Ok, this is gonna be a long post, but I feel it shows a fantastic example of parents enriching their children's lives with games, rather than flat-out condemning games. It may get a bit rambly at parts, but I promise it has a point (also, I typed this at like 5:30am, forgive me for any flaws in grammar or whatever) I used games as an escape in my middle school years. I had been getting bullied so much that I just did not want to communicate with people anymore, and my parents placed me in online schooling. Now, running from my problems was perhaps not the best choice...but I wasn't about to be getting beat up in an environment where I was wanting to learn. Early on in my life, my parents bought me many games to play. However, they never really let me play them alone in those years. I remember playing Sonic on the Genesis, Mario and Zelda on the 64...and during these times, I was usually playing with my mom or dad in the room, talking to them about the games. I had some friends that I would occasionally hang out with, but I primarily enjoyed just being with my games. My parents noticed this, but instead of forcing me to "just go outside" or whatever..they embraced the effect games had on me. They knew I was the kind who would play any game I saw, so they started getting educational PC games for me (many of which I still have fond memories of, to this day). They let my imagination run free with these games, and they'd often ask me concepts of the games I played (both the educational ones, and the non-educational ones). Back to my middle school years, though. This was a period of my life where I withdrew from the world. My parents noticed I was usually the kind of kid who just really wanted to be alone with his thoughts. When I started online schooling in 6th grade, I completely withdrew from the "real" world, aside from just a handful of neighborhood kids (who I didn't even like hanging out with anyways). Through my online classes, I actually met a few other students, and we made a forum for our school together. Through these classmates, I learned of forums and online communities. I started helping out with the school forums, eventually becoming an administrator of those forums. These classmates also introduced me to RuneScape, a game that I have spent many, MANY hours on. Once my classwork was done for the day, I began to get in the routine of closing out the school window and pulling up the RuneScape window. I finally had a world I could go to where I meant something, somewhere I wouldn't be bullied, somewhere that people cheered me on in accomplishing my goals and achievements. My parents, instead of saying things like "oh he's just on that computer all day, not making an effort to be social," they observed that I was actually making friends easily..something they'd never seen me do. My parents knew I wasn't just talking to a game with RuneScape..I was actually going on adventures with other people, making decisions and working together with people to accomplish common goals. I remember a point where I'd be telling my mom about my adventures every week, and she'd have such a smile on her face. Back then, I thought it was because she loved hearing about all the cool stuff in the game. Thinking back on it, I think she was just happy that I was finally making good friends. People need to realize that when we're online, we aren't just playing a game..we're having an adventure with friends. Of course we may show signs of "addiction" if you're on the outside looking in. Humans crave social interaction; it's part of our nature. Some of us just prefer our social interaction be through games, rather than in person. The key is to make sure that these interactions are not interfering with our responsibilities. That is the moment it becomes problematic. However, more parents need to embrace the incredible learning potential of games. Games can easily be used to enrich children's lives. And hey, who knows? Maybe those people who spend most of their time in front of a screen just need time to grow into a social butterfly. I know I sure did.
+AuraSwordsman That's honestly beautiful, I wish I had parents like that. I was pretty hooked on to runescape as a kid too but..... my story didn't end up like yours to say the least....... Anyway that was a great story, thanks for sharing ^_^!
I was born in 1984. I got an NES in around 1989 or 1990. My mom pretty much played video games with me every time I played the NES as a kid. Additionally, we mostly played puzzle games and RPGs together. She made me read the RPGs to her as we played and helped me develop my vocabulary. That continued to a lesser extent when we got an SNES in late 1992, but we still played all our RPGs together. She passed away a few years after the N64 came out.
Paul Gaither Please accept my concolences. And I'm not saying that as a polite but uninterested answer. I *truly* mean it. Having such a mom is a blessing, and her death is sad even to I who didn't know her.
yea its a "fear of the unknown".on the next generation we will see things that are way more advanced than PS4,we will try to protect our children from that thing because we dont know what that thing is. sorry for bad english
We're gonna be like "You'll be fine with an i3 and 2 GB or RAM, you don't need more to run Master of Orion or Europa Universalis III". "A console? We can't have that in our house, son, we just can't.".
The first game I ever played, Lego Star Wars for the PC, I played with my dad. I did the attack and force and he did the movement and jump. I just wanted to mention that :D
Fuck... Lego Star Wars (saga) was my first game too! I used to play it with my brother on my Xbox 360... Even though it was mostly me begging him to play with me and my mom convincing him to do so.
This is so logical, taking away games from children won't help, there has to be a balance. People too often jump to one extreme, BALANCE is important in everything
The0ptimus Exactly. You have to solve the real issues going on that cause gaming to be an issue in the first place. Otherwise it's just a bandaid solution that isn't sustainable.
I couldn't agree more. My dad may he rest in peace, was amazing about this. We would stay up late bonding over video games. He would use this as a way to teach me, rather than to occupy my time. It let me build strategic thinking skills (Sim Farm, Sim City, Sim Town, War Craft, and many more), which has greatly improved my quality of life now as an adult. Also, this time I spent with him as a child makes me so excited about becoming a parent and knowing that I can use my child's interests and my own to not only have fun and bond with my children, but to teach them life skills. And finally, I now have never ending love for the game industry, to have allowed me such a fun and meaningful childhood in which I was able to share with my father.
First, I love Mac's art style! You guys should definitely ask him to come back again. Second, I agree with the necessity of being involved with your kids when they play. Not necessarily in a "I'm always going to be hovering over your shoulder" kinda thing, but sitting down with them sometimes, cheering them on, and of course, making sure the amount of time they're playing is limited. It probably helps that my friends' boys see that their parents are gamers, too, so I think they don't feel as great of a divide as our generation did with our non-gaming parents. But I also find myself getting to the point where some of the games the boys enjoy just give me a headache to try to follow or understand. Hopefully that's just a difference in taste rather than me getting crotchety...
The main problem is people assuming every video game is make for children. When you buy GTA for your child, whoever is selling it to you will very clearly spell out that it has sex drugs and violence and it's rated mature. But the parent will just go "but it's a video game" and buy it anyway. And when they see what the kid is doing on the screen, they don't blame themselves, they blame the company because it's easier. But the truth is, that game was not made for your child. Take some damn responsibility, society.
Should adults be playing games? As adults, we can do things, expand our horizons, and explore our world for ourselves. Games simulate an exciting adventure, but you could be finding your own long-term adventure and excitement in real life.
Gambling addiction exists because Dopamine levels peak as players anticipate a win. And the same logic applies to video games, because of the massive overlap between games and...well...games. You can be addicted to video games as much as you can to gambling.
SirKhaan It can be. But things that provide large quantities of dopamine such as console/computer games, gambling, heroine, and cocaine are addictive. Dopamine is a pleasure chemical that helps the brain know what is good for it. Normal brains release the proper amount of dopamine throughout the day. Small tasks like passing a test, talking with friends, getting work out of the way, exercising, or reading a book all release dopamine. The addict brain does not do this and thus they are forced to self-medicate as they experience greater - and lasting - levels of stress as compared to a normal person.
SirKhaan Dopamine and seratonin are, in essence, the only things that will ever make you feel good or bad. Drugs, food, sex, adreniline, anything considered pleasurable is only pleasurable because of dopamine responses. Physically addictive things, such as alcohol, heroin, etc derive their pleasure from directly interacting with the levels of dopamine release and reuptake. Psychologically addictive things derive their pleasure either through stimulating our adreniline response (which directly influences dopamine levels) or tapping into other survival instincts (sex, eating, socialising etc increase dopamine levels) A person's personality finally plays the bigger part in whether that person will become addicted to activity X. Some people will enjoy activity X more than others. Some of them will enjoy it so much they seek it out to the point it becomes compulsion and eventually addiction. Dopamine and seratonin are really the cause of all addictions. Without it we would all be sober emotionless apatheic beings.
Robert R well said my friend if i cant get online / away from pc. ill read a book, no book? I'll go play game, no game ? I'll listen to music,no music? hmm I think dying wont be that bad, why bother living in such a world
I am profoundly impressed with how well you convey ideas. You and your team really are adding so much GOOD to youtube, and to the gaming and gaming development worlds. Thank you
My auntie would always either play with me or cheer me on when I was a little shit with a PS1, to this day I have fondest memories of her and it took my actual parents years to get close to the levels of trust I have for her.
Hey guys! Big fan, appreciate everything you've done for gaming addiction. A lot of people have shared with me how much your video has helped them out. I always wonder why so many in the gaming community try and pretend that gaming addiction doesn't exist. It clearly does but not "every gamer" has a problem, just some and by bringing more awareness to the fact that it's OK and there ARE underlying issues going on, you are helping a lot of people feel less alone.
