4 ms·

Problem is avoiding them being used as a coping mechanism for stress

by armatav 4y ago

SketchySeaBeast 4y ago
Why? Assuming it doesn't become overwhelming I don't see the issue with that, same as any other stress relief.
- DelightOne 4y ago
  Its too addicting.
  - falcolas 4y ago
    No more addicting than TV or movies. More engaging, on the other hand…
    - ketzo 4y ago
      If it’s more engaging, how could it not be more addictive?
    - oneoff786 4y ago
      I don’t think I have ever heard of someone having a movie addiction?
  - SketchySeaBeast 4y ago
    I don't know, I think a great number of previous video game players have grown up and become functional humans given the majority of children in the last few generations will have played videos games for entertainment in one fashion or another. There's always outliers who will have problems of course, but that doesn't mean it's bad for the rest.
  - Gigachad 4y ago
    I feel like I have the opposites of an addictive personality. I enjoy playing games but I struggle to stay interested in any game for more than 10 hours and then I need a few months to reset and play it again. The only thing I have become addicted to is Hacker News and reddit. Arguably worse for you than games, for reddit at least.
  - practice9 4y ago
    Perhaps the underlying addiction mechanism (dopamine) also improves cognitive performance (as a side effect)
- educaysean 4y ago
  I grew up in South Korea where kids are placed under immense academic stress and gaming is an established mainstream culture. In the last two decades or so, the instances of kids and adults suffering from severe gaming addiction have become increasingly common. The issue is exacerbated by the fact that more gaming companies are embracing loot boxes, pay-to-win schemes, and other parlor tricks to not only keep the players addicted but to also extract as much cash as possible from its captive audience. When hearing the stories of people whose lives were ruined by video games, it's hard not to draw the similarities with gambling addicts who poured their entire life savings into casinos. Except the casinos now exist in the pockets of 14 year olds, accessible at all times. I'm a long time gamer and a hobby game dev myself. I very much dislike the tendency for media to overstate the harms of gaming, but the reality is that gaming in its current form can be a very dangerous thing to become addicted to.
- heavyset_go 4y ago
  Companies will exploit this psychology to get you to play and spend more.
dtdynasty 4y ago
From personal experience I do agree that video games can be used as a form of distraction and escapism. but I think teaching mental awareness and moderation could change it from distraction to relaxation.
- formerkrogemp 4y ago
  Hey, you can your relaxation with a side helping of micro transactions and loot boxes.
TapWaterBandit 4y ago
Yea, video games can definitely end up being an unhealthy coping mechanism used to avoid addressing your real life issues. That said they are probably on balance a better coping mechanism than some of the other popular ones out there (Alcohol, drugs, porn, gambling) but definitely worth keeping an eye on. Especially because video games aren't restricted for children like all those others things are (at least in theory).
- notch656a 4y ago
  Gambling is roughly described as gaming with higher stakes, IMO. My totally unqualified, unsubstantiated guess would be the average gambler has higher cognitive performance than the average video game player. A dumb gambler goes broke sooner or later, which doesn't make them all quit but it does make some of them quit, which I would wager causes a selective effect towards the smarter ones.
  - SketchySeaBeast 4y ago
    I think you're envisioning gambling as a poker shark, when it could be someone betting on horses, playing slot machines, or buying scratch cards.
  - reducesuffering 4y ago
    Have you been to a casino? 95% of Blackjack players aren't even playing basic strategy, something that takes a single day to learn. Instead, mid-rank players in popular online games like Valorant and Overwatch 2 are quite formidable multi-level thinkers.
    - 0cf8612b2e1e 4y ago
      But what percentage of those people are playing as anything other than a lark? I might go to the casino one time every three years. I can guarantee I am utilizing a sub optimal strategy
- dandellion 4y ago
  Why unhealthy? I've been using games as a coping mechanism for stress and personal issues for about twenty years and as far as I can tell I'm reasonably healthy. Most people my age that are clearly unhealthy it's because of drugs, alcohol or weight issues, not videogames. I'm somewhat prone to stress, and I find taking a few days off to play games helps in recovering from burnout, while something like travelling which helps some people, stresses me out.
rubyist5eva 4y ago
Videogames as a coping mechanism for stress stopped me from committing suicide. It's not so simple, nothing ever is.
nottorp 4y ago
... and instead using binge watching abysmal Netflix series as a coping mechanism for stress because it's more 'mainstream'? :)

Problem is avoiding them being used as a coping mechanism for stress

SketchySeaBeast 4y ago

Why? Assuming it doesn't become overwhelming I don't see the issue with that, same as any other stress relief.

