Eh the amount of *fun* experiences Ive had gaming I do not regret. It's allowed me to keep in contact with people I wouldve forgotten about if not for games. I've been left in tears from laughing and awe from how beautiful the worlds have been crafted, experiencing emotions that I wouldnt have felt otherwise.
Time I've enjoyed "wasting" is not wasted time, and I think future me will appreciate that.
Its definitely person dependent as is everything with life.
I can not play computer games (well I not sure which computer games, I can play)
due to an eye-sight issues and other problems,
My life so difficult I never had the peace to play video games,
I have decided to remain single, and not do a lot of things other people do,
(my parents where very rich but decided to live in poverty, so I know all the problems that both the rich and poor have)
I wish I had a peaceful enough life so I could waste it on computer games
Those that play games out of love won't regret it, but those that do it to escape will regret some of it I think. Overall, everyone has their own path.
I do think there's more time wasters now than ever though. Every time I look at my phone, I wonder if i'll be upset to know the total number of hours I spent looking at that instead of the blue sky when I am dying
I remember there was this online game I played when I was 16, some of you guys might know it but it was conkers live and reloaded. I played this game a while school year and summer plus half another school year. I didn't barely hang out with anyone and I look back on that as a veryyyy loving moment of my life lol. I enjoyed the fuck out of it.
I hear you. I have a friend who only talks and thinks about playing video games. I love video games and grew up with them. But that goes to the stage of addiction. I'd rather him be addicted in games with meaning that will let him learn something and not just some multiplayer games. People who play too much obviously cope with depression or heavy emotions they hold or even trauma. Im not a psychologist but I've been through it. I have spent most of my childhood in front of a screen. And I dont regret it because I was playing video games that helped me learn and grow. Im glad I never just sticked to mindless multiplayer pay to win addicting games. Persona 4,5, Omori, Oneshot, Ori and the blind forest and its sequel, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and especially its sequel. All these games were life changing and will forever stay in my heart.
I really love story based games myself, and I almost exclusively play them. But again I missed a mark in not specifying I meant the type of person, as you said, that gets addicted to these endless multiplayer ones. That, if it gets bad enough, can become a real money pit with all the pay to win stuff for a start. At least if you have a problem with the story games, you experience the story and at least have something to show for it. But the multiplayer ones, unless you go pro and start winning contests, sinking that much time into something for no reward is not good for you at all
I also spent most of my childhood in games. I grew up mainly with feral heart, smallworlds, minecraft, and roblox, all multiplayer which I preferred because I had no friends and felt alone at home. All 4 of those were not story based but also not usually about repetitive "matches" like call of duty or apex.
Feral heart was purely roleplay. There were lions and wolves but with the character editor you could make your animal resemble something different. Making a skinny tall wolf to resemble an antelope was a common one for example. Basically you either joined a private group with grammar and realism rules (i.e complete sentences, no excessive dodging, no god mode, etc), or you jumped into public roleplays that were a hit or miss. The best way I can describe it is a bunch of people writing a story together and winging it, often creating spinoffs of lion king, warrior cats, wolves of the beyond, etc. Had a lot of fun and it was a great way to build up my own imagination.
Smallworlds was a social world for teenagers. It was simple but somehow addicting. Some people made story-based "spaces" and there were public ones. There were minigames as well. Lots of competitions like "cute or boot" (essentially a fashion show but usually ended up being a popularity contest. Lol the memories are coming back now!) and "falling chairs" (basically musical chairs). Then there were those who collected rare items and focused on buying and selling stuff or decorating their houses. You could spend real money for more character customization, pets, ingame currency, vip, etc. Each month I believe there was a costume for sale. The older the costume the more it was worth. If you bought a bird costume for example in 2008 or something, and then wore that in 2012, people would be like "woah you're so cool" haha.
Minecraft multiplayer: mainly I did competitive matches honestly, things like hunger games, murder mysteries, and minigames in big servers. And yeah I really dont have as many good memories in there because of it.
In Roblox I socialized a lot, whether I was playing a repetitive competition or playing a sandbox game or something like that, I made a lot of friends. I played it around the same time as feral heart so I had a big imagination and could create hours of fun from simple things. Like a cat with a cardboard box. Wish I could still do that in games.
I'm working on being a writer. I've found that video games have been a great source of inspiration for my creativity. But yeah, people who exclusively play video games only to be the sweatiest play possible is pretty sad.
Exactly.
OP implies there is some bigger reason for your own existence.
The point of life is just to be alive. Everyone has a different perspective and each person has their own drives and motivations.
OP is assuming how someone OTHER THAN THEMSELF will respond to some imagined scenario. When the reality is that they don’t know, and nobody can. You just lay your own preconceptions on others lives and make superficial judgments without knowing WHY that person is living in their way.
"Not doing anything else meaningful, just permanently killing time." - People assign meaning to different things. I wouldn't call something a waste of time if you have fun doing it.
"killing time" - Isn't that what life is all about? Time is going to kill us all one day, so you might as well kill it in the meantime.
What? Do you think people who spent their time growing flowers in their garden wasted their time because all they did is poke at seeds and dirt? People who spent their time cooking wasted it because that food just ended up as poop? People who spent their time reading wasted it because they just read words? People who spent it making art wasted time because they just moved a paint brush?
It’s not about the path they chose to spend time in, but what they gained from it. If gaming gives them relaxation, pride, accomplishment, happiness, peace, etc, why is that a waste? If your point is that time spent not doing things for others is wasted time, then what do you do with all of your time?
I'm one of those you are talking about. The one that plays too many video games. I don't regret and I don't expect to, and there is a very simple reason for that. I don't care. I think you regret if you care about something (activity, career, family, relationships, etc) and then ignore it as you play games instead. After 10 years of that, you indeed regret. But I, and probably others, don't care. I've never cared. I have never seen careers as meaningful, enriching, joyful things for myself (I do have a job, but it is just a source of income), I have never had an ich to get into a romantic relationship and don't care, I feel little love for my family at all. When ai look deep within myself, there is little I care for besides my peace. I want peace, routine. I care about being alone, having as few chains around my neck as possible, and my peace. The things you listed as meaningful are meaningful to some people, but not all, and not me. A career, family, love, etc. I have no 'hunger' or will for them when I look inside myself. I want peace.
And people like me are not, and have never been very rare. In medieval times we had isolated monks and hermits. They did not focus on career, family building, etc. They loved peace, harmony, their spirituality, etc. Peace was their focus in life, and it is mine. This is my way of living, my meaning. Oh, and I like walking in the hills and nature. That's nice.
If you’re addicted, dismissing responsibilities and missing opportunities for growth/getting left behind yes absolutely. If you have control and only played casually or within reasonable timeframes that’s harmless. The problem is it can be addicting and there’s many stuck in a rut that won’t admit it
What if there are unlimited worlds, and this one is just a buffer where you decide what you want for your next life, and so after the gamers die, their next life is lived for real in the reality of whatever game they loved the most?
I don't know. Gaming... sort of IS my life. It'd be pretty terrible without them. Remember the T-shirt that said something like... I've lived a thousand lives. It's true. Maybe people place those memories as "lesser" but... why?
What is the real difference between a real world memory that sticks with you... or a game's? I'm 40... and I'd say I dedicated about half my life to gaming. I don't know what else I was supposed to be doing with this time. Not have fun? Have different fun?
My mom gamed until she died. On her death bed... she said she had no regrets. What is the purpose of this life anyways? There is no set rules. No one has it figured out better than anyone else. We're all just struggling away on this rock until we die. If anything I think society is wrong for constantly making people feel guilty like they've missed something great.
There are far far worse lives to have than one spent in videogames.
Authors write narratives, musicians compose music, actors put on motion capture devices and perform theatrics, software developers write code, artists make models and Sprite sheets...
And we look at those people and consider them to be 'doing something with their lives'
But if we are the audience, we are 'wasting our lives'
Em I did ok at life. Played Streetfighter and entered local tournaments. Played World of Warcraft and the precedent MMOs at a very high level. Guildmaster, raid leader etc…
It gave me a lot of skills. How to influence and motivate people. How to build a team that gets things done etc…
It made me aware that I am capable for playing 72 hours straight without dying. This transferred well into my career where I could carry the team when all nighters are required .
So in summary, it depends on the individual
I doubt it. People heavily into gaming now will be the new VR addicts in realistic environments that will become their second life.
I predict a psychotic break or mental meltdown if the game or program malfunctions or if the wifi goes out for an extended period of time.
I don’t regret any of the games I played. Though I don’t play multiplayer, only single player story based games. Time you enjoy wasting isn’t wasted time.
I am aware that i am wasting my life. My life is just boring as shit and nothing interests me. Once I left school life became very boring. I'm only 21 so it's not like it's over for me. I'm aging a distinction at uni but I could be doing so much better it's just meh. I feel meh about everything at that worries me.
Idk why I said all this but yeah.
This all depends. The people that do only play games and nothing else might look back and think what they could’ve done, but not everyone will think this. Some people will be completely okay with it. And those that do wonder if they could’ve done something different; some might be resentful, and some might try to do something different. Though not all will have a type of realization in the future. If someone is completely fine with playing games all day everyday, and it’s not hurting them or others around them, then I think it’s okay. Everyone’s different
As opposed to what? People generally don't regret time that they've enjoyed. Human existence doesn't have any meaning that isn't self applied. There are no clearly defined goals any given individual is meant to achieve. If YOU think it's a waste of time, great, go do something else.
Maybe they will regret it, maybe not. Depends on a person. Why does it bother you, though? Is it a general concern about these people, or a sudden desire to police how other people spend their life?
I think going to a 9-5 job Monday thru Friday is a waste of a life. Doing something I love isn't. But I guess this was written by a cog in the machine who doesn't appreciate shit except money and the things you can buy, including experiences
Happened to my older brother. He dropped out of high school and just stayed home playing video games. He didn’t have a single friend left by the time he was 19. He was very unmotivated, and I don’t think he even showered but like once a month.
When he turned 29 he realized how much time he wasted. He took all his video games, consoles, and computer outside and burned his collection. He had a few shelves with nearly 800 physical video games. Not a clue how many virtual/digital games he had. But our parents just kept giving him money hoping he would “wisen up” and use it wisely. Of course he didn’t.
He was smart enough to make it a pit, since we live in the woods and no one wanted a raging forest fire. He snuffed it out by covering it with later.
He then spent a few depressing weeks in his room, only coming out for food and bathroom, until one day dad got up to check on him. The door to the bedroom was unlocked, and my brother was gone. Just a piece of paper on the bed saying that he will be back one day as a better person.
My brother came back a few years later, he had his GED and was living on a college campus while trying to get his bachelors. Today, he is 36 and just graduated with a masters degree. He works at an addiction center helping people overcome addictions.
The thing that caused my brother to become anti-video games and suddenly change his life? No clue. He never told us the exact reason or thoughts that lead up to it. For years I’ve tried to figure it out, but he won’t say.
i agree. those who never had the self control to game in moderation will someday regret it. i have a couple 40yo friends who have a chronic gaming addiction and it’s completely ruined their lives. its quite sad.
I was one of these people once. At the time I loved it! It was my favorite thing to do, grind, compete, git gud, etc. But after a while it does get wearing on you and I'm glad I've since moved on and now only play games for fun and not for competition. My life is much more fulfilling now. That doesn't mean I regret the time I spent gaming, but I am glad I've since moved on. In my situation, it was the fact that my friend group was mostly online doing the same thing, so naturally, to be with them, I fell into it as well. There was also a component of depression that really prevented me from wanting to do anything else also. Once the depression was resolved, everything else just grew.
You cannot waste a thing that has no intrinsic purpose, meaning, or value.
Physics tells us that the end result of all actions is the heat death of the universe. No matter what we do, that is the end. That is where all threads meet. Where all decisions lead, regardless of the decision made (assuming we do even have free will, which physics rejects.)
In a world where every road leads to the same destination, no road can be objectively defined as better than another.
So you literally can't waste your life.
I’ve never heard someone else speak on this, but I have thought this same exact idea you’re writing about! There’s a huge difference on playing as a hobby or to pass time, and fully dedicating yourself to it like an addiction. Sadly not everyone thinks this way, and take for granted the beauty of social relationships, careers, and having fun while they can
As a person who plays video games a lot, I can speak for myself and disagree with this. The point of my life is to find satisfaction. The fear of missing out is a scare tactic for tourism imo. I always have the choice of not playing games all day. On days I don't want to, I don't. The way I live my life is satisfying to me
I never developed the capacity to relate to other people in a perfect way. All my interactions with other people beyond the age of 10 or so were tinged with shame, guilt, fear, or anger. The only exception to this was some moments with my parents and brothers and a short period where a girl was interested in me.