I grew up with gamer parents. My parents met playing Dungeons and Dragons and introduced me to all my first video games. They bought me all my first consoles and games and I can remember HOURS spent laughing with my mum and sister while I flailed uselessly around on the Xbox. I actually asked my mum permission when I was 14 to buy an M game because I knew she understood games- she did and we played Fable together. Now my mum sister and I get together on long weekends and drink beer and try to stumble through the old DOS rpgs that got this all started. It is SO important for parents to be active in their children's lives and interests and to make time for them and to share their interests with their kids.
Oh thank god, someone finally addresses that gaming is not the problem and that it is in fact, bad parenting. I can't tell you how many console/game/ect fantards I've seen saying that if parents bought "such and such" console/game they wouldn't have any issues or negative influences in the industry. Meanwhile that person is begging off of a vague assumption and not considering the actual problem in which parenting is involved and how that affects the kid. "Kids play M-rated games and are addicted to games, now if they were playing this game/on this console it would be no issue." My ass.
Neither parents nor games stand at the center of this. Parents should merely provide the tools for a child to process and contextualize exposure to something new, like a potentially scary game. But if they hover, in/discourage and constantly lord over the child, they squash independent thought and any chances for the child to grow. The center of the problem is a lack of respect for children, who are often more capable than adults at processing new things in a healthy way. People wrap them up in bobble wrap, cover their ears, and nod to each other in agreement that children cannot be trusted to think for themselves. Sure, their frontal- and prefrontal cortex isn't done developing, which means they lack the logical capacity of an adult. But in exchange, they have neuroplasticity that makes them knowledge sponges, they lack biases, have a much more acute sense of right and wrong, and function perfectly well on a simplistic form of logic, which bypasses roadblocks an adult mind as attained... And given the right tools, children can not only process mature games on their own, they quickly find them as boring and overinflated as they often are.
Hello my name is Matt from Vancouver Island, I fully support every notion put forth in this video/idea. Gaming I believe has many educational aspects, interactive aspects, social aspects, promotes team work, creates determination, creates devotion, builds friendships, teach's critical thinking, activates imagination and for myself, I find that it helps rebuild serotonin in your brain which helps deal with any depression, PTSD or anxiety. I say this because when involved in an enjoyable/fun game, it allows my brain a rest from these life stress's, allows the brain chemical serotonin to rebuild itself.
I've watched alot of these extra credit vids and no disrespect to the other artist's but the art in this particular one is def some of the best I've seen yet! His cuts and scenes were just perfect and engaging! Awesome work.
This is so true. I've listened to a bunch of gaming commentators, but always wanted a more in-depth discussion about game mechanics and themes than the average youtuber provides. The average quality of this channel's videos is just fantastic.
I am slowly making my way through all these videos!! Theyre so great! But this is one of my favorites because I grew up with a dad who loves video games and in a lot of ways it was how we bonded. When WoW was at its hype I had my own character on his account and was loved by his guild because my priest kicked serious butt and it didn't matter that I was a 15 year old girl. We played a lot of console games together or took turns and rooted each other on. Now I live in a different state but video games is a huge part of how I connect with my little sister, who is 14 years my junior. We have PvZ Garden Warfare dates, and my dad joins us most of the time. Its just soooo easy to do this, and to use video games to foster positive relationships and I've never seen how I was raised addressed so positively and I just wanted to say thanks :D
I'm pretty sure I was addicted to the gaming as a child I would spend all the time playing Morrowind or Pokemon, when I began playing video games I pretty much stopped reading books and I used to be quite a bookworm. Once my dad was sent to a hospital and I could care less because I was too busy finishing some level. I don't know how can you explain such a state but as an addiction The state I was in was just terrible, and no, my parents didn't use video games as a "babysitter", they disapproved but I would argue with them every time they tried to talk about the influence games made on my life I guess there is no scientific proof that gaming is addictive, but I surely am happy I got out of that problem. Gaming can swallow you whole if you're not careful, especially if you're some kid who is still learning to be responsible. It surely is addictive
Not trying to be little or insult you in anyway but that's not addiction that's being an immature ass as a child. Alot of people (myself included) kinda had that going on
Chari Mahariel It might be that your "addiction" came more as a sponge to soak up a compulsure or problem you had to face in childhood. Many children these days hide behind games, because of problems such as mobbing, shyness and missunderstandings or just plain rebelious nature, seeing the world as dull, boring or even an enemy. Best way to avoid such things is not to drag you out of it, but to try and share these moments and try to find understanding in it. I might sound like I just try to be convincing some people to believe in false here, but I really think that this is the cancer within those "addiction" accusitions on games. The best way I could put it to example is with a reversed theory that I lived through. I used to play with my grandpa a lot. He played video games with us since we were 8 years old. Final Fantasy VII being one of the games he helped us getting through. After he died I refused to play Video Games. I was even ready to burn the console, because it pained me just looking at it with all the memories I had... My siblings went through similar states and we often sat around just sticking to reality. This went on for several month. Hell, even years. I went out and bought games, but never played them for over 3 years after he died and focused on my Art that became real grey and depressing during these days. 3 years after, my grandma died, too. Her last wish was for us to play Final Fantasy VII with her in the Hospital. The game grandpa loved the most, but we never finished during his living time... We played with her over the cause of one week and finished the game just one day before her operation. After that, she passed away and said to the nurse that she loved every last second of her life, no matter if this may be the end... ... This dragged me out of this slumb, as it did with everyone in my family. We didn't play games only for the people around us. We did so, because it brought us together as a family and helped us with hardships. It gave us memories that nobody could take away. That is why I started playing games again and enjoy every single minute while learning something new about me, my siblings and the game itself.
I think a major part of why I love gaming so much is the fact that I've spent a lot of time as a kid not only playing games, but also talking about them with my Dad. I would also sit there and watch him play games for hours. Me watching him play Max Payne as a 10 year old was an awesome experience that I look back to a lot. It was an awesome dad son time. Once we got more than one PC in the house and he had time, we'd also LAN up and play multiplayer games together.
I can speak to this topic a bit. My family harped on for at least three years about how I was addicted to video games; about how terrible for me, and others, they are, and many other things besides. At the time I played a lot of video games, and I still do, but the kicker is why. About a year ago I got screen for ADD/ADHD. My aunt was diagnosed, and I showed a lot of the signs, so I decided to get screened. The woman who did my screening stamped "ADD" on my forehead, I would imagine, within fifteen minutes of us meeting, and after two hours she made it abundantly clear that there was no doubt. She explained that the reason why I made it through 24 years of my life, and got halfway through a Master's degree without any treatment was because I learned how to cope. Aided by my intellect I seal myself off and limit my focus so I only have to focus on two or three things in my life, broadly speaking. In other words, I would sit at my PC and play games for hours on end because they are easy for me to focus on, and by not requiring myself to pay much mind to other things I am able to keep my ADD under control: it's hard to lose focus on something when there is nothing to pull away your focus. Now, thankfully, I am medicated, and while I still spend a lot of time playing video games, no one can say that I am addicted because my medication removes the need for me to isolate myself, making it easy for me to take a break and engage in other activities.I was never remotely addicted, I was just coping with my diagnosed ADD.
I can feel you on that, though my situation is different, I too, have ADD. I usually spend at least 10 hrs/day in front of a computer screen. This wasn't bad parenting(though I admit my parents could be better), but because I have few interests, and video games is the big one, it's what I do with most of my life. There are a few reasons why I'm not medicated. Partially because I've had a bad past with medication, somewhat because I'm not fond of potential side effects, and, last but not least, I'm a prideful bastard. I probably couldn't keep a job because I wouldn't stand doing the same thing for hours 5 days of the week. I can hardly keep playing the same game for long. I would need the freedom to jump from task to task when I wanted to.
Maybe not bad parenting nor addiction, but individual experiences and personalities is the primary lead for this. For example, a person to have been neglected and abandoned; not from parents solely but from friends or trying to make friends with new people but they can't and won't see you as part of their circle in the future see gaming as a way to fill that void. Gaming serves a positive reinforcement to curb or lessen greatly on negativity of life for those who are depressed or having feelings of not being accepted by others or even doubting yourself in society. But I am only speaking for those that are in the moderate to mild extreme in the spectrum (not total extreme). As that person grows into their mid to late 20's or even mid 30's, the need for gaming will usually die off in most cases and focusing on the actual issue which will be easier to tackle than when you were in your 20's. Also, Gaming can fend off starvation and famine; distractions from being too hungry. It's a powerful tool in rationing food during when food supply is low (if it is necessary).
