Gaming Addiction

[GSOLAR]

Hi peeps,

This will be quite some text. Just know that I’m not judging or telling anyone to do something. All I’m trying is to show how insane the numbers can sadly get. Everyone should make their own conclusions for themselves.

TLDR: Life long game addict sums up approx hours played. More than 5 years played. 22% of lifetime.

I’ve grown up as a game ‘addict’. Calculations made are based on average of around 100 hours every 2 weeks. Some weeks are higher, some little lower. Ever since I was able to hold a controller I’ve been gaming on any and every platform out there. My youth was filled with days full of gaming. But for the sake of keeping kindoff logical. I’ll count from the age of 6.

I’m a few days away from 24 years old. So let’s take 18 years.

100 hours every 2 weeks equates to 2600 a year.

2600 x 18 = 46.800 hours

At first the hours didn’t even feel all too bad. Untill you realise a year has 8760 hours in it.

Dividing the two comes down to 5,3424… Thats years.

Being almost 24, that means 22,26% of my current lifetime was spent playing videogames.

I know there isn’t a way I could’ve worked those hours when I was younger, but just calculating that number with a wage of 22 euros. The result is €1.029.600 .

More than a million euros. Not earned but spent gaming, hours wise.

Please people with gaming addictions, even though your addiction might hurt nobody, if it has negative effects on anything in your life. School, work or relationships. Rethink our beloved hobby. There’s a whole world outside of the virtual one. Make something of your life. Don’t waste 20+% of your life doing something meaningless other than a fun time and fond memories. Go out there, socialize, see the world, get a job and be good for your loved ones.

It’s an addiction even if we love doing it so much. It might not hurt anybody, but life has more meaning.

PS. My life ain’t in the gutter. Other than school I’ve had a wonderful (‘succcesful’) life so far. But I know that some out there actually ARE struggling. So this one is for y’all.

 

[MalekIsWeird]

i learned english mostly from games and was able to immitate scottish, british, american, australian but i just personally use the american as my default so i don't confuse those around me.

I learned hand eye coordination and fast reaction time which helped me in martial arts.

I learned to type at a 111 WPM (last time I checked) which may assist me in a future endeavor.

I can use games in VR as exercise and also training with using firearms minus the recoil (no dip), which definitely helps with a future endeavor because for me I want to be a NYPD officer (going into college for it) so that will boost me forward in the academy as somebody already knowledgeable and aware of safety or help me be a trusted firearms owner who knows how to not abuse or neglectfully use dangerous tools like firearms in regards to mechanisms that make the thing go off or safety and rules with them for example.

I understand how to use computers in a decent way and I study computer science in a software engineering class i have advanced placement in so games are the cooldown from work or what we make and code.

helped save me from dark times.

hours:
my calculator annoying me rn but i just estimated 10,402 hours in total over my life of games.

im 18 so thats 1.1 year(s) in exchange for all these benefits.

 

[Crimson Nugget]

I have somewhat struggled with this and is one of the reasons I can't play PERP or any other games that you can't just jump in and out of. If I recall correctly from studies this is a common risk factor for troublesome gaming, being socially engaged in a game (it's harder to quit playing if your guild needs you for raids in WoW).

Aside from the probably overestimated hours you've played, I don't know either in what country you can make a 22 euro wage as a student. Also I just realized you're 24 and counting hours since you were 6 years old, so you're counting hours of child labor that is probably illegal where you live. And as you mention, you would not have been able to work as much. Because playing videogames is much more fun and less stressful than working. In fact you'd probably be miserable had you spent all that time working.

As you mention, the problem happens when it stops you from doing other things you want/need to do (socialize, school, work, etc.). I have myself played my fair share of hours but I would not see them as meaningless, it was fun, it was an escape from a stressful environment. Also like the poster above, I developed/improved useful skills like English, hand-eye coordination, reaction time, computer literacy. Even typing speed sounds like a meme but it is critically useful for a study I'm conducting, and even to spend less time typing this.

tl;dr: Don't regret the past, look on the bright side, but yes, know when to stop. If you can't cold stop gaming, try switching to genres or games that are easier to quit.

