Are video games a waste of time?

[davep]

I've played videogames off and on since I was in highschool. Now I'm 50. I've never thought of myself as a 'gamer' and was never really hardcore into gaming (not logging tons of hours). But if I added up all the time I sat in front of a screen to play a game it would be shocking, even though I only play(ed) a few hours a week, usually less than that (I have a million different interests that provide much more fulfillment).

I feel pretty good when I'm playing them but afterwards always kind of 'meh', much like the documented social media studies.

I could go on and on about this but I'm curious what other people think? There's also a part of me that worries that some folks will look back with regret at all the hours (days? months? years?!) that they've spent on videogames. Was it worth it? We have a very finite time on this earth....

[Majingir]

Like all things, it's a matter of how much you spend doing it/what you're not doing because of it.

If you're playing games instead of getting important things done, that's bad. But same applies to anything like going to the movies or watching a game instead of that important task.

If you're just doing it as a fun hobby, then why not? That's how you choose to spend your time. No different than someone else choosing to spend their time doing something else.

Might have been here or somewhere else, but it's a true statement I read. Video games technically are one of the cheapest hobbies per hour spent on it.

Go to a 3 hour game, you're probably spending over $100? Go to a 2.5 hour movie, maybe $30 or something? Play a video game, sure the price could be between $50-90 or something, but you're definitely spending more than a few hours playing that game.

[KSUowls]

I definitely don't think they are a waste. If video games are a waste then so is every other hobby.

What else would I spend the time on?
Sure, I could spend the time on self improvement or another project around the house and be more "productive" but that sounds like an awful way to live life to just always strive for more output any time I am not sleeping.

There are a finite number hours available to us in life. The number of hours that we have outside of work and various obligations is even more finite. So, spend the that time doing what you enjoy.

Sent from my SM-S916U1 using Tapatalk

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by KSUowls

I definitely don't think they are a waste. If video games are a waste then so is every other hobby. What else would I spend the time on? Sure, I could spend the time on self improvement or another project around the house and be more "productive" but that sounds like an awful way to live life to just always strive for more output any time I am not sleeping. There are a finite number hours available to us in life. The number of hours that we have outside of work and various obligations is even more finite. So, spend the that time doing what you enjoy. Sent from my SM-S916U1 using Tapatalk

I find the people who say video games are a waste of time are the people who spend their free time doing extra work/chores and other things which just drains them.

Isn't downtime supposed to be relaxing? If you're just as busy if not busier during your "down time", is that really as good as you make it seem?

[AUChase]

I don't know what is considered a normal life anymore but if you're a tax paying adult with a job and responsibilities a lot of it takes care of itself.

I'm limited to an hour or two of free time most nights by the time work, chores, youth sports, etc. are done. I don't think it's any more a waste of time to use that to play games than it is to watch sports, read a book, watch a movie, etc.

I do think it can be unhealthy if it's getting in the way of your social life and responsibilities but it's not the only hobby where that happens either.

Everything in life requires moderation..

[Hooe]

If playing video games is something which brings you joy and it doesn't impede either your ability to live the life you want to live or your ability to support people who depend on you, then it's not a waste of time.

I do think the concern about how much time playing video games is too much is valid, though. Video game addiction is a real thing, and many video games are designed nowadays to keep people playing (to an extreme degree in mobile games, and many console GaaS games have copied all the worst dark patterns introduced by mobile games at this point). The companies making these games do not care about your mental health, they want your attention and dollars and that's it. If you're having problems managing your time because of video games to the point that it is negatively impacting your career, relationships, or whatever else, maybe then it's time to consider setting some boundaries for yourself.

One of the reasons I'm glad I'm a sports gamer is that it is relatively easy for me to play one game in a season and feel like I got enough out of the experience to put the controller down for the day and go do something else. When playing more open-ended games like city-builders or survival games, I absolutely feel how those games try to (and sometimes do) get their hooks in my ADHD-stimulus-seeking brain to make me lose my entire day playing them lol.

[Ghost Of The Year]

If it helps, think of it as you supporting the economy and helping people put food on their table, a roof over their head and clothes on their back.

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

If playing video games is something which brings you joy and it doesn't impede either your ability to live the life you want to live or your ability to support people who depend on you, then it's not a waste of time. I do think the concern about how much time playing video games is too much is valid, though. Video game addiction is a real thing, and many video games are designed nowadays to keep people playing (to an extreme degree in mobile games, and many console GaaS games have copied all the worst dark patterns introduced by mobile games at this point). The companies making these games do not care about your mental health, they want your attention and dollars and that's it. If you're having problems managing your time because of video games to the point that it is negatively impacting your career, relationships, or whatever else, maybe then it's time to consider setting some boundaries for yourself. One of the reasons I'm glad I'm a sports gamer is that it is relatively easy for me to play one game in a season and feel like I got enough out of the experience to put the controller down for the day and go do something else. When playing more open-ended games like city-builders or survival games, I absolutely feel how those games try to (and sometimes do) get their hooks in my ADHD-stimulus-seeking brain to make me lose my entire day playing them lol.

That's what I like about sports games. I can pick up and play whenever. And I don't feel like playing a bunch of games so I won't be playing for 3 hours straight, although I love playing armchair GM and love doing franchise modes and I do that a lot too.

If you're taking time off work/school to play games (or do any hobby really), or imo if you're spending money on extra content like VC and that type of stuff/freemium game purchases then that a problem.

Games are easy to get addictive to and adds up fast without you realizing it. I skipped the entire ps4 era of games because after a ps3 I just got tired of buying the same kind of games every few years and probably spent too much time on it anyways. Got back in with a ps5 a few years ago and so far have been controlling things better.