This topic tackles what made me love video games and also sparked the flame that led me to my career. Computers. When I was maybe 7 i was familiar with my nintendo and playstation. This was before mutltiplayer across multiple consoles or online was a thing. My dad then introduced me to the original command and conquer and he had two computers in his apartment. At that time networking had never been introduced to me. I had no experience with the internet, cross console multiplayer, or any form of data exchange in my life. I asked my dad after playing command and conquer for a an hour, "how do we make them talk so we can both play" I had to go back to my moms that evening but when I came back to my dads the following weekend he had installed command and conquer and starcraft on both machines and had configured the TCP/IP protocol so that we could play multiplayer. It was grueling for him I am sure because if he beat my I cried so he would just build and let me explore interactions with another player, something I had never gotten to do before. He's also the one who set me up with everquest. Ever since that day when I asked him that question he allowed me to explore computing as a hobby. Helped me build my first computer. This got me into modding games and seeking out other peoples mods that I found online. I still remember in 7th grade a friend told me you could mod starcraft and came to school with a copy on disc for me the next day. That disc had the protoss sprites all converted to gundams, I think the terran as well. And the zerg command center, ya it was a giant pokeball. Now I work in the IT industry and I'm grateful all the time that my father embraced computers and videos games and familiarized me to them at a time when having a home computer still wasn't all that common. Before that interaction my dad would yell at me to get off the playstation and go outside because he didnt really see the benefit of me playing them. But after that day he showed me command and conquer and I asked him that question, he dove in with me and it was a way where we could interact with one another.
For the record, my Dad played a TON of games with me when I was a kid, even single player. He taught me how to get over my fear of the monsters, and that every enemy can be beaten if you only take the time to figure out how.
love this topic! This also applies to cartoon and anime, too. when i watched my favorite shows as a kid, some adults just went on and told me that it's bad and bad and such, alienate newer media just because they seem odd and unfamiliar to them. Of course I played video games, watch cartoons, but I also played outside, too! All I can think about those negative comments from said adults are "this is not how you bond with a child!"
You bring up a good point about parents playing games with their kids. See, I started gaming when I was 3. My first game was CS 1.6. My dad played with me and he made sure we were on the same team so he could help me out. I never really played games by myself until I was around 11. I've always played with either my Dad or my older brother and I must say it has helped me a lot. Games are my hobby but I don't spend my life on them since I have a life outside.
All the commentors who are trying to equate gaming compulsion to addiction are doing so for control purposes. Their trying to treat games like marijuana so they can ban it's sale and declare war on it. They don't care about facts and science, the have totally bought into the hype and hysteria.
Fafnd That marijuana addiction is primarily psychological? I should clarify that I'm using "psychological" in the medical and not the social sense. As in, the dependancy isn't chemically based, I don't mean it isn't real. That said, here; www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-teenage-mind/201012/is-marijuana-addictive www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/cannabis/Pages/default.aspx Alomost every source I've seen states that addiction is in most cases a psychological dependance, and especially with regard to marijuana.
***** I think trying to blame everything on chemicals implies that we have no choice in the matter. Unless you don't believe in free will. You can't just blame it all on chemicals.
I'd kill to have some parental video game bonding growing up (or bonding, period). However, I was born in 1989 so my parents came from a generation that viewed games as arcade machines, insanely addicting and compulsive. They did not realize that the reason my friends and I loved Ocarina of Time so much wasn't because we were being controlled, it was simply beautiful and full of things and places to explore and get lost in for hours on end. I had that very same experience with Morrowind years later. It was simply more fun to explore that world than dealing with the daily bullying and pressure that came with the real world, and my friends and I got very sucked in, spending our time in recess discussing it and trading rumours like the hidden assault rifle and such. But I think that the next generations won't be having the problems that I had, having been raised with video games being a norm rather than a compulsive hobby of blinking lights and coins.
Playing with your kids is very important. I remember playing games like RollerCoaster Tycoon, The Incredible Machine, and even PS2 games like Harry Potter 2 and Midnight Club 2 with my dad. Eventually, this ended up turning around and I introduced him to new games such as Portal. It definitely shaped our relationship, and I could tell when we stopped playing games together as much, and I started hanging around my mom more. Games are powerful, and I'm happy for my time playing them with my dad.
As he said in the video, gaming can be a bonding experience. One of the memories I have with my father was playing Mario Kart 64, I only had one controller, but still I atleast had a great time and that is still stuck with me until this day. A fond memory.
This raises some really amazing points. I'm a writer and through most of my early teens writing short stories and novel ideas. My parents and teachers all said I was losing my life to fictional worlds and I would end up as nothing more than a vegetable who can't do anything in the real world. I'm now writing books for a living, I'm loving it and am more succesful than anyone else in my family. Getting engrossed in fiction is not a bad thing, this video needs to be seen.
some games are so compelling i want them to win an award for great design and gameplay. after a long day at school in 2005, i would hop on flash game websites and go through around 10 games. testing them out. quickly exiting the bad ones. i felt the knots of my brain loosening during gameplay, recharging me for the day to come perhaps.
I know this was posted ages ago, but I really like on of the points raised in this one: parents should play video games with their kids. And speaking from personal experience, the points he makes about it are true. I still have fond memories of playing Soul Caliber with my dad, passing over the controller after every round as we worked through arcade and story modes together. My uncle would play different video games with my cousins and then we'd all play together (which was awesome; they had a 90" tv). I think the same can be applied to TV, too. My parents had a messy divorce, and afterwards my brother and I only got to see our dad every other weekend and on Wednesdays. But then we found out that SciFi was playing Stargate SG-1 every Wednesday just a little after we were dropped off, so we made a bonding moment out of watching it every week. I still have very fond memories of it. I agree that TV and video games are not a replacement for parenting, and they never should be. However, in the hands of good parents, it can be a very powerful tool.
My Parents didn´t mind if i played games too much. Hell I beat Super C with my Dad with neither of us losing a single life. On the otherside he was a pretty antisocial Guy himself, so being able to stay inside while doing something with me and my brother at the same time... Not sure if you´d call it bad parenting, but we sure had a blast.
video games are amazing is because there perfect for outcast or people that dont have good social skills and i can do evil things without being arrested
i knew the last part of the video already but for some reason watching yours makes me realise that the same thing happened to me except by accident my uncle introduced me to games but back then when i first discovered it i would mostly just play the occasional sports game with dad, but that was it. then dad went to Bosnia as a peacekeeper and i didn't know what was going on. i just played games because i felt isolated since he was gone for my birthday and the other kids thought it was weird
This is a tough issue. One one side it is better to design games to be less addictive. It is tricky because it is a spectrum. One one end there is chess. This game relies wholey on strategy, and it has no fancy tricks to hone things in. One the other end there is slot machiene. This game is essentially a skinner box with randomized reward. It also contributes to gambling addiction. Many games go in the middle. Some are better than others. It is hard to tell where to draw the line. I have my own preferences. Personally the only compulisive thing I like in games are in game rewards. These are things like leveling systems, achievments, loot drops and stuff like that. Heck I even came up with the idea of achievments on my own before seeing them in games. That stuff is fine. The really good games have something substantial to draw players in. It is things like mystery, mastery, narritave and cognitave challenge. Then there are things that are not good. I prefer to avoid these things if I design games. My pet peeve is randomness. I hate to rely on luck when playing. Loosing as a result of bad luck is frustrating. It makes the game more like gambling. I also don't like timed gameplay like energy systems and daily quests. It is irritatiting to wait for the chance to play more. It turns gaming into a boring chore. Randomness and timed events don't make the game more un. They are tricks to keep people playing. They are the two methods to get people pecking the buttons in skinner boxes the most. Casinos exploit this to squeeze money out of players. This could be addressed in a whole other episode. It is touched on in the episode about skinner boxes and the episode on humane play. On the other hand responsibility on part of the player is important too. If the player is a child, it should be the responsibility of the parent. In the recent COPPA issue people have thrown RUclips and its creators under the bus. It is unfair. RUclips is a video site, not a baby sitter. the whole concept of suing RUclips for sopposedly invading the privacy of children is absolutly ludicrous. Unfortunatly the games are treated unfairly the same way in this video. Games are entertainment, not baby sitters. If a parent isn't going to bother watching thier kids, they shouldn't put the blame on whatever the kids are doing. They shouldn't blame video games, tv, RUclips or whatever else kids are doing. I think the ultamite mesure of how much gaming is too much is that of functioning. A person has things they got to do. They have work, school, sleep, chores and the like. If gaming is not interfering with these activities, than it is not too much. It is that straightforward. It is the responsibility of the player to manage thier play time and still function. Gaming is just harmless fun for free time. People need to wake up and see gaming for what it is. If someone is really that worried, I think all it takes is a gentle nudge. If someone is a gamer, there is nothing wrong with it, as long as there is a reasonable moderation. They can move on from there. They can use games for education. There is tangential learning. They may get into edutainment games. They can even consider a career in game design. That is movieing in the right direction for games.