 

[Tyla Jai]

I’m no expert or anything I’ve probably got about 8,000 hours playing games if that helps and I’m 23 but if you get yourself a career and a girlfriend you won’t have time to play games anymore and problem solved yk

 

[GSOLAR]

i learned english mostly from games and was able to immitate scottish, british, american, australian but i just personally use the american as my default so i don't confuse those around me.

I learned hand eye coordination and fast reaction time which helped me in martial arts.

I learned to type at a 111 WPM (last time I checked) which may assist me in a future endeavor.

I can use games in VR as exercise and also training with using firearms minus the recoil (no dip), which definitely helps with a future endeavor because for me I want to be a NYPD officer (going into college for it) so that will boost me forward in the academy as somebody already knowledgeable and aware of safety or help me be a trusted firearms owner who knows how to not abuse or neglectfully use dangerous tools like firearms in regards to mechanisms that make the thing go off or safety and rules with them for example.

I understand how to use computers in a decent way and I study computer science in a software engineering class i have advanced placement in so games are the cooldown from work or what we make and code.

helped save me from dark times.

hours:
my calculator annoying me rn but i just estimated 10,402 hours in total over my life of games.

im 18 so thats 1.1 year(s) in exchange for all these benefits.

Thank you really, for actually stating the good it also brings. Thats the flipside many peeps seem to miss out on. For alot of people its a way out of dark times. But some stick with it even if it caused the dark times.

 

[GSOLAR]

I’m no expert or anything I’ve probably got about 8,000 hours playing games if that helps and I’m 23 but if you get yourself a career and a girlfriend you won’t have time to play games anymore and problem solved yk

Partly true, I have a carreer and an own appartment. Sadly just broke up after 6 years so no gf anymore. But still even peeps who have all these things like myself. Sometimes spend countless senseless hours gaming. But glad to hear you dont have any issues. Be grateful for that!

 

[TaliaKuznetsova]

I have 18,177h and got jack shit so you are doing fine. I might be on a fire department but i have no trainings or job or education other than this.

 

[GSOLAR]

I have somewhat struggled with this and is one of the reasons I can't play PERP or any other games that you can't just jump in and out of. If I recall correctly from studies this is a common risk factor for troublesome gaming, being socially engaged in a game (it's harder to quit playing if your guild needs you for raids in WoW).

That is a very true thing indeed. I personally can confirm the same happening when I played WoW.

Aside from the probably overestimated hours you've played, I don't know either in what country you can make a 22 euro wage as a student. Also I just realized you're 24 and counting hours since you were 6 years old, so you're counting hours of child labor that is probably illegal where you live. And as you mention, you would not have been able to work as much. Because playing videogames is much more fun and less stressful than working. In fact you'd probably be miserable had you spent all that time working.

Ye hours are undoubtedly overestimated lol, but you get the point. Even though I’m a student. Doesn’t mean I work student jobs. My example is just using my personal numbers for reference. And the 1 mil thing as stated in original post is just counting hours x wage. Child labor is illegal yes haha, obviously. Also stated earlier that I couldn’t have worked these hours. But its just to compare hours played to what it could’ve earned me for lets say if I continue this trend the next 18 years. But fr working fulltime as a 6 year old woulda gotten my parents jailed to sure.

As you mention, the problem happens when it stops you from doing other things you want/need to do (socialize, school, work, etc.). I have myself played my fair share of hours but I would not see them as meaningless, it was fun, it was an escape from a stressful environment. Also like the poster above, I developed/improved useful skills like English, hand-eye coordination, reaction time, computer literacy. Even typing speed sounds like a meme but it is critically useful for a study I'm conducting, and even to spend less time typing this.