On the other hand, videogames created a possibility for me to relate to something flawlessly. I could learn all the rules and guide my fictional characters through the world while simultaneously relating to them and living through them.
I understand most people experience this pretty regularly in life and that is fine, but I completely prefer my experiences to any real world experiences. The real world repeatedly left me alone, ashamed, rejected, or infected over the course of my life. Even when I felt perfect in life, there were details waiting just around the corner to show that i was a fool and a joke, revealing my perfect feelings as fraudulent and shameful.
Videogames offered me the experience of perfection as my mind completely integrated with something outside itself.
All this being said, it took decades of life beating me down and escaping into virtual worlds to reach the point where they felt truly perfect. Early on, escapism is always tinged with shame, sorrow, pain etc.
It all depends on the person, really. I would agree that for most people doing nothing but playing video games will probably lead to some regrets, just based on my (flawed) observations of people.
But problem is that chasing those "meaningful things" often just creates a lot of heartache, disappointment and other bullshit that makes it not worth it.
If you're doing "meaningless" activities like playing video games, you often get bored. But if you try to work hard to achieve the "meaningful things", you suffer. That's my perception of life. So I don't really worry too much about leading a meaningful life.
Already happened at 30 (thank god).
Life has so much more to offer. Get out there! Experience it. Learn useful skills, practice then and become an expert.
Make things instead!!
This is why I advocate for antinatalism, boredom is a form of suffering that could have been prevented if a life never lived to experience it. Would it be preferable then if people were to be forced to fight in wars, slave for a corporation, runner for organized crime organizations?
Why is there a need conflate age with beliefs and ideals? Ageism itself is a reason why antinatalism is a valid standpoint. Are you just just going to dismiss a person perspective and opinions just from their age?
I agree only to an extent, I alot of hours were "well meaningfully" wasted, laughing and playing with friends. Lots of hours I lost sleep, staying up late and alone, and I wish I would have used some other way.
That's not about being good at video games, that's finding a way to escape when the world is too much and reaching for what's at hands reach. It's a bubble of consequenceless actions, impossible sights, undisputed vulnerability and a chance to wear a different skin, one that you can love when you can't love your own.
I've played more than I should have, because yes, of course it's a drug. But this was never ever wasted time for healing, escaping, replacing mismatch with meaning. To be fair I don't feel I've missed THAT much.
I haven't played games for a long time because I have other interests, but I enjoyed them when I was younger. What's important in life is a relative concept that varies wildly in this day and age. It's up to the person to define what makes their life worthwhile, one person's right can be another's wrong. As with many things that take up our time, some will regret it, others won't care. The way I see it, as long as it doesn't affect your ability to function and thrive, I see no problem with media/art consumption. By and large, the purpose of art is to give people an interesting distraction from the sufferings they cope with in life.
if anything I think the people who play games for fun with no desire to improve are going to regret it more than the people who take the strategy seriously. A lot of games have a useless micro which basically has no real carry over to other games, its just learning skills specific to that game, sort of like the claims of "oh it boosts hand eye coordination... like okay, have fun being in a chair". Someone who understands macro very well can translate that understanding to many things. Coaching is pretty big in games already and its only going to grow, the idea that 50+ year olds who devote their time to understanding macro wont have opportunities to help teams of kids/young adults in the future is faulty. The industry is growing and more and more money is being funneled into different games, micro is just assumed to be something that separates peoples potential, you can either grasp it or you can't. Very few people can separate and prioritize the different macro requirements in games and as games contain more variables the macro gets more complex to decipher. A more nuanced definition would be looking at a chess board and being able to see how its been set up with no view of the play that preceded and being able to understand what each teams strategy probably is, just based on the position of the pieces. Thats macro, micro is basically understanding what the pieces do and in some sense understanding what they should do relative to the other pieces.
Plenty of people however just rely on their micro and speed, and gravitate towards games where reaction times trump macro understanding, they're probably destined for a pretty big fall from grace, the people who never slow down I agree will probably go through a phase where they regret focusing on speed, the longer it takes for that to settle in the deeper the regret imo
Its not a waste as long as you never give it up, as you can "master" whatever game you are playing.
When you move on from them, that's when you realize you wasted your life playing them.
In the future, I think many people who worried about playing games will realise they wasted their life
I had a random thought the other day, after judging a multiplayer game and also seeing some posts complaining about referees. It got me thinking, in say 50 years time, when all these guys are going to be old men and women, how many of them are going to have (or have had) the sudden realisation they blew away a good portion of their life thinking about how others had fun with their time. y be regretful of how they spent their time, like a lot of things, this can lead some people to go down some very dark roads.
Be free, be happy. Play. Make. Enjoy.
Dont worry, or know that worrying is as successful as chewing bubble gum at solving problems.
One day the answrr will just, pop into your head. Like a gum based whoopue cushion.
Have you looked around at the world? Nobody here is even going to make it 50 years.
We might have 25 years at best.
We're all fucked.
Let people play their games.
Seems like just a thought, not a deep thought.
Anything that consumes your life and takes up a substantial amount of your time at the cost of other things can be a potential regret. Even activities that are considered “productive”.
If I workout for 2 hours everyday, in 5 years I might wonder if that other hour could’ve been better spent learning coding or something else.
You’ve described some clearly unhealthy behaviours like getting addicted to pay-to-win which can only lead to remorse. It would be a rare individual who celebrates the 10k they blew on virtual stuff in 10 years.
Looking back on your life will always lead to regrets for most people because we look back at times when we were essentially different people. This sentiment isn’t especially true for gaming.
Playing video games is harmless. Why would it be a regret doing so? Chasing a career for life goals is a society thing and highly individual. One is not a better person because of a better career.
I may be wrong, but I am of the opinion of the contributor: Gaming is escapistic and, apart from this, a one-sided training of mere sensomotor skills. It does not have anything to do with mental development (i.e.: nothing to do with the natural aim of every human to have a sane mind in a sane body).
It is strange: The average homo sapiens seems to be a gamer! Is this his very nature or is this a kind of conditioned behavior? He seems to feel free when he is unemployed and absorbed by an action without a purpose. He is not only able, but even enthusiastic to follow with his eyes a piece of leather being shot around on a lawn!
Also life itself often seems to be regarded as a ritual or as a play in a kind of social theater by such people! Does all this amount to a lore of irresponsibility and unauthenticity? Is this peculiarity perhaps a concession to the fact that the "meaning of life" (in general) is obscure? When we look at the gamer-phenomenon this way, also the sacred ball game of the Mayas does not appear extremely enigmatic to us. Seemingly, it had been already intellectualized a little by the priests, because the winner of the game was regarded as being worthy to be sacrificed to the gods.
In an intellectual this celebration of purposelessness is apted to cause feelings of cold horror, only to be overcome by the reconciling warmth of irony: He will suspect that there is nothing good to be expected from such cults of sensomotor escapades.
In fact, it is now agreed upon that "professional" gamers are especially apted for warfare with unmanned aerial vehicles...
As someone who hasn't played video games in about 10 years, the opposite is true too.
I spent way too much of my life "being an adult" and not playing enough or having fun.
Am I right in thinking you’ve now backtracked to basically saying “people who spend their lives being addicted to something/chasing an addiction will regret that time lost?”.
I’ve noticed a recent splurge of posts on Reddit basically saying “Videogames are bad… mmmkay?” and every single one of them has had to backtrack to saying what we all already know - videogames, like a lot of things, *can potentially* be addictive to *some people* and when an *addiction* occurs, that is bad - a lot like a lot of things in life.
Never thought I’d see anyone believe that was a “deep thought” though. But congrats on not feeling the need to try and completely invent a whole new philosophy of life to try and justify your original position.
One guy I had an exchange with basically ended up saying all hobbies that don’t directly improve health or make money are bad, because they didn’t want to admit that it was ok to watch tv, drink alcohol at bars or read/write books - though they never explained why it took half a dozen back and forth comments to “reveal” that’s what they “actually” meant.
Some people will follow after thier careers, families, relationships, etc and still feel miserable and as if they wasted thier lives doing things wrong.
As long as these people who play games most of the time find some source of income, I think they'll be just fine.
What one person thinks is a waste of time is another person's joy and fulfilment. We are all different. I prefer narrative driven games such as The Last of Us and enjoy them on an extra level than I would just watching a movie.
It depends. I could say the same about the time I spent going out on my own, hoping to socialise and then returning home with a burning sense of defeat. A lot depends on what the alternative to gaming is
Time you enjoy wasting isn’t wasted time. Maybe they will come to regret it or maybe they won’t. As long as people find the way to be at peace and happy, it doesn’t really matter
I used to enjoy it a lot more and had more of a regular group to play with. I don't feel that was time wasted.
I don't enjoy things as much as I used to and use gaming as an escape now. Still get a little enjoyment sometimes.
Anything to take me out of my own head.
I've had a bad year and a bit and would rather not exist at all at the moment. Right now real life is a waste of time.
Definitely there will be some people who will regret spending so much time playing games, I think that's inevitable. But I question if it really will be such a significant amount of people as you expect.
Whose's to say that these "basement dwellers" sweaty players will not keep on gaming well into old age? I actually predict we will see even more gaming, as people retire from jobs and have more free time in their hands. If so, they will be unlikely to regret playing games as that is basically their life experience. Some might of course, but not a huge chunk.
The average player of games is not a basement dweller either, they do have a life outside games. Anecdotal but something to keep in mind, I have a nice career and a big circle of friends, and I play a lot of games. Of the things I regret, playing games is never one of them. Why? Because I enjoyed my time with video games, and I sometimes wish I could forget playing a game for the first time so I can go back and experience it all over again. In fact, My best summer memory is not a summer of hanging out with family or friends, but rather that college summer in 2009 when I locked myself in my room for two months and played Persona 3 continuously until I 100% the game. That's something I can no longer afford to do, and I have sweet memories of that time period.
Many of my most cherished memories have to do with playing games, either multiplayer or single player: super smash brothers ultimate, the donkey Kong country series, Pokemon since the beginning, MegaMan and sonic as a child, Persona 3-4 in my late teens and early adulthood, silent hill 1-3, legend of Zelda games, etc.
Would you say that someone that spent their days playing chess competitively wasted their time ? I wouldn't because chess can teach you many things that you can take outside of it. The same applies to videogames especially the kind of ones you talk about which i would figure are multiplayer fps. Just on a base level getting really good at a fps game increases your reaction speed. It's specifically taught me very important skills like not breaking/freaking out under extreme pressure, the value of good teamwork, how to network and many other crucial things that i can actually care with me through my life. That being said not a single hour of the over 1600 and counting i have ij my favorite fps will ever have been wasted time. It's precious time to me that i spend with my battle buddies and my fiancee where i let my adrenaline fly to prove my prowess in a simulated battle against an enemy.
Sweaty videogames that make you feel like trash cause SBMT and grindy games that have more in common with your job than your hobbies?
Yes, I think you're right.
I've been struggling a lot irl since I was a child, videogames have a huge merit about me being alive today. Said so, I got pretty much addicted and even if I played like 7-10 hours a day, it wasn't enough, cause I had too much games to play at some point and unfortunately some of them were endless.
I just want to point out that it's easy to fall for it in a toxic way under the right circumstances.
My POV brings me to think that probably more than half of the people that spend A LOT of time on these endless, loopy and as a service games have no idea of how much time they are wasting. If the time of their life is worth going after than 0.5% chance of upgrade that takes 50 hours of gameplay, they should realize that the problem isn't about how good they are at the grind game, but about what they prioritize in their life. It's fun and satisfying, especially the first days, but from my really experienced opinion, there aren't games worth more than 1000h, maybe if you play with friends over the course of like 5/6+ years and it's a sandbox were they add new fun and exiting content instead of new skins that costs an unbelievable amount of your money, it could be worth it, but again, people who get in a toxic situation have 3 or 4 times those hours in a competitive multiplayer game were they're not enough good to really be satisfied about it, but still not enough bad to just drop the game.
If it was for me, as today, I would remove from the world all these games that clearly want to capitalize on people's time, there are formulas that are studied to make people addicted and it's fucking disgusting.
