Serious Question: How Do You Game? Is Your Gaming Time Truly Healthy?

[drtgns]

So, I was/am kind of addicted to gaming. I tried not playing any games for 2 months( was hard at first), and now, whenever I try to play even on my phone( indie games)—I feel pain in my head. It’s like my body is rejecting gaming.

I actually feel happy that my mind no longer enjoys gaming because, for years, I used it as a way to cope with depression (at least, that’s what I think it was, now). Gaming made me antisocial, but now I’m getting back to my normal self..., and I feel so much happier. Meeting real people and going on real-world adventures feels so much better than gaming.

That said, I still get cravings for gaming here and there, why is that?, but they no longer control me like they used to.

So, my question is—do you feel that gaming makes you less productive and lazy? Do you ever feel like gaming is killing your potential?
How do you game? Does your gaming time feel healthy to you, or are you just making excuses to believe it is?

I’d love to hear what your experience says , whether you’re a current gamer or a former one!!!

 

[AI_enthusiast]

I used to game a lot on PC, and my favorite genres were strategy games and shooting games when I was in college, which continued to some extent after. With time, my gaming hours have decreased not because I wanted to, but because I had to. It was difficult at first since gaming was one thing I truly enjoy. But after a few years, the main difference I notice is that I no longer have the patience to understand all the game mechanics needed for strategy games. I now rarely play some games on PS5 that I've already played before. Still, I desire to build a gaming PC and play a few hours a week, as I don't enjoy shooting games on console.

 

[bssunilreddy]

Since I bought a PC in 2000 I used to play mostly all demos given with Digit magazine at my native town, Nellore. Then when I moved to Ameerpet, Hyderabad in 2003 for my law degree I used to go to Haridas Market, Koti and buy Game CDs like mostly Strategy, FPS & Puzzle based. Until 2011 I used to buy from Haridas Market then I moved to outskirts of the city to Singapore Township near Infosys Campus then I only downloaded games from torrents. My main games are Call of Duty, AoE, Tomb Raider, Elder Scroll, Fallout. After moving again into city to ECIL in 2013 until 2016 I played all above games but downloaded them via torrents. I created my Steam account in 2013 but did not even buy 1 game until 2016. The 1st games were Witcher 3 & Just Cause 2. After 2016 I only started playing mostly RPGs, FPS & Strategy.
From 2000 to 2006, my game hours daily were evening 6 to 10. From 2006 to 2011 I used to game on weekends because I have court to attend. After 2011 to 2014 I had all day with me and I used to play from 10 to 2 then 6 to 8. After 2014 I went to coal mines in UP until 2017. It was in 2016 in one of the coal mines camps I saw my colleague playing Just Cause 2 on his laptop using Steam and from then on I bought almost 800 games until now. From 2017 to 2019 I was in Hyderabad but was going through a rough patch of divorce so could not concentrate on gaming much. From 2020 to 2023 I played all the above games but after 2023 my interest on gaming decreased. Since 6 months again I started playing games like Wolfenstein series, Witcher series, AoE series, Cyberpunk 2077, Stalker series, Indiana Jones series including the latest ones using Xbox Game Pass. Nowadays due to experiencing frequent crashes and freezes while playing games is leading to frustration sometimes.
I married in 2009 and my wife then did not object to me on playing games but recently since 2020 onwards she always scolds and pesters me not to play games because they will cause illusions and anger in people playing them she says. I play after she goes to office and shuts down my PC before she comes from office. I mean I don't open any games but only browses forums when she is at home. During weekends it's very difficult for me to play games as she is always around. My wife also does not like my kid playing games so I installed some small games in her laptop and hid them in inner folders. I don't like playing on my mobile though I used play on it during 2017 to 2019 period during my divorce like Temple Run, Subway Surfers & Ludo King but now I removed them from my phone. For 1 year like from 23 to 24 I did not even touch my PC and even did not visit the forums. Now I am again active on Reddit, Digit & TE forums.

 

[Kmkaks]

So, I was/am kind of addicted to gaming. I tried not playing any games for 2 months( was hard at first), and now, whenever I try to play even on my phone( indie games)—I feel pain in my head. It’s like my body is rejecting gaming.

I actually feel happy that my mind no longer enjoys gaming because, for years, I used it as a way to cope with depression (at least, that’s what I think it was, now). Gaming made me antisocial, but now I’m getting back to my normal self..., and I feel so much happier. Meeting real people and going on real-world adventures feels so much better than gaming.

