I grew up at a time when gaming was not one of the mainstream pastimes, and this sets me out from my peers. Because of this, I am now used to defending my hobby from people that believe that video gaming for fun is meant for the younger generation.
Video games have become so much more than what they started off as. Nowadays if they can become a career path, whether you play professionally or to entertain people, some gamers have made a fortune through playing video games. If you enjoy games like CS:GO, there are many entertaining streamers to follow, competitions to watch or bet on and even skins that you can collect or sell for huge sums of money. Playing at a site like csgobook.com is one example of how you can gamble your skins to upgrade them or even win new ones, as well as getting to play a range of new games, all focused around the globally followed FPS game.
Okay, so some games are seen as a waste of time and others are even mainly designed to waste time. But you do not waste more or less time gaming than you do watching a movie or reading a book.
But to be frank about it, more time is spent gaming. To complete The Last of Us 2, I spent 35 hours, and according to the example given by Rogan, it wouldn’t have been bad if I spent the same amount of time learning a martial art. But that does not mean that games are bad. The only thing here is that games are different.
The trouble is that video games have been derided and scorned for many years, instead of being accepted, and it has been enmeshed in huge stereotypes. The weight of trying to get people to accept and see our hobby as seriously as other forms of entertainment has overwhelmed us. We’ve made frantic efforts to see games accepted as valid and appreciated art, because they could be accepted and celebrated like other art forms, but that does not make it impossible for them to become a waste of time. This does not negate the fact that it could still be a mess.
Like all the other hobbies on earth, good and bad points exist, and the positive and negative angles abound. Some songs, books, and movies might change the life of a person, while others may not. This is applicable to different hobbies, video games inclusive.
The one minute rant by Rogan also reiterated how unhealthy it is to play video games with obsession, and while I won’t want to agree that this problem is applicable to gaming alone, I cannot overlook the fact that more awareness and support is needed against gaming addiction.
While the bodies that defend gaming are working hard in the world stage to ensure the removal of gaming disorders from the WHO’s International Classification Of Diseases, majority of us know at least one person or have firsthand information that people can’t easily stop playing some games. We are aware that your ability to spend time with your loved ones and or to work could be hampered by gaming. But the meaning is that greater support is needed from the industry and medical experts, and not to make a blanket condemnation of gaming. What do we benefit from vilifying gaming? The fact is that whatever you do for a long period, including gaming and others, becomes a problem.
It is an obvious fact that games can change people’s life for good or bad. People have found love playing games. Others have also built long lasting friendships that have brought them out of depression and suicidal thoughts through gaming. Most of the games are proven stress relievers – in fact, if not for online co-op, it would have been impossible for millions of people to be in touch with their relatives and acquaintances during the health crisis induced lockdown.
Games are unique in the way they foster interactions, and they help us to live and connect with perspectives that are completely different from the ones we’ve built, enhancing numerous skills, while improving dexterity, short term memory, and reaction speeds. They also help to improve our physical fitness. So, gaming has a lot more good to offer than bad.
Honestly speaking, I don’t believe that when you spend 15 hours a week practicing MMA, you will enjoy a prosperous career in the martial arts than someone that plays Fortnite for 15 hours every week and later goes into competitive playing. But the truth is that this doesn’t really matter.
Even if you don’t earn a penny playing games, it still shouldn’t affect your hobbies or interests and you can save money in the long run by looking for games in sales and offers. The only thing that matters is that you enjoy it, and according to an old adage when you enjoy wasting time, that time is not wasted.
