Originally posted by logangregor Take average joe right? Were gonna put average joe thru 3 Surfer years. Average joe gets up early in the morning to get the good waves. Just getting up early is good for you. Ive read where getting up early could be the cure for most depressions. Joe goes to the beach--gets sunshine (good for ya-keeps ya happy-serotonin/vitamin D) gets great excercise via swimming/surfing.
Compare that to----- an Avid Gamer. Avid gamer joe goes to bed rather late...gets up late(not good for ya). Plays his game of choice out of the sun......gets no excercise and doesnt move from his seat for HOURS on end.
...
Average surfer joe is in good shape from all that surfing, has a tan,a smile on his face (no depression hehe) and a girlfriend (cause his hawt surfer bod).
That's a lot of assumptions. ^_^
Beyond surfing, there's nothing to state that the 'avid' gamer doesn't do much of the same activities. I can easily make the assumption that after extended exposure to the sun, said surfer dies young from skin cancer.
If I remember correctly, I believe you can get an adequate dosage of vitamin D from 15 minutes
I'm in the IT industry, and tend not to move from my seat for 'hours on end' as well. Having said that I'd wager I'm healthier than the majority of people. During that time of 'inactivity', I'm actively using my mind to solve problems, which has been proven to have long-term benefits.
Ok, somewhat of a silly comparison and I'd argue 16 per day hours of whatever most likely isn't healthy. The point is what people choose to do with their free time is no less or more valid than any other.
Ico Oh, cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones. It bones for thee.
People watch TV for 8+ hours a day... so where's the big difference? I personally don't watch television. I'd rather read or use the computer or just veg out and listen to music. Is that stupid too?
Watching TV for 8+ hours a days frequently is no different, you are absolutely correct. They are both bad!
That's what gets me. The people who most commonly tell avid gamers to "get out and get a life" are the same people who typically spend just as many hours per day watching TV. Now I am not about to say that playing video games for 16 hours in a day is healthy behavior... however I WILL say that I think playing video games is probably BETTER then watching TV. Atleast with video games, you are doing something called "thinking". You typically also use and improve hand/eye coordination as well. Some video games truly are challenging, make you think several steps in advance, and reward you for successful strategies or for "out of the box" thinking. I'd also like to add to this that a lot of gamers simply are too busy to eat the whole time they play. The people sitting on that soft sofa watching the television are left with two empty hands and a helluve lot more time and potential for feeding their face then are gamers. I also know which ones are more likely to get bloated and fall asleep at their favorite hobby... and it isn't the gamers.
With that... I will whole heartedly agree that anything done in excess is not good. Even too much excercise can be bad if it prevents the body from a full nights rest to give the bodys muscles time to repair and rebuild before being broken down again by yet more excercise.
Gaming is a great way to relax and have some needed fun for people. However, when that gaming turns into a medium that is used for a routine "escape" from reality, then that is where it can start to become dangerous or unhealthy behavior. The problem with mmorpgs is that they offer virtual worlds where the players characters almost endlessly live without any kind of "game over" subroutine. This certainly aids in a games ability to become much more addictive then the typical video games where you only have so many lives or time before the words "Game Over" are displayed on your screen.
Is 16 hours a day playing a video game bad? That certainly would vary depending on the person I would think. I would have to say that anyone who regularly spends that kind of time gaming would likely have some serious issues. But working all week, or going to school all week and then spending 16 hours on a free day once every two weeks would probably not be such a problem. In fact.. there are probably a helluva lot worse things that one could do with those 16 hours of free time.
However, there are a lot of signs that I think would start to very possibly tell someone that they might have an addiction problem. And some people may be able to slow down or stop the addiction easier then others. Here are some signs that I would say might need one to take a hard look at their true level of video game playing...
a) Regularly losing sleep or going to work/school tired to support more hours on the game b) Being told by close friends and/or family members that too much time/attention is being spent on the computer c) Friends and/or family members feeling neglected or that the games are more important to you then they are d) If you ever have called in sick at the last minute to play a game or finish that quest in a game, you might want to take a hard look at your level of devotion to the "game" and where your priorities are. e) Skipping meals, going hungry, or letting your personal hygiene suffer because you just can't log off is a very good sign. It typically only takes a few moments to make something to eat, take a shower, brish your teeth etc. Taking regular breaks from the game to do these things is a good sign that your priorities might be in the right place. f) Regularly falling asleep while playing the game is not a good sign here. g) When previously important things like bills, friends, laundry, errands, and other responsibilties suddenly lose all or almost all their value... then you might want to stop and consider where your priorities are. h) Regularly getting up from the computer after long gaming sessions and feeling dizzy, light headed, or unaware of your "real" surroundings is NOT a good sign. i) Having many dreams at night of being inside your game and dreaming of gaming events on a regular basis is also probably not a good sign. j) Putting a higher value on that online "friend" you just met the other day in the game as opposed to the real ife friend you've had for many years is also a good sign of priorites being the wrong place. k) Typically being so wrapped up in the game that you let the phone ring until the machine gets it and not even looking to see who is calling or who called for many hours is a BAD sign. l) Going from eating regular homemade meals to ordering pizza or other delivered foods 5+ times a week so that you don't have to get away from that game and lose game time also isn't a good sign. m) Losing focus/attention at work and/or school because you are thinking about that game and what you'll do when you log on when you get home is also not a good sign. o) Offering excuses and/or lying to friends/family about how late you played the game is a big sign. If it's not a problem... then why would you ever need to "lie" to someone important in your life and not admit your true game time?
