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Has gaming had a negative impact on your life?
- Thread starter MercuryLS
- Start date
Sometimes I feel that my OCD makes me obsess over video games to an unhealthy degree as a form of escapism. I have a large backlog of games and I've yet to play a lot of them because I'm too hyperfocused on gaming news.
Could I have done a lot more with my life if i didn't spend thousands of hours grinding rpgs and mmos, probably, but let's be honest here, I would have spend the time doing something else in life that i would never know if it actually impacted me in a positive way or negative way. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Videogames provide me the sort of experience that allows me to disconnect from reality. My brain just shifts directions and everything else becomes distant. Oddly enough only one other activity has this kind of effect on me: exercise.
So if anything, gaming is co-responsible for keeping me sane, free from drug usage to this day. I've only bought one game this year - Death Stranding - and there is only one game I want for 2021: Baldur's Gate 3 (and whatever From Software releases, if anything). I don't care about the newest consoles or the latest flashy tv technology. I keep away from MMORPGs and competitive games in general for the same reason I don't keep potato chips or candy around the house: they are addicting.
As it stands it's just another hobbie, one that I have no regrets.
So if anything, gaming is co-responsible for keeping me sane, free from drug usage to this day. I've only bought one game this year - Death Stranding - and there is only one game I want for 2021: Baldur's Gate 3 (and whatever From Software releases, if anything). I don't care about the newest consoles or the latest flashy tv technology. I keep away from MMORPGs and competitive games in general for the same reason I don't keep potato chips or candy around the house: they are addicting.
As it stands it's just another hobbie, one that I have no regrets.
On the contrary, it helped me cope with growing up in a homophobic family. It was the best escape out of reality. Other than that, there are other cognitive benefits gaming has, it's basically all positive unless it becomes an addiction. People get too down on gaming on this forum, ironically.
I am kind of sure I lost a year of progression in my life due to World of Warcraft. Used to be in a guild that had a lot of first kills in the classic days. Didn't do much else than playing. I don't regret it though, since I'm very happy with how my life turned out and I really loved playing it and kind of loved my 5 minutes of fame. I don't think there will ever be another gaming experience like this for me.
Nah, i wouldn't say so. Much like reading or watching TV shows, I really enjoy gaming but its a hobby for my free time. I do it when I can, get a lot of enjoyment out of it and that's fine.
No, more like real life has had a negative impact on my gaming life. I wish I could go back to playing endless hours of gaming. I've never been a social person and I thoroughly enjoy using my time gaming.
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Having a hobby does not forbid us to learn anything. What prevents us is laziness, if learning English had been an objective it would have been compatible with games, it would even have been complementary because games are an excellent way to practice English.
This is not directly for you, but for the vision that playing or having any hobby prevents us from doing other things.
As a kid I played unhealthy amounts of time but games were not the cause, they were a symptom. An escape from other issues.
As an adult I live a much happier life and honestly barely even play games all that much outside of longer holidays. Wish I played them more, actually.
If videogames are a problem for you, your kids or anyone else you love, I would suggest taking a long, honest, hard look at the rest of your or that person's life. Sometimes games are the cause, especially if you are susceptible to addiction, but you'd be surprised how often it's just a symptom on the visible surface of much deeper problems.
As an adult I live a much happier life and honestly barely even play games all that much outside of longer holidays. Wish I played them more, actually.
If videogames are a problem for you, your kids or anyone else you love, I would suggest taking a long, honest, hard look at the rest of your or that person's life. Sometimes games are the cause, especially if you are susceptible to addiction, but you'd be surprised how often it's just a symptom on the visible surface of much deeper problems.
i don't know what's the genre of games that (can potentially) ruined your life?
is it MMO, loot based grindy games, gatcha games, competitive esports games, etc?
as i am not a fan of either of those genre (my gaming diet is 99.9999999999% single player games with endings), i can never understand how gaming can ruin lives as playing games is no more 'time consuming' than reading a novel or watching a tv series. Once i finished those stuff, i moved on to another stuff instead of continuing on an endless paradoxical deadlock loop.
