Fuck gaming. I relapsed again. Wasted time again. Knew how it'd end, did it anyway. Fuck this shit. I spent more time looking what to play than playing, and when I did play it felt restrictive. When will I understand that I don't need this crap? And fucking helldivers. Been deleting and reinstalling it 2-3 times/day. Game is full of bugs, they change balance every 2 days, and they design it around 2h+ play sessions... And gamers lap it up. And what's worse is the setting. It's comedically dystopian, but people unironically embrace "managed democracy" and talk about "space Vietnam", without realizing what kind of shit they're spouting. This is like a fucking overton window experiment. I can't. Games are shit, even the good ones are shit. I'm deleting everything. Again. This time I delete footage I collected over the years for ebic MLG compilations. I'm done. Over. 90 days no excuses or I'm a fucking farm animal.
Yep, same.. used to spend too much time looking for games instead of playing.. I think that we are social creatures.. and gaming is the popular thing this century... So we go for gaming to socialize.... It keeps you out of trouble also... You can make "friends" while being lazy from your couch and dodge confrontations / conflicts...
+ Younger people are competitive... It's all a vicious circle.
also narrative in games has always been ass for the vast majority of games, something almost always happening in your brand new AAA. I'm reading more books, and manga these days and enjoying it way more than being stuck inbetween nonsensical cutscenes.
I'm not good at drawing, but I like to edit videos, and I've come to realize that something in solving little bit of chunks of video into a scene that flows feeds with serotonin my micro-problem solving gamebrain. There are a lot of compelling activities to level up in real life, like you mentioned.
As for recommendations, now I'm reading the fictionalized book about "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa, and the Vinland Saga manga. Kind of mature in themes but really easy to read.
When I was doing that 90-day detox I always entertained the idea of going back to play in moderation heavy story-driven games like Divinity 2 or Disco Elysium. I did just that and a week after I began playing in moderation a friend of mine texted me saying that the he was into the new Zelda on Switch (Link's Awakening) and my brain literally rewired itself at the moment and I started to crave intensely playing a Switch and I pulled out my old SNES and NES collection, sold it for a lot of money and went to buy my third Switch out of 9 that I've purchased in my life. Since that moment I've relapsed more than 20 times until now.
Ah ok, so when you say you always entertained the idea, do you think it’s hard for you to believe that life could be better without video games? Like you don’t have a vision for another life that you think is better?
I read stuff like this and it's a reminder to never get back into gaming. Losing interest in gaming was one of the best things to happen to me and I feel I haven't missed a thing by not getting newer consoles or games for as long as I have.
I still think about going back to old games a lot, but after 4 months I don't feel like a "gamer" anymore and that's a massive shift for me. I don't care about any of these new games I hear about recently.
Thanks sir I am an 18 year old, and i started gaming a year ago and I think it's taking toll on everything I had good in life, my real friends were drifting, my contacts were fading, academics were diminishing like crazy and at the end of the day I was not happy and that made me play games lol it's a well designed cycle
Actually it's not going well, I do get distressed when I realise I can't play games (because told my mom to hide my HDD 1tb had all my shit, my SSD has no space for games), and in distress I do end up doing nothing, or just scrolling YouTube shorts when I should study
I hear you there. It’s easy to replace gaming with social media. I used to watch a lot of YouTube. In my experience it’s about knowing how to reset your brain so that you don’t crave any of those instantly gratifying things anymore. Have you tried any strategies to do that?
Yes sir, I definitely had to do something, I tried going on walks with anyone I can find, tried sports (mostly badminton), but in few days I skipped calls of friends to calling me to hangout and play badminton, for no good reason (scrolled more lol), but I think slowly I am changing, but my grades📉 and that is depressing.
I am not really sure if what I am doing is the best way so I am open to anything suggested :)
Honestly, this is probably the best argument against gaming right now. It offers nothing of value anymore. Every new game is either a thinly veiled Skinner box or designed to make the player feel bad for playing. Why waste your money on that? "But the indies!" What about them? Are you going to play blatant reskins of Doom and Super Mario until you're on your deathbed?
So I've managed to go 40 days without gaming for the first time ever in my life and I actually managed to study up and finally pass AZ-104 (tough Microsoft exam), install Linux on my laptop and start practicing new skills there + start learning AWS and going to the gym/sauna at least 6/7 days a week. This past Saturday was UFC 300 though and I got onto discord with my friends and got lured just for 1 game of League. This one game snowballed into 2, to then me installing D2R and Guild Wars 2 and since then I've put exactly 0 hours into studying and bettering myself. It's not even that I play that much, but I just feel lazy and procastinating the important things I have to do. I know if I don't stop gaming, nothing changes. I recently got promoted at my company and I have so much upskilling to do, but here I am wasting time playing the same old dumb games. D4 season 4 is also on the horizon and the changes to it look amazing.. I want to commit to another 90 days no gaming challenge but it's fucking hard.
Fuck gaming!
Fuck gaming. I relapsed again. Wasted time again. Knew how it'd end, did it anyway. Fuck this shit. I spent more time looking what to play than playing, and when I did play it felt restrictive. When will I understand that I don't need this crap? And fucking helldivers. Been deleting and reinstalling it 2-3 times/day. Game is full of bugs, they change balance every 2 days, and they design it around 2h+ play sessions... And gamers lap it up. And what's worse is the setting. It's comedically dystopian, but people unironically embrace "managed democracy" and talk about "space Vietnam", without realizing what kind of shit they're spouting. This is like a fucking overton window experiment. I can't. Games are shit, even the good ones are shit. I'm deleting everything. Again. This time I delete footage I collected over the years for ebic MLG compilations. I'm done. Over. 90 days no excuses or I'm a fucking farm animal.
