Is videogaming a waste of time?

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dadoeightyone

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#1 dadoeightyone
Member since 2008 • 25 Posts

Now folks don't get me wrong!

Im a gamer since i had thumbs, i love it and ...i love it. But sometimes i wonder why do i play....i mean is there something wrong with me , do i have a lack of social skills or what? Is it normal prefering games than friends during the week end?

Teel me what's your opinion.

Mike

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Legendaryscmt

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#2 Legendaryscmt
Member since 2005 • 12532 Posts

It's a hobby, so as long as you're enjoying it, it isn't a waste of time.

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Metamania

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#3 Metamania
Member since 2002 • 12035 Posts

If videogaming is a waste, we all wouldn't be here, now would we?

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manjam2

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#4 manjam2
Member since 2011 • 108 Posts
Not a waste of time. Here is a question: If you play backyard baseball, do you get anything from it? You don't earn real trophies, you don't earn money, So what is the appeal? It is a fun hobby.
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Jackc8

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#5 Jackc8
Member since 2007 • 8515 Posts

Personally I'd hang out with friends on weekends and get some socializing in, meet some girls, etc. Plenty of time to game in the evenings during the week.

But if you prefer gaming, well, plenty of people do that too.

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YearoftheSnake5

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#6 YearoftheSnake5
Member since 2005 • 9731 Posts

It's like any other hobby - some people will view it as a waste of time. I, personally, think its a fun way to spend your free time.

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Black_Knight_00

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#7 Black_Knight_00
Member since 2007 • 78 Posts
Is videogaming a waste of time????????????dadoeightyone
You owe the Goverment a total of $1.473 for your question mark abuse. You may proceed to your local police station to pay the fine.
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Shame-usBlackley

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#8 Shame-usBlackley
Member since 2002 • 18266 Posts

It qualifies as entertainment, and entertainment is almost always a waste of time, albeit a good one. Aside from perhaps increased motor skill and hand/eye coordination, I'd say gaming absolutely is a waste of time. It is a waste of time because there are few (if any) industries that will hire you because you play games, thus the experiences gleaned from it are largely throwaway.

EDIT: There are rare instances of real world benefits, like knowing how a rear wheel drive car differs from a front wheel drive, or how physics work. Still, the majority (and I mean 99 percentile) is throwaway.

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deactivated-57e5de5e137a4

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#9 deactivated-57e5de5e137a4
Member since 2004 • 12929 Posts
It's totally up to you. The time still exists. It's not like the time you spend playing games just disappears into the ether. Is anything that you enjoy doing a waste of time? Isn't that the point of modern society? To enjoy life as much as possible?
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Namgis

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#10 Namgis
Member since 2009 • 3592 Posts

Only if it's all you do. If your life revolves around it and you prefer to do nothing but game, then sure. If you live at home and don't have a job, sure. If you see it as a source of enjoyment whenever you need it, then no. It's a hobby, treat it as such. I have been gaming for almost 30 years now and have never once thought I am wasting my time.

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Sali217

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#11 Sali217
Member since 2012 • 1301 Posts

Yes, but you have to consider that almost everything entertainment is a waste of time unless you happen to work in those industries. I play games because I don't watch movies or tv. I'm sure lots of people feel the same way.

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tjricardo089

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#12 tjricardo089
Member since 2010 • 7429 Posts

Indeed, it's only a hobby like reading or watching movies. As long as you're having funny it ain't a waste of time.

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Articuno76

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#13 Articuno76
Member since 2004 • 19799 Posts

Indeed, it's only a hobby like reading or watching movies. As long as you're having funny it ain't a waste of time.

tjricardo089
I wouldn't say those are the same at all. Watching movies is stocking social capital and only takes a few hours. Playing video-games may clue you in to pop culture (of which videogames are now a part) but the time trade-off is normally really hard to justify when you look at the upshot. I don't know about you guys but I enjoy playing videogames, only to feel a sense of emptiness having done so. I think we all know deep down that we should and could be doing something better with our time...and we just fail to do so.
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crimsonman1245

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#14 crimsonman1245
Member since 2011 • 4253 Posts

Not if you enjoy it, plus it keeps you out of trouble.

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King_Diddy31

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#15 King_Diddy31
Member since 2011 • 71 Posts

well yes but everything is a waste of time like playing a sport or going to the movies but it all depends on what you like to waste your time doing

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shinian

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#16 shinian
Member since 2005 • 6871 Posts

Yes it is. But you can't be productive 100% of the time. It's not healthy.

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TheEnd54321

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#17 TheEnd54321
Member since 2010 • 62 Posts

Well you're accomplishing something in the game, so therefore its not a waste of time.

