Find Whirlpool Deals at Lowe’s
Games & gear: Video Games, Am I wasting my life?
Live a balanced life: a little of this, a little of that.
by bob.taylor - 12/6/06 7:05 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeSo, your parents think you're wasting your life and not just time? There's a difference, but it can be subtle. As the father of two teens (19 & 16), it's often my unenviable responsibility to provide a long-range perspective - even when not asked for advice. We've got the game-cube, play-station, X-box things. They were a novelty for a while, but now are now mostly used when their friends come over and the conversation lags.
Some questions to ask yourself: Is the rest of your life running smoothly? - Grades OK? Do you socialize with friends (in person, outside of school & not just on the internet or text message)? - Do you ave any hobbies besides gaming? - Do you read challenging material (besides school assignments)? - Arts & crafts? - Welding? - Woodworking? - Motocross? - Church? - Volunteering?
When I was a kid they called it being "well rounded". Today, the opportunities for the same variety of activities can be limited-to-non-existent for kids due to working family situations, neighborhood/community issues, etc. If you think you've got a good balance in your life, discuss it with your parents - let them know what else you're doing that they might not be aware of. It sounds like you've got good two-way communication with your parents - exercise it and keep it healthy!
wasting your life?
by verschoor2 - 12/6/06 7:06 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeFrankly every generation has its own way of entertaining themselves and there has always been criticism of whatever method they selected. If the gamer is enjoying his activities and the amount of time being allocated to this hobby is not interfering with normal development and life activities, game playing is probably not a waste of time. Most people have a certain goals in life and if gaming does not prevent them from reaching those goals or even if it delays reaching those objectives a smidgeon, there is no harm done and the player is a happy person. I personally spend hours every day on my computer and still manage to reach my goals and live a relatively normal life.
Life Is Short
by zanadu128 - 12/6/06 7:06 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeWhat a great question, one that my parents used to ask me as I was growing up.
I am absolutely positive that playing video games helps with hand eye training.
When I was younger I would have massive growth spurts and lose my balance all the time. I was clumsy! My Mom, who is not into video games at all noticed that I seemed to regain some of my balance and was not as clumsy after playing video games. She was amazed, so she researched video games and so forth.
I think video games can be a wonderful hobby and allow a person to escape from all of the craziness of growing up in a world that is pretty messed up.
Balance is the key. Go outside and play as well. Climb trees, look at bugs, daydream while looking at clouds, write a story or poetry. These are just as important to do as homework.
Make yourself a deal. I will complete all of my homework and chores before playing video games. Then make a deal with yourself that you will do something totally creative before sitting down and playing games. Go for a walk, writ poetry, take pictures, whatever.
Balance is the key to life. good luck...
In a word,
by fire1fl - 12/6/06 7:10 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeyes.
No more than anyone else, but certainly wasting nonetheless. There is no market, whether financial or artistic, for this "skill". There is perhaps a sense of accomplishment and self-stroke to the ego from reaching complex levels in the game - but it's just a complex slot machine without the payoff. A game writer is conditioning you to run through his maze for a pat on the head. It creates nothing new, has no reward, and simply (and somewhat mindlessly) consumes idle time.
In my long ago generation the reading of comics, watching TV, followed by picture magazines(I read them for the stories, of course) were the forbidden fruit, frowned upon by parents. And it's important that tension be there, so you don't waste so much time and miss the opportunity to be a great violinist or linguist or baseball player or poet/writer/sports announcer, any of the many things for which acquiring expertise or mastery requires learning at an early age.
Too much time spent on video games can lead to mastery of a skill that is potentially only a cult on the margin of society - akin to being a professional skateboarder. There are maybe 20-30 making a decent living at it and the rest are just hangin' out, waiting for the next ride. It's fun for a while, but it's not a life unless you're among the very few at the top and have figured out how to get some rewards other than a pat on th head at the next level.
There may be some skills that translate from game-playing to real world skills. There may be educational games that provide useful knowledge (i.e. spore) but none of them substitute for learning about real, rather than fantasy, worlds.
And, maybe I'm wrong, and you'll become the Michaelangelo of video games, creating the mindmeld needed for machines to directly aid humans to be violinists, linguists, baseball players, etc. - all with professional level skills, and anyone can be hooked up to the machine and do these things, and *their* market (performing arts and sports) will collapse - because everyone can do it, with a little experience at video gaming<g>. And there *is* a developing market for video games that teach useful things to otherwise learning disabled - such as using Fantasy Football to teach math to inner city kids - and getting their overall math skills (not just bookie skills) uplifted.
