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In my research I found a few sites that
talked about their life running game addictions and some of the steps
they took to solve the problem. In one dramatic example a gentleman
took a Glock 17 9mm to his Civilization CD!
In another classic example a young
Jeffrey Stark writes a passionate essay on how an online reality game
has ruined 7 years of his life. He urges "Please watch your son
closely. And if you really want to do him a favor, take the computer
away, or delete his characters, delete the game, and take his EQ disc
and break it. He WILL BE PISSED at you for like a month, but
eventually, he will become a *normal* person. Its harsh, it's cruel,
but I tell u what: when he looks back upon his life, he will thank you
for doing so, as would I if my parents did this along time ago for
me." The full essay: selfpsychology.org/_forum/0000014b.htm
What is so fun about video games?
My hypothesis is that in a virtual
environment like video games we have more control over our virtual
environments and shorter timelines to get feedback on our performance.
We can also do things in the virtual world, without the consequences
we'd normally face in public. This allows us to free our inhibitions
and experience the excitement of dating without boundaries, running
people over or shooting them on the streets - like what you find in
some of the most popular games on the market today.
It seems that human beings are hard
wired with a carnal desire to be and do whatever we want - without
limits or without consequences. The real world spoils all that fun.
The virtual world becomes an outlet for our wildest fantasies. Whether
it be commanding an army for the glory of Rome or playing the role of
a mob hit man. The excitement also becomes compounded with online
gaming. The challenge of matching wits with other players makes the
gaming experience even more intense. The brain loves a challenge - and
one where a strategy can be applied with almost instantaneous feedback
(a few hours or so) is almost too good to pass up. It becomes a
problem when these hours are stacked on top of each other for days on
end and other more important time investments suffer.
The Time Vacuum
The time vacuum exists when there's
nothing to fill it.
Video games are a motivating filler of the time
vacuum. T.V. and other forms of idle entertainment also play a role.
All forms of entertainment are not bad. And engaging your time in
leisure is not negative. But a real question of value comes up when a
consistent time investment yields only a short-term reward.
Have you asked yourself the value of
your time investments?
Ask yourself if the time you invest
in your game, television show, or movie is going to affect your life
tomorrow in a positive way? Are you investing in the future or are you
simply killing time. Most time investments are like candy for the mind
- sweet at the time but stupid in the long run.
What can you do that's enjoyable
today and also has a more positive impact in the long run?
- Invest your time in your passions.
Your passions should fuel the actions that lead you to the vision of
your future. If you don't have a clear vision - that's where your
time investment should start. (See Rules for Goal Setting)
- Read books today that are
applicable tomorrow.
- Make a list of activities you
would consider entertainment and evaluate them in terms of current
enjoyment and long term value. Even put many new things in this list
you have never even done before. Experiencing new things can be fun!
Life is an experience - soak it up. This step alone will
significantly improve your life in the long run.
These alternate activities should be
motivating enough to give you a twinge of excitement when you think
about spending time on them. They are the things you'll immediately
bring into your mind when you find that you have free time. You don't
want to get distracted and just do what sounds fun. You want to
evaluate the activities you'll have fun doing ahead of time. Now this
might seem to contradict spontaneity but in truth - going out on the
weekends to watch a band play or a comedian can still be valuable
activities for your social growth. You should just know in advance
where you will permit your time to be invested and where you will not.
This requires logical evaluation reinforced by a commitment and
decisive action. Knowing what you want out of life and what you're
absolutely willing to do to get there is perhaps the best remedy for
all forms of time waste. Darwin once said, "Anyone who dares waste one
hour of life has not discovered the true value of life."
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