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ShadowsDemon

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#18 ShadowsDemon
Member since 2012 • 10059 Posts
Wasted time you've enjoyed wasting is not a waste of time. There, I said it.
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turtlethetaffer

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#19 turtlethetaffer
Member since 2009 • 18973 Posts

It depends.

If you enjoy doing it, it's not. If you view it as a waste of time, it's a waste of time. It varies from person to person. I love it, so I don't view it as a waste of time.

I personally think sports are a waste of time, which is why I'm not watching the Super Bowl right now.

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Lox_Cropek

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#20 Lox_Cropek
Member since 2008 • 3555 Posts

Anything is a waste of time.

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deactivated-59b71619573a1

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#21 deactivated-59b71619573a1
Member since 2007 • 38222 Posts

I would never find it a waste of time. I could learn more and gain more from playing games compared to watching TV. Im alert Im active somewhat, I don't eat junk food cos I hate the grease everywhere. Also the stuff in the games can be educational too like a simple example would be learning new words :P

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arkephonic

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#22 arkephonic
Member since 2006 • 7221 Posts

Any form of entertainment is a waste of time, technically. How boring would life be without any forms of entertainment? I like playing games as my main form of entertainment, with watching movies as my second favorite. I probably spend 10 hours a week entertaining myself through forms of entertainment. I think too much entertainment can be a bad thing, but I wouldn't point the finger solely on video games. Everyone needs to be productive in one way or another, or else they're just living an unhealthy lifestyle.

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Gladestone1

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#23 Gladestone1
Member since 2004 • 5695 Posts

Take a break you may cokme back to it you may not..

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deactivated-59b71619573a1

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#24 deactivated-59b71619573a1
Member since 2007 • 38222 Posts

Any form of entertainment is a waste of time, technically. How boring would life be without any forms of entertainment? I like playing games as my main form of entertainment, with watching movies as my second favorite. I probably spend 10 hours a week entertaining myself through forms of entertainment. I think too much entertainment can be a bad thing, but I wouldn't point the finger solely on video games. Everyone needs to be productive in one way or another, or else they're just living an unhealthy lifestyle.

arkephonic

I agree. People think playing games is bad but it's far more engaging than watching TV. For TV you just sit there and try to pay attention. Games are far more involving and make you think a lot more

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LovePotionNo9

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#25 LovePotionNo9
Member since 2010 • 4751 Posts
At least it's a good waste of time. There are other wastes of time that could be worse, like drinking too much and needing a liver transplant, and so forth. Maybe you're not feeling as productive as you could be? If you're wondering this, then maybe a part of you is left unfulfilled and maybe you should consider other hobbies. You don't have to give up games completely; just have something else you can do, maybe something creative or a physical activity of some kind. It's good to stimulate yourself some and branch out into other things. Enjoy!
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foxhound_fox

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#26 foxhound_fox
Member since 2005 • 98532 Posts
All forms of entertainment are a "waste" of time. I don't think that should stop people from enjoying what they enjoy doing.
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deactivated-61cc564148ef4

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#27 deactivated-61cc564148ef4
Member since 2007 • 10909 Posts

As with everything do it in moderation. Don't let it suck you up unless you are actually interested in the industry and want to get into it. Even then, moderation still applies

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ReviewerDrake

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#28 ReviewerDrake
Member since 2011 • 805 Posts

Are watching movies a waste of time?

Is reading a book a waste of time?

Is watching television a waste of time?

Is browsing the Internet a waste of time?

When someone comes to me and says video games are a waste of time I ask them what hobby they have someone said word puzzles I told them thats a waste of time and they never bothered again.

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Randolph

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#29 Randolph
Member since 2002 • 10542 Posts
As the old slogan at the long gone but always remembered Gamers.com said, "A moment enjoyed is not wasted".
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Metaw

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#30 Metaw
Member since 2010 • 387 Posts

We all have a limited time in life before we....you know, die. Everything on this planet is life, so if someone enjoys smelling flowers or playing video games, they are in fact enjoying life thus making the thing they do NOT a waste of time.

However, if there comes a time where you have a choice between playing a video game or doing something "important", then depending on what this important thing is, and you choose to play a video game instead, then that could be seen as a waste of time in other peoples views. The point is that it is you who decide whether a persons opinion/thoughts/feelings matter or not.

You could write whole books trying to figure this thing out, because there's a lot to take into consideration. You NOT doing something causes something NOT to happen, so what if you actually DID something, what happens then? Mind = ???????????

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ristactionjakso

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#31 ristactionjakso
Member since 2011 • 6118 Posts

No.

