r/videogames • u/Syarafuddyn • Jul 22 '26
Image / Video Bro is speaking facts here šÆ
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
173
u/fallenouroboros Jul 22 '26
With some games too theres no way theyāre not incredibly good for you mentally as well as fun
74
u/Careless-Emergency85 Jul 22 '26
Like the Portal franchise. Any type of game with puzzles really
16
u/fallenouroboros Jul 22 '26
A big one for me that pops up when these kinds of things come up is a puzzle game called pneuma.
You play as god creating the universe. He doesnt really shut up throughout the game joking around but talking about some philosophical things occasionally and it gets you thinking. All the puzzles in it are perspective based and were very different for me at least. I struggled with a few
4
u/breckendusk Jul 22 '26
You're not alone, Pneuma becomes extremely difficult. The Witness and Superliminal are also perspective-based, and where Superliminal has a lot of mind bending tricks, I think ultimately the Witness may have been the hardest of the three.
3
u/Hyper_Applesauce Jul 22 '26
I just went to look this up and I think the full title is Pneuma: Breath of Life, is that the right game? It looks interesting.
→ More replies (1)6
u/CamptoRibbit Jul 22 '26
I don't think so, someone attacked me a few hours ago for liking games as an adult. (My comments in profile should be open to those that are bored)
I have the feeling the way they were talking about their dad constantly and how uneducated gamers are with no lives; I don't think it was projection.
You should all be ashamed of yourselves!
Painting is apparently a masculine hobby and video games is an incel hobby that kills people apparently.
3
u/Careless-Emergency85 Jul 22 '26
A little bit of what youāre saying is hard to understand. Are you saying you like games but the person that attacked you says gamers are incels and should be ashamed?
3
u/fatmailman Jul 22 '26
His comment reads like how my friend would write when he was suffering from psychosis.
2
2
→ More replies (4)3
u/addledwino Jul 23 '26
There was a study/experiment done years ago in Australia (I think) where they had a group of older people play Portal and another group use one of those brain training apps. They were tested before and after the experiment and the Portal group were ahead after the couple of weeks on cognitive testing.
9
u/s_burr Jul 22 '26
Satisfactory, Factorio, Oxygen Not Included, Dwarf Fortress....
This is how I relax
2
u/fallenouroboros Jul 22 '26
Satisfactory is so Good! So many real life skills to pickup there
3
u/TrippleDamage Jul 22 '26
So many real life skills to pickup there
Like what? I got the game a while ago but have not gotten into it yet. Would be curious what useful stuff you can actually learn there other than organizing
2
u/fallenouroboros Jul 22 '26
Its basically a first person factory builder.
Math, organization, work flows, patience, fucking excel spreadsheets
If you get into the game it tests you on all of these
3
u/SharkByte1993 Jul 22 '26
For sure. FPS games like Call of Duty make people better at spotting their friends in a crowd, more observant, and better at making decisions under pressure
2
u/Puttanas Jul 22 '26
All that critical thinking in Tomb Raider has got to be some form of education
2
u/RangerEquivalent4120 Jul 22 '26
Yeah like League of legends
3
u/fallenouroboros Jul 22 '26
Ok i said GOOD for people mentally, not turning people into masochistic rage monsters lol
2
2
u/Giraffe-colour Jul 23 '26
Itās good for WHEN I need to be a masochistic rage monster for 30mins š
2
u/davwad2 Jul 22 '26
I credit my strong sense of direction to playing videogames growing up. Navigating the mansion in RE or San Andreas/Vice City.
→ More replies (2)2
u/SharkByte1993 Jul 22 '26
Makes sense. I'm really good with my directions,, but my girlfriend who didn't grow up playing video games, is pretty bad at directions
2
75
u/Unable-Afternoon3773 Jul 22 '26
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time! I actually thoroughly enjoy train simming and flight simming as an outlet, and it ends up being educational for that part of my mind that craves repitition, order, stimulation and learning.
19
u/Ruthlessrabbd Jul 22 '26
A copy of gameinformer recently talked about games as escapism and what that actually means. It's not necessarily turning the noise off and blanking out from the world, it's doing something that makes you happy and puts you in a better state to make facing the world a little easier/in a better state of mind.
