So my wife says . . .

Cryomatrix

Wife: Aren't you too old to play video games? (I'm 38)

Me: Aren't you too old for story time? Oh, wait, they call that watching TV. 

I'm so sick and tired of people thinking video gaming is more pathetic than TV. Literally, watching TV is akin to having someone tell you a story, it is just a visual story. 

As opposed to all the multitasking and intense focus and learning required to play a game like Starcraft 2 successfully. Hell, even playing a sports game I think is better than silly TV. 

Of course TV does teach you social skills to some degree that most people you interact with  will have, but otherwise, seriously, TV is more childish than video games. 

Cryomatrix
p.s. I am probably super biased but you know. 

Amathe

The average American spends just under 4 hours a day watching tv. So if you stare at a tv monitor for fun 4 hours a day you are normal.

If instead you stare at a computer monitor for fun 4 hours a day playing video games you are a freak.

But bear in mind these rules are from the same people who made being a jock or a cheerleader life's highest aspiration. 

Tamanous

Let's point out a major difference:

If you are not playing the same game with your family members, you are ignoring them.

You can watch TV with your entire family, enjoy the same emotional experiences and socialize over it.

If you glaze over this potential difference, you will likely also miss seeing the nearing end of your relationships.

Sovrath

I think there are a lot of people who feel that way. I realize, because of the rise of mobile games, that some players think that "video games are now mainstream."

but they really aren't. There is difference between taking out your phone or tables and playing a quick on off game and sitting at one's computer/screen for 2 hours which garners some level of condemnation.

As far as TV goes, there are great shows and "not so great shows." For me Television is a social activity as I watch a few things with friends, it invites discussion, joking, etc.

But just like everything, there are good examples and bad.

Amathe

Tamanous said:

You can watch TV with your entire family, enjoy the same emotional experiences and socialize over it.

Ok I guess if this were 1950 we could all watch Howdy Doody or the Micky Mouse Club together and sing along. But that's no longer representative of the American family viewing experience.

Mendel

Actually, in the very early days of television, there were instances of people rejecting the "devil's box".  Pinball and pool (billiards) had similar hurdles to universal acceptance.  It's probably a generational thing.  They adapted.  We're just seeing it up close.  Part of the dues for being at the bleeding edge.  (Could be worse, could involve actual bleeding).

Amathe

Tamanous said:

If you glaze over this potential difference, you will likely also miss seeing the nearing end of your relationships.

I have been married for over 22 years, and I have two college aged children. So I don't really need relationship advice. But thanks just the same!

Sovrath

Amathe said:

Tamanous said:

You can watch TV with your entire family, enjoy the same emotional experiences and socialize over it.

Ok I guess if this were 1950 we could all watch Howdy Doody or the Micky Mouse Club together and sing along. But that's no longer representative of the American family viewing experience.

It depends on who your family is. I would agree that mom, pop and the kids don't sit around together anymore. "for the most part." I do have a friend who has regular Saturday night dinner with her family.  They don't watch tv but it's a more social time for them. It's kind of nice.

I think a lot of people watch TV with friends and in that case it's sort of the "family they choose."

I know in my office people will meet and watch certain shows together or they will at the very least talk about it at work.

Albatroes

This whole topic has too many holes to derive a decent debate. We don't know how often the OP really games or how the relationship really is between him and his spouse. For all we know, she could've said that because she was upset about something or even meant it as a joke. Not to discredit OP completely but there are ques people sometimes miss especially when they are pre-occupied.

If she was making the comment in all seriousness, the easiest thing to do would be to show her what you find appealing in games and try to get her to interact more with them to see if she can find something appealing in them as well. You don't necessarily have to game with her but I'd assume she would want to understand your attraction to them more. This unfortunately goes both ways.

Amathe

TV shows used to be directed to a broader audience. Adults and children alike enjoyed them. For example, I Love Lucy.

But now tv shows are directed more to narrower, target audiences. Voice and dance competitions are probably one of the few bridges.

boris20

Tamanous said:

Let's point out a major difference:

If you are not playing the same game with your family members, you are ignoring them.

You can watch TV with your entire family, enjoy the same emotional experiences and socialize over it.

If you glaze over this potential difference, you will likely also miss seeing the nearing end of your relationships.

A good point is made here. I have first hand seen several relationships fall apart because one of individuals invested more time into games then their relationship. Some couples do play games together, but it does tend to take away from quality time together that a relationship needs. Which could be the case with any hobby if not managed and kept in check. 

As for the original post, I as well think it is silly people can sneer at those who enjoy to game a few hours a day calling it a waste of time, but those some people sneering see no issue with having their head in their social media or TV shows for hours on end, ignoring everything else. 

Panther2103

Tamanous said:

Let's point out a major difference:

If you are not playing the same game with your family members, you are ignoring them.

You can watch TV with your entire family, enjoy the same emotional experiences and socialize over it.

If you glaze over this potential difference, you will likely also miss seeing the nearing end of your relationships.

