Video games are modern media in a nutshell. They are designed to give us constant rewards and feedback for doing all kinds of menial tasks. They are truly habit forming. Sometimes, it’s a fun habit. You and your friends gather for a weekend of hardcore shooting and caffeine soda. Other times, it’s way too intense. Jobs, love, all lost for the sake of the game. We’re here to provide you with a handy checklist to make sure you’re not a full junkie to the video game ways.
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1. Time
How often are you playing video games? Younger people tend to answer merely “a lot”. But how much is too much? A lot of video game time can be incredibly detrimental. You need to make sure to mix in other activities with your extreme gaming. Going for walks or runs, walking the dog, anything like that. Your gaming skills are better with frequent rest. If you don’t rest, your muscles could start to deteriorate and really hurt your gaming skills. You don’t want that.
2. Money
Video games are expensive, in a few different ways. A new game on a home console will run you $60 easy. Some of those games have accessories and peripherals that quickly multiply your spending. PC games can be much cheaper, or even free to play, but watch out. You could end up over spending on these “great deals”, or the microtransactions hidden inside a lot of free to play games. You need to watch your purse strings or you could be gaming out of a cardboard box.
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3. Social
Who are your friends? Do you have a lot of them? Do you know their names? Or just their screennames? Or maybe, just maybe, you’re a friendless hermit. Video games have a nasty stigma of turning people antisocial, which is incorrect. Video games are merely a haven for the antisocial, giving them a place to hide out and grumble. Real friends can be made over the internet, but not meeting face to face just exacerbates any social anxiety one has.
4. Hygiene
Take a bath. Do it. You will feel relaxed. Take a shower. Make it hot. Put on deodorant. Maybe some cologne or perfume. Brush your teeth. Groom your hair. All of that sounds nice, no? Then tell me why so many people forgo it for other things. It’s because the perceived reward for the effort just isn’t the same. Sometimes it seems easier to relax in our own stickiness than to clean up, and that’s self defeating. Clean and shiny is definitely what you need to be.
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5. Conversation
Video games are wild and complex. they can give us excellently crafted universes, with deep mythology and lovable characters. They’re also totally not the center of the universe. Avoid being a VG addict by talking about something else sometimes. Like books, or movies, or even sports. NOT competitive gaming. It’s fun to hang out only in your own corner of the world, but you’l never gain anything if you don’t explore a bit. Get comfy outside your comfort zone.
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