Thank you! I'll be honest, my son got into sports and I have absolutely ZERO idea where it came from (genetically speaking. Both me and his mother are not fans of daylight or sports, lol) but I was as supportive of him as I knew how to be. But then the miraculous day finally arrived when he discovered Pokémon... And I was finally the all-knowing, indestructible, all-powerful dad that I've long wished to be. Because of a videogame that I played as a kid, now MY kid, in his 6 year old mind, has a reason to look up to me - Because of a videogame.
Thanks EC I'll at least try to so them this video and try to get them to play with me but my dad doesn't like what I like and my mom doesn't like games so I'll try. PS you guys our a positive influence in my life thank you.
Means a lot to hear that... I've got friends, a love, everything that can show that I still matter in the world... Life is not as it's expected, but things turn out well in the end...
The whole concept of sitting with your kid and even just watching and encouraging making for a good bonding experience is, IMHO, true. I was simply playing Skyrim in my room and my dad came in and watched me for maybe 30 seconds and asked questions and I had more fun in that 30 seconds of joking about what I was doing than I had in hours of gameplay. It doesn't only make for good bonding and better memories but it just makes the game more enjoyable.
So, I guess I'm part of the demo you're talking about, so I thought I'd stick my oar in. I grew up with games. I used to spend hours on my NES as a kid, as well as spending hours exploring my village and the woods around it, and it was all part of making me who I am today. Games are a social activity that I share with my children, and a big topic of conversation we can share on an equal footing. I can't really talk on their level about school, and they can't talk to me about politics or news or work, but we can all talk about Games. I can share the cool things I found in Minecraft with them; they can tell me about the new loot they found in Terraria; we can share the bases we built in Subnautica. Sure, there's a capability gap - try as they might, I'm still going to be better than they are at most of these games, at least for a while - but that just reinforces the parent-child dynamic. At their best, games fire up the imagination. Games like Minecraft and Terraria give you a palette to explore who and what you are, to help find and define yourself. Games like Mass Effect immerse you in other worlds and open you up to new ideas. I would no more isolate my children from that world than I would yell at them for reading too much!
A lot of what was mentioned for this topic reminds me of "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury, with all the mention of using technology as an easy way out and a babysitter.
Back when I was having an extremely hard time in school I could find joy in few things but in gaming. Skyrim had recently come out during a very low point in my school career and just coming home to lose myself within the game was what kept me alive. Even in current day, I'm at quite a low point right now but I recently bought myself the newest Zelda game (yes I'm aware I'm a bit late to it but I just couldn't afford it when it came out) and playing it and losing myself within Hyrule is the absolute highlight of my day. Sounds sad probably but gaming is easily one of the things that stopped me from breaking down entirely.
4:00 the reason why I am on the Internet and play games so much instead of spending time with the "family" I live in is that there are arguments and violence.
I was addicted to games. I early started to play (round 9-10). It were at first games I played with friends, on the SNES mario cart with my friends in our cellars. But then I played more and more, while my friends played outside. I barely wented outside and rarly played with them. I even lost a really really nice friend due to my addicition, I rather played than cariing for my friend(s) developing a relationship with him/them. Then I got my first FPS with the age of 12 (it was starwars battlefront so no really big deal). Besides that I played alout of Zoo Tycoon Sims(2) and nearly all Total War games. I could talk with m friends in school about it, after school. We often meet to play games and outside or called each other on the phone and talked more than 2 hours about games. But it slowly but surely took might over me. With the age of 14 I was completky addicited. While others made sport and med with friends I sat outside and played games. My skin got pale (for someone who comes out of a quit dark family) I got layz aggresiv fat and just downright weak and "ugly". It destroyed my grades because I only played and played and played. Played my new games through in 1 week. 10 hours each day sometimes, I just couldn't stop. I was punished from my parents with did sometimes good sometimes bad, I was bored didn't knew what to do when my PC/consol was taken away from me. I wasn't allowed to play on my DS or to get on my mobil phone. I was a really wimpy kid. But then from one week to another I wrecked myself up. I cuted the gaming, my grades improved. I sudnly didn't wanted to play anymore. I was bored by it so I started doing sport excercesing. Now 2 years later I growed got dark skin have alout of muscles and I'm not weak anymore. I found my new passion. I don't blame games for my foolish behavior, I blame myself. I still like games, I watch alout about them talk about them in a good manner and don't hate them like alout of people would now..Its just, games are dangerous in the hands of kids. Let them play them, but not too much. (One funny thing btw, while I do sport now, 80% of all my friends are now addictiv to games).
Okay...wow...that last part...about the parents bit blew my mind...not really but...opened an eye... I now realize the reason why my parents stick me with games within my room...sure they give me anything I want no matter what consequences I've had in the past...but as digital babysitters... Sure they take me out now and again, chores and whatnot...but we never spent real time together...just... ...Huh...
Neither of parents were really into games or really cared about them when I was growing up but I can remember my dad and even my mom at least trying it since it was something I had an intrest in. Honestly while playing the game with them wasn't really all that fun even to a younger me it meant a lot to me that they at leSt gave it a try and I think that's all parents have to do.
I don'd know if you know this but, a teenager once died from playing diablo 3 too much ,but the hick up is he played for over 24 hours straight. When the cyber cafe owner called the police ,they arrived to find his body pretty much stiff in his last position.
You can actually cut off games but you have to cut off all screen viewing for the entire family- I saw a show about a go slow coach in Australia- he also got them to cut back extra activities. The addiction incidents are usually adults.
"It's not as bad as the news makes it seem." That sentence is pretty much everything on the news in a nutshell.
true
Not anymore...
@@Pangloss6413 still something to be mindful of even if politics is what it is rn
Ok, this is gonna be a long post, but I feel it shows a fantastic example of parents enriching their children's lives with games, rather than flat-out condemning games. It may get a bit rambly at parts, but I promise it has a point (also, I typed this at like 5:30am, forgive me for any flaws in grammar or whatever)
I used games as an escape in my middle school years. I had been getting bullied so much that I just did not want to communicate with people anymore, and my parents placed me in online schooling. Now, running from my problems was perhaps not the best choice...but I wasn't about to be getting beat up in an environment where I was wanting to learn.
Early on in my life, my parents bought me many games to play. However, they never really let me play them alone in those years. I remember playing Sonic on the Genesis, Mario and Zelda on the 64...and during these times, I was usually playing with my mom or dad in the room, talking to them about the games. I had some friends that I would occasionally hang out with, but I primarily enjoyed just being with my games. My parents noticed this, but instead of forcing me to "just go outside" or whatever..they embraced the effect games had on me. They knew I was the kind who would play any game I saw, so they started getting educational PC games for me (many of which I still have fond memories of, to this day). They let my imagination run free with these games, and they'd often ask me concepts of the games I played (both the educational ones, and the non-educational ones).
Back to my middle school years, though. This was a period of my life where I withdrew from the world. My parents noticed I was usually the kind of kid who just really wanted to be alone with his thoughts. When I started online schooling in 6th grade, I completely withdrew from the "real" world, aside from just a handful of neighborhood kids (who I didn't even like hanging out with anyways). Through my online classes, I actually met a few other students, and we made a forum for our school together. Through these classmates, I learned of forums and online communities. I started helping out with the school forums, eventually becoming an administrator of those forums. These classmates also introduced me to RuneScape, a game that I have spent many, MANY hours on. Once my classwork was done for the day, I began to get in the routine of closing out the school window and pulling up the RuneScape window. I finally had a world I could go to where I meant something, somewhere I wouldn't be bullied, somewhere that people cheered me on in accomplishing my goals and achievements.
My parents, instead of saying things like "oh he's just on that computer all day, not making an effort to be social," they observed that I was actually making friends easily..something they'd never seen me do. My parents knew I wasn't just talking to a game with RuneScape..I was actually going on adventures with other people, making decisions and working together with people to accomplish common goals. I remember a point where I'd be telling my mom about my adventures every week, and she'd have such a smile on her face. Back then, I thought it was because she loved hearing about all the cool stuff in the game. Thinking back on it, I think she was just happy that I was finally making good friends.