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lamarwisneski

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#32 lamarwisneski
Member since 2011 • 57 Posts

It depends on interset and mood,if someone have time and is interested than it is not a waste of time..But if someone is busy in their and not have enough time than it is the waste of time..

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Noteldnep

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#33 Noteldnep
Member since 2005 • 20170 Posts

It's a hobby, so as long as you're enjoying it, it isn't a waste of time.

Legendaryscmt

Agreed 100%.

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sukraj

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#34 sukraj
Member since 2008 • 27859 Posts

It's not a waste of time i mean its like saying is watching movies a waste of time!

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Smileyvirus

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#35 Smileyvirus
Member since 2010 • 232 Posts
????????????????????????????????????????????????????........................!? Of course it is. There is always something more productive you could be doing, but if you think about that too much it gets depressing. Ok I don't care Imma do it anyway - Take an average hour per day you spend gaming. Times that by a week. Times that by 52. Times that by the number of years you've been gaming. How many *hundreds* of hours is that? What could you have done in that time? Learned a language? Become a black belt in a martial art? Got a qualification towards getting a job you'd love? I couldn't care less myself. I'm not really a people person (it might be obvious from some of my posts) and I find that away from the mess up of a world and the often questionable people I deal with every day, I can sit back, relax, and enter a world that make much more sense, playing by rules I want to play by. I can solve problems that are actually solvable, If someone annoys me I can mute them (player) or kill them (NPC). When I've had enough, it doesn't come chasing me down the phone or through my letter box, I just turn it off. It's theraputic. I like doing it. I don't care if other people tell me its a waste of time.
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rawsavon

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#36 rawsavon
Member since 2004 • 40001 Posts
How I define a 'waste of time', criteria: 1. must be free time (time not spent doing things you need to do to 'survive'...like work, school [leads to a job], grocery shop, etc) 2. when your time comes (death), you would look back and say 'damn, I wished I would have done something different with my time' If it fits both the above criteria (free time, would regret doing it when your time comes), then it was a 'waste' ...this is highly subjective and left to each person to answer for themselves
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DraugenCP

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#37 DraugenCP
Member since 2006 • 8486 Posts

Essentially, everything that doesn't have to do with survival is a waste of time. Doesn't make it any less worthwhile, though.

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xDeadMarchx

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#38 xDeadMarchx
Member since 2012 • 44 Posts

As long as you contribute something to society at some stage in your life, it's not going to matter. We all owe our society for giving us the opportunity to enjoy games like these, in order for these games to be made, someone had to work for money, you have to work for money to pay for games. Generally it balances out, unless you're a free loader, who downloads games illegally, or buys a preowned game real cheap, gets hundreds of hours out of it and never payed for the right to play it. Stingyness is the quality you want to steer clear of if you're a socially reclusive gamer like me, you need to give to get. Money makes the world go round.

It is mostly a preference, so long as you do it in a healthy way. Some people are great socializers, that work hard and spend lots of money. But, they have their own problems to deal with, they work too much, spend too much, get caught up in social problems, have no feelings, backstab other people, have problems with anger, disloyalty. Some of them don't even understand their problems, they don't know that they have anger issues, they don't realize they are burning themselves out to the point where they errupt and make everyone's lives a miserable hell-hole.

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cyberstalker1

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#39 cyberstalker1
Member since 2011 • 412 Posts

Hanging out in the forums is a waste of time.

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LazySloth718

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#40 LazySloth718
Member since 2011 • 2345 Posts

Yes it's a waste of time, same as anything fun.

It can feel great as long as you feel like you DESERVE to play.

If you worked hard, did your homework, whatever, it's a way to reward yourself with 1-2 hours of play time.

When you don't feel like you deserve it, you feel empty inside.

It's the same as eating a heavy meal when you didn't do anything strenuous, you feel like a big fat schit.

But if you go play sports for 2-3 hours, then have a steak, it feels great.

Everything is good in the right measure, in the right balance.

Finding that balance in life is key.

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N-REAL

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#41 N-REAL
Member since 2003 • 2515 Posts

No, because videogaming is fun and fun is never a waste of time. :)

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Lostboy1224

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#42 Lostboy1224
Member since 2007 • 3425 Posts
Most things in life are a waste of time, we just get to choose how we waste it.
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BigBoss255

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#43 BigBoss255
Member since 2010 • 3539 Posts
All hobbies are a waste of time but there would be no point living if we didn't enjoy ourselves occasionaly. Lately though I am starting to lose my interest though, I definitely prefer socialising to games.
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YoshiYogurt

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#44 YoshiYogurt
Member since 2010 • 6008 Posts
It's something fun to do. If you have the attitude that anything that doesn't directly generate money or get things done is a waste of time, then any relaxation, gaming, tv watching, book reading, hanging out with friends/family is a waste of time. For me gaming is just something relaxing to do. Collecting and finishing games.
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Poncho_Hachacha

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#45 Poncho_Hachacha
Member since 2011 • 675 Posts

For the most part, yes. Absolutely, yes.