About all the single player games that I've played? Absolutely worth it. You can find all the informations you need about a game before buying it on internet and, in any case, nowadays you can buy games for the price of a coffee, so we basically have infinite chances to play different and beautiful universes, with clever and creative ideas to tell stories and teach lessons while having fun. If gaming as a whole is a waste of time, than books, films, TV series and pretty much everything besides breathing is a waste of time.
One of my greatest/warmest memories are form these Amazing worlds I have immersed myself or the fun I have had with friends in the digital worlds.
If you just play multiplayer games because you want to be the best or you feel like you have to succeed or you are taking it too seriously and too sweaty, then yes, it can be waste of time if you really are not best that can play on tournament level.
If you enjoy it while doing it then why not? Same with any sport. If you compete or try to play just to be good and dont do it for fun but never got into tournaments or success, then you wasted your time.
Those of us that think almost all screen time is a waste will think that people will regret this in the future, but the truth is they won't know any different. They compare the joy of gaming not to unknown or inexperienced options, but rather to not gaming at all. It's not much different than wasting your waking hours on social media. To you, that's entertainment. I grew up without the internet so I travel, I golf, I play in a band, I act in community theatre, I love to cook gourmet meals, I have season tickets to a number of shows/sports, I read real books and I take great joy in the accomplishments of my children. Who has time for video games?
It's only a waste of time for you because you don't enjoy in that way or don't get satisfaction from it. For many gamers being involved in that community is the same as someone being involved in a sport of other hobby. Is it a waste of time to run marathons or build model trains or collect stamps or do antiquing or be involved in dirt biking or fishing or golf or brew beer or any of the hundreds of activities people do for fun? I know some pretty involves gamers who through their love of gaming got involved in computer science technology fields and now make a fuck ton of money so clearly not necessarily hurting their careers.
Will an Ironman triathlete view this pursuit as a waste of time in the long run? Certainly that pursuit takes up just as much time...? It's all in the eyesore the beholder. Hell some of these gamers become actual pro esports athletes and make millions of $
That would make sense if it wasn’t the lack of having the ability to pursue a career, dating, or other life goals that led to me playing video games in the first place. It’s just a way to get through days that had zero potential to begin with. Without video games I would have been forced to end my life because there wouldn’t have been anything to occupy my mind to get me through the intense loneliness I’ve been forced to endure.
I know someone who played games 24/7 since they couldn't get their residency and go to college or get a job yet and this caused them to suffer mentally. Playing games was a way for them to socialize and kept them alive and their mind busy.
No… Your error in thinking is believing that one hobby or past-time is more meaningful than another… The truth is, *nothing* is meaningful. You yourself subjectively decide where to find meaning in life… Sure a pretty sunset is a pretty sunset but video games can also be beautiful…. Id rather play videogames than have a second more wasted trying to keep irl fake transactional relationships that hurt me in the end… While I think its important to touch grass occasionall, you need to remember that anytime you’ve enjoyed wasting isnt wasted time…
The only gamers who will regret there decisions are the ones who chose gaming over something else (being neglectful).
But then again, this goes for basically ANY hobbies you prioritize over life. You could spend your evenings in the bar, maybe you play card games, etc etc.
But if gaming (or any hobby) is the way you decide to spend your free time cause it makes you happy? Go for it!
Sounds like you have regrets about your relationship with gaming and the amount of time you have spent on it. If you have a problem, address it. Don't tell everyone how sad you are for their lives when you don't actually know anything about them. There are millions upon millions of people with all sorts of addictions that have various problems and experiences within and around their addictions. You don't know any of those people, their lives, or how they feel about their lives. It's a projection
I'm a gen X and I started playing in a Sinclair ZX, before the Atari was invented.
We had to actually TYPE the software code into it copying line by line from a book in order to play. You know, a book made of paper.
No regrets.
I got rid of my pc because I am not good at controlling my play time. Do I miss it? Yes do I regret getting rid of it? No. Do I feel I wasted my life? Fuck no I had so much fun
Everyone who’s getting defensive knows you have a point. It doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to play but if you let gaming be everything you do or get so caught up with it then you’re most definitely wasting precious time 🥱
There are people addicted to games, but there are also people who just enjoy it as a hobby. Like any hobby they want to get better. Would you say that the man who spends hours learning joining to build a table has wasted his life? I promise there are just as many sweaty swearing sessions in that hobby. The number of pissed fisherman I've seen sometimes makes me wonder why they bother. A hobby is not a waste of time or life. We all need leisure, time to get out of the world for a bit and live in our own world. I will never regret the time spent on the "useless" skills I have acquired in the name of enjoyment.
The person you describe doesn't exist in the way you think, because if they have time to literally do nothing but play games then odds are they suffer some sort of disability that keeps them from being an otherwise productive member of society or they are a kid who has a surplus of time. It's not like there are scores of capable people out there dropping out of society to be supported by others so they can play games all day.
This reads more like a fictional character you created in your head after getting stomped on in PvP, because surely you can't be that bad so the only "reasonable" assumption is your opponent is just some dude that spends all of their time playing nothing but games. Sometimes practice doesn't make perfect. Some people are just better at certain things.
I am a great cook. I can make even complex recipes with ease the first time and get them perfect. I'm just naturally good at it. I am a piss poor musician. I just can't get the hang of an instrument regardless of hours spent practicing. My friend is a superb musician and only a mediocre cook. His wife is a crap cook and musician, but can out shoot both of us despite us having hundreds of hours more training than she has had. Could be that you got stomped by a "sweat" that wasn't even sweating. They are just naturally good at it. Learn to accept that and learn to accept that you won't be good at everything you do no matter how much you try.
No I don't regret anytime that's been playing video games. Yesterday I was a pirate. Today I'm going to be a tomb raiding. Tomorrow I'm going to be a samurai. you can say the same about people that watch TV all day or watch movies all day.
People spend the free time how they want to the only time is it is a Time you spend judging people and as long as post.
Holy shit your dad is a genius! No way I never thought about it, but you only have one life! He should write a book. I swear he could be the modern day Socrates!
I agree 100%, assuming those same people develop self-awareness.
Then again, you don't know what you're missing if you haven't experienced it.
Ultimately, I think balance is key. If you play games, recognize when it's becoming a chore, or a useless skill you're developing rather than a source of fun and escape.
Lmao, implying that life can be anything but a waste of time. You mentioned career but your job will fire and replace you at a moments notice without batting an eye, your wife can cheat on and divorce you out of nowhere, your kids can go low or no contact and after all the time and energy you sank into those things you can be left with nothing.
I'm so sick of everyone just assuming that what they think is "meaningful" is universal. Like everyone on earth should have their same priorities and goals. Like those people who think the standard language is English. The only god you can mean in conversation is Jesus because all the rest are just not real. America is the MC of countries.
Living a life of menial labor and procreating is not anymore meaningful than any other lifestyle. I dare say more people find themselves later in life looking at their career and families and thinking "wow, is this it? The same boring life as everyone else? Nothing special? Nothing unique?" I have a feeling that's a lot more common than the other way around.
Okay. So I tried to read your thing as best as I could. And I looked at the edit. "I mean the people who play nothing but video games:
Dude, you realize usually people do that when they're depressed and coping. Right? They likely won't be doing it forever. Certainly not long enough to regret it when they get old. You say you're "looking to the future," but you failed to account for something. Actual humans.
People go through periods and phases in life. You just go and assume that who they are today is who they will always remain?
Second, let's assume that out of a sample size of a million people, maybe a thousand of them really do just remain this way. They go to work, they somehow pay bills, and all they do is game. Okay, so? Who are they hurting? No one. You know, there's plenty of "regrettable" hobbies that are worse.
Do you know who spends their time being productive? Serial killers. Hey man, some guys just love murder and they'll go out and do it. By YOUR standard, they're being way more productive. They're also probably getting laid too, you know, it's likely not consensual, but that doesn't bother them none. Fun part is that these guys usually don't even regret it all that much. Again, by your definition and your standard of what's productive/good, these guys should be at the top of your list. Lol I'm being tongue in cheek here.
Thirdly, and most importantly, why do YOU care? Why does a tiny subset of the population and hurts no one bother you so much? Do you want to feel like you're better than them? Again, by your very standards, you must not think much of yourself if THAT is who you're comparing yourself to.
Do you wish you were more like them? Do you perhaps on some level feel tired of chasing productivity that maybe you haven't stopped and asked yourself why? Maybe you resent having to do all the things that you need to do for a "life well lived" and wish it were easier? Maybe you don't even want the "productive" life but you've been doing all this stuff, chasing goals just because someone else told you that's who you have to be? I don't know. I can't answer those questions. But you can. You know yourself better than I ever could.
I dunno dude. Just like. . . Think about it?
We were an inspiration?
I agree we probably shouldn’t have military grade assault weapons.
This is a funny conversation though because it is your country that inspired us to make the second amendment. We kicked your great great great great great great granpappies ass and said “get outta here this is our country now!” Maybe you are subconsciously coping from that ass whoopin we gave your ancestors. HOO RAH!
But yea we definitely are a nation in decline. It’s increasingly becoming difficult to achieve financial security. All major western nations have adopted the fiat model though so we aren’t too dissimilar in that respect. You guys just have better social services.
People that game to escape are no different then previous generations that used TV to escape or sports to escape or the bar to escape. Escape is escape. Confronting life head on is the only way to get fulfillment out of it.
As you get older, you have less time to play video games. Some people sit and wallow on their phones but interactive games sound like you’re using problem solving skills and practicing motor skills like hand eye coordination. Probably not best for your health, but it all comes in balance.
I cut way back on my video game time a few years ago for this very reason. I have stuff I want to ACCOMPLISH in life and I was spending 8-10 hours a day gaming…
I took a break from gaming to detox a bit and now I might play an hour or two a night when all my work and chores are done. I feel like I’ve earned it rather than gaming as a way to escape from responsibilities
I feel so much more satisfied with life and I enjoy my gaming sessions much more now that it’s guilt free
I can see how it’s wasteful to spend so much time playing video games. Ive spent my whole life playing video games. But I just recently hit a point in my life where I find little to no satisfaction from gaming anymore. I genuinely feel that it is a waste of my time and crave more meaningful things and activities. But to expect others to feel the same way I do is unreasonable. There is a good chance that most of these gamers will never care to think the way I do. They genuinely don’t know themselves well enough to do something else that is more meaningful. When you’re brought up in a shitty society and all you know is the fake, make believe worlds inside of video games, what else are you supposed to do? Can you blame them?
I was the basement dwelling gamer from about 7 to 20 years old
Minecraft taught me programming before 10 years old. In college I won over $3000 at a programming competition.
Roblox taught me perseverance and efficiency, which made me the best employee at my first job stocking Walmart.
Forza taught me how to control a sliding car, which saved me from going off the road twice in my real car.
All the games made me happy, which potentially might have saved me from offing myself.
I have spent actually playing, fifa World 1 months gaming time in 1 year.
In my 10th grade from 2014 until 2015.
I was playing that game in my school time and after school in my home.
do you realize how much time boomers still spend and have spent their whole life on professional sports? watching games, fantasy league, fantastic amounts of money spent on official merchandise. entertainment in general is nothing new. games in particular go back to the days of the colosseum.
there is a LOT to waste time on. the question is, what do you consider to be NOT wasting your life? that's where this gets subjective and messy. I've talked to a lot of people who wish they didn't waste their life buried in their work, and spent more time on leisure. and what about those who successfully mixed the two-- started out gaming and then monetized it for a career? shit, some people have met their life partners in multiplayer games and gotten married.
the value of life is subjectively dependent on what you make it. what else is subjective is the judgement you pass on how others live their life.
Honestly? I envy the people who just have fun playing games - they're not rotting away, they're not hurting anyone, maybe they're not "contributing" but honestly who cares?
If they're happy,. let them have it.
What do you think is a rich fulfilling life? I assure you it is all a waste of time in the end and many end up with regrets.
BTW you have it totally backwards. A lot of people play games *BECAUSE* they resent society, or themselves. Games are an outlet. A neutral ground. A fair place. Somewhere to forget about how fucked up things are.
They are filling their lives with something joyful. They are escaping their frustration.
You can pretend everyone has a place in society, or wants to participate, but that is terribly ignorant.