DelightOne 4y ago
Its too addicting.
- falcolas 4y ago
  No more addicting than TV or movies. More engaging, on the other hand…
  - ketzo 4y ago
    If it’s more engaging, how could it not be more addictive?
  - oneoff786 4y ago
    I don’t think I have ever heard of someone having a movie addiction?
- SketchySeaBeast 4y ago
  I don't know, I think a great number of previous video game players have grown up and become functional humans given the majority of children in the last few generations will have played videos games for entertainment in one fashion or another. There's always outliers who will have problems of course, but that doesn't mean it's bad for the rest.
- Gigachad 4y ago
  I feel like I have the opposites of an addictive personality. I enjoy playing games but I struggle to stay interested in any game for more than 10 hours and then I need a few months to reset and play it again. The only thing I have become addicted to is Hacker News and reddit. Arguably worse for you than games, for reddit at least.
- practice9 4y ago
  Perhaps the underlying addiction mechanism (dopamine) also improves cognitive performance (as a side effect)
educaysean 4y ago
I grew up in South Korea where kids are placed under immense academic stress and gaming is an established mainstream culture. In the last two decades or so, the instances of kids and adults suffering from severe gaming addiction have become increasingly common. The issue is exacerbated by the fact that more gaming companies are embracing loot boxes, pay-to-win schemes, and other parlor tricks to not only keep the players addicted but to also extract as much cash as possible from its captive audience. When hearing the stories of people whose lives were ruined by video games, it's hard not to draw the similarities with gambling addicts who poured their entire life savings into casinos. Except the casinos now exist in the pockets of 14 year olds, accessible at all times. I'm a long time gamer and a hobby game dev myself. I very much dislike the tendency for media to overstate the harms of gaming, but the reality is that gaming in its current form can be a very dangerous thing to become addicted to.
heavyset_go 4y ago
Companies will exploit this psychology to get you to play and spend more.

dtdynasty 4y ago

From personal experience I do agree that video games can be used as a form of distraction and escapism. but I think teaching mental awareness and moderation could change it from distraction to relaxation.

formerkrogemp 4y ago
Hey, you can your relaxation with a side helping of micro transactions and loot boxes.

TapWaterBandit 4y ago

Yea, video games can definitely end up being an unhealthy coping mechanism used to avoid addressing your real life issues. That said they are probably on balance a better coping mechanism than some of the other popular ones out there (Alcohol, drugs, porn, gambling) but definitely worth keeping an eye on. Especially because video games aren't restricted for children like all those others things are (at least in theory).

notch656a 4y ago
Gambling is roughly described as gaming with higher stakes, IMO. My totally unqualified, unsubstantiated guess would be the average gambler has higher cognitive performance than the average video game player. A dumb gambler goes broke sooner or later, which doesn't make them all quit but it does make some of them quit, which I would wager causes a selective effect towards the smarter ones.
- SketchySeaBeast 4y ago
  I think you're envisioning gambling as a poker shark, when it could be someone betting on horses, playing slot machines, or buying scratch cards.
- reducesuffering 4y ago
  Have you been to a casino? 95% of Blackjack players aren't even playing basic strategy, something that takes a single day to learn. Instead, mid-rank players in popular online games like Valorant and Overwatch 2 are quite formidable multi-level thinkers.
  - 0cf8612b2e1e 4y ago
    But what percentage of those people are playing as anything other than a lark? I might go to the casino one time every three years. I can guarantee I am utilizing a sub optimal strategy
dandellion 4y ago
Why unhealthy? I've been using games as a coping mechanism for stress and personal issues for about twenty years and as far as I can tell I'm reasonably healthy. Most people my age that are clearly unhealthy it's because of drugs, alcohol or weight issues, not videogames. I'm somewhat prone to stress, and I find taking a few days off to play games helps in recovering from burnout, while something like travelling which helps some people, stresses me out.

rubyist5eva 4y ago

Videogames as a coping mechanism for stress stopped me from committing suicide. It's not so simple, nothing ever is.

nottorp 4y ago

... and instead using binge watching abysmal Netflix series as a coping mechanism for stress because it's more 'mainstream'? :)