I went through a phase where I was playing mobile games far too much. Finally deleted them and started carrying a little sketchbook along with me. I don't sketch as much as I used to play games, but it's still an improvement and I never regret the time I spend drawing.
There are recreational things you can do that allow you to stack activities. Disc golf, pickleball, board games, etc. these are all things you can do by yourself or, more importantly, with others. You get to socialize. In the former two, you get some exercise and some sun. Additionally they are all affordable and have low skill barriers.
Personally, I found disc golf to be one of my favorite liesure activities. I've started to go regularly with some of my nephews to get them away from video gaming.
Video games were always a group activity when I was growing up, even single player computer games. With one computer and four or five kids, sharing was not optional, so we learned to turn anything into a social activity that otherwise might have been an antisocial time suck. Gaming is now one of our favorite things to do as a young family, but the type of game is important of course.
When my two year old told me that they "need to eat bc I only have one heart like Link" I about keeled over laughing. We've made some good memories.
I do find single-player FPS or RTS games fun. It's a bit like reading a sci-fi or fantasy novel or watching a movie, except I get to be in the storyline. I'll play through each of them once, maybe more than once if they have harder difficulty levels, and then put them aside, possibly coming back to them after several years if they're really good.
It's all about finding your own balance. I have my primary focus on my wife & three kids but I still find about 5 hrs per week to spend by myself on videogames. Most of the time though, it becomes a social event as soon as my three-year-old picks up a console controller or a mouse, sits next to Daddy, and starts commenting and pretending to play and contribute. I love that. I think gaming will always be a part of our lives, provided we continue to seek that healthy balance, and practice all things in moderation.
There are gamification programs for musical instruments. You can transform your gaming time into actual practice on an instrument and develop musical skill
It's pretty cheap to get a ukulele and learn a few songs, and it's a fun social thing to play some music at a summer party.
I went through a phase where I was playing mobile games far too much. Finally deleted them and started carrying a little sketchbook along with me. I don't sketch as much as I used to play games, but it's still an improvement and I never regret the time I spend drawing.
There are recreational things you can do that allow you to stack activities. Disc golf, pickleball, board games, etc. these are all things you can do by yourself or, more importantly, with others. You get to socialize. In the former two, you get some exercise and some sun. Additionally they are all affordable and have low skill barriers.
Personally, I found disc golf to be one of my favorite liesure activities. I've started to go regularly with some of my nephews to get them away from video gaming.
Video games were always a group activity when I was growing up, even single player computer games. With one computer and four or five kids, sharing was not optional, so we learned to turn anything into a social activity that otherwise might have been an antisocial time suck. Gaming is now one of our favorite things to do as a young family, but the type of game is important of course.
When my two year old told me that they "need to eat bc I only have one heart like Link" I about keeled over laughing. We've made some good memories.
I'm reminded of a commentary about MMOs feeling like a second job that you have to pay for.
I do find single-player FPS or RTS games fun. It's a bit like reading a sci-fi or fantasy novel or watching a movie, except I get to be in the storyline. I'll play through each of them once, maybe more than once if they have harder difficulty levels, and then put them aside, possibly coming back to them after several years if they're really good.
A big one for me has been no mobile games. I currently only have Chess.com and I'm dubious whether I should even have that.
It's all about finding your own balance. I have my primary focus on my wife & three kids but I still find about 5 hrs per week to spend by myself on videogames. Most of the time though, it becomes a social event as soon as my three-year-old picks up a console controller or a mouse, sits next to Daddy, and starts commenting and pretending to play and contribute. I love that. I think gaming will always be a part of our lives, provided we continue to seek that healthy balance, and practice all things in moderation.
I am reminded of a meme, comparing time spent playing guitar hero and learning to play the real guitar. One hobby may make you cool.
There are gamification programs for musical instruments. You can transform your gaming time into actual practice on an instrument and develop musical skill
It's pretty cheap to get a ukulele and learn a few songs, and it's a fun social thing to play some music at a summer party.