Games ARE worth it
by MKorkowski - 12/6/06 7:13 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeNo, you are not wasting your life. Its all about balance. Games are entertainment and should be used as such. To another poster; yes, when you are done it IS an accomplishment like anything else. I am 48 and have Scuba dived all around the world, spent 11 years in the Navy and raised two daughters that are now full time college students. Games are worth it and are fun...and certainly help most people improve their senses and patience. Plus almost all the time a person has to tweak their system just to get the game to operate properly. With my background in electrical engineering I understand the game's value both as an entertainment product and as pure technology. That has improved my love for games over all these years. Remember,its like watching a movie-you have to get into it to enjoy it or THEN you are wasting your time.
Very, very important: moderation.
by Lemongod - 12/6/06 7:18 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeOk, I bet you're getting sick of reading a ton of reply's to this and I'm just adding on but it's always good to remember that everything needs to be kept to a safe amount. For instance, if you eat too much of anything(even if it's really healthy, like grapefruit), you will wet sick; a very simple example but you gotta take it and extract the REASON of WHY it happened. As I said before, if you do too much of anything, it's bad news. So, drawing to my personal conclusion, keep computer time to a safe hour daily at most. I don't recomend palying more than an hour because your eyes are not meant to look at one place constantly for long periods of time. In fact, if you play lots, you should stop every hour and focus your eyes on something far away to "reset" your eyes focusing. I wath lots of people spend a large chunk of their day indoors logged onto a virtual world; you know the saying "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"? Same basic principle. The thing about gaming developing hand to eye skills is an excuse to justify prolonged usage of computer games; if it really developed those skills, one hour daily is waaaay enough. I hope my advice reaches your ears and your parents, I only wish you my sincerest intention to help you resolve this dilemma on your own, to improve your lifestyle. Seeya later slatch, a friendly soul.
Nope.
by tatwood - 12/6/06 7:24 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeI learned photography including darkroom work, at an early age. I have a complete, fully equipped darkroom--all packed up in the basement. I can't give it away. But I'm an expert in printing black and white photos! Why all this--its a hobby. Computer games are a hobby. Things change. I have two computers and three color printers--all just for my photographs and I'm thinking of buying another printer. Is it a waste of time...maybe. But I enjoy it.
I'm over 50 and still play computer games. My wife used to think they were an absolute utter waste of time. Then she saw Bubble breaker. She is seriously comptemplating buying her own laptop just to play this game. The real shock came when she was playing and asked, "What other good games do you have on this computer?"
I'm convinced that people who think computer games are a waste of time haven't found one they like.
Marc453
Balance and litmus test
by dnevel - 12/6/06 7:36 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeAs all know, balance is key. But how do you know? If you are traveling or camping and you cannot describe how you got there, you are playing way too much and need to enjoy our planet and its inhabitants. You are sitting inside a dark rainy day, play away...
Fritz
Not sure if you're wasting your life actually
by mediadiva - 12/6/06 7:42 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeOther people have already said that many gamers play in lieu of watching tv or doing other 'time wasting' things in the evenings, which I totally agree with - Gaming tends to be interactive whereas watching tv is the ultimate in passive entertainment, and would fit the definition of a waste of a life.
However, I game for a different reason. Prior to MMORPGs, I found myself drifting away from many of my friends due to moving to a different city. Gaming allowed me to maintain that bond. Recently my wife and I moved again, this time 3,000 miles across the country, and aside from coworkers, there are few people I've had a chance to get to meet socially. MMORPGs have allowed me to continue and strengthen my existing friendships, and have provided a bond to home which I would have otherwise lacked. In addition, during this period one of our cadre of close friends lost his mother to cancer, and another lost his step-father. In each case, we saw them both‘in game’ before we heard from either of them in real-life. It was the distance provided by the virtual setting that allowed us to chat, and share our own experiences with cancer and how it has affected our families. We were doing things together, and the discussions flowed around the action, which eased us into what would have otherwise been difficult topics.
"Are you wasting your life"? I can't answer that for you, but I can say that I don't think I am. You be the judge.
Video gaming for better learing
by azimermann - 12/6/06 7:45 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeConsider this: it is the type of video games and allocated time of all that makes most do better.
With http://www.horton.com and http://www.marcprensky.com as examples, one can use video gaming to learn faster for all, if more teachers and professors make video games for learning in their disciplines.
More food for thought.
by dan596 - 12/6/06 8:05 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeIf gaming make you happy then play them. Just don't let yourself not experience other things because of it. There is a big world out there and a lot of fun things to experience. If playing games is your top activity so be it.
I've played computer games at various levels of involvement for 10 years. I've seen it effect my school, work, and life in positive and negative ways. Nowadays, I'm very busy with work and family but still find time for the occasional game (probably 4hrs/wk avg). It is mostly my stress relief.
