Are You Gaming For the Right Reasons? [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

An editorial at IGN discusses healthy (and unhealthy) ways to play video games. The author says that while gaming is a perfectly legitimate hobby, it needs to be approached with moderation and an understanding of what you get out of playing. Without understanding your motivations and compulsions, it's quite possible to play video games in a way that's detrimental. From the article: "Games, especially modern ones, revolve around the principle that if you put the time in, you will be rewarded. Many gamers claim to not understand how anyone could put up with grinding in a video game. But grinding is comforting. Grinding tells us that, no matter what, if you keep playing you'll become more powerful. ... The real world does not operate this way. You can 'grind' at a job for 10 years and still be laid off. You can 'grind' at your physical health your whole life but if you switch to an unhealthy lifestyle you will immediately begin losing this progress. ... It's important for gamers to have mastery of their own mind. Are you grinding out a level in World of Warcraft because you're truly enjoying the experience, or are you doing it to replace missing feelings of self-worth that you don't want to confront? Do you revel in your virtual successes to avoid the uncomfortable internal dialogue regarding of your abandoned gym routine? Are you playing games because you're having fun, or because you have an unconfronted fear of failure?

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

[JSoup]

Haven't we seen this number before?

There are people who game irresponsibly.
There are people who don't.
Exit stage right.

[kedawa]

Yeah, it's not exactly breaking news that grindy time-wasters are like crack to some idiots.

[TonyTheTiger]

or are you doing it to replace missing feelings of self-worth that you don't want to confront?

Of course. I thought this was common knowledge.

[The 1 2 P]

How come nobody ever ask if we are reading books or watching movies/tv for the right reasons? I find it hard to believe we would ask someone if they were gaming for the right reasons before asking if they were going to church or masturbating for the right reasons. And no the two of those are not mutual exclusive....atleast not as far as I can tell.