People need to realize that when we're online, we aren't just playing a game..we're having an adventure with friends. Of course we may show signs of "addiction" if you're on the outside looking in. Humans crave social interaction; it's part of our nature. Some of us just prefer our social interaction be through games, rather than in person. The key is to make sure that these interactions are not interfering with our responsibilities. That is the moment it becomes problematic. However, more parents need to embrace the incredible learning potential of games. Games can easily be used to enrich children's lives.
And hey, who knows? Maybe those people who spend most of their time in front of a screen just need time to grow into a social butterfly. I know I sure did.
Your post is so touching and to the point. I can relate to many things you said. If you're a blogger you should post it there as well.
+AuraSwordsman Your parents are amazing for that.
um wow just wow ,wow well good god damn job
+AuraSwordsman Wish my parents were like that, even in the slightest.
+AuraSwordsman That's honestly beautiful, I wish I had parents like that. I was pretty hooked on to runescape as a kid too but..... my story didn't end up like yours to say the least....... Anyway that was a great story, thanks for sharing ^_^!
I was born in 1984. I got an NES in around 1989 or 1990. My mom pretty much played video games with me every time I played the NES as a kid. Additionally, we mostly played puzzle games and RPGs together. She made me read the RPGs to her as we played and helped me develop my vocabulary. That continued to a lesser extent when we got an SNES in late 1992, but we still played all our RPGs together. She passed away a few years after the N64 came out.
Paul Gaither Please accept my concolences. And I'm not saying that as a polite but uninterested answer. I *truly* mean it. Having such a mom is a blessing, and her death is sad even to I who didn't know her.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is good parenting
+Paul Gaither :c
+MrYosh I agree.
I'm Sorry For Your Loss😔
I can't wait for the next generation where parents have played a lot of video games and can relate more to their kids.
+MrZsc I kick my kids but at games all the time :)
Nope, they'll be doing some other form of digital stimulation which you'll find stupid.
yea its a "fear of the unknown".on the next generation we will see things that are way more advanced than PS4,we will try to protect our children from that thing because we dont know what that thing is. sorry for bad english
We're gonna be like "You'll be fine with an i3 and 2 GB or RAM, you don't need more to run Master of Orion or Europa Universalis III". "A console? We can't have that in our house, son, we just can't.".
we will have a hard time relating to our kid's games trust me
The first game I ever played, Lego Star Wars for the PC, I played with my dad. I did the attack and force and he did the movement and jump. I just wanted to mention that :D
I played Marathon 2 with my dad in a similar way, I would open the doors and press the space bar to shoot while he moved and do all the rest :D
Fuck... Lego Star Wars (saga) was my first game too! I used to play it with my brother on my Xbox 360... Even though it was mostly me begging him to play with me and my mom convincing him to do so.
Oh mang, my mother and I used to do that too! With different games, but still. ^^
Yo, I did that with my brothers in same way. XD
This is so logical, taking away games from children won't help, there has to be a balance. People too often jump to one extreme, BALANCE is important in everything
The0ptimus Exactly. You have to solve the real issues going on that cause gaming to be an issue in the first place. Otherwise it's just a bandaid solution that isn't sustainable.
It's nice seeing you here Cam.
Hey! :)
to maintain balance is to be attentive and meticulous. and i think many people are too lazy to do that, thus choose to go to the extreme.
This cured my game addiction, because it's hard to play games when you can't stop watching Extra Credits
You'd make a good politician. Oh wait, you actually have a soul and heart. Never mind.
Haha 😂 nice
+KingBoo64 Not to mention they're not sponsored by several gigantic corporations
Politicians have souls too..
Dark Souls
BA DUM TSHH
Technically, everyone has a piece of the Dark Soul. :)
This literally made me cry. Not because of sadness, but because of hope.
+RonnygoBOOM That's great. Share that hope and maybe we can change this unfortunate image that games were forced to have.
I couldn't agree more. My dad may he rest in peace, was amazing about this. We would stay up late bonding over video games. He would use this as a way to teach me, rather than to occupy my time. It let me build strategic thinking skills (Sim Farm, Sim City, Sim Town, War Craft, and many more), which has greatly improved my quality of life now as an adult. Also, this time I spent with him as a child makes me so excited about becoming a parent and knowing that I can use my child's interests and my own to not only have fun and bond with my children, but to teach them life skills. And finally, I now have never ending love for the game industry, to have allowed me such a fun and meaningful childhood in which I was able to share with my father.
First, I love Mac's art style! You guys should definitely ask him to come back again. Second, I agree with the necessity of being involved with your kids when they play. Not necessarily in a "I'm always going to be hovering over your shoulder" kinda thing, but sitting down with them sometimes, cheering them on, and of course, making sure the amount of time they're playing is limited. It probably helps that my friends' boys see that their parents are gamers, too, so I think they don't feel as great of a divide as our generation did with our non-gaming parents. But I also find myself getting to the point where some of the games the boys enjoy just give me a headache to try to follow or understand. Hopefully that's just a difference in taste rather than me getting crotchety...
The main problem is people assuming every video game is make for children. When you buy GTA for your child, whoever is selling it to you will very clearly spell out that it has sex drugs and violence and it's rated mature. But the parent will just go "but it's a video game" and buy it anyway. And when they see what the kid is doing on the screen, they don't blame themselves, they blame the company because it's easier. But the truth is, that game was not made for your child. Take some damn responsibility, society.
Should adults be playing games? As adults, we can do things, expand our horizons, and explore our world for ourselves. Games simulate an exciting adventure, but you could be finding your own long-term adventure and excitement in real life.
IZSM
Well it’s the unconscious choice of ‘do you want short term or long term happiness’
@@-ism8153 Why can't we have both? It's stupid to make these things opposite.
Gambling addiction exists because Dopamine levels peak as players anticipate a win. And the same logic applies to video games, because of the massive overlap between games and...well...games. You can be addicted to video games as much as you can to gambling.
so everything that provides Dopamine is addictive? I would say its not that simple to explain.
SirKhaan It can be. But things that provide large quantities of dopamine such as console/computer games, gambling, heroine, and cocaine are addictive. Dopamine is a pleasure chemical that helps the brain know what is good for it. Normal brains release the proper amount of dopamine throughout the day. Small tasks like passing a test, talking with friends, getting work out of the way, exercising, or reading a book all release dopamine. The addict brain does not do this and thus they are forced to self-medicate as they experience greater - and lasting - levels of stress as compared to a normal person.
SirKhaan Dopamine and seratonin are, in essence, the only things that will ever make you feel good or bad. Drugs, food, sex, adreniline, anything considered pleasurable is only pleasurable because of dopamine responses.
Physically addictive things, such as alcohol, heroin, etc derive their pleasure from directly interacting with the levels of dopamine release and reuptake.
Psychologically addictive things derive their pleasure either through stimulating our adreniline response (which directly influences dopamine levels) or tapping into other survival instincts (sex, eating, socialising etc increase dopamine levels)
A person's personality finally plays the bigger part in whether that person will become addicted to activity X. Some people will enjoy activity X more than others. Some of them will enjoy it so much they seek it out to the point it becomes compulsion and eventually addiction.
Dopamine and seratonin are really the cause of all addictions. Without it we would all be sober emotionless apatheic beings.
Ei aC
i sir i understand it. im fucked D:
Recovery is an option.
All addiction is caused by Real Life being fucked.
Including procrastination which is tied to depression
Everyone just wants to be happy, and people always try to find a way to it.
Kyle Dolor f
Robert R well said my friend
if i cant get online / away from pc. ill read a book, no book? I'll go play game, no game ? I'll listen to music,no music? hmm I think dying wont be that bad, why bother living in such a world
Very real
All I have to say is DAWWW! That artwork is adorable!
Can you do a video on Extra Credits addiction? I think I need it
I am profoundly impressed with how well you convey ideas. You and your team really are adding so much GOOD to youtube, and to the gaming and gaming development worlds. Thank you
As a game dev this channel helps me think more in depth into the industry not just in the game. Thank you for what you do every episode!
My auntie would always either play with me or cheer me on when I was a little shit with a PS1, to this day I have fondest memories of her and it took my actual parents years to get close to the levels of trust I have for her.
Hey guys! Big fan, appreciate everything you've done for gaming addiction. A lot of people have shared with me how much your video has helped them out. I always wonder why so many in the gaming community try and pretend that gaming addiction doesn't exist. It clearly does but not "every gamer" has a problem, just some and by bringing more awareness to the fact that it's OK and there ARE underlying issues going on, you are helping a lot of people feel less alone.
I grew up with gamer parents. My parents met playing Dungeons and Dragons and introduced me to all my first video games. They bought me all my first consoles and games and I can remember HOURS spent laughing with my mum and sister while I flailed uselessly around on the Xbox. I actually asked my mum permission when I was 14 to buy an M game because I knew she understood games- she did and we played Fable together. Now my mum sister and I get together on long weekends and drink beer and try to stumble through the old DOS rpgs that got this all started.