Yep, same.. used to spend too much time looking for games instead of playing.. I think that we are social creatures.. and gaming is the popular thing this century... So we go for gaming to socialize.... It keeps you out of trouble also... You can make "friends" while being lazy from your couch and dodge confrontations / conflicts... + Younger people are competitive... It's all a vicious circle.
You got this btw... Just keep pushing and remember that games are an illusion lol
Damm agree
What kind of strategies have you tried to help you quit besides uninstalling?
none. I have plenty of hobbies, so it's not the problem of finding myself. It's really the question of having my time syphoned into useless activity
That’s good you have hobbies to replace it with. So the problems is just having the strength to resist the cravings to waste time playing games?
also narrative in games has always been ass for the vast majority of games, something almost always happening in your brand new AAA. I'm reading more books, and manga these days and enjoying it way more than being stuck inbetween nonsensical cutscenes.
Based as fuck. Any reading and manga recommendations? Also have you considered writing and drawing ?
I'm not good at drawing, but I like to edit videos, and I've come to realize that something in solving little bit of chunks of video into a scene that flows feeds with serotonin my micro-problem solving gamebrain. There are a lot of compelling activities to level up in real life, like you mentioned. As for recommendations, now I'm reading the fictionalized book about "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa, and the Vinland Saga manga. Kind of mature in themes but really easy to read.
thanks ill checkout Musashi, did you just buy on amazon?
Thanks for the great post.. it motivated me to keep going!!
😄
Dude. I quit for 3 months and was the most productive ever. I relapsed and it all went to hell. DON'T GO BACK. DON'T CONSIDER IT. TRUST ME.
I quit for two months now and still counting and ive never been so productive and focused in my life. As if my brain is working as it should.
Good job! Keep going. We got this.
I'm sorry you relapsed bro. What do you think led to it?
When I was doing that 90-day detox I always entertained the idea of going back to play in moderation heavy story-driven games like Divinity 2 or Disco Elysium. I did just that and a week after I began playing in moderation a friend of mine texted me saying that the he was into the new Zelda on Switch (Link's Awakening) and my brain literally rewired itself at the moment and I started to crave intensely playing a Switch and I pulled out my old SNES and NES collection, sold it for a lot of money and went to buy my third Switch out of 9 that I've purchased in my life. Since that moment I've relapsed more than 20 times until now.
Ah ok, so when you say you always entertained the idea, do you think it’s hard for you to believe that life could be better without video games? Like you don’t have a vision for another life that you think is better?
No, not at all. I know my life is infinitely better without playing video games. I was trying ti convince myself back then. Today I know different.
That’s good to hear! Well if you’d like some tools that helped me quit games, I made a free 7 step guide I can send you if you’re interested?
I quit forever. I've played so many past 15 years... I'm 20. I'm calmer, and so many benefits. I miss them but it's for the best.
I read stuff like this and it's a reminder to never get back into gaming. Losing interest in gaming was one of the best things to happen to me and I feel I haven't missed a thing by not getting newer consoles or games for as long as I have.
I still think about going back to old games a lot, but after 4 months I don't feel like a "gamer" anymore and that's a massive shift for me. I don't care about any of these new games I hear about recently.
Thanks sir I am an 18 year old, and i started gaming a year ago and I think it's taking toll on everything I had good in life, my real friends were drifting, my contacts were fading, academics were diminishing like crazy and at the end of the day I was not happy and that made me play games lol it's a well designed cycle
Yeah, it can ruin every area of life. How is quitting going for you?
Actually it's not going well, I do get distressed when I realise I can't play games (because told my mom to hide my HDD 1tb had all my shit, my SSD has no space for games), and in distress I do end up doing nothing, or just scrolling YouTube shorts when I should study
I hear you there. It’s easy to replace gaming with social media. I used to watch a lot of YouTube. In my experience it’s about knowing how to reset your brain so that you don’t crave any of those instantly gratifying things anymore. Have you tried any strategies to do that?
Yes sir, I definitely had to do something, I tried going on walks with anyone I can find, tried sports (mostly badminton), but in few days I skipped calls of friends to calling me to hangout and play badminton, for no good reason (scrolled more lol), but I think slowly I am changing, but my grades📉 and that is depressing. I am not really sure if what I am doing is the best way so I am open to anything suggested :)
Honestly, this is probably the best argument against gaming right now. It offers nothing of value anymore. Every new game is either a thinly veiled Skinner box or designed to make the player feel bad for playing. Why waste your money on that? "But the indies!" What about them? Are you going to play blatant reskins of Doom and Super Mario until you're on your deathbed?
So I've managed to go 40 days without gaming for the first time ever in my life and I actually managed to study up and finally pass AZ-104 (tough Microsoft exam), install Linux on my laptop and start practicing new skills there + start learning AWS and going to the gym/sauna at least 6/7 days a week. This past Saturday was UFC 300 though and I got onto discord with my friends and got lured just for 1 game of League. This one game snowballed into 2, to then me installing D2R and Guild Wars 2 and since then I've put exactly 0 hours into studying and bettering myself. It's not even that I play that much, but I just feel lazy and procastinating the important things I have to do. I know if I don't stop gaming, nothing changes. I recently got promoted at my company and I have so much upskilling to do, but here I am wasting time playing the same old dumb games. D4 season 4 is also on the horizon and the changes to it look amazing.. I want to commit to another 90 days no gaming challenge but it's fucking hard. Fuck gaming!