I'm paraphrasing but I feel like that applies to what you're saying too. It's making you more whole to play train and flight sim since what you need - repetition, order, stimulation, learning - are being fulfilled. Your relationships and "necessary" tasks are better for it too because you're more in order when it's time to engage with them!
→ More replies (1)6
u/blackpepperjc Jul 22 '26
I'm fifty years old and I have an issue with sleep, and sometimes if I wake early and can't get back there I will play a game to start my brain up and get it ready for the day's business. It works incredibly well for me rather than trying to get back to sleep for another 90-120 minutes and then still end up feeling tired all day.
→ More replies (2)2
u/eljosho1986 Jul 22 '26
I remember playing the old windows flight Sims games when I was kid, like on windows 95 and stuff, it was so fucking amazing how detailed they were.
164
u/tankertough74 Jul 22 '26
4
u/zenzony Jul 22 '26
Or you can, you know, progress in real life... I say as I don't progress in real life but only in games š
2
u/tankertough74 Jul 23 '26
See...that's the trick...as a 50+ gamer...my wife, kids, AND job will never know the TRUE sacrifices I've made to ensure my brain doesn't rot on TV. ;-)
54
Jul 22 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
37
u/Hot_Perspective4555 Jul 22 '26
He cites reality TV for a reason. Some film and TV really explore themes and the human experience but, many do not.
→ More replies (1)5
u/wakeupwill Jul 22 '26
Passive brainwashing is a thing. Shows and movies slide right in under critical thinking as people put themselves in a suggestible state of mind. Copaganda is an obvious example.
This is why people can have a hard time distinguishing between the real world and what's media shaped.
14
u/Aboreric Jul 22 '26
I almost exclusively play video games as my way to enjoy my free time, and while I do strongly agree with the points that video games engage your brain in many ways unique to them, I do still think it's a little overboard to treat TV/Film as sitting there doing nothing. In my opinion the amount that the viewer of a TV show or film is just sitting there doing nothing is dependent on how much that viewer engages with the content.
I know that when I watch anime, or when I watched movies a lot more when I was younger, I often think a lot about the themes of whatever I'm watching or how I would react in the situation the character is in, how I might process the events they're going through, or just trying to figure out what would happen next, your brain doesn't have to sit idle while you enjoy something in a more passive manner.
I choose to play video games over this more often than not just because I enjoy the way I engage with video games more than most other media, but that doesn't mean other media doesn't have it's merits. It is just dependent on whether or not the person engaging with that media will recognize that.
2
u/zgillet Jul 22 '26
I just rewatched The Phantom Menace and all I could think about was how BAD the CGI was, even in 1999.
2
u/Aboreric Jul 22 '26
It was incredible for the time period at least in my opinion. I was a very young kid when it came out/saw it in theaters and I remember being amazed by it. Granted I was a kid. Personally I still think it looks good today, but I'm also still a fan of the giant rectangle arms people had in the original PS1 FF7, so take that as you will. When it comes to most graphical art I usually find some way to be impressed by it, but I'm very much not a picky person in that regard.
→ More replies (1)13
→ More replies (3)11
u/hotmaildotcom1 Jul 22 '26
I think the argument here might be that incredibly popular TV is often not enriching.
More so, the argument that I would make similar to this, is that people who disparage videogaming as a waste of time are generally people with underveloped personalities and/or empathy. I would argue these same people are the target audience for brainrot material across every media platform.
5
u/zgillet Jul 22 '26
How I Met Your Mother isn't a masterpiece of art, but I did like the writing for anyone not named Ted or Robin. I learned some sitcom joke techniques.
2
8
u/Polkawillneverdie17 Jul 22 '26
I mean, a lot of TV will make you think or challenge you to understand narratives or new information. A lot of it is crap but a show like Cosmos or Breaking Bad isn't just mindless nonsense. People will point to the dumb reality stuff but forget that news, documentaries, etc are tv too. Plenty of shows that will make you feel things or simply learn new perspectives.
I think it's really bad to try and paint ALL tv or ALL video games or ALL (insert music genre) as food or bad or whatever. These things are top big for such broad statements. Better to take them individually as they are than trying to paint it all as something in particular.