It is SO important for parents to be active in their children's lives and interests and to make time for them and to share their interests with their kids.
Oh thank god, someone finally addresses that gaming is not the problem and that it is in fact, bad parenting. I can't tell you how many console/game/ect fantards I've seen saying that if parents bought "such and such" console/game they wouldn't have any issues or negative influences in the industry. Meanwhile that person is begging off of a vague assumption and not considering the actual problem in which parenting is involved and how that affects the kid. "Kids play M-rated games and are addicted to games, now if they were playing this game/on this console it would be no issue." My ass.
***** I just need to post this here...
:D
MrYosh :D
Neither parents nor games stand at the center of this.
Parents should merely provide the tools for a child to process and contextualize exposure to something new, like a potentially scary game. But if they hover, in/discourage and constantly lord over the child, they squash independent thought and any chances for the child to grow.
The center of the problem is a lack of respect for children, who are often more capable than adults at processing new things in a healthy way.
People wrap them up in bobble wrap, cover their ears, and nod to each other in agreement that children cannot be trusted to think for themselves.
Sure, their frontal- and prefrontal cortex isn't done developing, which means they lack the logical capacity of an adult. But in exchange, they have neuroplasticity that makes them knowledge sponges, they lack biases, have a much more acute sense of right and wrong, and function perfectly well on a simplistic form of logic, which bypasses roadblocks an adult mind as attained... And given the right tools, children can not only process mature games on their own, they quickly find them as boring and overinflated as they often are.
I don't often subscribe to things on YT, but Extra Credits is one of the best channels I've ever subbed.
Mac has one of the best art styles I've seen by far. This dude rocks.
Hello my name is Matt from Vancouver Island, I fully support every notion put forth in this video/idea. Gaming I believe has many educational aspects, interactive aspects, social aspects, promotes team work, creates determination, creates devotion, builds friendships, teach's critical thinking, activates imagination and for myself, I find that it helps rebuild serotonin in your brain which helps deal with any depression, PTSD or anxiety. I say this because when involved in an enjoyable/fun game, it allows my brain a rest from these life stress's, allows the brain chemical serotonin to rebuild itself.
I've watched alot of these extra credit vids and no disrespect to the other artist's but the art in this particular one is def some of the best I've seen yet! His cuts and scenes were just perfect and engaging! Awesome work.
I am in love with this art style. oh my gosh the tackle
Allison Jensen. That is all I was thinking for the beginning of the season, and Mac made that a reality. Thanks bro.
This is so true. I've listened to a bunch of gaming commentators, but always wanted a more in-depth discussion about game mechanics and themes than the average youtuber provides. The average quality of this channel's videos is just fantastic.
I am slowly making my way through all these videos!! Theyre so great! But this is one of my favorites because I grew up with a dad who loves video games and in a lot of ways it was how we bonded. When WoW was at its hype I had my own character on his account and was loved by his guild because my priest kicked serious butt and it didn't matter that I was a 15 year old girl. We played a lot of console games together or took turns and rooted each other on. Now I live in a different state but video games is a huge part of how I connect with my little sister, who is 14 years my junior. We have PvZ Garden Warfare dates, and my dad joins us most of the time. Its just soooo easy to do this, and to use video games to foster positive relationships and I've never seen how I was raised addressed so positively and I just wanted to say thanks :D
I just watched this after watching Extra Play, and it hurts my brain that Dan's voice is _so_ deep, and yet _so_ high
I'm pretty sure I was addicted to the gaming as a child
I would spend all the time playing Morrowind or Pokemon, when I began playing video games I pretty much stopped reading books and I used to be quite a bookworm. Once my dad was sent to a hospital and I could care less because I was too busy finishing some level. I don't know how can you explain such a state but as an addiction
The state I was in was just terrible, and no, my parents didn't use video games as a "babysitter", they disapproved but I would argue with them every time they tried to talk about the influence games made on my life
I guess there is no scientific proof that gaming is addictive, but I surely am happy I got out of that problem. Gaming can swallow you whole if you're not careful, especially if you're some kid who is still learning to be responsible. It surely is addictive
Not trying to be little or insult you in anyway but that's not addiction that's being an immature ass as a child. Alot of people (myself included) kinda had that going on
Jacob Cochran i still have it p.s im 12
Chari Mahariel
It might be that your "addiction" came more as a sponge to soak up a compulsure or problem you had to face in childhood. Many children these days hide behind games, because of problems such as mobbing, shyness and missunderstandings or just plain rebelious nature, seeing the world as dull, boring or even an enemy.
Best way to avoid such things is not to drag you out of it, but to try and share these moments and try to find understanding in it.
I might sound like I just try to be convincing some people to believe in false here, but I really think that this is the cancer within those "addiction" accusitions on games.
The best way I could put it to example is with a reversed theory that I lived through.
I used to play with my grandpa a lot. He played video games with us since we were 8 years old. Final Fantasy VII being one of the games he helped us getting through. After he died I refused to play Video Games. I was even ready to burn the console, because it pained me just looking at it with all the memories I had... My siblings went through similar states and we often sat around just sticking to reality. This went on for several month. Hell, even years. I went out and bought games, but never played them for over 3 years after he died and focused on my Art that became real grey and depressing during these days. 3 years after, my grandma died, too. Her last wish was for us to play Final Fantasy VII with her in the Hospital. The game grandpa loved the most, but we never finished during his living time... We played with her over the cause of one week and finished the game just one day before her operation. After that, she passed away and said to the nurse that she loved every last second of her life, no matter if this may be the end... ...
This dragged me out of this slumb, as it did with everyone in my family. We didn't play games only for the people around us. We did so, because it brought us together as a family and helped us with hardships. It gave us memories that nobody could take away. That is why I started playing games again and enjoy every single minute while learning something new about me, my siblings and the game itself.
LordBloodySoul Aren't you that guy who I had an argument with?
Zephyr
How the hell did you get here?
And, nope, we didn't argue.
I was telling you about my tower and stuff. o.o
I love Mac's artstyle. Very cute and allows many facial expressions.
Definitely will check out his work. :)
Some of my favorite moments are playing Frogger with my Grandpa and playing NFS with my dad :)
I love the artist! Good Job Mac
I think a major part of why I love gaming so much is the fact that I've spent a lot of time as a kid not only playing games, but also talking about them with my Dad. I would also sit there and watch him play games for hours. Me watching him play Max Payne as a 10 year old was an awesome experience that I look back to a lot. It was an awesome dad son time. Once we got more than one PC in the house and he had time, we'd also LAN up and play multiplayer games together.
added to fav,now I could share it when necessary
I can speak to this topic a bit.
My family harped on for at least three years about how I was addicted to video games; about how terrible for me, and others, they are, and many other things besides. At the time I played a lot of video games, and I still do, but the kicker is why.
About a year ago I got screen for ADD/ADHD. My aunt was diagnosed, and I showed a lot of the signs, so I decided to get screened. The woman who did my screening stamped "ADD" on my forehead, I would imagine, within fifteen minutes of us meeting, and after two hours she made it abundantly clear that there was no doubt. She explained that the reason why I made it through 24 years of my life, and got halfway through a Master's degree without any treatment was because I learned how to cope. Aided by my intellect I seal myself off and limit my focus so I only have to focus on two or three things in my life, broadly speaking. In other words, I would sit at my PC and play games for hours on end because they are easy for me to focus on, and by not requiring myself to pay much mind to other things I am able to keep my ADD under control: it's hard to lose focus on something when there is nothing to pull away your focus.
Now, thankfully, I am medicated, and while I still spend a lot of time playing video games, no one can say that I am addicted because my medication removes the need for me to isolate myself, making it easy for me to take a break and engage in other activities.I was never remotely addicted, I was just coping with my diagnosed ADD.
I can feel you on that, though my situation is different, I too, have ADD. I usually spend at least 10 hrs/day in front of a computer screen. This wasn't bad parenting(though I admit my parents could be better), but because I have few interests, and video games is the big one, it's what I do with most of my life. There are a few reasons why I'm not medicated. Partially because I've had a bad past with medication, somewhat because I'm not fond of potential side effects, and, last but not least, I'm a prideful bastard.
I probably couldn't keep a job because I wouldn't stand doing the same thing for hours 5 days of the week. I can hardly keep playing the same game for long. I would need the freedom to jump from task to task when I wanted to.
My favorite artist on this channel so far.
This art style is adorable, I love it!