I think it's a bit different than a whole family sitting together watching a show now a days, back in the day when there wasn't much on or much else to do you would see a whole family watch things together but it's really not like that anymore. Sometimes as a family you have "a show" you watch together, but as a whole it's usually one person watching what they want to watch, and if you want to partake in the show as well you can join them. When I go over to my parents house, my mom is usually watching her shows, while my dad is downstairs watching sports. If I go to watch a movie or something (I don't really watch TV shows very often), about half the time my SO has absolutely no interest in what I want to watch just like I really don't feel like watching some rom com or bollywood movie that she might want to watch. You can be as social as you want with entertainment, just like if you are playing a game on a TV your family could come in and hang out with you. 

Gdemami

Panther2103 said:
back in the day when there wasn't much on or much else to do

When exactly was that supposed to be...?

Gdemami

Cryomatrix said:

I'm so sick and tired of people thinking video gaming is more pathetic than TV.

Yeah you are right, they are both equally pathetic.

What was your point again...?

Tiller

Gdemami said:

Panther2103 said:
back in the day when there wasn't much on or much else to do

When exactly was that supposed to be...?

200 B.C.

Gdemami

DMKano said:

Replace wife with an upgrade.

Problem solved. 

....dlc, expansion or sequel?

flizzer

DMKano said:

Replace wife with an upgrade.

Problem solved. 

Just be sure to max out crafting/jewelry

Phaserlight

I play Minecraft sometimes with my five year old son on our own dedicated server, the mother of whom that I live with walks in as I'm playing Distance, watches me land a trick, and says "nice".  She then asks what the game is called, I tell her, and she replies "that's appropriate" (we had not been getting along).

She enjoys watching me play sometimes and even will herself on occasion.  She has never once made me feel like less of a person for playing, although she will sometimes give me gentle nudges like "you've been spending a lot of time on the computer recently" (although this is very infrequent).

I always tell my son "just remember people are more important than screens". I try to follow this advice to the best of my ability; if I am alone playing and someone else walks in the room the gameplay takes a back seat or may be ignored entirely. People online might see my avatar go brain-dead, but family is a gift beyond measure and not one to take for granted. 

/2c

Utinni

Amathe said:

Tamanous said:

You can watch TV with your entire family, enjoy the same emotional experiences and socialize over it.

Ok I guess if this were 1950 we could all watch Howdy Doody or the Micky Mouse Club together and sing along. But that's no longer representative of the American family viewing experience.

Yea we don't have one TV and all crowd around it in excitement every evening. 

ultimateduck

I get what the OP is saying. Perhaps TV is a bad example. Maybe this will help.

Reading is a solitary "hobby". If you're talking to someone and they say they read a lot, they are assumed to be learned and studious. Smart people read and if you read a lot, you are perceived as smart. They see you reading a book with a glass of wine getting smarter by the second.

Now take video games. The perception is you are a guy that doesn't want to grow up and people look at you as if you're a bit of a loser, spending hours in front of your TV or computer monitor with an Xbox controller in your hand and a beer on the table next to you.

Both can be solitary actions in terms of a marriage, but one is looked at in a positive light and one is not. My wife reads way more than I play video games, but you tell someone that I play 2 hours of video games a night and I get a look like I need to grow up. She tells someone she reads 4 hours a day reading and she gets "I love to curl up around a good book".

I'm 50. I grew up in arcades and with the Atari 2600, the Commodore 64, Intellevision, Colecovision, etc. It was literally the birth of the video game culture. It's a hobby for me and has been my whole life. Some people don't get it, and I could care less. Others are envious that I can keep a piece of my childhood alive at my age.

Amathe

DMKano said:

Replace wife with an upgrade.

Problem solved. 

That type of upgrade is expensive.  

olepi

Computer games are interactive and require attention and thought. Studies have shown that playing video games helps with brain agility as you grow older.

TV, on the other hand, is a passive experience that requires no attention or thought. Watching TV does not keep your brain active and agile.

Octagon7711

Mendel said,

Actually, in the very early days of television, there were instances of people rejecting the "devil's box".  Pinball and pool (billiards) had similar hurdles to universal acceptance.  It's probably a generational thing.  They adapted.  We're just seeing it up close.  Part of the dues for being at the bleeding edge.  (Could be worse, could involve actual bleeding).

Good point.  Like people screaming, "Get a horse!" when the first cars came out and the guy who left his Tesla on a charging station overnight and found someone had set it on fire during the night.

Theocritus

I use my mind way more playing a video game than I do watching TV...I like games that make me think a little anyways.

Amathe

I highly recommend the following response to any marital criticism of game playing.

"You're right honey. I'm being selfish. I apologize. We could be using this time to have sex."

What happens next is a win, one way or another.

Bladeburaiba

Can I point out the obvious that her comment is simply colored by the descriptive word "game?"  People think they are "complicated" but often their perception of something is as simple as word choice, for example adults won't play games like children but rather show their prowess at sport.

On the other hand, if this fella was spending all his time doing horse riding then she would probably say "you would rather spend time with that animal than me?" which probably means she just wants him to stop doing something.