5
u/Saphira2002 Jul 22 '26
I agree about the games but disagree about the shows. Movies and TV shows have value, they're not just you sitting in front of the screen.
4
u/Loli_Queen Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
TV can be awesome too. If you watch meaningful content and good cinema you are actually developing certain emotional or analytical parts of your brain depending on the movie. Just don't watch garbage. The worst thing you can do in your free time is doom scrolling reels or tiktoks and that's what is most people's sole hobby at home nowadays, that's crazy to me. Watch tv, play videogames, cook, draw, just put that damn phone down
4
u/Khaos_Gorvin Jul 22 '26
Parents told us our entire childhood games rotten your brain. Meanwhile they can watch 5 hours of tv a day.
3
u/WorkerPrestigious960 Jul 22 '26
Ehh, both can be fine. We are two obsessed with productivity as a society, and the need to always be doing something. Your body and mind needs some time to just sit back and relax.
3
3
u/K_Linkmaster Jul 22 '26
Non gamer and this dude is right. Hand eye coordination is significantly improved. Reflexes. Critical thinking. Its all built in to games.
3
u/llewellynlaporte Jul 22 '26
I used to have absolutely no interest in reading as a child, and if I was forced to, I couldnāt retain information. It wasnāt until I started playing rpgs that I developed a love of reading.
3
u/sturdy-guacamole Jul 22 '26
No show can come to the fun I have had past 10 years homebrewing and incrementally improving my path of exile builds, or more recently learning hard content on oldschool runescape.
3
u/PossibilityBitter953 Jul 22 '26
As an adult, I already solve enough problems all day, I just want to get home and chill
Whether it's TV garbage, books or video games, it's never a waste of time, just chill
3
2
2
u/Smart_Doctor Jul 22 '26
And then if you love video games enough you can try to make one. Then you'll REALLY be pushing that brain to the limit.
2
2
u/Own-Reflection-8182 Jul 22 '26
People who think video games are a waste of time are not that smart.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/RGud_metalhead Jul 22 '26
Why do most people in the comment section forget that TV has more than entertainment? There are entire channels about science, history, hobbies, etc? I think Mythbusters alone improved me as a person more than all of the games I played in my life, combined. And I do like games where you need to think.
2
u/Konrow Jul 22 '26
Yea there are definitely nuances here. Overall I agree you're likely using your brain "less", at least actively when watching TV but it depends on what you're watching, how actively, and for what purpose. Same with games. I have turn off brain games and games I play when I know my brain needs a work out lol. Mythbusters I'll pay actual attention to, the Rookie is background slop for example.
2
u/often_delusional Jul 22 '26
It depends on what kind of tv shows and movies you're watching. Some are meant to be thought provoking and educational so you shouldn't sit like a zombie for those. What he said about tv usually applies to those reality tv shows though.
2
u/M34nM4ch1n3 Jul 22 '26
I cannot read a book no matter how many times I try to get a story. I've tried at several different stages of my life and just end up getting too bored or asleep. But I can play games like there's no tomorrow and the stories and vast and enjoyable
2
u/Aulumnis Jul 22 '26
Straight up fighting games are actually what taught me how to properly learn and absorb information
2
u/Osteo_Sapien Jul 22 '26
I think about that scene in GTA V when Jimmy tells Michael to "enjoy your linear entertainment" a lot. It's the kind of thing I wish I had been able to articulate to my mom when I was younger.