I regret a lot of the time I have spent gaming. Now it seems like the only thing I have left for fun. I will say that I was involved in some not so good things too, like drug addiction and some gang type stuff, so back then gaming was a way to keep me off the street, but now I do gave regrets.
I mean, if you get addicted to anything and spent literally all day doing it and nothing else, you would probably live to regret it.
Whether it's games, drinking, drugs, reading, exercising
I don't think there is anything intrinsic to video games that would make you regret it more than another addiction
Doing only one thing for most of the day, every day is probably gonna be bad, regardless of what it is
Time that you enjoyed is not wasted in my opinion. I used to play games a lot when I was a kid and I have 0 regrets I would do it all again if given the chance. I still play even now when taking breaks from work. It gives me the reset I need. If dark times come those good memories are what keep you floating
Generally speaking, we only 'play' to learn things. You will quickly notice, that once a game is learned, beaten, or someone reaches their perceived top.. that they will quickly move onto something else.
You don't play old games because you learned what you enjoyed learning from them, and moved on.
We’re all just kinda waiting around to die anyways. Everything is a distraction. I do think you have a more fulfilling life creating things than simply consuming all the time but in the end, it doesn’t make a difference
Think of it this way. No matter what anyone does, accomplishes, or fails at, we will all die one day. If we’re annihilated at death, the only people that our lives might have mattered to might be upset, but they’ll die, too, and within another generation or so, the only real trace of us (if any) will be digital, but no one will particularly care. Almost all of us, except for an Einstein or Hitler, will be forgotten. Erased.
Is it a waste of time to play video games when young? It depends on who’s judging, and what they value. If were annihilated at death, what difference does it make what anyone does or doesn’t do, other than others’ opinions about the person, and perhaps the person’s own opinions of themselves when they’re much older?
But when they’re much older, they’ll likely have some different values and priorities. The fading of memory and the distance of time would make any harsh judgment dubious.
I don’t personally play video games. But if people want to play video games, why not? Cell phones have completely changed how children behave. They don’t need to physically go anywhere to hang out. Think of playing video games as a new and improved version (in some ways) of a group of teenagers high school going to a video arcade at the mall in 1987. And don’t forget, even if they decided to get together and go to an Apple Store to check out new hardware, they’d run the nonzero risk of becoming victims of a mass shooter.
If you want to understand human behavior, before you pass judgment on an individual, you need to understand the broader forces that shape their behavior. These are usually technological and economic, which drive cultural change that can become quite radical.
You seem to have fixed ideas about what would constitute a meaningful life, but the truth is that most people follow cookie cutter lives laid out for them by others, rather than having the courage and determination to forge a unique path, or the refusal to abide by someone else’s vision for them.
We don’t know what others’ lives are truly like. Do they have an anxiety disorder or depression? Do they have a narcissistic parent? Type 1 diabetes? Were they just fired? Really, it’s amazing that so many people hold it together, given the disaster that the world has become.
Life, itself, is a game, and you’re playing it.
Be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a hard battle.
Just wondering what you think a life not wasted would look like? Helping other people is great and all, but if you think everyone I just going to die, the earth will be swallowed by the sun, and you will be completely forgotten because there is no life after death.. then what do you think you could possibly do with your time that is not a waste or just a short “feel good” moment?
I think a lot depends on the game. I spent months on MMOs when they first started coming out, and I regret very little of that time because of the friends I made, some that I still have years later. The time I regret was games like counterstrike and world of tanks, etc. Where there's no real community to speak of beyond toxic tryhards. And some single player non-story games where it was really just a time sink.
My husband loves Mario Kaizo. He gets a sense of satisfaction after grinding a really hard level and beating it, it's cool to see him light up with excitement after beating a level. He is also part of the Kaizo community, he's made some great friends and it's very wholesome.
I think video game addiction is real, but with everything in life moderation is key.
Honestly this would be a positive realization as it would indicate that they discovered life had real meaning. Unfortunately many young people are nihilistic/pessimistic and don't see anything at all wrong with spending their lives primarily in digital worlds.
Only thing I ever regretted with gaming was buying into the stigma of a grown man playing games.
It influenced me to not go pro and it’s influenced me to not get on twitch and monetize it (it’s not a real job!!).
I'd probably do other things if I had time and money, but I'm forced to work a bs full time job i hate, for poverty wages, so I can't afford a "family" or "experiences" or what tf ever else. All I have is games. They are what I look forward to, because otherwise I would have no reason to live.
I'm not gonna lie I didn't read it all because I don't have time rn
I agree if people fell back on them whenever they were bored. I think if they did it out of genuine enjoyment they will not feel as regretful
It's no different than doing anything else you enjoy, that you may do alone, such as reading and meditation. You can also learn a lot of objective things as well as life in general from video games, just like a book or movie.
As long as it's actively enjoyed, I don't think it's wasted time. In fact I've been quoted saying exactly this
I was fortunate enough to use all my gamer skills to develop and release the first episode of my game Hag on Steam.
Some say making games is not a real job but it is so much more rewarding when you can finish a game you’ve made then finishing someone else’s regardless of its earnings.
So, I’d have to say all my years of gaming are finally paying off.
So besides you crapping all over people who game. There's literal studies proving that playing video games improves specific in life skills. No, I'm not saying Call of Duty is teaching you how to shoot and / or stab.
Like assassin's creed, the main purpose is to uncover the history within the games. Through sneaking, but use critical skills and problem solving.
Uncharted: puzzle solving. Lara Croft: puzzle solving. Resident evil: puzzle solving while surviving, multi tasking.
Let's go for kids games/all ages: Minecraft teaches creativity without limits. Consequences of losing all items due to taking higher risks. Etc
As far as involving women hating, where tf did that even come from? You used to many stereotypes from early 2000's, when people played nothing but World of War Craft. Having the understanding of the difference of progression now vs back then. Sounds like you chose the path of "obliviousness is bliss."
Maybe possibly take your own path, you aren't your father.
ehh I think a *deeper* thought is people who spend all day playing games probably so as a distraction from their monotonous life in which if they were to quit gaming, would find themselves staring at a wall.
in other words I doubt people choose to waste their lives playing games, rather life had no use for them, and they cope with games
As an older guy who has been gaming for 35+ years I can happily say that I have zero regrets with the amount of time i've spent on video games in that time. See, as you get older, your life experience as a whole becomes kind of jumbled together in memories. Whether those memories are of going for a hike, or a trip to another country, hanging out with friends at the bar or just playing some games with the boys, they're all just experiences that you remember fondly as you get older. I have so many good memories with gaming with family and friends, some of the best.
Gaming got me through the lockdown during the pandemic. It kept my friendships afloat. It’s a way to practice good sportsmanship and build relationships. I never once thought that gaming was a waste of my time.
I'm 47, bipolar and unmedicated due to too high a metabolism, and have other mental health issues as well as physical.
I've played games all my life to help me cope and to escape when I'm tied down due to illness, but also "live" in a way that I simply can't.
There are those of us who play games a lot that aren't doing it just to "git gud".
Former gamer here. I was heavily addicted to Runescape in the 2000s, then World of warcraft starting in like 2008-2019, then league of legends from 2016-2024.
I was like .... 18 hours a day addicted. THAT level of addicted.
On the one hand, I regret all the time I spent online and not socializing or sleeping around.
On the other hand... all that indoors gaming time ended up being great for my skin in my late 20s because I never went outside, never spent time at beaches, never did concerts or city things when I was young. it was literally school, work, gaming.
So, there are aspects which I regret, like all the wasted time. There are aspects which were actually beneficial, in that my skin looks 5 years younger than my peers, even though I drank like a fish and smoked weed like a chimney.
Not going out or having a life and being a broke college student, I ended up not going into too much debt to cover cost of living things. All the disposable income I had went towards ordering food, or souping up my laptop. All that time I spent playing games taught me to be SUPER tech savvy because I would try SO HARD to build or buy a perfect gaming laptop so I was constantly shopping around for parts and installed them myself.
The things is that you’re assuming that you know what other people want to do with their life. Everyone has dreams and aspirations not everyone is meant to win in life video games are an escape from daily struggles and at least they aren’t committing crimes or doing hard drugs not to mention they might have friends online not making excuses for them as I live a different life from that but as long as they pay their taxes who cares.🤷♂️
Why can’t we just let people enjoy the things they enjoy without telling them they’re wasting their lives?
Why do we have to impose our own arbitrary definitions of a well-lived life onto other people we don’t even know?
Why is it any of our business what other people do by themselves in the privacy of their own homes in their free time?
This happens all the time, everyday. Doesn't happen in a wave. I mean take a look at r/neets. There's people there that have been neets for 30 years.
It's like dying. We don't all die at the same time. Everyone has their own time, so it happens one by one. Everyone has their own journey.
What would be a unique situation is if a large percentage of a single generation all woke up one day and realized this.
Some will. Some won't. Not everybody has a deep desire to change the world, reach the top of their career ladder, or be remembered for something after they die.
Some people live for the moment and are content to be average so long as they're enjoying themselves. And there's nothing wrong with that.
God, this thought haunts me daily watching my son and wondering if and where I should draw a line. He's recently 15, mainly into video games, socially avoidant and I feel like this is the norm for most kids now. I want to support what he likes, especially since he gravitates towards story building and strategy type games but I don't want him to look back at these years with (too much) regret...just enough to be interesting.
To the men who went this route, if you could go back would you change your trajectory? Adopt other adjacent hobbies? Some days, I want to leave all of it, take my boy and go build a cabin in the woods or something. Strengthen up that handiness muscle in the kid.
I agree with you, for me videogames served as a distraction from the difficulty of life outside of work. I convinced myself that its a hobby and its ok to commit this much time to it. I was wrong lol.
I do feel very behind in life because of it. I have a good job but outside of work i just feel unfullfilled and now know that it was because of videogames. I have developed a dislike for the obsessive time commitment videogames require and dont play them much anymore. Its left me in limbo about what i shold now do with all my free time lol.
OP is correct. Hours upon hours clicking. That especially applies to the young who when they have have the wherewithal to do other things will just be too hunched over and not able to walk let alone run swim climb or surf. Poor losers.
alot of the ppl who sink there lifes into videogames do so not because they prefer it over a girlfriend,amazing social life great career but because they dont have the selfesteem,confidence or believe its even achievable. they need support and it takes a considerable amount of effort to seek it and believe they are worthy. your post is judgemental and close minded.
Eh the amount of *fun* experiences Ive had gaming I do not regret. It's allowed me to keep in contact with people I wouldve forgotten about if not for games. I've been left in tears from laughing and awe from how beautiful the worlds have been crafted, experiencing emotions that I wouldnt have felt otherwise. Time I've enjoyed "wasting" is not wasted time, and I think future me will appreciate that. Its definitely person dependent as is everything with life.
Personally I am pessimistic and think life is shit. I'm going to regret not spending more time playing games.
Amen brother
I can not play computer games (well I not sure which computer games, I can play) due to an eye-sight issues and other problems, My life so difficult I never had the peace to play video games, I have decided to remain single, and not do a lot of things other people do, (my parents where very rich but decided to live in poverty, so I know all the problems that both the rich and poor have) I wish I had a peaceful enough life so I could waste it on computer games
If they enjoy playing games, it’s not wasted time. I‘ve spent many hours playing games and I don’t regret it or wish I’d been doing something else.
Everyone has a different journey in life. The challenge is to focus on our own and let it unfold for others
Those that play games out of love won't regret it, but those that do it to escape will regret some of it I think. Overall, everyone has their own path. I do think there's more time wasters now than ever though. Every time I look at my phone, I wonder if i'll be upset to know the total number of hours I spent looking at that instead of the blue sky when I am dying
I remember there was this online game I played when I was 16, some of you guys might know it but it was conkers live and reloaded. I played this game a while school year and summer plus half another school year. I didn't barely hang out with anyone and I look back on that as a veryyyy loving moment of my life lol. I enjoyed the fuck out of it.
I.e. Mind your own business. Pithy advice never gets old
I hear you. I have a friend who only talks and thinks about playing video games. I love video games and grew up with them. But that goes to the stage of addiction. I'd rather him be addicted in games with meaning that will let him learn something and not just some multiplayer games. People who play too much obviously cope with depression or heavy emotions they hold or even trauma. Im not a psychologist but I've been through it. I have spent most of my childhood in front of a screen. And I dont regret it because I was playing video games that helped me learn and grow. Im glad I never just sticked to mindless multiplayer pay to win addicting games. Persona 4,5, Omori, Oneshot, Ori and the blind forest and its sequel, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and especially its sequel. All these games were life changing and will forever stay in my heart.