For a show about gaming, you have done a good job of motivating me to put down the controller sometimes for the good of my health.
These videos are so compelling and informative
Okay I really love this art style. Has this artist done any other episodes for you guys? (except, obviously, part 2)
Maybe not bad parenting nor addiction, but individual experiences and personalities is the primary lead for this. For example, a person to have been neglected and abandoned; not from parents solely but from friends or trying to make friends with new people but they can't and won't see you as part of their circle in the future see gaming as a way to fill that void. Gaming serves a positive reinforcement to curb or lessen greatly on negativity of life for those who are depressed or having feelings of not being accepted by others or even doubting yourself in society.
But I am only speaking for those that are in the moderate to mild extreme in the spectrum (not total extreme). As that person grows into their mid to late 20's or even mid 30's, the need for gaming will usually die off in most cases and focusing on the actual issue which will be easier to tackle than when you were in your 20's.
Also, Gaming can fend off starvation and famine; distractions from being too hungry. It's a powerful tool in rationing food during when food supply is low (if it is necessary).
This topic tackles what made me love video games and also sparked the flame that led me to my career. Computers.
When I was maybe 7 i was familiar with my nintendo and playstation. This was before mutltiplayer across multiple consoles or online was a thing. My dad then introduced me to the original command and conquer and he had two computers in his apartment. At that time networking had never been introduced to me. I had no experience with the internet, cross console multiplayer, or any form of data exchange in my life. I asked my dad after playing command and conquer for a an hour, "how do we make them talk so we can both play"
I had to go back to my moms that evening but when I came back to my dads the following weekend he had installed command and conquer and starcraft on both machines and had configured the TCP/IP protocol so that we could play multiplayer. It was grueling for him I am sure because if he beat my I cried so he would just build and let me explore interactions with another player, something I had never gotten to do before. He's also the one who set me up with everquest. Ever since that day when I asked him that question he allowed me to explore computing as a hobby. Helped me build my first computer. This got me into modding games and seeking out other peoples mods that I found online. I still remember in 7th grade a friend told me you could mod starcraft and came to school with a copy on disc for me the next day. That disc had the protoss sprites all converted to gundams, I think the terran as well. And the zerg command center, ya it was a giant pokeball. Now I work in the IT industry and I'm grateful all the time that my father embraced computers and videos games and familiarized me to them at a time when having a home computer still wasn't all that common.
Before that interaction my dad would yell at me to get off the playstation and go outside because he didnt really see the benefit of me playing them. But after that day he showed me command and conquer and I asked him that question, he dove in with me and it was a way where we could interact with one another.
The feel of the ending song is fantastically relevant to the topic lol.
I have really enjoy the artwork style of this episode. :-)
For the record, my Dad played a TON of games with me when I was a kid, even single player. He taught me how to get over my fear of the monsters, and that every enemy can be beaten if you only take the time to figure out how.
Good god the art in this episode was FANTASTIC
love this topic! This also applies to cartoon and anime, too. when i watched my favorite shows as a kid, some adults just went on and told me that it's bad and bad and such, alienate newer media just because they seem odd and unfamiliar to them. Of course I played video games, watch cartoons, but I also played outside, too! All I can think about those negative comments from said adults are "this is not how you bond with a child!"
I really loved Mac's art style!
You bring up a good point about parents playing games with their kids. See, I started gaming when I was 3. My first game was CS 1.6. My dad played with me and he made sure we were on the same team so he could help me out. I never really played games by myself until I was around 11. I've always played with either my Dad or my older brother and I must say it has helped me a lot. Games are my hobby but I don't spend my life on them since I have a life outside.
All the commentors who are trying to equate gaming compulsion to addiction are doing so for control purposes. Their trying to treat games like marijuana so they can ban it's sale and declare war on it. They don't care about facts and science, the have totally bought into the hype and hysteria.
Video games are actually a lot like marijuana with regard to addiction, because in both cases compulsion is usually if not totally psychological.
***** What evidence do you have?
Fafnd
That marijuana addiction is primarily psychological?
I should clarify that I'm using "psychological" in the medical and not the social sense. As in, the dependancy isn't chemically based, I don't mean it isn't real.
That said, here;
www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-teenage-mind/201012/is-marijuana-addictive
www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/cannabis/Pages/default.aspx
Alomost every source I've seen states that addiction is in most cases a psychological dependance, and especially with regard to marijuana.
*****
Well, yeah, but a chemical dependance is different from a psychological dopamine addiction.
***** I think trying to blame everything on chemicals implies that we have no choice in the matter. Unless you don't believe in free will. You can't just blame it all on chemicals.
THE ART STYLE IS EPIC! Looooooool and omg the dialog. xDD
I'd kill to have some parental video game bonding growing up (or bonding, period).
However, I was born in 1989 so my parents came from a generation that viewed games as arcade machines, insanely addicting and compulsive. They did not realize that the reason my friends and I loved Ocarina of Time so much wasn't because we were being controlled, it was simply beautiful and full of things and places to explore and get lost in for hours on end. I had that very same experience with Morrowind years later. It was simply more fun to explore that world than dealing with the daily bullying and pressure that came with the real world, and my friends and I got very sucked in, spending our time in recess discussing it and trading rumours like the hidden assault rifle and such.
But I think that the next generations won't be having the problems that I had, having been raised with video games being a norm rather than a compulsive hobby of blinking lights and coins.
I kinda feel like showing this to my parents, but I don't know if "Serious bad parenting" would sit very well with them
Playing with your kids is very important. I remember playing games like RollerCoaster Tycoon, The Incredible Machine, and even PS2 games like Harry Potter 2 and Midnight Club 2 with my dad. Eventually, this ended up turning around and I introduced him to new games such as Portal. It definitely shaped our relationship, and I could tell when we stopped playing games together as much, and I started hanging around my mom more. Games are powerful, and I'm happy for my time playing them with my dad.
This channel is what I have been looking for my entire life...
As he said in the video, gaming can be a bonding experience. One of the memories I have with my father was playing Mario Kart 64, I only had one controller, but still I atleast had a great time and that is still stuck with me until this day. A fond memory.
I love Mac's art so much.
This raises some really amazing points. I'm a writer and through most of my early teens writing short stories and novel ideas. My parents and teachers all said I was losing my life to fictional worlds and I would end up as nothing more than a vegetable who can't do anything in the real world. I'm now writing books for a living, I'm loving it and am more succesful than anyone else in my family. Getting engrossed in fiction is not a bad thing, this video needs to be seen.
Sweet! thank you for splitting up this video, honestly.
some games are so compelling i want them to win an award for great design and gameplay. after a long day at school in 2005, i would hop on flash game websites and go through around 10 games. testing them out. quickly exiting the bad ones. i felt the knots of my brain loosening during gameplay, recharging me for the day to come perhaps.
Love the art in this episode.
I know this was posted ages ago, but I really like on of the points raised in this one: parents should play video games with their kids. And speaking from personal experience, the points he makes about it are true. I still have fond memories of playing Soul Caliber with my dad, passing over the controller after every round as we worked through arcade and story modes together. My uncle would play different video games with my cousins and then we'd all play together (which was awesome; they had a 90" tv).
I think the same can be applied to TV, too. My parents had a messy divorce, and afterwards my brother and I only got to see our dad every other weekend and on Wednesdays. But then we found out that SciFi was playing Stargate SG-1 every Wednesday just a little after we were dropped off, so we made a bonding moment out of watching it every week. I still have very fond memories of it.
I agree that TV and video games are not a replacement for parenting, and they never should be. However, in the hands of good parents, it can be a very powerful tool.
My Parents didn´t mind if i played games too much. Hell I beat Super C with my Dad with neither of us losing a single life. On the otherside he was a pretty antisocial Guy himself, so being able to stay inside while doing something with me and my brother at the same time... Not sure if you´d call it bad parenting, but we sure had a blast.
That's exactly how it's suppose to be.
video games are amazing is because there perfect for outcast or people that dont have good social skills
and i can do evil things without being arrested
Whatevuh The sunbro People with bad social skills can still have real friends.
I love the picture you use to represent the gaming community
i knew the last part of the video already but for some reason watching yours makes me realise that the same thing happened to me except by accident my uncle introduced me to games but back then when i first discovered it i would mostly just play the occasional sports game with dad, but that was it. then dad went to Bosnia as a peacekeeper and i didn't know what was going on. i just played games because i felt isolated since he was gone for my birthday and the other kids thought it was weird
Possibly the best guest person.
