This is fascinating to me because I get the sense that this is the beginning of a movement that will fully legitimize video games.
I've played lots of games that require quick decision making skills and working memory, and perhaps it will become increasingly clear that when I played them, I wasn't just wasting my time.
As younger generations gain power, traditional wisdom will change and maybe people will start to see video games as productive. Really, the only downside I see with them is that they can displace exercise and face-to-face communication -- I know games can be social, but you really just need time talking to other people with no distractions. But if you balance your life appropriately, why not?
I am from a younger (ish) generation, and I think video games have been really destructive in some ways. They offer an incredibly seductive and easily accessible way to waste enormous amounts of time, and the worst aspect is that some of the brightest minds I know are the most affected. They, unlike most traditional hobbies, fill a human desire to exert control over their sphere of influence in a totally artificial way. In that way, I definitely think they've siphoned off some productive time from our most talented and otherwise ambitious.
I quit playing videogames when I was about 16 or 17 and I still look back on that as one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Are games not already legitimized? I feel like with the rise of casual mobile games, almost everyone plays them now.
> Really, the only downside I see with them is that they can displace exercise and face-to-face communication -- I know games can be social, but you really just need time talking to other people with no distractions. But if you balance your life appropriately, why not?
My issue with video games is that playing them too much, especially when young, increases your dopamine tolerance too much. Many of them are designed to be addicting.
I have mostly stopped playing video games and feel mental well being has significantly improved.
Of course, that's not to say I think they should be banned or anything but in my humble opinion you are ignoring the significant downsides of playing video games. That being said, I have many fond memories and friendships created through video games too! Like most things there's good and bad.
I've played lots of games that require quick decision making skills and working memory, and perhaps it will become increasingly clear that when I played them, I wasn't just wasting my time.
As younger generations gain power, traditional wisdom will change and maybe people will start to see video games as productive. Really, the only downside I see with them is that they can displace exercise and face-to-face communication -- I know games can be social, but you really just need time talking to other people with no distractions. But if you balance your life appropriately, why not?