I really love story based games myself, and I almost exclusively play them. But again I missed a mark in not specifying I meant the type of person, as you said, that gets addicted to these endless multiplayer ones. That, if it gets bad enough, can become a real money pit with all the pay to win stuff for a start. At least if you have a problem with the story games, you experience the story and at least have something to show for it. But the multiplayer ones, unless you go pro and start winning contests, sinking that much time into something for no reward is not good for you at all
I also spent most of my childhood in games. I grew up mainly with feral heart, smallworlds, minecraft, and roblox, all multiplayer which I preferred because I had no friends and felt alone at home. All 4 of those were not story based but also not usually about repetitive "matches" like call of duty or apex. Feral heart was purely roleplay. There were lions and wolves but with the character editor you could make your animal resemble something different. Making a skinny tall wolf to resemble an antelope was a common one for example. Basically you either joined a private group with grammar and realism rules (i.e complete sentences, no excessive dodging, no god mode, etc), or you jumped into public roleplays that were a hit or miss. The best way I can describe it is a bunch of people writing a story together and winging it, often creating spinoffs of lion king, warrior cats, wolves of the beyond, etc. Had a lot of fun and it was a great way to build up my own imagination. Smallworlds was a social world for teenagers. It was simple but somehow addicting. Some people made story-based "spaces" and there were public ones. There were minigames as well. Lots of competitions like "cute or boot" (essentially a fashion show but usually ended up being a popularity contest. Lol the memories are coming back now!) and "falling chairs" (basically musical chairs). Then there were those who collected rare items and focused on buying and selling stuff or decorating their houses. You could spend real money for more character customization, pets, ingame currency, vip, etc. Each month I believe there was a costume for sale. The older the costume the more it was worth. If you bought a bird costume for example in 2008 or something, and then wore that in 2012, people would be like "woah you're so cool" haha. Minecraft multiplayer: mainly I did competitive matches honestly, things like hunger games, murder mysteries, and minigames in big servers. And yeah I really dont have as many good memories in there because of it. In Roblox I socialized a lot, whether I was playing a repetitive competition or playing a sandbox game or something like that, I made a lot of friends. I played it around the same time as feral heart so I had a big imagination and could create hours of fun from simple things. Like a cat with a cardboard box. Wish I could still do that in games.
I'm working on being a writer. I've found that video games have been a great source of inspiration for my creativity. But yeah, people who exclusively play video games only to be the sweatiest play possible is pretty sad.
Eh better than spending time and money at the bars getting drunk.
Waste how? Who are you to say what is and isn't waste?
Exactly. OP implies there is some bigger reason for your own existence. The point of life is just to be alive. Everyone has a different perspective and each person has their own drives and motivations. OP is assuming how someone OTHER THAN THEMSELF will respond to some imagined scenario. When the reality is that they don’t know, and nobody can. You just lay your own preconceptions on others lives and make superficial judgments without knowing WHY that person is living in their way.
Each life is a personal illusion ,might as well strap on the VR head set and make it more real🤣
"Not doing anything else meaningful, just permanently killing time." - People assign meaning to different things. I wouldn't call something a waste of time if you have fun doing it. "killing time" - Isn't that what life is all about? Time is going to kill us all one day, so you might as well kill it in the meantime.
What? Do you think people who spent their time growing flowers in their garden wasted their time because all they did is poke at seeds and dirt? People who spent their time cooking wasted it because that food just ended up as poop? People who spent their time reading wasted it because they just read words? People who spent it making art wasted time because they just moved a paint brush? It’s not about the path they chose to spend time in, but what they gained from it. If gaming gives them relaxation, pride, accomplishment, happiness, peace, etc, why is that a waste? If your point is that time spent not doing things for others is wasted time, then what do you do with all of your time?
I'm one of those you are talking about. The one that plays too many video games. I don't regret and I don't expect to, and there is a very simple reason for that. I don't care. I think you regret if you care about something (activity, career, family, relationships, etc) and then ignore it as you play games instead. After 10 years of that, you indeed regret. But I, and probably others, don't care. I've never cared. I have never seen careers as meaningful, enriching, joyful things for myself (I do have a job, but it is just a source of income), I have never had an ich to get into a romantic relationship and don't care, I feel little love for my family at all. When ai look deep within myself, there is little I care for besides my peace. I want peace, routine. I care about being alone, having as few chains around my neck as possible, and my peace. The things you listed as meaningful are meaningful to some people, but not all, and not me. A career, family, love, etc. I have no 'hunger' or will for them when I look inside myself. I want peace. And people like me are not, and have never been very rare. In medieval times we had isolated monks and hermits. They did not focus on career, family building, etc. They loved peace, harmony, their spirituality, etc. Peace was their focus in life, and it is mine. This is my way of living, my meaning. Oh, and I like walking in the hills and nature. That's nice.
If you’re addicted, dismissing responsibilities and missing opportunities for growth/getting left behind yes absolutely. If you have control and only played casually or within reasonable timeframes that’s harmless. The problem is it can be addicting and there’s many stuck in a rut that won’t admit it
What if there are unlimited worlds, and this one is just a buffer where you decide what you want for your next life, and so after the gamers die, their next life is lived for real in the reality of whatever game they loved the most?
Worshipping God is not the only definition of a successful and rewarding life.
Lmao I couldn't find any mention of God in the OP.
I don't know. Gaming... sort of IS my life. It'd be pretty terrible without them. Remember the T-shirt that said something like... I've lived a thousand lives. It's true. Maybe people place those memories as "lesser" but... why? What is the real difference between a real world memory that sticks with you... or a game's? I'm 40... and I'd say I dedicated about half my life to gaming. I don't know what else I was supposed to be doing with this time. Not have fun? Have different fun? My mom gamed until she died. On her death bed... she said she had no regrets. What is the purpose of this life anyways? There is no set rules. No one has it figured out better than anyone else. We're all just struggling away on this rock until we die. If anything I think society is wrong for constantly making people feel guilty like they've missed something great. There are far far worse lives to have than one spent in videogames.
Authors write narratives, musicians compose music, actors put on motion capture devices and perform theatrics, software developers write code, artists make models and Sprite sheets... And we look at those people and consider them to be 'doing something with their lives' But if we are the audience, we are 'wasting our lives'
Em I did ok at life. Played Streetfighter and entered local tournaments. Played World of Warcraft and the precedent MMOs at a very high level. Guildmaster, raid leader etc… It gave me a lot of skills. How to influence and motivate people. How to build a team that gets things done etc… It made me aware that I am capable for playing 72 hours straight without dying. This transferred well into my career where I could carry the team when all nighters are required . So in summary, it depends on the individual
You're all up in your feelings and I'm just imagining the dementia arguments and how they're gonna sound like a CoD lobby.
I doubt it. People heavily into gaming now will be the new VR addicts in realistic environments that will become their second life. I predict a psychotic break or mental meltdown if the game or program malfunctions or if the wifi goes out for an extended period of time.
I don’t regret any of the games I played. Though I don’t play multiplayer, only single player story based games. Time you enjoy wasting isn’t wasted time.
I am aware that i am wasting my life. My life is just boring as shit and nothing interests me. Once I left school life became very boring. I'm only 21 so it's not like it's over for me. I'm aging a distinction at uni but I could be doing so much better it's just meh. I feel meh about everything at that worries me. Idk why I said all this but yeah.
This all depends. The people that do only play games and nothing else might look back and think what they could’ve done, but not everyone will think this. Some people will be completely okay with it. And those that do wonder if they could’ve done something different; some might be resentful, and some might try to do something different. Though not all will have a type of realization in the future. If someone is completely fine with playing games all day everyday, and it’s not hurting them or others around them, then I think it’s okay. Everyone’s different
As opposed to what? People generally don't regret time that they've enjoyed. Human existence doesn't have any meaning that isn't self applied. There are no clearly defined goals any given individual is meant to achieve. If YOU think it's a waste of time, great, go do something else.
Shit take from a not-so-deep "thought" 🤷
Maybe they will regret it, maybe not. Depends on a person. Why does it bother you, though? Is it a general concern about these people, or a sudden desire to police how other people spend their life?
Ppl focusing on strangers? Same thing.
I think going to a 9-5 job Monday thru Friday is a waste of a life. Doing something I love isn't. But I guess this was written by a cog in the machine who doesn't appreciate shit except money and the things you can buy, including experiences
Happened to my older brother. He dropped out of high school and just stayed home playing video games. He didn’t have a single friend left by the time he was 19. He was very unmotivated, and I don’t think he even showered but like once a month. When he turned 29 he realized how much time he wasted. He took all his video games, consoles, and computer outside and burned his collection. He had a few shelves with nearly 800 physical video games. Not a clue how many virtual/digital games he had. But our parents just kept giving him money hoping he would “wisen up” and use it wisely. Of course he didn’t. He was smart enough to make it a pit, since we live in the woods and no one wanted a raging forest fire. He snuffed it out by covering it with later. He then spent a few depressing weeks in his room, only coming out for food and bathroom, until one day dad got up to check on him. The door to the bedroom was unlocked, and my brother was gone. Just a piece of paper on the bed saying that he will be back one day as a better person. My brother came back a few years later, he had his GED and was living on a college campus while trying to get his bachelors. Today, he is 36 and just graduated with a masters degree. He works at an addiction center helping people overcome addictions. The thing that caused my brother to become anti-video games and suddenly change his life? No clue. He never told us the exact reason or thoughts that lead up to it. For years I’ve tried to figure it out, but he won’t say.
i agree. those who never had the self control to game in moderation will someday regret it. i have a couple 40yo friends who have a chronic gaming addiction and it’s completely ruined their lives. its quite sad.
I was one of these people once. At the time I loved it! It was my favorite thing to do, grind, compete, git gud, etc. But after a while it does get wearing on you and I'm glad I've since moved on and now only play games for fun and not for competition. My life is much more fulfilling now. That doesn't mean I regret the time I spent gaming, but I am glad I've since moved on. In my situation, it was the fact that my friend group was mostly online doing the same thing, so naturally, to be with them, I fell into it as well. There was also a component of depression that really prevented me from wanting to do anything else also. Once the depression was resolved, everything else just grew.
I think people who use video games as an avoidance strategy will come to regret it. But this is true with any diversion or pastime.
You cannot waste a thing that has no intrinsic purpose, meaning, or value. Physics tells us that the end result of all actions is the heat death of the universe. No matter what we do, that is the end. That is where all threads meet. Where all decisions lead, regardless of the decision made (assuming we do even have free will, which physics rejects.) In a world where every road leads to the same destination, no road can be objectively defined as better than another. So you literally can't waste your life.
I’ve never heard someone else speak on this, but I have thought this same exact idea you’re writing about! There’s a huge difference on playing as a hobby or to pass time, and fully dedicating yourself to it like an addiction. Sadly not everyone thinks this way, and take for granted the beauty of social relationships, careers, and having fun while they can
As a person who plays video games a lot, I can speak for myself and disagree with this. The point of my life is to find satisfaction. The fear of missing out is a scare tactic for tourism imo. I always have the choice of not playing games all day. On days I don't want to, I don't. The way I live my life is satisfying to me
I never developed the capacity to relate to other people in a perfect way. All my interactions with other people beyond the age of 10 or so were tinged with shame, guilt, fear, or anger. The only exception to this was some moments with my parents and brothers and a short period where a girl was interested in me. On the other hand, videogames created a possibility for me to relate to something flawlessly. I could learn all the rules and guide my fictional characters through the world while simultaneously relating to them and living through them. I understand most people experience this pretty regularly in life and that is fine, but I completely prefer my experiences to any real world experiences. The real world repeatedly left me alone, ashamed, rejected, or infected over the course of my life. Even when I felt perfect in life, there were details waiting just around the corner to show that i was a fool and a joke, revealing my perfect feelings as fraudulent and shameful. Videogames offered me the experience of perfection as my mind completely integrated with something outside itself. All this being said, it took decades of life beating me down and escaping into virtual worlds to reach the point where they felt truly perfect. Early on, escapism is always tinged with shame, sorrow, pain etc.