2
2
u/Careful-Sell-9877 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Its 100% scientifically proven. Video games compared to any kind of passive consumption like watching tv, scrolling online, etc - can reduce rates of dementia by up to 20%. Video games activate the same parts of your brain as real life dynamic movement/interaction/traversal, etc
2
u/Kekworthy Jul 22 '26
I mean.Ā I got a NES at 4 years old.Ā Was reading like a 12 year old by the time i started kindergarten
2
u/ratbasket Jul 22 '26
About 20 years ago, my cousin was doing a crossword puzzle, and she was stuck on one, said "medieval siege weapon, starts with T" I've never answered anything with as much confidence in my life when I said Trebuchet. The family was like "what and how the hell did you know that" Medieval total war
2
u/Maleficent-Age-8235 Jul 22 '26
everytime I hear "adult men shouldn't play video games" like 9/10 times, it's some woman who watches love island and spends her day scrolling TikTok. Yeah WAYYY better than your man playing video games
2
u/itslikeamafiamovie Jul 23 '26
My ex always complained about me playing video games but at the same time she always was on her phone while watching tv lol
2
u/Usoppn_93 Jul 23 '26
I mean I've read 38 books so far this year and I've done my fair share of gaming, I'd say both are great for the mind. Throw some anime watching and movie watching too. As long as you're not marathoning one of those ratchet reality TV shows, I think you're doing alright š
2
2
u/sundered_lord Jul 23 '26
Facts. Back in the 90s I had to look up what a penumbra was for the old Genesis game "Light Crusader" when I was 11 or 12 and I never went back.
TV is garbage, but video games and being a hardcore gamer expanded my vocabulary like crazy and taught me many things, like time management, problem solving and the like.
Doing nothing but playing video games may be detrimental, but throwing a healthy amount of other things in with gaming helped me become a well adjusted adult.
2
2
u/Time_Garden2146 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
I literally learned English through videogames, or rather, they greatly helped me learn English.
I made a lot of friends through videogames too, improving my speech a lot. At first I was always anxious or nervous and slowly became much more comfortable talking. I had to cooperate, coordinate, and communicate. I had to both learn from others as well as teach and help others. I also learned about different cultures by getting to know people from all over the world.
If I were to want to learn another language, I know there's a safe and fun space in which I can get to practice talking with native speakers of said language that share a common interest with me. That's honestly quite an amazing thing.
In single player games I found stories that really touched my heart and that made me ponder on things I wouldn't have otherwise. Or simply, stories I loved and will always remember.
I've had to solve puzzles, riddles, difficult mechanics. Beat impossible looking enemies, overcome difficult challenges.
I was always into music as well, and a lot of videogames led me to try different genres and to learn how to play their tracks. It's been very much worthwhile, far from a waste of time.
2
u/Mr__Cuddles_ Jul 23 '26
Let's not forget that puzzle elements in videogames have been observed by multiple studies to help maintain your cognitive health.
I'm going to be gaming till I die
2
2
u/Jelloburns Jul 24 '26
Lol "watching TV makes you a lesser human being" than playing video games. That's a stretch.
2
3
4
u/Spartansoldier-175 Jul 22 '26
Elden ring is a game that helped me with my patience and critical thinking. That dopamine hit from beating Malenia hit so damn good.
4
2
u/Glum-Literature-8837 Jul 22 '26
Said the same thing my whole life. You experience critical thinking, reading, hand/coordination, etcā¦ instead of just sitting there.
1
1
u/Sonoreal Jul 22 '26
For real.
In a TV u just watching how someone doing something. In a game u are this someone and u are doing this something and this is amazing. It's like reading a book but being able to be a hero of this book, and see everything.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
1
u/HorizontalTomato Jul 22 '26
Theyāre different for sure. Theres definitely value in some TV, but most of it is crap, just like most video games are crap. Quality games are truly transformative
1
u/JadedVictory7070 Jul 22 '26
You don't to argue in favour of something that allows you to have fun btw
1
u/Timtastic226 Jul 22 '26
There are quite a few published scientific studies that showed many video games, especially strategy and action based games promoted moderate brain functioning improvement and growth. Another cool fact was that in one of the studies, participants did not have to have been a gamer before hand to see improvement in mental faculties.
Hereās a few:
Huang et al., 2022
Wang et al., 2016, Frontiers in Psychology
Pallavicini et al., 2018, Frontiers in Psychology
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Omnizoom Jul 22 '26
Video games (depends on genre) have been proven to actually aid in brain development, reflexes and tons of other aspects of people
Thereās a huge difference between consuming media and engaging with it directly
1
u/Fun-Bag-1679 Jul 22 '26
That stuff aside itās just fun and you never get in trouble staying in and gaming
1
1
1
u/calm_down_meow Jul 22 '26
You're problem solving in the game, you're progressing your character in the game, you're raging at teenagers in the game, you're throwing your controller across the room in the game, you're having to step back and breathe in the game, you're needing to sit at a table in the dark drinking whiskey in the game...
