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If you ask me: “Are video games good or bad?”, as a gamer, I’d answer: “Of course good.” But my common sense would say, “Depends. Like anything in life, anything can be good or bad depending on how you use it.”
For simplicity, I’m not making any distinction between video games, electronic, internet, and virtual reality games, and thus, will use the term video games to include all of those type of games in this post.
When Playing Video Games Becomes ‘Bad’
Most gamers agree that playing video games gives a good feeling. Scientifically speaking, it triggers the release of dopamine, where the brain expects rewards and this gives pleasure, in this case, from playing video games. It plays a big role in the cycle of motivation, reward, and reinforcement. Dopamine can also be released by abusing mood-altering substances like opiates, alcohol, nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine.
Rewards after rewards from playing video games trigger more and more dopamine and this cycle can easily escalate into an addiction similar to the addiction from mood-altering substances.
The symptom of addiction can be seen when the gamer has a sense of despair — that life just seemed pointless in a lot of ways, that not playing games makes them feel depressed. The addiction becomes worse when they start to neglect their health, hygiene, even work and relationship with other people.
When Playing Video Games Becomes ‘Good’
As mentioned above, playing video games gives a good feeling. As someone who’s battling with situational depression and anxiety for years, playing video games is like panadol to me. It gives great, temporary relief.
Playing video games becomes ‘good’ when I acknowledge that the ‘relief’ is safer than getting addicted to sex, junk food, or any mood-altering substances. Not only safer, it actually trains my brain to focus and strategise.
Anything that helps the brain stay active is good. Research shows that playing video games could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
How to Stay Safe
As a general rule, to stay safe, i.e. to not become a video game addict, you need to be aware that life is not only about ‘happiness’ and paying bills. You’re here on Earth for a purpose. If you don’t know what your purpose is, read this post: “The Purpose of Life”.
Furthermore, you need to be disciplined with the time limit. This can be challenging for a person who lives by themselves, particularly when there’s a lockdown like what’s been happening during the Covid pandemic, as it’s very easy to spend all their spare time playing video games.
Apart from not letting it interfere with your working life, ensure that you allocate the ‘right amount’ of time spent on video games. This means you make sure that you have time to take care of the other aspects of your life, having enough time to:
- Rest
- Meditate
- Exercise
- Clean (clean yourself, your pet, your room, or your kitchen, anything)
- Read at least 3 pages of a book you’re interested in (that’s irrelevant to the video games you’re playing)
- Cook healthy food (no unhealthy takeaways!)
- Talk or write to at least one soul a day, a family member, a friend, or if you don’t have anyone to talk to, a stranger in a forum (that’s irrelevant to any video games) would do.
Which Games Are ‘Safe’?
It is believed that games that involve violence, like Call of Duty and Halo increase the risk of addiction. It may be due to the immediate rewards they offer and how engaging they are when played with other players, which gives a sense of belonging, one of the basic human needs.
Some non-violent games that involve strategic thinking or demand a lot of creativity can be addictive too. I’ve been playing Sims Freeplay and Simcity Buildit for years and can get easily sucked into addiction from time to time.
Lately I’ve been playing HayDay and Township and these too can easily suck me in. When this happens, I’d start to limit the time I spent on the games and spend more time on more productive activities.
If You’re an Addict
It’s never too late to get out and seek help. Or stay in, be creative and productive about it. Like Felicia Day for instance. She played 8 hours a day and wrote about her story as a game addict. The story, the Guild web series has found its way to Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and iTunes.
Conclusion
Playing video games can help your brain stay active and it’s good only if you stay safe. To stay safe, you need to know what your life’s purpose is and be disciplined with how much time you spend on playing video games. And even if you’ve become an addict, it’s never too late to get out and seek help, or go all the way in, be creative and productive about your addiction.