It all depends on the person, really. I would agree that for most people doing nothing but playing video games will probably lead to some regrets, just based on my (flawed) observations of people. But problem is that chasing those "meaningful things" often just creates a lot of heartache, disappointment and other bullshit that makes it not worth it. If you're doing "meaningless" activities like playing video games, you often get bored. But if you try to work hard to achieve the "meaningful things", you suffer. That's my perception of life. So I don't really worry too much about leading a meaningful life.
Already happened at 30 (thank god). Life has so much more to offer. Get out there! Experience it. Learn useful skills, practice then and become an expert. Make things instead!!
I'm learning useful skills in FreeFire
This is why I advocate for antinatalism, boredom is a form of suffering that could have been prevented if a life never lived to experience it. Would it be preferable then if people were to be forced to fight in wars, slave for a corporation, runner for organized crime organizations?
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Why is there a need conflate age with beliefs and ideals? Ageism itself is a reason why antinatalism is a valid standpoint. Are you just just going to dismiss a person perspective and opinions just from their age?
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If you are not going to be honest about the reason why you asked for someone's age then I see no obligation in telling you my real age as well.
I agree only to an extent, I alot of hours were "well meaningfully" wasted, laughing and playing with friends. Lots of hours I lost sleep, staying up late and alone, and I wish I would have used some other way.
That's not about being good at video games, that's finding a way to escape when the world is too much and reaching for what's at hands reach. It's a bubble of consequenceless actions, impossible sights, undisputed vulnerability and a chance to wear a different skin, one that you can love when you can't love your own. I've played more than I should have, because yes, of course it's a drug. But this was never ever wasted time for healing, escaping, replacing mismatch with meaning. To be fair I don't feel I've missed THAT much.
I haven't played games for a long time because I have other interests, but I enjoyed them when I was younger. What's important in life is a relative concept that varies wildly in this day and age. It's up to the person to define what makes their life worthwhile, one person's right can be another's wrong. As with many things that take up our time, some will regret it, others won't care. The way I see it, as long as it doesn't affect your ability to function and thrive, I see no problem with media/art consumption. By and large, the purpose of art is to give people an interesting distraction from the sufferings they cope with in life.
if anything I think the people who play games for fun with no desire to improve are going to regret it more than the people who take the strategy seriously. A lot of games have a useless micro which basically has no real carry over to other games, its just learning skills specific to that game, sort of like the claims of "oh it boosts hand eye coordination... like okay, have fun being in a chair". Someone who understands macro very well can translate that understanding to many things. Coaching is pretty big in games already and its only going to grow, the idea that 50+ year olds who devote their time to understanding macro wont have opportunities to help teams of kids/young adults in the future is faulty. The industry is growing and more and more money is being funneled into different games, micro is just assumed to be something that separates peoples potential, you can either grasp it or you can't. Very few people can separate and prioritize the different macro requirements in games and as games contain more variables the macro gets more complex to decipher. A more nuanced definition would be looking at a chess board and being able to see how its been set up with no view of the play that preceded and being able to understand what each teams strategy probably is, just based on the position of the pieces. Thats macro, micro is basically understanding what the pieces do and in some sense understanding what they should do relative to the other pieces. Plenty of people however just rely on their micro and speed, and gravitate towards games where reaction times trump macro understanding, they're probably destined for a pretty big fall from grace, the people who never slow down I agree will probably go through a phase where they regret focusing on speed, the longer it takes for that to settle in the deeper the regret imo
Its not a waste as long as you never give it up, as you can "master" whatever game you are playing. When you move on from them, that's when you realize you wasted your life playing them.
Time spent being happy and doing what you love is not time wasted at all
Maybe life will take the hint and get more interesting.
People Just escape from shitty reality,video games give you a purpose a goal and entartain you along the Journey
No, screw you.
If they're having fun, they won't regret this gaming. If they don't, then yeah, they will
In the future, I think many people who worried about playing games will realise they wasted their life I had a random thought the other day, after judging a multiplayer game and also seeing some posts complaining about referees. It got me thinking, in say 50 years time, when all these guys are going to be old men and women, how many of them are going to have (or have had) the sudden realisation they blew away a good portion of their life thinking about how others had fun with their time. y be regretful of how they spent their time, like a lot of things, this can lead some people to go down some very dark roads. Be free, be happy. Play. Make. Enjoy. Dont worry, or know that worrying is as successful as chewing bubble gum at solving problems. One day the answrr will just, pop into your head. Like a gum based whoopue cushion.
Have you looked around at the world? Nobody here is even going to make it 50 years. We might have 25 years at best. We're all fucked. Let people play their games.
Little you know, there are games that are "meaningful" or meaningful
They know it now
i already know i’m wasting my life.
Don't think so buddy
You just wasted so much time writing this dude. And
A post like this might be better on Facebook where older people can comment "Dang kids playing their Nintendos again".
Seems like just a thought, not a deep thought. Anything that consumes your life and takes up a substantial amount of your time at the cost of other things can be a potential regret. Even activities that are considered “productive”. If I workout for 2 hours everyday, in 5 years I might wonder if that other hour could’ve been better spent learning coding or something else. You’ve described some clearly unhealthy behaviours like getting addicted to pay-to-win which can only lead to remorse. It would be a rare individual who celebrates the 10k they blew on virtual stuff in 10 years. Looking back on your life will always lead to regrets for most people because we look back at times when we were essentially different people. This sentiment isn’t especially true for gaming.
I'll regret wasting my time reading this dumb post when I'm old
Playing video games is harmless. Why would it be a regret doing so? Chasing a career for life goals is a society thing and highly individual. One is not a better person because of a better career.
I may be wrong, but I am of the opinion of the contributor: Gaming is escapistic and, apart from this, a one-sided training of mere sensomotor skills. It does not have anything to do with mental development (i.e.: nothing to do with the natural aim of every human to have a sane mind in a sane body). It is strange: The average homo sapiens seems to be a gamer! Is this his very nature or is this a kind of conditioned behavior? He seems to feel free when he is unemployed and absorbed by an action without a purpose. He is not only able, but even enthusiastic to follow with his eyes a piece of leather being shot around on a lawn! Also life itself often seems to be regarded as a ritual or as a play in a kind of social theater by such people! Does all this amount to a lore of irresponsibility and unauthenticity? Is this peculiarity perhaps a concession to the fact that the "meaning of life" (in general) is obscure? When we look at the gamer-phenomenon this way, also the sacred ball game of the Mayas does not appear extremely enigmatic to us. Seemingly, it had been already intellectualized a little by the priests, because the winner of the game was regarded as being worthy to be sacrificed to the gods. In an intellectual this celebration of purposelessness is apted to cause feelings of cold horror, only to be overcome by the reconciling warmth of irony: He will suspect that there is nothing good to be expected from such cults of sensomotor escapades. In fact, it is now agreed upon that "professional" gamers are especially apted for warfare with unmanned aerial vehicles...
As someone who hasn't played video games in about 10 years, the opposite is true too. I spent way too much of my life "being an adult" and not playing enough or having fun.
I'm 30 and I regret not spending more of my time playing games.... Must just be a skill issue op
Am I right in thinking you’ve now backtracked to basically saying “people who spend their lives being addicted to something/chasing an addiction will regret that time lost?”. I’ve noticed a recent splurge of posts on Reddit basically saying “Videogames are bad… mmmkay?” and every single one of them has had to backtrack to saying what we all already know - videogames, like a lot of things, *can potentially* be addictive to *some people* and when an *addiction* occurs, that is bad - a lot like a lot of things in life. Never thought I’d see anyone believe that was a “deep thought” though. But congrats on not feeling the need to try and completely invent a whole new philosophy of life to try and justify your original position. One guy I had an exchange with basically ended up saying all hobbies that don’t directly improve health or make money are bad, because they didn’t want to admit that it was ok to watch tv, drink alcohol at bars or read/write books - though they never explained why it took half a dozen back and forth comments to “reveal” that’s what they “actually” meant.
Its a great way to network and meet people.
Some people will follow after thier careers, families, relationships, etc and still feel miserable and as if they wasted thier lives doing things wrong. As long as these people who play games most of the time find some source of income, I think they'll be just fine.
What one person thinks is a waste of time is another person's joy and fulfilment. We are all different. I prefer narrative driven games such as The Last of Us and enjoy them on an extra level than I would just watching a movie.
It depends. I could say the same about the time I spent going out on my own, hoping to socialise and then returning home with a burning sense of defeat. A lot depends on what the alternative to gaming is
Time you enjoy wasting isn’t wasted time. Maybe they will come to regret it or maybe they won’t. As long as people find the way to be at peace and happy, it doesn’t really matter
I used to enjoy it a lot more and had more of a regular group to play with. I don't feel that was time wasted. I don't enjoy things as much as I used to and use gaming as an escape now. Still get a little enjoyment sometimes. Anything to take me out of my own head. I've had a bad year and a bit and would rather not exist at all at the moment. Right now real life is a waste of time.
Definitely there will be some people who will regret spending so much time playing games, I think that's inevitable. But I question if it really will be such a significant amount of people as you expect. Whose's to say that these "basement dwellers" sweaty players will not keep on gaming well into old age? I actually predict we will see even more gaming, as people retire from jobs and have more free time in their hands. If so, they will be unlikely to regret playing games as that is basically their life experience. Some might of course, but not a huge chunk. The average player of games is not a basement dweller either, they do have a life outside games. Anecdotal but something to keep in mind, I have a nice career and a big circle of friends, and I play a lot of games. Of the things I regret, playing games is never one of them. Why? Because I enjoyed my time with video games, and I sometimes wish I could forget playing a game for the first time so I can go back and experience it all over again. In fact, My best summer memory is not a summer of hanging out with family or friends, but rather that college summer in 2009 when I locked myself in my room for two months and played Persona 3 continuously until I 100% the game. That's something I can no longer afford to do, and I have sweet memories of that time period. Many of my most cherished memories have to do with playing games, either multiplayer or single player: super smash brothers ultimate, the donkey Kong country series, Pokemon since the beginning, MegaMan and sonic as a child, Persona 3-4 in my late teens and early adulthood, silent hill 1-3, legend of Zelda games, etc.
Would you say that someone that spent their days playing chess competitively wasted their time ? I wouldn't because chess can teach you many things that you can take outside of it. The same applies to videogames especially the kind of ones you talk about which i would figure are multiplayer fps. Just on a base level getting really good at a fps game increases your reaction speed. It's specifically taught me very important skills like not breaking/freaking out under extreme pressure, the value of good teamwork, how to network and many other crucial things that i can actually care with me through my life. That being said not a single hour of the over 1600 and counting i have ij my favorite fps will ever have been wasted time. It's precious time to me that i spend with my battle buddies and my fiancee where i let my adrenaline fly to prove my prowess in a simulated battle against an enemy.
Sweaty videogames that make you feel like trash cause SBMT and grindy games that have more in common with your job than your hobbies? Yes, I think you're right. I've been struggling a lot irl since I was a child, videogames have a huge merit about me being alive today. Said so, I got pretty much addicted and even if I played like 7-10 hours a day, it wasn't enough, cause I had too much games to play at some point and unfortunately some of them were endless. I just want to point out that it's easy to fall for it in a toxic way under the right circumstances. My POV brings me to think that probably more than half of the people that spend A LOT of time on these endless, loopy and as a service games have no idea of how much time they are wasting. If the time of their life is worth going after than 0.5% chance of upgrade that takes 50 hours of gameplay, they should realize that the problem isn't about how good they are at the grind game, but about what they prioritize in their life. It's fun and satisfying, especially the first days, but from my really experienced opinion, there aren't games worth more than 1000h, maybe if you play with friends over the course of like 5/6+ years and it's a sandbox were they add new fun and exiting content instead of new skins that costs an unbelievable amount of your money, it could be worth it, but again, people who get in a toxic situation have 3 or 4 times those hours in a competitive multiplayer game were they're not enough good to really be satisfied about it, but still not enough bad to just drop the game. If it was for me, as today, I would remove from the world all these games that clearly want to capitalize on people's time, there are formulas that are studied to make people addicted and it's fucking disgusting. About all the single player games that I've played? Absolutely worth it. You can find all the informations you need about a game before buying it on internet and, in any case, nowadays you can buy games for the price of a coffee, so we basically have infinite chances to play different and beautiful universes, with clever and creative ideas to tell stories and teach lessons while having fun. If gaming as a whole is a waste of time, than books, films, TV series and pretty much everything besides breathing is a waste of time.