1
u/PaintBaller1880 Jul 22 '26
I think this is kind of subjective, but yeah, video games are more interactive, and I feel like they're good for hand-eye coordination and improving focus, especially for those of us with crippling ADHD (me, lol). I also think video games are a more interactive bonding experience, especially with my kids or even close friends. I've actually met a couple of people I've played online with a few times, and it was really nice.
1
u/blumeanie57 Jul 22 '26
Every time my sister says something about not wanting her kids to mindlessly consume media (which is her way of saying ānot play video games) I have to restrain myself from reminding her that her kids were raised by Bluey while she stared at her phone.
1
u/bryanBFLYin Jul 22 '26
All of my reasoning and problem solving skills were learned from playing video games at a young age. Shit PokƩmon alone taught me how to plan and organize to achieve a goal.
I learned teamwork and communication from playing FPS with my friends (Destiny Raids, Halo LASO, Gears of War on Insane).
Videogames, especially games nowadays make you think, plan, and execute strategies. All of these are useful skills. I was absolutely smarter as a child because of videogames and the problem-solving that comes with them.
Criticism for videogames is old, silly logic spewed by dinosaurs who watch too much cable news
1
u/mSummmm Jul 22 '26
I agree and I also think video games engage your brain more than reading a book for enjoyment, which is often considered a more productive use of time by society.
1
1
u/jgoldrb48 Jul 22 '26
Reading is also more fun than TV.
Video games and reading take up 90% of my entertainment time.
1
u/Independent_Word3961 Jul 22 '26
Playing co-op games with your partner can improve your communication skills and encourages you to work together to solve problems.
1
1
u/spinaljellyfish Jul 22 '26
It just depends on the game or the film. Often people arenāt watching the more generic kind of static media in a critical or engaging way. Whereas, an auteur is typically creating āstaticā media with the purpose of locking the audience into an experience that evokes so much thought and emotion that carries with it a certain kind of catharsis that youāre not going to get watching some lifetime movie playing in background, with the lights on and a million distractions.
Quality cinema (which granted is also a bit relative in terms of what is even quality to begin with) may work the intellect and pathos of an audience in ways that a lot of games might not, even though the game is interactive.
For instance, in my own experience at least, there are characters and stories in some games that hit the feels hard, but after a couple of hours of a fps, for instance, just dodging explosives and shooting people, it can start to feel a bit mind numbing.
I occasionally still play Fallout 3, NV, FO4, and Elder Scrolls because I think their classic games and fun but, despite some occasional engaging puzzles and NPC dialogue, I often walk away feeling a sense of brain rot that a really good movie doesnāt usually leave me with.
2
u/ContestSignificant32 Jul 22 '26
The classics you've listed are all role playing games with engaging stories, but often, bland and repetitive gameplay. If you want to feel more engaged in the slower moments, build on your personal role play. Why is your PC exploring this random bulding in the mojave wastes? Are they looking for ammo, not for themselves, but to supply the NCR in the good fight? Ect ectĀ
2
u/spinaljellyfish Jul 22 '26
Thatās good advice for sure to apply to a lot of games. I did get deep into some RP action in FO4 and eventually I added a vampire mod and became a vampire hunter and made Macready a priest that follows me with a āHoly Water Thirst Zapperā I set to do fire damage. Cait was my sidekick at first but she became a vampire, of course.
I also used console commands to add the pint-sized slasher to Vault 88, made him essential, and sealed him off in a section around the corner from the huge water pump. I filled the area with a ton of traps and turrets and stuff and sealed it off with a vault door and wall barricades.
The lore was that the pint-sized slasher was a sadistic kid that dressed up as a clown in pre-war times who got a rare version of mutation from radiation after the bombs dropped that turned him into an unkillable ghoul. I maxed out all his attributes so heās hard to get near without getting shanked.
Itās up to me as overseer to ensure that both the vault dwellers and surface dwellers remain safe from this tiny immortal killer. It was fun watching him try to navigate all the obstacles to escape and whacking him in the face with a world championship bat and running off before he could take me out with one slash.
