Video games are the ultimate means of escapism. When you’re watching a movie, you are fully aware that you are not the actor on screen. While you sit in your chair looking into the TV, you can see that the main character moves and makes decisions independently from you.
In a video game, you are the character. Anywhere you move your fingers with the controller’s joystick is where the character on-screen moves – resulting in the player becoming more immersed in the game world.
Our minds don’t understand the difference between virtual and reality. The quests in the game create goals to be achieved, creating a sense of purpose that is yet to be discovered in the real world. We believe that playing video games more than spending time in the real world is a suitable replacement. After all, in a video game, we can start over when we die. There is no actual risk, and we still get the reward.
The feelings of accomplishment and excitement never get old. Instant gratification… we never have to wait very long to receive that dopamine hit. Get a headshot on an online shooter – Boost! Score the winning goal on a sports game – Boost! Gain enough experience to acquire armor in a role-playing game – Boost!
Video games are designed to keep you playing. A standard first-person shooter like Call of Duty has two modes: the single-player campaign that follows a linear story similar to a movie around 6-8 hours; and a multiplayer mode – playing with other players worldwide online. There is no time limit to this game mode until the fans lose interest in the game, which takes roughly two years. When a new entry in the series is developed, the cycle repeats.
When you are part of the bubble: playing games online, watching YouTubers talk about game releases and hardware, game news about new publishing deals, or game developer commentaries on how they make video games, you get stuck in that environment.
Video games have already been addicting just from playing with the games themselves. But now, for the past ten years, video games have morphed into a virus. What started as a simple pastime and hobby has turned into an industry worth more than 150 billion US dollars globally, eclipsing the movie and music industries combined.
Many young people now want to be professional gamers, playing online video games for a living. The video platform Youtube’s algorithm favors people who are making videos surrounding game streams. People would watch someone play a game and comment on it; e-sports, competitive online game tournaments with player leagues and prize money similar to a live football event; game reviews and critiques. It is everywhere.
Video games are a waste of time when we waste more time playing games than developing our own lives. Our time spent playing video games can instead be used to read books that help improve our vocabulary and insight into the world we live in. Take online courses that teach valuable skills and abilities or attend lectures surrounding personal expansion that help us develop a keen sense of insight into how the world works. Spend quality time with friends and family in person, strengthening relationships.
Players focus more on endless amounts of side quests and missions in video games than setting goals and aspirations in the real world. Because of this, the majority end up working in gas stations, restaurants, blockchain stores like Walmart or target with little to offer society because they barely spend any time working on themselves.
At their core, video games are not the issue. It is entertainment like movies and music. The problem we face is how out of control the time spent playing video games has become. Millions of young people are becoming less intelligent by the day, they are blending into mediocrity, becoming another cog in society’s gears.
Young men and women become more anxious, unable to leave their own homes’ comfort without becoming a stress ball of nerves, scared of conflict – disagreements and arguments with people.
The solution to this problem is to push past our desires for comfort and pleasure. The things that are difficult and hard to do are what is best for us. Nothing ever worth anything comes easy. If you want to succeed in life, observe what most people are doing and do the opposite.
Video games can be a great leisurely activity in our free time that can provide a fun and entertaining experience, but there has to be a life balance between entertainment and productivity. When you feel like you can play one more game, turn off the TV instead. Life has much more to offer; You have to discover it.