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jun_aka_pekto

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#46 jun_aka_pekto
Member since 2010 • 25255 Posts

Is video gaming a waste of time.

That's what it's for and I like it.

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contracts420

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#47 contracts420
Member since 2008 • 1956 Posts

Some people would like to think gaming is an addiction, some would like to say it means one has a lack of social skills. But that is all BS.

There is nothing wrong with prefering games over friends. I hate when somebody tries to tell me that I need to go and socialize and get out more because it's not healthy playing video games so much. However I get more excersise than those who go out and socialise a lot. I train boxing, I love it, I enjoy it. That gets me out, and it keeps me in great shape.

If I enjoy something like video games, than nobody should be able to tell me that it's unhealthy. That is not to say that I do not socialize at all. I just tend to socialize with family.

So no, if you enjoy gaming, than there is nothing wrong with it. It's not a waste of time. If somebody tries to tell me that doing something I enjoy is a waste of time... than they must not do anything that they enjoy. In that case... I would hate to be them.

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arkephonic

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#48 arkephonic
Member since 2006 • 7221 Posts

Some people would like to think gaming is an addiction, some would like to say it means one has a lack of social skills. But that is all BS.

There is nothing wrong with prefering games over friends. I hate when somebody tries to tell me that I need to go and socialize and get out more because it's not healthy playing video games so much. However I get more excersise than those who go out and socialise a lot. I train boxing, I love it, I enjoy it. That gets me out, and it keeps me in great shape.

If I enjoy something like video games, than nobody should be able to tell me that it's unhealthy. That is not to say that I do not socialize at all. I just tend to socialize with family.

So no, if you enjoy gaming, than there is nothing wrong with it. It's not a waste of time. If somebody tries to tell me that doing something I enjoy is a waste of time... than they must not do anything that they enjoy. In that case... I would hate to be them.

contracts420

It's all just a matter of opinions, but I think gamers just have a stereotype that surrounds them. Like gamers must be lazy, anti-social, overweight, unhealthy, stuff like that. No one ever criticizes me for being a gamer, because they would look kind of foolish for doing so. I may play video games for fun, but I'm in better shape than anyone I know. I eat and train like a professional athlete, and I don't drink alcohol. I'd say I'm in a much better state of health than people that like to get out and socialize while getting drunk. That's not to say I don't socialize, it's just that all my friends are the same way as I am, they don't drink, and they play video games and workout. It's just different lifestyles, you can play games and be way better off than people who don't play games.

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contracts420

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#49 contracts420
Member since 2008 • 1956 Posts

[QUOTE="contracts420"]

Some people would like to think gaming is an addiction, some would like to say it means one has a lack of social skills. But that is all BS.

There is nothing wrong with prefering games over friends. I hate when somebody tries to tell me that I need to go and socialize and get out more because it's not healthy playing video games so much. However I get more excersise than those who go out and socialise a lot. I train boxing, I love it, I enjoy it. That gets me out, and it keeps me in great shape.

If I enjoy something like video games, than nobody should be able to tell me that it's unhealthy. That is not to say that I do not socialize at all. I just tend to socialize with family.

So no, if you enjoy gaming, than there is nothing wrong with it. It's not a waste of time. If somebody tries to tell me that doing something I enjoy is a waste of time... than they must not do anything that they enjoy. In that case... I would hate to be them.

arkephonic

It's all just a matter of opinions, but I think gamers just have a stereotype that surrounds them. Like gamers must be lazy, anti-social, overweight, unhealthy, stuff like that. No one ever criticizes me for being a gamer, because they would look kind of foolish for doing so. I may play video games for fun, but I'm in better shape than anyone I know. I eat and train like a professional athlete, and I don't drink alcohol. I'd say I'm in a much better state of health than people that like to get out and socialize while getting drunk. That's not to say I don't socialize, it's just that all my friends are the same way as I am, they don't drink, and they play video games and workout. It's just different lifestyles, you can play games and be way better off than people who don't play games.

Exactly. Truthfully the sterotype applied to gamers is the real problem. I believe you hit the nail on the head when you said "you can play games and be way better off than people who don't play games"

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Kvothe_Stark

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#50 Kvothe_Stark
Member since 2010 • 360 Posts

Nope, no more than watching T.V is. You could argue that literally anything is a waste of time. If you enjoy it, do it.