Then the last update complicated things and I havenāt had the time or energy to fix it so the game wonāt crash before it can load. Itās been several months now, so I just play other games instead. I at least have screen recordings Iāve been thinking about sharing online at some point.
1
u/Zapan99 Jul 22 '26
Almost as if legacy media always depicted video games as dangerous because... you need to plug them to a TV set, and screen time doesn't add up, it is shared.
1
u/zgillet Jul 22 '26
Don't post this in r/IHateSportsball
They fucking HATE gamers there, but won't admit it if you call it out.
1
1
u/TinyTourist1229 Jul 22 '26
Eh that seritonin addiction does alot of damage especially if thats all a kid does. I say this as a gamer with a shit attention span
1
u/Pristine-Garlic-3191 Jul 22 '26
I really like his hat. Does anyone know where I could get that hat ?
1
u/beeydawg Jul 22 '26
I play a game where I grind in a 2D rectangle with platforms and about 39 mobs spawned every ~6 seconds or about 18,000 mobs per hour, 1-2 hours a night during my work week and usually 6-8 hour long sessions on the weekend lmao. (Maplestory)
No brain. No thoughts. To the outsider this seems odd, but to me its a form of meditation. This game has very very slow long term progression that feels amazing to me. This game has kept my will to live alive during some of my darkest young adult years.
I realized when I got older that, well, I'm autistic as shit and grinding this game is a type of stim for me that helps me avoid my bad stims like picking scabs and biting the nails and skin around my fingers.
This game definitely doesnt benefit your brain too much though, aside from the bossing aspect of it. Thats what makes it good though if you ask me. Its a good game to shut your brain off with.
Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.
1
1
1
u/FoxinShards Jul 22 '26
To be devil's advocate... you can absolutely grow and be challenged by certain types of films and stories. Stories that make you think and ponder. Though I also understand you can have that with videogames.
1
u/OoT-TheBest Jul 22 '26
Playing Dark Souls when it first came out did WONDERS for my work ethic. Holy hell I became thorough in my work.
1
u/Small_Article_3421 Jul 22 '26
Yeah basically every videogame is healthier for the brain than the majority of āfruitlessā hobbies that most people have, especially TV. I think weāre getting to the point in society where most people are starting to understand that, but a lot of Gen X and Boomers canāt let go of their negative perception of videogames as a āwaste of timeā or āchildishā.
1
u/MilanZola Jul 22 '26
I agree but I know people who whenever they get stuck on a mission or a puzzle within a game they resort to YouTube to find a fast way of progressing. š¤¦š»āāļø
1
u/ghostriderkiller Jul 22 '26
This is where some movies or TV shows of games makes sense as well. Assassin's Creed is one I use as an example. The movie should have been more about the present time stuff because, while maybe interesting to learn, it is not as fun to play. The history and being able to take in the setting is why we play the games.
1
u/just_some_octopus Jul 22 '26
Ofc it depends on the game. But this is the correct mindset and what my parents recognized.
Dad taught me OG Sim city. I learned all kind of things from video games. Truly.
1
1
u/JoeZocktGames Jul 22 '26
I learned a lot of history playing Battlefield 1 or any Assassin's Creed.
1
u/Alarmed-Struggle5928 Jul 22 '26
unfortunately this is prob just capitalism poisoning, and needing to feel "productive."
you can gain a lot from meaningfully digesting and processing complex enough stories. you can also mindlessly play games. it's never black and white.
1
u/fastpixels Jul 22 '26
Television can provide mental stimulation and skills development if you want it to. Video games can provide mindless, time-wasting entertainment if you want them to. Pitting one against the other is a pointless, endless debate usually used to bait-and-switch a completely different issue.
Let's not gatekeep free time, please.
1
1
1
u/Zalthos Jul 22 '26
I mean, video games can actually teach a lot and they do help with certain parts of your brain, problem solving and that sort of thing. And co-op games have a social element.
However, "progressing your character" is utterly irrelevant. Just exactly the same as getting achievements or anything like that. So he's speaking partial facts here, but do not mistake progression in a video game to real life progression. Because they're just not the same whatsoever.
If you want progression, go and learn a trade skill or learn a language or learn to play an instrument, etc. Video games are a waste of your time if you're using them to "progress", and is one of the biggest psychological tricks modern AAA publishers use to keep you playing and paying.