Wow thanks, games where a huge part of my early childhood, thanks
This is a tough issue. One one side it is better to design games to be less addictive. It is tricky because it is a spectrum. One one end there is chess. This game relies wholey on strategy, and it has no fancy tricks to hone things in. One the other end there is slot machiene. This game is essentially a skinner box with randomized reward. It also contributes to gambling addiction. Many games go in the middle. Some are better than others. It is hard to tell where to draw the line. I have my own preferences. Personally the only compulisive thing I like in games are in game rewards. These are things like leveling systems, achievments, loot drops and stuff like that. Heck I even came up with the idea of achievments on my own before seeing them in games. That stuff is fine. The really good games have something substantial to draw players in. It is things like mystery, mastery, narritave and cognitave challenge. Then there are things that are not good. I prefer to avoid these things if I design games. My pet peeve is randomness. I hate to rely on luck when playing. Loosing as a result of bad luck is frustrating. It makes the game more like gambling. I also don't like timed gameplay like energy systems and daily quests. It is irritatiting to wait for the chance to play more. It turns gaming into a boring chore. Randomness and timed events don't make the game more un. They are tricks to keep people playing. They are the two methods to get people pecking the buttons in skinner boxes the most. Casinos exploit this to squeeze money out of players. This could be addressed in a whole other episode. It is touched on in the episode about skinner boxes and the episode on humane play.
On the other hand responsibility on part of the player is important too. If the player is a child, it should be the responsibility of the parent. In the recent COPPA issue people have thrown RUclips and its creators under the bus. It is unfair. RUclips is a video site, not a baby sitter. the whole concept of suing RUclips for sopposedly invading the privacy of children is absolutly ludicrous. Unfortunatly the games are treated unfairly the same way in this video. Games are entertainment, not baby sitters. If a parent isn't going to bother watching thier kids, they shouldn't put the blame on whatever the kids are doing. They shouldn't blame video games, tv, RUclips or whatever else kids are doing. I think the ultamite mesure of how much gaming is too much is that of functioning. A person has things they got to do. They have work, school, sleep, chores and the like. If gaming is not interfering with these activities, than it is not too much. It is that straightforward. It is the responsibility of the player to manage thier play time and still function. Gaming is just harmless fun for free time. People need to wake up and see gaming for what it is. If someone is really that worried, I think all it takes is a gentle nudge. If someone is a gamer, there is nothing wrong with it, as long as there is a reasonable moderation. They can move on from there. They can use games for education. There is tangential learning. They may get into edutainment games. They can even consider a career in game design. That is movieing in the right direction for games.
love how you just tape "KID" onto the head of that guy looking at those 2 gamers with the game between them.
Game is not addictive...
Oms, some years later: hold my beer
I love this...thank u so much.
Thank you! I'll be honest, my son got into sports and I have absolutely ZERO idea where it came from (genetically speaking. Both me and his mother are not fans of daylight or sports, lol) but I was as supportive of him as I knew how to be. But then the miraculous day finally arrived when he discovered Pokémon... And I was finally the all-knowing, indestructible, all-powerful dad that I've long wished to be. Because of a videogame that I played as a kid, now MY kid, in his 6 year old mind, has a reason to look up to me - Because of a videogame.
Hey gaming addiction is now a real diagnosis
Thanks EC I'll at least try to so them this video and try to get them to play with me but my dad doesn't like what I like and my mom doesn't like games so I'll try. PS you guys our a positive influence in my life thank you.
Means a lot to hear that...
I've got friends, a love, everything that can show that I still matter in the world...
Life is not as it's expected, but things turn out well in the end...
The artist for this video is really good
The whole concept of sitting with your kid and even just watching and encouraging making for a good bonding experience is, IMHO, true. I was simply playing Skyrim in my room and my dad came in and watched me for maybe 30 seconds and asked questions and I had more fun in that 30 seconds of joking about what I was doing than I had in hours of gameplay. It doesn't only make for good bonding and better memories but it just makes the game more enjoyable.
i love the art work :D
So, I guess I'm part of the demo you're talking about, so I thought I'd stick my oar in.
I grew up with games. I used to spend hours on my NES as a kid, as well as spending hours exploring my village and the woods around it, and it was all part of making me who I am today. Games are a social activity that I share with my children, and a big topic of conversation we can share on an equal footing. I can't really talk on their level about school, and they can't talk to me about politics or news or work, but we can all talk about Games.
I can share the cool things I found in Minecraft with them; they can tell me about the new loot they found in Terraria; we can share the bases we built in Subnautica. Sure, there's a capability gap - try as they might, I'm still going to be better than they are at most of these games, at least for a while - but that just reinforces the parent-child dynamic.
At their best, games fire up the imagination. Games like Minecraft and Terraria give you a palette to explore who and what you are, to help find and define yourself. Games like Mass Effect immerse you in other worlds and open you up to new ideas. I would no more isolate my children from that world than I would yell at them for reading too much!
A lot of what was mentioned for this topic reminds me of "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury, with all the mention of using technology as an easy way out and a babysitter.
i love how you used the eve map for complexity
Back when I was having an extremely hard time in school I could find joy in few things but in gaming. Skyrim had recently come out during a very low point in my school career and just coming home to lose myself within the game was what kept me alive. Even in current day, I'm at quite a low point right now but I recently bought myself the newest Zelda game (yes I'm aware I'm a bit late to it but I just couldn't afford it when it came out) and playing it and losing myself within Hyrule is the absolute highlight of my day. Sounds sad probably but gaming is easily one of the things that stopped me from breaking down entirely.
4:00 the reason why I am on the Internet and play games so much instead of spending time with the "family" I live in is that there are arguments and violence.
I'm loving that art!
I was addicted to games. I early started to play (round 9-10). It were at first games I played with friends, on the SNES mario cart with my friends in our cellars. But then I played more and more, while my friends played outside. I barely wented outside and rarly played with them. I even lost a really really nice friend due to my addicition, I rather played than cariing for my friend(s) developing a relationship with him/them. Then I got my first FPS with the age of 12 (it was starwars battlefront so no really big deal). Besides that I played alout of Zoo Tycoon Sims(2) and nearly all Total War games. I could talk with m friends in school about it, after school. We often meet to play games and outside or called each other on the phone and talked more than 2 hours about games. But it slowly but surely took might over me. With the age of 14 I was completky addicited. While others made sport and med with friends I sat outside and played games. My skin got pale (for someone who comes out of a quit dark family) I got layz aggresiv fat and just downright weak and "ugly". It destroyed my grades because I only played and played and played. Played my new games through in 1 week. 10 hours each day sometimes, I just couldn't stop. I was punished from my parents with did sometimes good sometimes bad, I was bored didn't knew what to do when my PC/consol was taken away from me. I wasn't allowed to play on my DS or to get on my mobil phone. I was a really wimpy kid. But then from one week to another I wrecked myself up. I cuted the gaming, my grades improved. I sudnly didn't wanted to play anymore. I was bored by it so I started doing sport excercesing. Now 2 years later I growed got dark skin have alout of muscles and I'm not weak anymore. I found my new passion. I don't blame games for my foolish behavior, I blame myself. I still like games, I watch alout about them talk about them in a good manner and don't hate them like alout of people would now..Its just, games are dangerous in the hands of kids. Let them play them, but not too much.
(One funny thing btw, while I do sport now, 80% of all my friends are now addictiv to games).
I too have to say that, while I do like the old art, this new art is the business. Also great episode as usual.
What about the addiction to watch your videos?I should be in bed and go to work tomorrow.This channel is killing me!
I didn't click subscribe for the same reason as most youtubers, I clicked the subscribe button, cause your words made me, thank you :)
Comment box of this video is a Gem. Lot's of touching stories of real life people in one page. 💟
There are many people who really need to watch this series.
Okay...wow...that last part...about the parents bit blew my mind...not really but...opened an eye...
I now realize the reason why my parents stick me with games within my room...sure they give me anything I want no matter what consequences I've had in the past...but as digital babysitters... Sure they take me out now and again, chores and whatnot...but we never spent real time together...just...
...Huh...
Neither of parents were really into games or really cared about them when I was growing up but I can remember my dad and even my mom at least trying it since it was something I had an intrest in. Honestly while playing the game with them wasn't really all that fun even to a younger me it meant a lot to me that they at leSt gave it a try and I think that's all parents have to do.
Mac is eaaasily my favorite guest artist...evar!
I don'd know if you know this but, a teenager once died from playing diablo 3 too much ,but the hick up is he played for over 24 hours straight. When the cyber cafe owner called the police ,they arrived to find his body pretty much stiff in his last position.
Mac does awesome art!
This art style is so cute!
You can actually cut off games but you have to cut off all screen viewing for the entire family- I saw a show about a go slow coach in Australia- he also got them to cut back extra activities. The addiction incidents are usually adults.