That said, I still get cravings for gaming here and there, why is that?, but they no longer control me like they used to.

So, my question is—do you feel that gaming makes you less productive and lazy? Do you ever feel like gaming is killing your potential?
How do you game? Does your gaming time feel healthy to you, or are you just making excuses to believe it is?

I’d love to hear what your experience says , whether you’re a current gamer or a former one!!!

Mate, I cleared a couple of hard accounting/finance degrees and got a promotion now again after I quit gaming. I removed all access and sold my consoles, disks and locked myself out of all accounts a few years back. COLD TURKEY. If you feel it is holding your potential back, it probably is.

I used to be very active in IVG forum/reddit and watch all those long form gaming videos but I locked myself out by setting a password I cant recollect on the forum and the email. If I start playing it is an obsession. I cant focus on anything else until I complete the game, this resulted in sleep deprivation, poor diet, low self esteem, poor focus etc. I was also obsessed with 100%ing the games I played.

I again got back for 4 months after marriage in early 2024 (thanks to my brother and a feeling that I had achieved enough in my life) but I did notice the decline in my work output and that I had put on a few kilos and was spending less quality time with my wife. The moment I quit, I was able to focus on my work and got a promotion, went out with family more often and am fit again. This definitely was my last hurray with gaming.

But one thing that worked for me is that I don't play mobile games, since I never enjoyed them.

This video below hit hard but fortunately I had the sense to recuperate at a critical point in my life. This only applies if you are struggling with self control. Though, I believe gaming as a medium is more specifically designed to keep you hyper engaged more so than movies, books and series.

If you can manage your time by including a bit of gaming here and there, it isn't a bad thing at all but you should never engage in anything that will cause regret when you look back on your life.

Cheers and good luck.

 

[drtgns]

Since I bought a PC in 2000 I used to play mostly all demos given with Digit magazine at my native town, Nellore. Then when I moved to Ameerpet, Hyderabad in 2003 for my law degree I used to go to Haridas Market, Koti and buy Game CDs like mostly Strategy, FPS & Puzzle based. Until 2011 I used to buy from Haridas Market then I moved to outskirts of the city to Singapore Township near Infosys Campus then I only downloaded games from torrents. My main games are Call of Duty, AoE, Tomb Raider, Elder Scroll, Fallout. After moving again into city to ECIL in 2013 until 2016 I played all above games but downloaded them via torrents. I created my Steam account in 2013 but did not even buy 1 game until 2016. The 1st games were Witcher 3 & Just Cause 2. After 2016 I only started playing mostly RPGs, FPS & Strategy.
From 2000 to 2006, my game hours daily were evening 6 to 10. From 2006 to 2011 I used to game on weekends because I have court to attend. After 2011 to 2014 I had all day with me and I used to play from 10 to 2 then 6 to 8. After 2014 I went to coal mines in UP until 2017. It was in 2016 in one of the coal mines camps I saw my colleague playing Just Cause 2 on his laptop using Steam and from then on I bought almost 800 games until now. From 2017 to 2019 I was in Hyderabad but was going through a rough patch of divorce so could not concentrate on gaming much. From 2020 to 2023 I played all the above games but after 2023 my interest on gaming decreased. Since 6 months again I started playing games like Wolfenstein series, Witcher series, AoE series, Cyberpunk 2077, Stalker series, Indiana Jones series including the latest ones using Xbox Game Pass. Nowadays due to experiencing frequent crashes and freezes while playing games is leading to frustration sometimes.
I married in 2009 and my wife then did not object to me on playing games but recently since 2020 onwards she always scolds and pesters me not to play games because they will cause illusions and anger in people playing them she says. I play after she goes to office and shuts down my PC before she comes from office. I mean I don't open any games but only browses forums when she is at home. During weekends it's very difficult for me to play games as she is always around. My wife also does not like my kid playing games so I installed some small games in her laptop and hid them in inner folders. I don't like playing on my mobile though I used play on it during 2017 to 2019 period during my divorce like Temple Run, Subway Surfers & Ludo King but now I removed them from my phone. For 1 year like from 23 to 24 I did not even touch my PC and even did not visit the forums. Now I am again active on Reddit, Digit & TE forums.

wow! It’s really nice of you to share your experience. a lot of people will relate to your story. we all know how gaming is seen in Indian households (something meant for children, not grown-ups).