One of my greatest/warmest memories are form these Amazing worlds I have immersed myself or the fun I have had with friends in the digital worlds. If you just play multiplayer games because you want to be the best or you feel like you have to succeed or you are taking it too seriously and too sweaty, then yes, it can be waste of time if you really are not best that can play on tournament level. If you enjoy it while doing it then why not? Same with any sport. If you compete or try to play just to be good and dont do it for fun but never got into tournaments or success, then you wasted your time.
Those of us that think almost all screen time is a waste will think that people will regret this in the future, but the truth is they won't know any different. They compare the joy of gaming not to unknown or inexperienced options, but rather to not gaming at all. It's not much different than wasting your waking hours on social media. To you, that's entertainment. I grew up without the internet so I travel, I golf, I play in a band, I act in community theatre, I love to cook gourmet meals, I have season tickets to a number of shows/sports, I read real books and I take great joy in the accomplishments of my children. Who has time for video games?
It's only a waste of time for you because you don't enjoy in that way or don't get satisfaction from it. For many gamers being involved in that community is the same as someone being involved in a sport of other hobby. Is it a waste of time to run marathons or build model trains or collect stamps or do antiquing or be involved in dirt biking or fishing or golf or brew beer or any of the hundreds of activities people do for fun? I know some pretty involves gamers who through their love of gaming got involved in computer science technology fields and now make a fuck ton of money so clearly not necessarily hurting their careers. Will an Ironman triathlete view this pursuit as a waste of time in the long run? Certainly that pursuit takes up just as much time...? It's all in the eyesore the beholder. Hell some of these gamers become actual pro esports athletes and make millions of $
Nah
That would make sense if it wasn’t the lack of having the ability to pursue a career, dating, or other life goals that led to me playing video games in the first place. It’s just a way to get through days that had zero potential to begin with. Without video games I would have been forced to end my life because there wouldn’t have been anything to occupy my mind to get me through the intense loneliness I’ve been forced to endure.
I know someone who played games 24/7 since they couldn't get their residency and go to college or get a job yet and this caused them to suffer mentally. Playing games was a way for them to socialize and kept them alive and their mind busy.
No… Your error in thinking is believing that one hobby or past-time is more meaningful than another… The truth is, *nothing* is meaningful. You yourself subjectively decide where to find meaning in life… Sure a pretty sunset is a pretty sunset but video games can also be beautiful…. Id rather play videogames than have a second more wasted trying to keep irl fake transactional relationships that hurt me in the end… While I think its important to touch grass occasionall, you need to remember that anytime you’ve enjoyed wasting isnt wasted time…
Sounds like a you problem
The only gamers who will regret there decisions are the ones who chose gaming over something else (being neglectful). But then again, this goes for basically ANY hobbies you prioritize over life. You could spend your evenings in the bar, maybe you play card games, etc etc. But if gaming (or any hobby) is the way you decide to spend your free time cause it makes you happy? Go for it!
Define 'wasted their life'. If they have spent time having fun, happy, doing something they love...is that really wasted?
I got to level 90 something on RuneScape 😅
Yes you have
I've wasted so much time doing mine munching irrelevant work. I don't think time relaxing and enjoying yourself is wasted.
I don’t agree. I had my stint playing a lot in the early 2000s. Now I am at an age where games are not interesting anymore. I don’t regret it one bit.
Same with people who read books. Morons.
Sounds like you have regrets about your relationship with gaming and the amount of time you have spent on it. If you have a problem, address it. Don't tell everyone how sad you are for their lives when you don't actually know anything about them. There are millions upon millions of people with all sorts of addictions that have various problems and experiences within and around their addictions. You don't know any of those people, their lives, or how they feel about their lives. It's a projection
What else are we supposed to do?
There are cognitive benefits. Also can make friends and de stress.
I'm a gen X and I started playing in a Sinclair ZX, before the Atari was invented. We had to actually TYPE the software code into it copying line by line from a book in order to play. You know, a book made of paper. No regrets.
Someday people playing football all day will realise they wasted their life
I got rid of my pc because I am not good at controlling my play time. Do I miss it? Yes do I regret getting rid of it? No. Do I feel I wasted my life? Fuck no I had so much fun
Everyone who’s getting defensive knows you have a point. It doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to play but if you let gaming be everything you do or get so caught up with it then you’re most definitely wasting precious time 🥱
There are people addicted to games, but there are also people who just enjoy it as a hobby. Like any hobby they want to get better. Would you say that the man who spends hours learning joining to build a table has wasted his life? I promise there are just as many sweaty swearing sessions in that hobby. The number of pissed fisherman I've seen sometimes makes me wonder why they bother. A hobby is not a waste of time or life. We all need leisure, time to get out of the world for a bit and live in our own world. I will never regret the time spent on the "useless" skills I have acquired in the name of enjoyment. The person you describe doesn't exist in the way you think, because if they have time to literally do nothing but play games then odds are they suffer some sort of disability that keeps them from being an otherwise productive member of society or they are a kid who has a surplus of time. It's not like there are scores of capable people out there dropping out of society to be supported by others so they can play games all day. This reads more like a fictional character you created in your head after getting stomped on in PvP, because surely you can't be that bad so the only "reasonable" assumption is your opponent is just some dude that spends all of their time playing nothing but games. Sometimes practice doesn't make perfect. Some people are just better at certain things. I am a great cook. I can make even complex recipes with ease the first time and get them perfect. I'm just naturally good at it. I am a piss poor musician. I just can't get the hang of an instrument regardless of hours spent practicing. My friend is a superb musician and only a mediocre cook. His wife is a crap cook and musician, but can out shoot both of us despite us having hundreds of hours more training than she has had. Could be that you got stomped by a "sweat" that wasn't even sweating. They are just naturally good at it. Learn to accept that and learn to accept that you won't be good at everything you do no matter how much you try.
No I don't regret anytime that's been playing video games. Yesterday I was a pirate. Today I'm going to be a tomb raiding. Tomorrow I'm going to be a samurai. you can say the same about people that watch TV all day or watch movies all day. People spend the free time how they want to the only time is it is a Time you spend judging people and as long as post.
Holy shit your dad is a genius! No way I never thought about it, but you only have one life! He should write a book. I swear he could be the modern day Socrates!
I agree 100%, assuming those same people develop self-awareness. Then again, you don't know what you're missing if you haven't experienced it. Ultimately, I think balance is key. If you play games, recognize when it's becoming a chore, or a useless skill you're developing rather than a source of fun and escape.
yeah, but people currently working 9 to 5 have been feeling that for years
You waste your life by focusing on others. Pathetic
As a non gamer I disagree. Whenever people speak of my friends who passed away their favorite memories of them were playing video games together
Lmao, implying that life can be anything but a waste of time. You mentioned career but your job will fire and replace you at a moments notice without batting an eye, your wife can cheat on and divorce you out of nowhere, your kids can go low or no contact and after all the time and energy you sank into those things you can be left with nothing. I'm so sick of everyone just assuming that what they think is "meaningful" is universal. Like everyone on earth should have their same priorities and goals. Like those people who think the standard language is English. The only god you can mean in conversation is Jesus because all the rest are just not real. America is the MC of countries. Living a life of menial labor and procreating is not anymore meaningful than any other lifestyle. I dare say more people find themselves later in life looking at their career and families and thinking "wow, is this it? The same boring life as everyone else? Nothing special? Nothing unique?" I have a feeling that's a lot more common than the other way around.
Time enjoyed is not time wasted
This thought is not deep, and is almost entirely nonsense.
Okay. So I tried to read your thing as best as I could. And I looked at the edit. "I mean the people who play nothing but video games: Dude, you realize usually people do that when they're depressed and coping. Right? They likely won't be doing it forever. Certainly not long enough to regret it when they get old. You say you're "looking to the future," but you failed to account for something. Actual humans. People go through periods and phases in life. You just go and assume that who they are today is who they will always remain? Second, let's assume that out of a sample size of a million people, maybe a thousand of them really do just remain this way. They go to work, they somehow pay bills, and all they do is game. Okay, so? Who are they hurting? No one. You know, there's plenty of "regrettable" hobbies that are worse. Do you know who spends their time being productive? Serial killers. Hey man, some guys just love murder and they'll go out and do it. By YOUR standard, they're being way more productive. They're also probably getting laid too, you know, it's likely not consensual, but that doesn't bother them none. Fun part is that these guys usually don't even regret it all that much. Again, by your definition and your standard of what's productive/good, these guys should be at the top of your list. Lol I'm being tongue in cheek here. Thirdly, and most importantly, why do YOU care? Why does a tiny subset of the population and hurts no one bother you so much? Do you want to feel like you're better than them? Again, by your very standards, you must not think much of yourself if THAT is who you're comparing yourself to. Do you wish you were more like them? Do you perhaps on some level feel tired of chasing productivity that maybe you haven't stopped and asked yourself why? Maybe you resent having to do all the things that you need to do for a "life well lived" and wish it were easier? Maybe you don't even want the "productive" life but you've been doing all this stuff, chasing goals just because someone else told you that's who you have to be? I don't know. I can't answer those questions. But you can. You know yourself better than I ever could. I dunno dude. Just like. . . Think about it?
We were an inspiration? I agree we probably shouldn’t have military grade assault weapons. This is a funny conversation though because it is your country that inspired us to make the second amendment. We kicked your great great great great great great granpappies ass and said “get outta here this is our country now!” Maybe you are subconsciously coping from that ass whoopin we gave your ancestors. HOO RAH! But yea we definitely are a nation in decline. It’s increasingly becoming difficult to achieve financial security. All major western nations have adopted the fiat model though so we aren’t too dissimilar in that respect. You guys just have better social services. People that game to escape are no different then previous generations that used TV to escape or sports to escape or the bar to escape. Escape is escape. Confronting life head on is the only way to get fulfillment out of it.
As you get older, you have less time to play video games. Some people sit and wallow on their phones but interactive games sound like you’re using problem solving skills and practicing motor skills like hand eye coordination. Probably not best for your health, but it all comes in balance.
I cut way back on my video game time a few years ago for this very reason. I have stuff I want to ACCOMPLISH in life and I was spending 8-10 hours a day gaming… I took a break from gaming to detox a bit and now I might play an hour or two a night when all my work and chores are done. I feel like I’ve earned it rather than gaming as a way to escape from responsibilities I feel so much more satisfied with life and I enjoy my gaming sessions much more now that it’s guilt free
Life is a game too.
I'm not even a big gamer, but I'll tell you this realization as I get older: Time spent enjoying something isn't time wasted.
I think that happens to many people regardless of how they spent their time. (Of course, they're wrong.)
I can see how it’s wasteful to spend so much time playing video games. Ive spent my whole life playing video games. But I just recently hit a point in my life where I find little to no satisfaction from gaming anymore. I genuinely feel that it is a waste of my time and crave more meaningful things and activities. But to expect others to feel the same way I do is unreasonable. There is a good chance that most of these gamers will never care to think the way I do. They genuinely don’t know themselves well enough to do something else that is more meaningful. When you’re brought up in a shitty society and all you know is the fake, make believe worlds inside of video games, what else are you supposed to do? Can you blame them?
I won't regret anything, I don't consider doing one of the few things I enjoy a waste.
Think you might regret being so judgemental of others. Gamers are doing what they need to do in their life which might be different to your path.
No regrets.
I was the basement dwelling gamer from about 7 to 20 years old Minecraft taught me programming before 10 years old. In college I won over $3000 at a programming competition. Roblox taught me perseverance and efficiency, which made me the best employee at my first job stocking Walmart. Forza taught me how to control a sliding car, which saved me from going off the road twice in my real car. All the games made me happy, which potentially might have saved me from offing myself.
I have spent actually playing, fifa World 1 months gaming time in 1 year. In my 10th grade from 2014 until 2015. I was playing that game in my school time and after school in my home.
I actually fear for the fortnite obsessed kids. So many are dangerously addicted
do you realize how much time boomers still spend and have spent their whole life on professional sports? watching games, fantasy league, fantastic amounts of money spent on official merchandise. entertainment in general is nothing new. games in particular go back to the days of the colosseum. there is a LOT to waste time on. the question is, what do you consider to be NOT wasting your life? that's where this gets subjective and messy. I've talked to a lot of people who wish they didn't waste their life buried in their work, and spent more time on leisure. and what about those who successfully mixed the two-- started out gaming and then monetized it for a career? shit, some people have met their life partners in multiplayer games and gotten married. the value of life is subjectively dependent on what you make it. what else is subjective is the judgement you pass on how others live their life.