There can only be so many times that i can extend the play session of castlevania symphony of the night or bloodborne before the need to move on.
is it MMO, loot based grindy games, gatcha games, competitive esports games, etc?
as i am not a fan of either of those genre (my gaming diet is 99.9999999999% single player games with endings), i can never understand how gaming can ruin lives as playing games is no more 'time consuming' than reading a novel or watching a tv series. Once i finished those stuff, i moved on to another stuff instead of continuing on an endless paradoxical deadlock loop.
There can only be so many times that i can extend the play session of castlevania symphony of the night or bloodborne before the need to move on.
I would say that a lot of aspects and elements that are directly tied to gaming have at times brought unhappiness.
But I wouldn't say it has ruined or impacted my life negatively in a big way... yet.
In terms of an addiction, I never had any type of gaming addiction, if anything, I barely play games compared to most people on this site.
But I wouldn't say it has ruined or impacted my life negatively in a big way... yet.
In terms of an addiction, I never had any type of gaming addiction, if anything, I barely play games compared to most people on this site.
I game a lot, a LOT but I always push myself to exercise and socialise. Of course there isn't time for everything, and so it's TV that I've mostly let slip now. But no gaming has never affected my life for the worse, only the better.
It's never really ruled my life and I've never been super addicted or whatever. But it's absolutely easier than spending time with other people when your social life isn't going well, so it gave me more of an excuse to isolate myself in those tough high school years. As a result, my social skills regressed a fuckton in just a year and I was then stuck in a cycle I was unable to get out of. Coming back from it has been difficult, and even though I'm quite social now, I still don't really have anyone I can call a close friend 10 years later as I struggle to connect with people.
These days no - it's great really, keeps me having contact with my friends as we live in different cities, enjoy games with my kids and wife and keeps giving good experiences all around.
But 15-20 years ago or so, it was pretty bad - I was pretty decent in school and didnt really have to try my hardest to get by. So I could play a lot. But at the time I started university and the difficulty level increased.. I kept on playing and didnt study so to no ones surprise.. I didnt get much done. Which led me to drop out and getting depressed and things got worse from here. Probably took a few more years until I recovered from this.
But 15-20 years ago or so, it was pretty bad - I was pretty decent in school and didnt really have to try my hardest to get by. So I could play a lot. But at the time I started university and the difficulty level increased.. I kept on playing and didnt study so to no ones surprise.. I didnt get much done. Which led me to drop out and getting depressed and things got worse from here. Probably took a few more years until I recovered from this.
Yeah, it did some damage.
When I was younger, I got into World of Warcraft, really into it.
It soon started dominating my life and other aspects (such as school) soon started to suffer.
Thankfully pulled myself out of the rut and quit WoW cold turkey.
I won't go back to MMOs now and really dislike any game which has anything remotely MMO style gameplay.
I'm in a much better place now, now life always takes priority over videogames, if someone wants to talk to me, if I need to do some work/ whatever, the game switches off and I give life my full attention. I have no problem playing single player story driven games, no different than reading a book or watching a movie.
I really dislike a lot of these newer GaaS and Gacha models which 'rewards' returning each day and constantly require you to be active to get the most out of the game. I consider such models predatory and I know it damages many people when the publishers are well aware of Whales being the big spenders on these games.
When I was younger, I got into World of Warcraft, really into it.
It soon started dominating my life and other aspects (such as school) soon started to suffer.
Thankfully pulled myself out of the rut and quit WoW cold turkey.
I won't go back to MMOs now and really dislike any game which has anything remotely MMO style gameplay.
I'm in a much better place now, now life always takes priority over videogames, if someone wants to talk to me, if I need to do some work/ whatever, the game switches off and I give life my full attention. I have no problem playing single player story driven games, no different than reading a book or watching a movie.
I really dislike a lot of these newer GaaS and Gacha models which 'rewards' returning each day and constantly require you to be active to get the most out of the game. I consider such models predatory and I know it damages many people when the publishers are well aware of Whales being the big spenders on these games.
I feel like you need more of a middle ground choice here.
I wouldn't say gaming has ruined my life, far from it, but there have been times where it hasn't been great for me. Primarily because I can easily get very obsessed with a good game, to the point that I start to neglect other things in my life and even familiy and friends.
