4 ms·

Not a psychologist, but I would guess that playing games at all times is more a symptom than a cause. A symptom of depression? A coping mechanism for chronic an

Not a psychologist, but I would guess that playing games at all times is more a symptom than a cause. A symptom of depression? A coping mechanism for chronic anxiety? A happy well adjusted person does not try so hard to escape reality or responsibilities. Demeaning them by calling them man-children is not going to help them in the slightest.

depressedx 5y ago
Depression is often characterised by a struggle in finding the motivation / desire to do something you love: if they love video games and can play them 12 hours a day, it's very possible they simply... don't care about the outside world. A job, family, exploring the world, these are all things some people just don't like. They don't have to have mental illness in order to spend their lives doing one thing!
- zabzonk 5y ago
  > They don't have to have mental illness in order to spend their lives doing one thing! I'd argue that doing one thing for the rest of your life is a classic definition of mental illness.
  - waynesonfire 5y ago
    I disagree, it's an mental illness if it interferes in your desired pursuit. For example, there is nothing wrong with playing games ur whole life.. except if you decide you want to get a girlfriend and can't. Now you're dealing with a mental illness.
    - wizzwizz4 5y ago
      Also if it interferes with your health, and a few other things. If playing video games takes precedence over, say, taking regular showers, or even basic exercise? I'd call that a mental illness too. But I agree with the main point: “person wants to live in a way I don't like” is not mental illness.
  - teawrecks 5y ago
    Tell that to the vast majority of humans throughout history who not only did 1 thing their whole life, but did the same thing their parents did before them. In some cultures to this day, trying to do anything other than what your family has already established as the family business is viewed as disrespectful and an insult to your lineage.
    - zabzonk 5y ago
      They have not being doing "one thing" - they have been farming, having sing-songs, getting married, having kids, fighting wars, and so on.
      - teawrecks 5y ago
        And a virtual world can be every bit as varied. You see someone sitting at a computer playing the same video game all the time. They see farming, running dungeons with guild mates, forming relationships, crafting things, fighting wars and so on. Defining a metal illness is non trivial, but for starters, their mental state needs to cause them or someone else harm or discomfort. But it's also possible that the discomfort isn't caused by their mental state, but the society they are in who rejects them. In 1000 years no one will remember what that person in their virtual world did any more than you know what a random person 1000 years ago did, but if they feel every bit as accomplished and emotionally fulfilled, then what's the difference? Now if their involvement in their virtual world means they are unable to sustain themselves in the physical world (not showing up to work, health problems, etc) then we have a problem that needs addressing. But living in a virtual world, in and of itself, is perfectly valid.
        mrkstu 5y ago
        Except none of those things is actually happening. Its like saying playing Monopoly is the same as being a real estate magnate. It just isn't, and emotionally the people using the video game as a crutch know it.
        5y ago
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- devonkim 5y ago
  Depression also manifests with addictions though through self medication like alcohol, drugs, and even video games. It gets trickier with comorbidities like ADHD where one has addictive tendencies resulting in what appears to be simple lack of motivation and laziness at a surface level.
confidantlake 5y ago
As someone who has chronic anxiety and depression, for me it goes both ways. I do it as a coping mechanism, but doing it too much also worsens it. When I do things like go outside or make an effort to see people it goes down. Completely agree calling someone a man-child does not help. We would condemn that kind of language said about woman.
hardwaregeek 5y ago
I understand that addiction is borne out of mental illness, feelings of inadequacy, etc., but it’s really hard for me to be sympathetic when I had to go to sleep to them pathetically screaming like little children into their headsets for a year
ip26 5y ago
I had a period of time where I was pretty hooked, to the detriment of my studies. I don't think I was coping or escaping; at nineteen they were very intricate yet offered a clear progression to mastery. As a young adult, you haven't had the chance to develop mastery yet (which everyone hungers for) and nobody has given you the keys to something really complex before. Biggest reason I moved on, I think, was quite simply that my horizons rapidly broadened. So, before passing judgement, I'd want to see what became of these young men in a few years time first.

depressedx 5y ago

Depression is often characterised by a struggle in finding the motivation / desire to do something you love: if they love video games and can play them 12 hours a day, it's very possible they simply... don't care about the outside world. A job, family, exploring the world, these are all things some people just don't like. They don't have to have mental illness in order to spend their lives doing one thing!

zabzonk 5y ago
> They don't have to have mental illness in order to spend their lives doing one thing! I'd argue that doing one thing for the rest of your life is a classic definition of mental illness.
- waynesonfire 5y ago
  I disagree, it's an mental illness if it interferes in your desired pursuit. For example, there is nothing wrong with playing games ur whole life.. except if you decide you want to get a girlfriend and can't. Now you're dealing with a mental illness.
  - wizzwizz4 5y ago
    Also if it interferes with your health, and a few other things. If playing video games takes precedence over, say, taking regular showers, or even basic exercise? I'd call that a mental illness too. But I agree with the main point: “person wants to live in a way I don't like” is not mental illness.
- teawrecks 5y ago
  Tell that to the vast majority of humans throughout history who not only did 1 thing their whole life, but did the same thing their parents did before them. In some cultures to this day, trying to do anything other than what your family has already established as the family business is viewed as disrespectful and an insult to your lineage.
  - zabzonk 5y ago
    They have not being doing "one thing" - they have been farming, having sing-songs, getting married, having kids, fighting wars, and so on.
    - teawrecks 5y ago
      And a virtual world can be every bit as varied. You see someone sitting at a computer playing the same video game all the time. They see farming, running dungeons with guild mates, forming relationships, crafting things, fighting wars and so on. Defining a metal illness is non trivial, but for starters, their mental state needs to cause them or someone else harm or discomfort. But it's also possible that the discomfort isn't caused by their mental state, but the society they are in who rejects them. In 1000 years no one will remember what that person in their virtual world did any more than you know what a random person 1000 years ago did, but if they feel every bit as accomplished and emotionally fulfilled, then what's the difference? Now if their involvement in their virtual world means they are unable to sustain themselves in the physical world (not showing up to work, health problems, etc) then we have a problem that needs addressing. But living in a virtual world, in and of itself, is perfectly valid.
      - mrkstu 5y ago
        Except none of those things is actually happening. Its like saying playing Monopoly is the same as being a real estate magnate. It just isn't, and emotionally the people using the video game as a crutch know it.
        5y ago
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
devonkim 5y ago
Depression also manifests with addictions though through self medication like alcohol, drugs, and even video games. It gets trickier with comorbidities like ADHD where one has addictive tendencies resulting in what appears to be simple lack of motivation and laziness at a surface level.

confidantlake 5y ago

As someone who has chronic anxiety and depression, for me it goes both ways. I do it as a coping mechanism, but doing it too much also worsens it. When I do things like go outside or make an effort to see people it goes down. Completely agree calling someone a man-child does not help. We would condemn that kind of language said about woman.

hardwaregeek 5y ago

I understand that addiction is borne out of mental illness, feelings of inadequacy, etc., but it’s really hard for me to be sympathetic when I had to go to sleep to them pathetically screaming like little children into their headsets for a year

ip26 5y ago

I had a period of time where I was pretty hooked, to the detriment of my studies. I don't think I was coping or escaping; at nineteen they were very intricate yet offered a clear progression to mastery. As a young adult, you haven't had the chance to develop mastery yet (which everyone hungers for) and nobody has given you the keys to something really complex before. Biggest reason I moved on, I think, was quite simply that my horizons rapidly broadened. So, before passing judgement, I'd want to see what became of these young men in a few years time first.