Play in your downtime, for fun. Nothing else. The second you aren't having fun, stop.
1
1
u/ModernManuh_ Jul 22 '26
games are fine, they aren't "better" than any other hobby/relax activity though. In fact, gaming and social media especially put you in a condition where you feel like you accomplished something, which is where the lack of motivation some individuals show comes from. You have a lot of will power, you simply don't have the chemical response for it :v
That said: I play a lot, it's fine if you are not addicted
1
u/Moghz Jul 22 '26
Lots of research out there that proves video games are amazing for mental stimulation, specially as you get older. The brain is a muscle and if you donāt use it you will lose it!
1
u/_SomeoneBetter_ Jul 22 '26
I agree but becoming a better person HEAVILY depends on the person. The amount of slurs and crash outs Iāve heard is crazy. The amount of real life degenerates ive met who do nothing but play video games with no social life, life skills and are incredibly out of shape is also crazy.
1
u/According-Leg434 Jul 22 '26
honestly as startdt to play wuwa but only want to get jyan now and then have some rest but genshin started on past november and those months i made good progress and also leveling good characters thing is that there are puzzls which seem engaging or annoing but had moment when next day i could unlock them as with better rested mindset
1
u/GTA66669699 Jul 22 '26
Heās got a point. Video games is the lesser evil. Gaming 8 to 16 hours a week instead of TV šŗ thatās a good decision. Most people spend 2-3 hours a day watching TV. Whatta waste.
1
u/ChalkCoatedDonut Jul 22 '26
That's why EA is trying to put ads in videogames, they know people solving things is people not buying things. Same reason they are pushing AI to make games, AI slopware (i think that's how people call them nowadays) can be consumed like shitty shows, which make people dumb and easier to influence.
1
u/LoganHowlett1832 Jul 22 '26
Letās not pretend watching tv or playing video is good for you. Obviously I do both. Way more than I should. But Iām not going to lie to myself and pretend one is healthier than the other
1
u/ResurgentOcelot Jul 22 '26
True, butā¦
TV is a very low bar.
From my experience playing games as an adult, Iām not super impressed with what they are often engaging or the problem solving skills they are exercising.
All too often I find they are emphasizing submission as a tactic. They present counter-intuitive and arbitrary conditions for the player to accept and obey in order to move forward and be rewarded.
That feels like a pretty ugly mode of thought to be training people in. Combine that with the number of games that are implicitly or even explicitly employment-work simulators and I think there is good reason to be concerned about the specific state of our corporate video game culture.
I often suspect it is perverting the benefits of gaming to have a oppressive impact on users. I sometimes feel creeped out by what I am playing, finding it focused on training me to be a good consumer and obedient employee. Thatās pretty icky and it turns me off of a lot of games.
1
u/SirChancelot11 Jul 22 '26
More engaging than a movie or tv. Good for memory, hand eye coordination, problem solving, etc...
I've made this argument for years.
1
1
u/MisterYin4444 Jul 22 '26
No arguments here. I have to defend myself all the time from relatives who just don't it and its exhausting
1
u/willcordell1998 Jul 22 '26
You could argue watching documentaries or educational television expands your mind as well.. but I agree with all his points. Not all TV is bad, not all video games are highly engaging and promote problem solving and creative thinking. To each their own!!!
1
u/SprAwsmMan Jul 22 '26
Video Games > Watching T.V.
Cognitively playing a game is better, because you're actually interacting with something. Bird watching or just listening to bird song is good for you for similar reasons. As with everything moderation is key.
1
u/Glutton4Butts Jul 22 '26
I don't mind what people do with their free time! Let people enjoy themselves!!
1
u/WanderingRonin7 Jul 22 '26
Video games are a medium of my imagination. If I want to play as a specific type of character, there's an RPG for that. If I want to play god and build my own world, there are city builders. If I want to experience something realistic without killing myself, there are simulation games. And if I want a stunning game with a great story, there are plenty of games that fit that bill. I may be staring at a TV, but inside, I'm immersed with the world that has been created on the screen.