It's something I know about and try to deal with, but even after having been gaming for 20 years, it's still there from time to time.
I wouldn't say gaming has ruined my life, far from it, but there have been times where it hasn't been great for me. Primarily because I can easily get very obsessed with a good game, to the point that I start to neglect other things in my life and even familiy and friends.
It's something I know about and try to deal with, but even after having been gaming for 20 years, it's still there from time to time.
I have it mostly under control. The negatives I noticed are the following :
1) As I don't want gaming to reduce the time I can spend on family, friends and music, I tend to keep most of my playtime late in the evening. Which, occasionally, makes me sleep less than what I'd need, and thus impacting the day after, as I am less "alert" and focused.
2) I tend to spend more on videogames than what I should. Still less than 10% of my income, but, realistically, there are many games I don't play enough to justify a purchase and/or there are others that could easily wait for a sale. Not really an issue, but probably money I could use for other nice things If I managed it a bit more consciously.
But besides that, it's still a very fulfilling and enjoyable hobby I have, it really contributes to my overal level of happiness (more so than TV Series, novel reading). Still would probably be fine to live without it though.
1) As I don't want gaming to reduce the time I can spend on family, friends and music, I tend to keep most of my playtime late in the evening. Which, occasionally, makes me sleep less than what I'd need, and thus impacting the day after, as I am less "alert" and focused.
2) I tend to spend more on videogames than what I should. Still less than 10% of my income, but, realistically, there are many games I don't play enough to justify a purchase and/or there are others that could easily wait for a sale. Not really an issue, but probably money I could use for other nice things If I managed it a bit more consciously.
But besides that, it's still a very fulfilling and enjoyable hobby I have, it really contributes to my overal level of happiness (more so than TV Series, novel reading). Still would probably be fine to live without it though.
Not anymore than reading, or watching TV would've. As a matter of fact, when we first meet, my wife and I actually bonded over our love for Final Fantasy, Persona, and other Playstation era JRPGs. Heck, we're both actually going through Yakuza Like a Dragon right now.
That said, there has been days when gaming has made the work day seem longer than it otherwise would've, lol
That said, there has been days when gaming has made the work day seem longer than it otherwise would've, lol
Nope, quite the opposite, it had a positive impact. I've learned the English language thanks to it, gave me something to get my mind out of things when I needed that, and I could tell that I'd have lost my way in certain points of my life if gaming weren't a thing that I've really enjoyed and got me engrossed
Eh it hasn't ruined my life, but sure there was bit of a negative impact in my late teens and twenties. I invested a lot of time to end-game WoW, bringing my life to a halt almost. Though it also helped me cope with things like depression and kept me in touch with friends. It wasn't until our guild quit, that I really started to feel isolated and alone. We didn't keep in touch anymore like we used to. And with WoW my social interactions had already shifted to be mainly online. So there's some good and some bad. Games can be great, when in moderation. But it can come with it's problems.
Edit: I've got too little sleep because of games, still do on some days. Just can't put something down and need to wake up early for work in the morning.
Friendly reminder, you need proper social interactions, meeting people eye to eye. Only "meeting" people online isn't a proper substitute to real human connection.
Edit 2: People bringing up the poll choices are right, that they're really bad. The poll isn't framed for a serious nuanced discussion, but rather makes to seem light of it instead. But I guess that's to be expected on a video game forum, there's only room for hyperbole and extremes.
Edit: I've got too little sleep because of games, still do on some days. Just can't put something down and need to wake up early for work in the morning.
Friendly reminder, you need proper social interactions, meeting people eye to eye. Only "meeting" people online isn't a proper substitute to real human connection.
Yeah that's a good point to bring up, that excessive gaming can be a symptom. But it can become bit of a negative cycle too, always escaping to games and then being content with your situation where you aren't doing that good.
Edit 2: People bringing up the poll choices are right, that they're really bad. The poll isn't framed for a serious nuanced discussion, but rather makes to seem light of it instead. But I guess that's to be expected on a video game forum, there's only room for hyperbole and extremes.
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Gaming from an early age (we're talking early 80s) made me pursue a degree in computer science, which has been putting food on the table and roof over my head ever since.