These are just a few signs that I believe "might" tell you if you might have a problem that you should take a strong, hard, inner look at yourself and where your real priorities are. I'm not going to say that for every person these signs are a definate sign of gaming addiction, but I would say that one might want to just take a honest look at oneself if any or especially if multiple signs that I have posted ring true with you.
Why can "I" make such a list you ask? Because I have been there in each of these "signs" in my past. I used to be one who pushed away all my friends and loved ones to get more in-game time. It can be a real problem, especially when it ends up hurting the ones you love and care for and makes them feel neglected. Even that poor little puppy or dog of yours might suffer these feelings to a computer game if you are not careful. Is any game really worth that?
Everybody defending playing games for an excessive amount of time are most likely the people with the problem. You can argue all you want, no one can make you realize how bad it is for you. You have a problem and hopefully you'll understand that one day.
P.S. It's not just playing games, if you watch TV that much it's just as bad. Also when you talk to these real people on voice chat it's not REAL human interaction.
Ok, for the people that don't think there are people that play 16+ hours A DAY.. not just on the weekends are wrong, there are people and its sickening. I once heard of somone who played 19 hours a FUCKING DAY.. for a year straight on everquest. Imagine what that could do to somone? People saying oh no.. its fine, that would socially deteriate anyone and could lead to serious health problems. Think about it.. sleeping 3 hours a night staring at a computer screen for 19 hours not moving not talking to anyone in real life.
If you game ridiculous hours thats your buisness but think about it.. theres a real world out there and its real sad what some people do with themselves.
ahhh but is gaming just gaming anymore? with the possibility to sell in game items online, gaming has become a way to make a living for some players, average and hardcore alike, say if i was to hammer away at an mmo and make 250$ a day on a slow day and maybe a 1000$ on a great day, does that tickle your fancy, hmmm it does for me, any how i aggree there is more to life then gaming, but in every hobby there are hobbiteers who take thier hobbies to extremes, sometimes when i would go fishing i would leave home at 6pm and not return till 12 pm the next day not always but some times, so i say hey if you wanna hobbie away for 16 + hours once and a while have at it.... but when the room starts to float get some tylenol pm muhahahaahahaha
Lt Riley NC1 uk n usa rangers Psuedo psoulslayer Horizons hmm and many others cant remember
When I got Baldur's Gate II, I played through the entire game. Straight. 30-odd hours.
Occasionally playing that hardcore is aight. Everyone binges on whatever their vices are occasionally. However, playing games for essentially your entire waking life is pathetic. Period.
It's just a phase young uns go through till they find a job/discover the opposite sex is more interesting then faffing about with a virtual world. Purlease, chasing dragons on a computer with a bunch of "friends". Grow the fuck up and at least try to get out your moms basement once in a while.
Comments
That's a lot of assumptions. ^_^
Beyond surfing, there's nothing to state that the 'avid' gamer doesn't do much of the same activities. I can easily make the assumption that after extended exposure to the sun, said surfer dies young from skin cancer.
If I remember correctly, I believe you can get an adequate dosage of vitamin D from 15 minutes
I'm in the IT industry, and tend not to move from my seat for 'hours on end' as well. Having said that I'd wager I'm healthier than the majority of people. During that time of 'inactivity', I'm actively using my mind to solve problems, which has been proven to have long-term benefits.
Ok, somewhat of a silly comparison and I'd argue 16 per day hours of whatever most likely isn't healthy. The point is what people choose to do with their free time is no less or more valid than any other.
Ico
Oh, cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones. It bones for thee.
That's what gets me. The people who most commonly tell avid gamers to "get out and get a life" are the same people who typically spend just as many hours per day watching TV. Now I am not about to say that playing video games for 16 hours in a day is healthy behavior... however I WILL say that I think playing video games is probably BETTER then watching TV. Atleast with video games, you are doing something called "thinking". You typically also use and improve hand/eye coordination as well. Some video games truly are challenging, make you think several steps in advance, and reward you for successful strategies or for "out of the box" thinking. I'd also like to add to this that a lot of gamers simply are too busy to eat the whole time they play. The people sitting on that soft sofa watching the television are left with two empty hands and a helluve lot more time and potential for feeding their face then are gamers. I also know which ones are more likely to get bloated and fall asleep at their favorite hobby... and it isn't the gamers.