Hey that’s exactly why you posting this helps out alot. So people also see and recognize the flipside. The benefits it brings. Idk if in this community, but I’m sure there are countless people who because of an early developed addiction. Even though it helped them gain these benefits. Now waste away their lifes without a job, a study or relationships. Just trying to give them some sort of wake up call with my numbers. For them it’s an escape not an addition to their life. Maybe I’ve worded myself wrong.
My numbers (correct or not) shocked me personally because it showed that every spare hour of the day I was gaming. More often than not sacrificing sleeping hours to game longer. My life luckily is still really good.

tl;dr: Don't regret the past, look on the bright side, but yes, know when to stop. If you can't cold stop gaming, try switching to genres or games that are easier to quit.

Well said my man, well said. Put it on the top next time tho haha

 

[GSOLAR]

I have 18,177h and got jack shit so you are doing fine. I might be on a fire department but i have no trainings or job or education other than this.

Sad to hear that, I hope you enjoy the fire dp. The rest will come in time. I’m sure of it.

If you want to talk about it, feel free to PM me!

 

[Mage]

Easily around 100,000 hours

 

[Crimson Nugget]

@GSOLAR Wholesome bro, but in the future please do your best to avoid this.

More often than not sacrificing sleeping hours to game longer.

Take it from someone who studied sleep and cognition: missing on sleep is one of the worst things you can do to your brain and body. You may not feel it now but when you're older it can really take its toll.

 

[KeiwaM]

I do not have an exact count on how many hours of my life gaming has taken, but it is a LOT.

I had a long period in my life where I was suffering with mental health issues. I have collectively 2 years where I did not work or go to school. This was all spent gaming, 10-12 hours daily.

It's safe to say, in my younger days, I was very stupid, but then again. Mental health issues.

It is not actually until September last year where I got a job and started working properly. I quit in December and started studying in January of this year and since then I've had a more or less normal life for this one year. I am currently in my apprenticeship with Novo Nordisk, making insuline. I am happy I have my life on a track where I can have a healthy career and a relationship while still having spare time to play games - thankfully not to the degree it was before.

I can definetly feel that I am still somewhat addicted, but it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. A big contributor to this is I went to a boarding school for half a year where I just got to relax and have fun with the things I enjoyed. No real schoolwork, just doing whatever I felt like. It really helped me back on track.

 

[Eric Jonson]

I guess you could say I'm addicted to video games. I'm glad i am though. They have helped me a lot with happiness and keeping me distracted from life. I hate when people critize me for gaming because they have no idea what it's done for me

 

[GSOLAR]

I guess you could say I'm addicted to video games. I'm glad i am though. They have helped me a lot with happiness and keeping me distracted from life. I hate when people critize me for gaming because they have no idea what it's done for me

I get that, I also hate when peeps criticize me for my gaming. Other peeps go to bars but I enjoy playing more. Glad to hear it’s done plenty good for you!

 

[Deleted member 8120]

But atleast its fun..Is it??

 

[Bnjemann]

I learnt to play guitar in my teens and my Xbox and TF2 on a laptop hours went from like 72 hours a week to 10 hours a week. Try a different hobby.

 

[GSOLAR]

I learnt to play guitar in my teens and my Xbox and TF2 on a laptop hours went from like 72 hours a week to 10 hours a week. Try a different hobby.

Genuine good advice. Any suggestions?

 

[avirex24]

Honestly, If gaming doens't affect your reallife, then why not.
I've met a lot of people on many games in my life, I also made really close friends with them, I got one dude from an german garrys mod community way back in 2014, still in contact until today helping each other out.
I played a lot of games, also a lot of hours, only on my steam account I've spend almost 8k h on my steam account, also got one GTA SA account with about 4,5k h playtime, I do not regret any hour playtime.
As mentioned above, you don't waste the time, you learn new skills, how to handle a PC properly, you could add a lot more things to this list, you also get a new social environment around yourself, you make friends online and you are able to spend time with people across the globe.

If the gaming takes advantage of your reallife its the time you should be worried about gaming such as, no proper hygiene, no job/no study, you are not meeting with friends/family.
In the end its basically just a "game" and pixels that take many hours of your worthy free time, but as I said, if it doens't affect anything, why not.