But then again, gaming made me reroute my career into indie development a few years ago, which as expected is pretty much the path of perpetual semi-poverty.
So, uh, I guess it kind of cancels out? :D
But then again, gaming made me reroute my career into indie development a few years ago, which as expected is pretty much the path of perpetual semi-poverty.
So, uh, I guess it kind of cancels out? :D
I think when I was younger games helped me cope with a difficult childhood. I skipped most of high school and went home to play games instead. It helped in the short term, but in the longer term I think I'd have been better off putting more focus in my studies.
Now it often feels like playing games is one of the only hobbies I truly enjoy. Which can create some issues with my girlfriend. Still, I made a career out of games, so in that sense it's helped me a lot. I worked as a games user researcher for 3+ years and now I'm also studying for a PhD in Human Computer Interaction focusing on video game accessibility.
So, it's been a double edged sword really.
Now it often feels like playing games is one of the only hobbies I truly enjoy. Which can create some issues with my girlfriend. Still, I made a career out of games, so in that sense it's helped me a lot. I worked as a games user researcher for 3+ years and now I'm also studying for a PhD in Human Computer Interaction focusing on video game accessibility.
So, it's been a double edged sword really.
That poll is fucking ass.
Gaming has actually saved my life, it has helped me through so many horrible times in my life. I wish people on this site would focus more on the positive sides of gaming.
Gaming has actually saved my life, it has helped me through so many horrible times in my life. I wish people on this site would focus more on the positive sides of gaming.
Its been a blessing and a curse at the same time. Gave me reprieve when I was younger and alone. While in my 20s I almost failed university because of it.
I keep it in check now, 3 kids later and much success in life. I can teach my kids the same. That being said, its the best hobby there is by a massive margin. No other entertainment medium can do what gaming can.
I keep it in check now, 3 kids later and much success in life. I can teach my kids the same. That being said, its the best hobby there is by a massive margin. No other entertainment medium can do what gaming can.
Agree the poll is shit and unnecessarily negative. If I didn't play games my life would be a fucking mess OP. There is NO normal social life where I live. Theres just drug dens and alcoholics. If I'd lived the way others do around here I'd be on fucking meth or something right now. Most everyone I know here is putting hundreds in powder up their nose weekly.
Meanwhile ill chill with a beer and a smoke with my wife. I think of my options, I got it right.
Meanwhile ill chill with a beer and a smoke with my wife. I think of my options, I got it right.
I do manual labor, so I don't work from home or anything like that, so just in order to pay the bills, put food on the table and even buy videogames, I have to work and socialize to some degree, so it's impossible to have games affecting that part of my life. Been working since I was 12 too, so doing nothing but playing all day wouldn't even be a choice for most of my life.
Gaming as my main hobby only became a thing on my late teens, I grew up way more into anime, films and reading, so it also didn't have a negative impact during that time.
I do think it would be a better use of my free time to stop visiting places like Era, though. But on the other hand, most days I don't have the energy to play, even if I have the time, so quitting Era would most likely result in me F5ing somewhere else instead. It's not like I'm dying to play games but Era is keeping me from it, it's that I don't feel like playing games, so I check Era.
Gaming as my main hobby only became a thing on my late teens, I grew up way more into anime, films and reading, so it also didn't have a negative impact during that time.
I do think it would be a better use of my free time to stop visiting places like Era, though. But on the other hand, most days I don't have the energy to play, even if I have the time, so quitting Era would most likely result in me F5ing somewhere else instead. It's not like I'm dying to play games but Era is keeping me from it, it's that I don't feel like playing games, so I check Era.
Was one of the reason my last girlfriend and I broke up couple of years ago. Turns out she was a psycho (and is now in therapy at least) and there was times when I actually feared about my life. Literally, no kidding. So video games actually saved my life.
maybe negative in that it helped me block out the world a bit too often. it just lets me get lost and forget the real world for a while. i'm not addicted to it or anything.
This is an excellent post, thanks for sharing. Especially this part is so very true and important to note.
Wouldn't be happily married if it wasn't for gaming. My now wife and I fell in love playing FFXIV