The Gaming Question

Uncovering the truth about video games

We gamers hate to admit it, but there are many secret costs and drawbacks to our hobby. It is rarely the quality and clean recreation we wish it was. For one, many video games, especially those with highly competitive and social elements, can become extremely distracting. This is because the game is so stimulating to our senses of pleasure and progress. Just like how pornography eventually ruins real sex, video games can make real productivity feel mind-numbingly boring in comparison. Simply put, some video games simply offer far too much easy pleasure for too little actual reward all while life itself becomes less interesting.

Being a gamer did not always come with so many downsides

As I covered in my article about junk status, we cannot simply ignore the management of our neurochemical appetites. The desire for status is innate, immutable, and useful, but it can become acclimated to things that hurt us. Not all games are made equal, though. It is unlikely you will become addicted to playing Tetris or Super Mario Bros. for the NES. Simple single player games with a clear beginning and end are low stimulation enough to pass quite easily as a clean fun side hobby. However, games that are constantly updated with new content, have large online communities, as well as leverage social pressure, FOMO, and the sunk-cost fallacy, are far more likely to turn into timesucking shadow careers that profit you practically nothing. The hapless OMEGA or GAMMA could easily spend several years and thousands of hours hooked on a game like Destiny 2 when he could have been using his status appetite to pursue real progress.

Before delving deeper into what games are better or worse for your attention span and productivity, we need to look carefully at the causes of video game escapism from the perspective of someone who does not like their life all that much. Mark Queppet says that the cause of video game addiction and junk status in general is wanting to run away from your life.

“It's easy to put all your energy in figuring out how you can optimize your path to accomplishment in these areas. 

The problem with this is twofold:

First, a goal driven mentality is always FUTURE focused. 

Second, progress always costs energy to create. 

So the trap is that when you focus all your energy for chasing your ambitions, optimizing your habits, and trying to level up... 

You are always living for TOMORROW, and you're getting WORN OUT in the process.”

Here, Queppet reminds us of a fact that the modern world would rather have us forget. Recreation is not optional. If there is no payoff in pleasure for today, it is very easy to get demoralized and tired. This is often what causes people to relapse into video game binges in the hopes of satisfying their desire for fun.

“But no matter how hardcore you are, you can't work 24/7...

And when all your attention goes into your productivity and optimization, downtime typically ends up devolving into dysfunctional escapism like porn, scrolling, junk food, etc. that works AGAINST your goals by screwing up your neurochemistry, schedule, health etc.”

On the other side of things, not all recreation is the same, as we have covered. We should absolutely ensure we are productive when we need to be, but nothing in life exists in isolation. For gamers, we need to ask ourselves questions like this:

• Do video games actually satisfy my need for recreation, or do they only ever leave me wanting more?

• Do video games make my life seem boring?

• Will I regret having spent so much time playing video games?

• Am I missing out on life opportunities because of my dedication to video games?

Personally, when pondering these questions, it becomes clear that video games ultimately provide me with a raw deal. I can get lots of stimulation for cheap right now, but the cost is almost never worth it - and I don’t even feel satisfied. Video games have a way of making you feel compelled to come back for more, even if you have stopped having actual fun with the game ages ago.

Unless you want to be a master eSports player, chances are, video games are not your calling

While I try to socialize more, get a better sleep schedule going, and ramp up my personal projects, I have found that ignoring recreation has has been a huge mistake. Instead of focusing so much on the future, I am now focusing more on the present. I will make it a mission to focus on finding real and sustainable recreation I can engage in with others. The desire to play video games will naturally decrease as high quality recreation fulfills the need for fun. As for gaming itself, I have moderated it in the following ways:

• Only play for a maximum one hour and thirty minutes a day

• Focus on low stimulation games

  • Single player adventure games

  • Platformers

  • Building games

• No shadow career games

  • Online live service games (like Destiny 2 and Fortnite)

  • Grand strategy games

  • No multiplayer games in general

Sometimes I bend the rules a bit to accomodate friends on special occasions.