I’m facing a similar kind of distress when it comes to gaming. I hardly even open my gaming laptop nowdays. I’m not into typical mobile games on Android, but I do enjoy playing indie PC ports on android. They run surprisingly well and feel extra cozy, especially when playing under a blanket.

These days, if I crave gaming too much, I just watch gameplay shorts on YouTube or browse Reddit subs. Though, I don’t have a Reddit account anymore, I deleted my 3 year old account a few months ago. I was getting too obsessed with the toxicity there, picking fights with people under posts (I know, so stupid of me).

Now, I’m thinking of switching to a MacBook. Since gaming on a Mac is difficult, and most good games aren’t available for it, I feel it might help me cut down on gaming naturally... ,

 

[bssunilreddy]

I used to have many Gaming buddies since my 10+ 2 onwards. Many of them were 7 years younger who were my cousins classmates who used to come to me even as far as 2018 to get games from me. But 1 classmate of mine is still playing Dota and CS Go while his younger brother always plays FIFA. One is my classmate while his brother is my cousins classmate. They are now running BGR Mining & Infra Pvt Ltd from Hyderabad. I also worked in their mining company for 4 years in UP and MP. Above guy was saying that since he stopped playing games he got successful but these 2 brothers used to take their custom cooled cabinets ordered from Singapore weighing each 50 -60 kgs then big 3 monitor setups in their main guesthouse in Singrauli. Now they still playing games in custom sager laptops. They are both worth at 25 k crores but still they play games.
Now tell me how can they help build this empire of mines from Maharastra to Assam with their father still play games where ever they get a chance to play.
Stopping playing games and getting successful is one thing but continuing playing of games since attaining btech degrees and help build an empire is outstanding. Succes means not stopping playing games. Okay.

 

[drtgns]

Mate, I cleared a couple of hard accounting/finance degrees and got a promotion now again after I quit gaming. I removed all access and sold my consoles, disks and locked myself out of all accounts a few years back. COLD TURKEY. If you feel it is holding your potential back, it probably is.

I used to be very active in IVG forum/reddit and watch all those long form gaming videos but I locked myself out by setting a password I cant recollect on the forum and the email. If I start playing it is an obsession. I cant focus on anything else until I complete the game, this resulted in sleep deprivation, poor diet, low self esteem, poor focus etc. I was also obsessed with 100%ing the games I played.

I again got back for 4 months after marriage in early 2024 (thanks to my brother and a feeling that I had achieved enough in my life) but I did notice the decline in my work output and that I had put on a few kilos and was spending less quality time with my wife. The moment I quit, I was able to focus on my work and got a promotion, went out with family more often and am fit again. This definitely was my last hurray with gaming.

But one thing that worked for me is that I don't play mobile games, since I never enjoyed them.

This video below hit hard but fortunately I had the sense to recuperate at a critical point in my life. This only applies if you are struggling with self control. Though, I believe gaming as a medium is more specifically designed to keep you hyper engaged more so than movies, books and series.

If you can manage your time by including a bit of gaming here and there, it isn't a bad thing at all but you should never engage in anything that will cause regret when you look back on your life.

Cheers and good luck.

you could say my situation is similar to yours, but maybe you have much better self-control. as I mentioned, it’s been two months since I last played a game, and now I can actually see my future. Before, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

I didn’t care about the people around me who cared about me. I preferred locking myself in my room and gaming rather than meeting people.in result, my friendships and relationships got sore. because of gaming I dealt with sleep deprivation, low self-esteem, and a lack of focus at anything (that how it feels now)

In the past few weeks, I’ve realized how much I was missing out on, so I’ve decided to get rid of my gaming laptop and accessories soon. I plan to buy a MacBook instead, as I need a laptop for my studies and work. I’ve heard it’s great for productivity and quite restrictive for gaming, which should help me stay on track. I feel it might help me cut down on gaming naturally

I’m not into typical mobile games on Android, I used to enjoy playing indie PC ports on android, but now I can’t play games anymore, whenever I try, I just get a headache.