With that... I will whole heartedly agree that anything done in excess is not good. Even too much excercise can be bad if it prevents the body from a full nights rest to give the bodys muscles time to repair and rebuild before being broken down again by yet more excercise.
Gaming is a great way to relax and have some needed fun for people. However, when that gaming turns into a medium that is used for a routine "escape" from reality, then that is where it can start to become dangerous or unhealthy behavior. The problem with mmorpgs is that they offer virtual worlds where the players characters almost endlessly live without any kind of "game over" subroutine. This certainly aids in a games ability to become much more addictive then the typical video games where you only have so many lives or time before the words "Game Over" are displayed on your screen.
Is 16 hours a day playing a video game bad? That certainly would vary depending on the person I would think. I would have to say that anyone who regularly spends that kind of time gaming would likely have some serious issues. But working all week, or going to school all week and then spending 16 hours on a free day once every two weeks would probably not be such a problem. In fact.. there are probably a helluva lot worse things that one could do with those 16 hours of free time.
However, there are a lot of signs that I think would start to very possibly tell someone that they might have an addiction problem. And some people may be able to slow down or stop the addiction easier then others. Here are some signs that I would say might need one to take a hard look at their true level of video game playing...
a) Regularly losing sleep or going to work/school tired to support more hours on the game
b) Being told by close friends and/or family members that too much time/attention is being spent on the computer
c) Friends and/or family members feeling neglected or that the games are more important to you then they are
d) If you ever have called in sick at the last minute to play a game or finish that quest in a game, you might want to take a hard look at your level of devotion to the "game" and where your priorities are.
e) Skipping meals, going hungry, or letting your personal hygiene suffer because you just can't log off is a very good sign. It typically only takes a few moments to make something to eat, take a shower, brish your teeth etc. Taking regular breaks from the game to do these things is a good sign that your priorities might be in the right place.
f) Regularly falling asleep while playing the game is not a good sign here.
g) When previously important things like bills, friends, laundry, errands, and other responsibilties suddenly lose all or almost all their value... then you might want to stop and consider where your priorities are.
h) Regularly getting up from the computer after long gaming sessions and feeling dizzy, light headed, or unaware of your "real" surroundings is NOT a good sign.
i) Having many dreams at night of being inside your game and dreaming of gaming events on a regular basis is also probably not a good sign.
j) Putting a higher value on that online "friend" you just met the other day in the game as opposed to the real ife friend you've had for many years is also a good sign of priorites being the wrong place.
k) Typically being so wrapped up in the game that you let the phone ring until the machine gets it and not even looking to see who is calling or who called for many hours is a BAD sign.
l) Going from eating regular homemade meals to ordering pizza or other delivered foods 5+ times a week so that you don't have to get away from that game and lose game time also isn't a good sign.
m) Losing focus/attention at work and/or school because you are thinking about that game and what you'll do when you log on when you get home is also not a good sign.
o) Offering excuses and/or lying to friends/family about how late you played the game is a big sign. If it's not a problem... then why would you ever need to "lie" to someone important in your life and not admit your true game time?
These are just a few signs that I believe "might" tell you if you might have a problem that you should take a strong, hard, inner look at yourself and where your real priorities are. I'm not going to say that for every person these signs are a definate sign of gaming addiction, but I would say that one might want to just take a honest look at oneself if any or especially if multiple signs that I have posted ring true with you.
Why can "I" make such a list you ask? Because I have been there in each of these "signs" in my past. I used to be one who pushed away all my friends and loved ones to get more in-game time. It can be a real problem, especially when it ends up hurting the ones you love and care for and makes them feel neglected. Even that poor little puppy or dog of yours might suffer these feelings to a computer game if you are not careful. Is any game really worth that?
- Zaxx
The Realm of Kirdain
P.S. It's not just playing games, if you watch TV that much it's just as bad. Also when you talk to these real people on voice chat it's not REAL human interaction.
Ok, for the people that don't think there are people that play 16+ hours A DAY.. not just on the weekends are wrong, there are people and its sickening. I once heard of somone who played 19 hours a FUCKING DAY.. for a year straight on everquest. Imagine what that could do to somone? People saying oh no.. its fine, that would socially deteriate anyone and could lead to serious health problems. Think about it.. sleeping 3 hours a night staring at a computer screen for 19 hours not moving not talking to anyone in real life.
If you game ridiculous hours thats your buisness but think about it.. theres a real world out there and its real sad what some people do with themselves.
Lt Riley NC1 uk n usa rangers
Psuedo psoulslayer Horizons
hmm and many others cant remember
Occasionally playing that hardcore is aight. Everyone binges on whatever their vices are occasionally. However, playing games for essentially your entire waking life is pathetic. Period.
It's just a phase young uns go through till they find a job/discover the opposite sex is more interesting then faffing about with a virtual world. Purlease, chasing dragons on a computer with a bunch of "friends". Grow the fuck up and at least try to get out your moms basement once in a while.
No annoying animated GIF here!