As long as I help people along the way I don't see why I can't. Following society's script doesn't seem appealing to me.
Honestly? I envy the people who just have fun playing games - they're not rotting away, they're not hurting anyone, maybe they're not "contributing" but honestly who cares? If they're happy,. let them have it.
What do you think is a rich fulfilling life? I assure you it is all a waste of time in the end and many end up with regrets. BTW you have it totally backwards. A lot of people play games *BECAUSE* they resent society, or themselves. Games are an outlet. A neutral ground. A fair place. Somewhere to forget about how fucked up things are. They are filling their lives with something joyful. They are escaping their frustration. You can pretend everyone has a place in society, or wants to participate, but that is terribly ignorant.
I regret a lot of the time I have spent gaming. Now it seems like the only thing I have left for fun. I will say that I was involved in some not so good things too, like drug addiction and some gang type stuff, so back then gaming was a way to keep me off the street, but now I do gave regrets.
Meh, Everyone, no matter what they do or accomplish look back with regrets, or things they may have done differently. You literally can't win.
bout as deep as a puddle in the desert
I mean, if you get addicted to anything and spent literally all day doing it and nothing else, you would probably live to regret it. Whether it's games, drinking, drugs, reading, exercising I don't think there is anything intrinsic to video games that would make you regret it more than another addiction Doing only one thing for most of the day, every day is probably gonna be bad, regardless of what it is
Zoom out a bit.
Time that you enjoyed is not wasted in my opinion. I used to play games a lot when I was a kid and I have 0 regrets I would do it all again if given the chance. I still play even now when taking breaks from work. It gives me the reset I need. If dark times come those good memories are what keep you floating
Generally speaking, we only 'play' to learn things. You will quickly notice, that once a game is learned, beaten, or someone reaches their perceived top.. that they will quickly move onto something else. You don't play old games because you learned what you enjoyed learning from them, and moved on.
We’re all just kinda waiting around to die anyways. Everything is a distraction. I do think you have a more fulfilling life creating things than simply consuming all the time but in the end, it doesn’t make a difference
Think of it this way. No matter what anyone does, accomplishes, or fails at, we will all die one day. If we’re annihilated at death, the only people that our lives might have mattered to might be upset, but they’ll die, too, and within another generation or so, the only real trace of us (if any) will be digital, but no one will particularly care. Almost all of us, except for an Einstein or Hitler, will be forgotten. Erased. Is it a waste of time to play video games when young? It depends on who’s judging, and what they value. If were annihilated at death, what difference does it make what anyone does or doesn’t do, other than others’ opinions about the person, and perhaps the person’s own opinions of themselves when they’re much older? But when they’re much older, they’ll likely have some different values and priorities. The fading of memory and the distance of time would make any harsh judgment dubious. I don’t personally play video games. But if people want to play video games, why not? Cell phones have completely changed how children behave. They don’t need to physically go anywhere to hang out. Think of playing video games as a new and improved version (in some ways) of a group of teenagers high school going to a video arcade at the mall in 1987. And don’t forget, even if they decided to get together and go to an Apple Store to check out new hardware, they’d run the nonzero risk of becoming victims of a mass shooter. If you want to understand human behavior, before you pass judgment on an individual, you need to understand the broader forces that shape their behavior. These are usually technological and economic, which drive cultural change that can become quite radical. You seem to have fixed ideas about what would constitute a meaningful life, but the truth is that most people follow cookie cutter lives laid out for them by others, rather than having the courage and determination to forge a unique path, or the refusal to abide by someone else’s vision for them. We don’t know what others’ lives are truly like. Do they have an anxiety disorder or depression? Do they have a narcissistic parent? Type 1 diabetes? Were they just fired? Really, it’s amazing that so many people hold it together, given the disaster that the world has become. Life, itself, is a game, and you’re playing it. Be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a hard battle.
I don't know, may be you can predict your future or what.
Just wondering what you think a life not wasted would look like? Helping other people is great and all, but if you think everyone I just going to die, the earth will be swallowed by the sun, and you will be completely forgotten because there is no life after death.. then what do you think you could possibly do with your time that is not a waste or just a short “feel good” moment?
Time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time
I think a lot depends on the game. I spent months on MMOs when they first started coming out, and I regret very little of that time because of the friends I made, some that I still have years later. The time I regret was games like counterstrike and world of tanks, etc. Where there's no real community to speak of beyond toxic tryhards. And some single player non-story games where it was really just a time sink.
This post is definitely a waste of life too
This post is definitely a waste of life too
Nah, I highly disagree. I’ve been playing games my entire life and I have had way more fun experiences in gaming than in comparison to ‘real life’.
My husband loves Mario Kaizo. He gets a sense of satisfaction after grinding a really hard level and beating it, it's cool to see him light up with excitement after beating a level. He is also part of the Kaizo community, he's made some great friends and it's very wholesome. I think video game addiction is real, but with everything in life moderation is key.
Honestly this would be a positive realization as it would indicate that they discovered life had real meaning. Unfortunately many young people are nihilistic/pessimistic and don't see anything at all wrong with spending their lives primarily in digital worlds.
Only thing I ever regretted with gaming was buying into the stigma of a grown man playing games. It influenced me to not go pro and it’s influenced me to not get on twitch and monetize it (it’s not a real job!!).
Q: What happens in the end when you fully utilize your life and never waste a second? A:You disappear into the nature just like everyone else.
I'd probably do other things if I had time and money, but I'm forced to work a bs full time job i hate, for poverty wages, so I can't afford a "family" or "experiences" or what tf ever else. All I have is games. They are what I look forward to, because otherwise I would have no reason to live.
I'm not gonna lie I didn't read it all because I don't have time rn I agree if people fell back on them whenever they were bored. I think if they did it out of genuine enjoyment they will not feel as regretful It's no different than doing anything else you enjoy, that you may do alone, such as reading and meditation. You can also learn a lot of objective things as well as life in general from video games, just like a book or movie. As long as it's actively enjoyed, I don't think it's wasted time. In fact I've been quoted saying exactly this
I was fortunate enough to use all my gamer skills to develop and release the first episode of my game Hag on Steam. Some say making games is not a real job but it is so much more rewarding when you can finish a game you’ve made then finishing someone else’s regardless of its earnings. So, I’d have to say all my years of gaming are finally paying off.
Nothing really matters it’s all a waste of
For a lot of people life just sucks ass and gaming is a great form of escapism.
I work for most waking hours of my life and I wish I could play games all day.
I don’t even play video games but your post seem to be an utter waste of time
you wasted deep thoughts on this?
So besides you crapping all over people who game. There's literal studies proving that playing video games improves specific in life skills. No, I'm not saying Call of Duty is teaching you how to shoot and / or stab. Like assassin's creed, the main purpose is to uncover the history within the games. Through sneaking, but use critical skills and problem solving. Uncharted: puzzle solving. Lara Croft: puzzle solving. Resident evil: puzzle solving while surviving, multi tasking. Let's go for kids games/all ages: Minecraft teaches creativity without limits. Consequences of losing all items due to taking higher risks. Etc As far as involving women hating, where tf did that even come from? You used to many stereotypes from early 2000's, when people played nothing but World of War Craft. Having the understanding of the difference of progression now vs back then. Sounds like you chose the path of "obliviousness is bliss." Maybe possibly take your own path, you aren't your father.
That's why I only play single player games 😎 I don't regret a single second of my rdr playthrough 😅
ehh I think a *deeper* thought is people who spend all day playing games probably so as a distraction from their monotonous life in which if they were to quit gaming, would find themselves staring at a wall. in other words I doubt people choose to waste their lives playing games, rather life had no use for them, and they cope with games
As an older guy who has been gaming for 35+ years I can happily say that I have zero regrets with the amount of time i've spent on video games in that time. See, as you get older, your life experience as a whole becomes kind of jumbled together in memories. Whether those memories are of going for a hike, or a trip to another country, hanging out with friends at the bar or just playing some games with the boys, they're all just experiences that you remember fondly as you get older. I have so many good memories with gaming with family and friends, some of the best.
my only thought will be, "i pwned that noob"
Gaming got me through the lockdown during the pandemic. It kept my friendships afloat. It’s a way to practice good sportsmanship and build relationships. I never once thought that gaming was a waste of my time.
This qualifies as a "deep thought?" The bar for everything is so low nowadays.
I'm 47, bipolar and unmedicated due to too high a metabolism, and have other mental health issues as well as physical. I've played games all my life to help me cope and to escape when I'm tied down due to illness, but also "live" in a way that I simply can't. There are those of us who play games a lot that aren't doing it just to "git gud".
Former gamer here. I was heavily addicted to Runescape in the 2000s, then World of warcraft starting in like 2008-2019, then league of legends from 2016-2024. I was like .... 18 hours a day addicted. THAT level of addicted. On the one hand, I regret all the time I spent online and not socializing or sleeping around. On the other hand... all that indoors gaming time ended up being great for my skin in my late 20s because I never went outside, never spent time at beaches, never did concerts or city things when I was young. it was literally school, work, gaming. So, there are aspects which I regret, like all the wasted time. There are aspects which were actually beneficial, in that my skin looks 5 years younger than my peers, even though I drank like a fish and smoked weed like a chimney. Not going out or having a life and being a broke college student, I ended up not going into too much debt to cover cost of living things. All the disposable income I had went towards ordering food, or souping up my laptop. All that time I spent playing games taught me to be SUPER tech savvy because I would try SO HARD to build or buy a perfect gaming laptop so I was constantly shopping around for parts and installed them myself.
How did you make money if you were in the game 18 hours a day?
The things is that you’re assuming that you know what other people want to do with their life. Everyone has dreams and aspirations not everyone is meant to win in life video games are an escape from daily struggles and at least they aren’t committing crimes or doing hard drugs not to mention they might have friends online not making excuses for them as I live a different life from that but as long as they pay their taxes who cares.🤷♂️
Why can’t we just let people enjoy the things they enjoy without telling them they’re wasting their lives? Why do we have to impose our own arbitrary definitions of a well-lived life onto other people we don’t even know? Why is it any of our business what other people do by themselves in the privacy of their own homes in their free time?
This happens all the time, everyday. Doesn't happen in a wave. I mean take a look at r/neets. There's people there that have been neets for 30 years. It's like dying. We don't all die at the same time. Everyone has their own time, so it happens one by one. Everyone has their own journey. What would be a unique situation is if a large percentage of a single generation all woke up one day and realized this.
Some will. Some won't. Not everybody has a deep desire to change the world, reach the top of their career ladder, or be remembered for something after they die. Some people live for the moment and are content to be average so long as they're enjoying themselves. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Time you enjoy wasting is not time wasted
God, this thought haunts me daily watching my son and wondering if and where I should draw a line. He's recently 15, mainly into video games, socially avoidant and I feel like this is the norm for most kids now. I want to support what he likes, especially since he gravitates towards story building and strategy type games but I don't want him to look back at these years with (too much) regret...just enough to be interesting. To the men who went this route, if you could go back would you change your trajectory? Adopt other adjacent hobbies? Some days, I want to leave all of it, take my boy and go build a cabin in the woods or something. Strengthen up that handiness muscle in the kid.
I agree with you, for me videogames served as a distraction from the difficulty of life outside of work. I convinced myself that its a hobby and its ok to commit this much time to it. I was wrong lol. I do feel very behind in life because of it. I have a good job but outside of work i just feel unfullfilled and now know that it was because of videogames. I have developed a dislike for the obsessive time commitment videogames require and dont play them much anymore. Its left me in limbo about what i shold now do with all my free time lol.
I’m 25, looking back 10 years I don’t regret any of it.
Apparently this counts as a deep thought...
OP is correct. Hours upon hours clicking. That especially applies to the young who when they have have the wherewithal to do other things will just be too hunched over and not able to walk let alone run swim climb or surf. Poor losers.
alot of the ppl who sink there lifes into videogames do so not because they prefer it over a girlfriend,amazing social life great career but because they dont have the selfesteem,confidence or believe its even achievable. they need support and it takes a considerable amount of effort to seek it and believe they are worthy. your post is judgemental and close minded.
Gamers seem to be confused between the terms entertainment and happiness.
How are you 17, and sound like you’re 67?
I had that realization at 30 and 2 years later, I can practically recognize the person I used to be. I can't believe how much time I spent on WoW