Just be sure to watch for the warning signs of when gaming goes bad: Gaming past exhaustion, getting verbally or violently angry with the game, skipping meals or appointments or exams to game...you get the idea...this is when gaming too much IS a problem.
As for your parents: Embrace their feeling by explaining how and why you enjoy playing the games, and compromise by exploring new things to do too. It will help you discover just how much gaming is a part of your life, for good or bad.
A Parent's Perspective
by lawrence1l - 12/6/06 8:06 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeA question I would pose to my children, in response to this issue, is 'How many books have you read this month?' There are many extremely important lessons for life, properly refered to as 'education' which have very little, if anything, to do with a VDT. Matters recreational are best pursued off the seat of one's trousers, also. I recall some years back having #3 Son ask me if I wanted to play football. I went to get my sweatshirt and shoes to play some catch--'no, on the computer'. I promptly suggested that some fresh air, and doing something 'real' might be preferable. Son:'This is real'. Dad: 'No, it's a computer generated image for couch potatos, which you spend too much time trying to be.
You can probably tell, I'm no fan of 'games'. Between the dubious morality of many, and the inanity of the harmless, and the sluggardly behavior which they all seem to encourage, I am hard pressed to see the merits.
well
by origamiwing - 12/6/06 8:07 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeIf you have already worked or gone to school for 8 hours, you probably want to rest your brain/mind/eyes a little bit. Video games take a lot of concentrating and focus, which is opposite to "resting". However, it is a good way to de-stress, although it can become stressful and frustrating at times. Plus, it does not really gain you anything in the end. So, play video games if you are bored and have nothing else better to do, if not, find a new hobby or something. Getting addicted on video games is bad.
My perspective
by jplee3 - 12/6/06 8:32 AM In reply to: well by origamiwingI used to play games, or at least 'collect' games quite a bit, and I had a sizeable collection. I think I got hooked when I was in junior high/high school but really indulged throughout college. I suppose it 'helped' me maintain interest in computers during my jr high/hs years, as learning about and fixing computers would simply be a means to an end of being able to reward myself by playing the cool games. Of course, this resulted in gaining unnecessary interest in case mods, upgrades, etc. Hahaha.
Anyway, once I started working [the 'real world'] along with a combination of other things, I slowly lost interest and all desire to play games, period. I ended up selling almost all my games at once on ebay (the guy who bought them got a crazy-good deal). I still have little to no desire to play games, whether it be on the computer, PS3, WII, Xbox, etc.
In the first place, I was mainly addicted to computer games (Diablo, CS, Starcraft, etc), and never really got into the console stuff. I remember being all into it when the SNES, Genesis, and PS3 were hot items, but after that I didn't really care to keep up with all of it.
About the hand-eye coordination thing - maybe it does help, maybe it doesn't. I'm sure I could have developed those skills through playing sports like tennis, basketball, football, etc., more often than I did. More or less, I feel I could have done without games and that many hours definitely were wasted (i.e. the hours I could and should have been sleeping or studying) due to their addictiveness and my irresponsibility.
I guess I just learned my lesson the hard way. Of course, my brother and a few friends have their gaming systems, and I don't mind playing once in a while (less than 2 times a year...haha). But yes, games, in moderation, can be fun (esp multiplayer stuff). Once you start counting hours though, I think you're in the danger zone. If I ever have kids, I plan on trying my hardest in directing their attention away from video games and towards fun things that are a little more productive (i.e. fishing - that's a game of itself and it teaches you a lot of frickin patience!)
Unless you are studying to be a game programmer, you are
by bccomo - 12/6/06 8:10 AM In reply to: Video Games, Am I wasting my life? by wjnthreeAs a parent, 45 years old, who has himself wasted many hours playing games and has grown out of it, I believe you can waste valuable time if you do not control how much time you spend playing video games. We only get 24 hours in a day, and life is short. As a kid, I remember spending as much time watching TV as you are probably spending playing games. I rarely watch TV and watch a couple of rented movies a week. Probably 4-6 hours a week. If that is all the time you are spending (honestly) then that seems reasonable unless you are also spending that much or more time watching TV. Also, if you spend too much time on video games, you are physically wasting away (except for a few finger and eye muscles that are being abused). And the value of games in terms of real life lessons are very limited so don't try to convince me of any redeeming value of slaughtering aliens or finding a golden amulet with mystical powers. Start a group to design a robot lawnmower (I'll buy it if you succeed), build a neighborhood vegetable garden, assist at the local food bank, or some other more worthy and noble use of your precious time allotment on this earth. Think beyond yourself. Bottom line: all things in moderation.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