....and thanks for the video ..., have a great evening

I used to have many Gaming buddies since my 10+ 2 onwards. Many of them were 7 years younger who were my cousins classmates who used to come to me even as far as 2018 to get games from me. But 1 classmate of mine is still playing Dota and CS Go while his younger brother always plays FIFA. One is my classmate while his brother is my cousins classmate. They are now running BGR Mining & Infra Pvt Ltd from Hyderabad. I also worked in their mining company for 4 years in UP and MP. Above guy was saying that since he stopped playing games he got successful but these 2 brothers used to take their custom cooled cabinets ordered from Singapore weighing each 50 -60 kgs then big 3 monitor setups in their main guesthouse in Singrauli. Now they still playing games in custom sager laptops. They are both worth at 25 k crores but still they play games.
Now tell me how can they help build this empire of mines from Maharastra to Assam with their father still play games where ever they get a chance to play.
Stopping playing games and getting successful is one thing but continuing playing of games since attaining btech degrees and help build an empire is outstanding. Succes means not stopping playing games. Okay.

I don’t think the guy above is saying that gaming itself is bad , he’s pointing out that addiction to anything, including gaming, can be harmful. and that is true. If gaming turns into an addiction, it holds you back from reaching your full potential , unless, you work in the gaming industry. I hope you understand what addiction really means.

As for your gaming buddies, it’s great that some of them have found success, but not everyone realizes that gaming doesn’t just cost money, it can also take away real-life experiences. I think gaming is an amazing form of entertainment, but addiction to anything is never good. we can make excuses for it(i used to too), but sooner or later when you realize the truth, and it feels really bad.

I used to game a lot on PC, and my favorite genres were strategy games and shooting games when I was in college, which continued to some extent after. With time, my gaming hours have decreased not because I wanted to, but because I had to. It was difficult at first since gaming was one thing I truly enjoy. But after a few years, the main difference I notice is that I no longer have the patience to understand all the game mechanics needed for strategy games. I now rarely play some games on PS5 that I've already played before. Still, I desire to build a gaming PC and play a few hours a week, as I don't enjoy shooting games on console.

nice, I have one game suggestion if you like fps game , when you build a PC, play The Finals. It’s the only FPS game I’ve ever liked, and it’s so good, i mean really good.

 

[bssunilreddy]

you could say my situation is similar to yours, but maybe you have much better self-control. as I mentioned, it’s been two months since I last played a game, and now I can actually see my future. Before, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

I didn’t care about the people around me who cared about me. I preferred locking myself in my room and gaming rather than meeting people.in result, my friendships and relationships got sore. because of gaming I dealt with sleep deprivation, low self-esteem, and a lack of focus at anything (that how it feels now)

In the past few weeks, I’ve realized how much I was missing out on, so I’ve decided to get rid of my gaming laptop and accessories soon. I plan to buy a MacBook instead, as I need a laptop for my studies and work. I’ve heard it’s great for productivity and quite restrictive for gaming, which should help me stay on track. I feel it might help me cut down on gaming naturally

I’m not into typical mobile games on Android, I used to enjoy playing indie PC ports on android, but now I can’t play games anymore, whenever I try, I just get a headache.

....and thanks for the video ..., have a great evening

I don’t think the guy above is saying that gaming itself is bad , he’s pointing out that addiction to anything, including gaming, can be harmful. and that is true. If gaming turns into an addiction, it holds you back from reaching your full potential , unless, you work in the gaming industry. I hope you understand what addiction really means.

As for your gaming buddies, it’s great that some of them have found success, but not everyone realizes that gaming doesn’t just cost money, it can also take away real-life experiences. I think gaming is an amazing form of entertainment, but addiction to anything is never good. we can make excuses for it(i used to too), but sooner or later when you realize the truth, and it feels really bad.

Yes if addicted means you are gone. But will power should be there. I mean maybe it comes with age also I think. I was more addicted in my 20s than in my 30s or 40s because we become exhausted by family needs as time goes on and as family burdens come on. So we will gradually try to do gaming in weekdays. When we are in our 20s we should not stick to PC gaming addiction but focus on our careers. It's all in balancing gaming with life and career.

 

[tapankunu]

I used to play offline games like IGI, Tomb raider, Unreal Tournament, Far cry, Doom, Wolfenstein etc. in my school & college days. Then after installing steam for the first time in 2015 i installed cs go which changed my life drastically. I think i wasted my 7-8 years playing cs. I was kinda addicted to it. I literally used to play 10-12 hrs per day. I bought many games in steam but played them rarely. It was too late to realize what i lost in those years. I made some good friends through cs across India. My honest opinion is that one should not play any game more than 2 hours a day and not necessarily regularly. If you feel lonely or you are in a tensed situation gaming can divert your mind so at that time it is benificial. Now a days outdoor gaming is like a dream. We used to play a lot in our school days but then time passed and eventually it lost its value. Missed those days very badly.