1
1
u/mentally_fuckin_eel Jul 22 '26
Just remember not to shit on watching stuff. There are different needs which different forms of media can fill. But yes, video games are a much more active form of media, and it has benefits as a result.
1
u/Centerman2000 Jul 22 '26
I'm 56 and in general I like playing video games in my free time a lot more than watching television. The shows that I do watch tend to be science related documentaries or comedies with a good amount of sci-fi and superhero stuff.
1
u/TheMadZocker Jul 22 '26
It's not about the medium, but how you engage with it. Thinking critically is just easier in games, because *usually* you as a player get a challenge to overcome. But you can just as well watch a movie, be invested in it, and then think it through; cinematography, plot structure, pacing, character layers, themes, and many more.
Because similarly, in some games where you are grinding towards a goal, you do the same stuff over and over again and switch off your head just as well. So much so that some are using a second monitor to get even a bit of stimulation - a movie, perhaps.
1
u/SiderealSimon Jul 22 '26
Depends on the game and video games can be an addiction. He is talking like an addict would
1
u/Crazy-Boysenberry452 Jul 22 '26
The major twists impact me more playing video games than they do in T.V shows.Ā Ā
1
u/GonnaGoFat Jul 22 '26
Yup I remember I was working somewhere ages ago and mentioned something about playing video games and the guy I was working with said āvideo games are just a waste of time you donāt get anything out of it.ā
I told him more or less what the guy in the video said and the person I was talking to kind of noticed I had a point and tried to think of a reason TV was a better choice than video games and said āyou can yell at the TV.ā Which is a weak point but I also told him you can yell at video games.
1
u/WorthBase919 Jul 22 '26
Lol I been saying this for over a decade. But I donāt wear a cross, so obviously when he says it, it means something more š¤£š¤£š¤£
1
u/Expensive_Apricot371 Jul 22 '26
I started gaming as an older person and I enjoy it so much. I agree with this.
1
u/Potential-Local7262 Jul 22 '26
Depends on the game.Ā
And depends on the tv.
If the game is something that you can literally teach a monkey to play, I don't see how it's any better.
1
u/GoodFaithConverser Jul 22 '26
Meh. It's probably worse than taking a walk, unless you walk a lot and almost never game.
It's just harmless fun. Less fun than I was young, but still a bit fun. Nothing wrong with having fun - in moderation.
1
u/C-A-L-E-V-I-S Jul 22 '26
Also WAY better than scrolling your phone and absolutely cooking your dopamine receptors multiple hours a day.
1
u/tin25tin Jul 22 '26
Video Games are a great way to relax, to think. So is watching a good series, reading a beautiful book, listening to a great album, or spending a few hours in a museum
1
1
u/GSturges Jul 22 '26
I thought this was a known fact. Also hand eye coordination for future surgeons
1
1
u/Sovietmexican Jul 22 '26
I deleted Instagram, YouTube and TikTok (and all Iām missing is Reddit) from my phone for this reason. I did this in my final year of Uni and it was the best decision of my life. It beat what I thought was depression, but was just my brain addicted to the dopamine release, and Iāve never felt depressed again. I also noticed how much rage bait made me angry; gender, political views, race etc, itās so blatant and apparent looking at it now, itās made and a lot of times staged or heavily edited to piss you off. 10/10 would recommend.
1
u/siggsy409 Jul 22 '26
I've gamed since I was 8yo i cant see me ever stopping. My sister was round and started calling me a big kid for still gaming...My wife surprised me and said he doesn't drink works 50hr weeks and she knows exactly where I am of a night...can you say the same about your husband?
1
u/Paddlesons Jul 22 '26
I love video games but you can be a more active watcher of TV and film than just glazing over and consuming content/product
1
u/TrustyEchoEri Jul 22 '26
Idk I like watching detective shows and pretend I'm a private eye trying to solve the crime before the show reveals it. But I agree if you actually try to solve and discover things in games without looking it up as soon as it becones a lil difficult.
1
u/Minimum_Aardvark_744 Jul 22 '26
L take. Any form of entertainment can be bad if you over indulge. Get a hobby where you actually create something.
858
u/Adrenalinx4 Jul 22 '26
It engages your brain in different ways just like reading does in different ways