If you have 6 hours left in a day, then you shouldn't fill it in with an addiction or something unproductive. You should spend them on finding why you have 6 hrs left in a day, and try to fill those with real life.



Agreed with this. And it seems that the suggested maximum is 1-2hrs per day.



Addiction to television is just as real as addiction to video games. And in fact, it is likely much more common in the general population. Hence, the similar recommendation of television programming.

Totally subjective. We "should" all be eating our vegetables and loving one another too.

If 1-2 hours of television per day constitutes an addiction then I'd say we have an epidemic on our hands.

Umm.... so what exactly do you think is worth those 6 hours of my life? What do I have to do that would be considered "ok" in your book?

Such as what? Are you suggesting that everybody wake up, and work their butts off their entire waking hours until they fall into bed? That's much less healthy than playing video games. It's also completely unnatural.

I feel like I should bring attention to a few videos that Extra Credits did on the subject, and how "addiction" isn't really the correct term.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/game-addiction-pt.1

http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/game-addiction-pt.2

It depends on your current situation. If you are rich and have your future secured, then you can reproduce to have children - they should easily take up the time. If you live in a trailer, you can get a second job to get a better, larger trailer. If you did not finish college, now is your chance. As you can see, it all depends.

So which is it, then? Do we mindlessly follow the arbitrary guidelines or should we think for ourselves and try to make intelligent decisions based on our situations? I'm so confused!

People waste WAAAYYY more time on verbal mastvrbation with their friends on handheld devices than console or PC gaming, if there's any trend for people in their right mind to be worried about with electronics overstimulation, personally I think it's addiction to useless, unproductive, constant babble and text on phones.

Furher, I wonder if gaming is a bit healthier than TV addiction, the most lethargic people I know are people that watch hours upon hours of TV a day.

On the other hand, whatever my personal likes, our society is too obsessed with being productive anyway, personally I want to enjoy life, if that means doing something that the AMA deems unhealthy occasionally, well then I guess the AMA can eat one.

Oh, wow.


Just....wow.

I spend 1-2 hours a day sitting and staring blankly at my computer screen. Does that mean I have a sitting and staring blankly addiction? Are there any help groups for that?

Anyway, even with 2 hours a day for food, 2 hours a day for housekeeping, 8 hours a day for work, and 8 hours a day for sleep, you've got 4 hours to blow on whatever you want. If you have that time and you function normally, why can't you spend that time playing games?

Oh, crap, the crystal in my palm is flashing.

I don't want children. I take care of my ailing grandparents, help take care of my household, volunteer with the homeless shelters, coupon and shop for families in need, and help out at my church.

You're telling me that I have to find more crap to fill the 6 hours I work to find for "me time" and spend it on other people again? Screw that. Everyone needs a day here and there to recharge - especially if they spend most other days taking care of other people.

My life is quite "full" and is grounded in "the real world". But I sure as heck find time to tell people to leave me be and let me do what helps me destress. I don't see how playing videogames is any different then if I played piano (which I do), painted, or gardened (which I do).

Honestly, that post makes it sound like you are too busy to enjoy your life and think everyone else should be too.

Stop posting on forums you peasent. Only us rich folk can spend time like this, after the procreation ofc.

Guidelines are made to provide a guiding line toward making personal intelligent decisions. Many may think that 3 hrs of gaming per day is okay. That is why the guideline is there. To bring awareness to what you think may be okay has in fact been studied and shown to be detrimental. Without guidelines, we would all be quickly floating towards our own biased decisions, which may not be best for us.

Seems I am beyond help. Oh well.

This says most of what I was going to raise.

/thread

Ok, so, the first one, then? Should I think for myself or not?

Here is the thing, you could argue anything that isnt focused on "aqquire more money" is detrimental.
You will live your life, trying to make it what you think is the best. I on the other hand, will live my life, trying to enjoy myself. I could get a job in an office or something, it would pay better than other careers I consider. Only it bores me, so I refuse to have such a job.

There is a balence.

Dammit, suppose I better go find a bunch of jobs to buy me a slightly bigger trailer...I mean, I'm happy with the one I live in now, but god forbid I actually be satisfied with my life. Better get to working 12 hour shifts 7 days a week!

I'd like to bring to your awareness the few hours you've wasted on this forum, now that you know you can more intelligently spend your time in a more productive manner.

This.

Maybe the OP has already earned his/her right to procreate. Wait, when do we get to procreate again? If I'm playing video games can someone come get me? I don't want to miss it.

12 hours ? No that wont do. You can function with less sleep than that. In order to save time eating, thus give more time for work. I suggest you have one of those nutrient paste, tubes inserted into your stomach.

While no extreme is good, I find their definition almost as exaggerated. However, it justifies pushing more pills upon people for acting like.. people, so I'm not surprised at all.

In my younger years I was quite the gaming addict. When it drastically affects your life, especially when ignoring important things that shouldn't be, like school work, or being late to a job, or being part of a completely sedentary lifestyle, then it's an addiction.

You have to be rich first, with a totally secure future. To think, we've been doing it wrong all these hundreds of years...