people still have limited knowledge about what variety of games is on offer. I mean, if some people spend hours watching tv or doing internet stuff, then I can spend those hours playing games. Most people understand that.

But in that case it's still a hobby. I think the main problem is that one videogame generally requires a lot more time than one movie, one book (although that's open for debate) or one music album. If you want to 'keep up' with videogames, you have to spend a lot of time on them. And if you commit to that, videogames run the risk of taking up all (or the majority) of your free time, at which point they might become a bit more than just a hobby. They might become your identity and you might have strong feelings when someone criticizes or ridicules your passion (because it's basically who you are).

So, I guess, as with any other activity/hobby, if you spend an excessive amount of time on it, if it becomes the main or sole element of your identity, people are going to raise an eyebrow. But that would be the same with movies, books and music. But maybe, and this is just speculation, people who like videogames are a bit more likely to spend an excessive amount of time on them, simply because videogames require more time. Apart from that I have no reason to believe gaming is still heavily frowned upon. But well, cultural and personal factors are most definitely at play here.

Short answer is no, but a longer one would be no because most normal sane people don't care and don't interact with people who are small minded enough to have such an opinion about playing games.

But that is with young adults and adults playing games, kids is another story and tends to be psychological less strong and also more likely to form misconceptions like that or be victims of bullying.

I am not afraid to admit I'm a gamer. Sometimes I try to head off judgement by stating how much I enjoy walking, camping, biking, campfires ETC. or don't really play video games while it's light outside or nice weather. So do I fear the subconscious stigma? Yeah, but I try to rewrite that image with one that's more accurate of me as a gamer but also with tons of friends and a love of the outdoors. I have almost no real life gamer friends but that's just how the cookie has crumbled.

Sure. And I guess it would be important to emphasis the portion that elitism can happen with any interest, re-enforcing any negative image or association with that interest. Not being able to separate yourself from the hobby also, I would assume, sensitizes you to criticism/disinterest in the hobby, possibly making issues where there are none.

I can remember being in high school a little less than ten years ago in a small town. Now we only had about 300 students in this high school, and I literally knew of only two other people who openly talked about video games period. They were the only people I could really associate myself with due to everyone else consuming themselves with everything from the weekend rodeo to hog hunting. Which I was interested in none of it. So for about 3 years I only had these few people to really discuss what I had a passion for and was good at, at the time. Now a days its far different having moved into another state and found a career with people more to my interest.

The stigma around gamers seems to fade more and more at time goes on. That being said, things like Gamergate makes people outside on the gaming community bubble think that gamers are huge manchildren.

I think it was Dara O'Brian that said it best.

"When I'm at a Dinner party and someone asks " Dara how do you relax after a gig?", It's less embaressing to say " I masturbate to hardcore pornography"

But the stigma is both decreasing and changing as more and more people start to partake in Videogames as a whole.

@moinsyyed: i don't post my gamerstuff on my fb, but i don't really post a lot on my fb tbh

@The_Last_Ride: that was just an example, anywhere, whether it be written or spoken.