Life is a waste of time
Time is a waste of life
Get wasted all the time and you'll have the time of your life
Time is a waste of life
Get wasted all the time and you'll have the time of your life
Gaming is truly a waste of time
- Thread starter SantoUno
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I learned English from gaming. If I hadn't, I would be typing with broken, or rather mutilated grammar, instead of being the grammar-nazi I am.
I think that's fairly useful...
I think that's fairly useful...
This.Godavari said:
Well, we do gain indirect education from all of these media, most obviously from reading, but the point stands. If gaming is a waste of time, then these should also be (but are NOT are they?) considered as such. But in my opinion, self-fulfilment through escapism and doing things you enjoy is just as important as being actively productive.
Utilitarianism is purpose in productivity or the useful, you're thinking of hedonism which is purpose in pleasure... I'm sure some other group has assigned a non-derogatory word for the same thing....Scobie said:
Since honestly it's not a bad way to live, people who work all their lives are the messed up ones as their work is meaningless to them if they never have fun.
That's a really good point, I think the issue of it being a waste is not the waste itself but that it is thought of as a "game" and childish, therefore not a "proper" way to waste time. It's all just one big social guilt trip to force conformity into other activities like sports and drugs. (Don't tell the parents about that last part though)Zero-Vash said:
Gotta jump on with the gaming helps you learn crew here...
One of the first games I ever played was Civilisation 2, I learnt a hell of a lot of geography, more than a little history (notably famous names) as well as the progression of technology...I was a kid aged 5/6 and I knew what the Woman's Suffrage was for christ's sake. Yeah it was because I asked my parents (hah, no internet) but the game introduced it to me...
I've learnt tons of stuff from games, possibly more than from books though it's a tight call since I read a hell of a lot too...but I have learnt a lot, certainly. More than TV's ever taught me.
Then of course you have the less obvious benefits, my reflexes are pretty good, can't attribute it all to gaming but I doubt it hindered, gaming has helped me think laterally and tactically in a lot of ways.
It isn't the same as straight out information gathering or honing one's skills, but it does do a fair bit...that is if you don't just play MW2 and shout at americans all day (even then you're experiencing other...cultures?)
Anyway, as everyone else has said, what isn't a waste of time under that bracket? Personally I find it hard to think of ANYTHING that's an actual waste of time, even the most menial of tasks and most meaningless of information can be useful at some point, however even if it were, it's enjoyable, just like sex without a baby in mind, eating good food, playing sports, going to the gym, watching TV, reading and just about everything that doesn't make money...
One of the first games I ever played was Civilisation 2, I learnt a hell of a lot of geography, more than a little history (notably famous names) as well as the progression of technology...I was a kid aged 5/6 and I knew what the Woman's Suffrage was for christ's sake. Yeah it was because I asked my parents (hah, no internet) but the game introduced it to me...
I've learnt tons of stuff from games, possibly more than from books though it's a tight call since I read a hell of a lot too...but I have learnt a lot, certainly. More than TV's ever taught me.
Then of course you have the less obvious benefits, my reflexes are pretty good, can't attribute it all to gaming but I doubt it hindered, gaming has helped me think laterally and tactically in a lot of ways.
It isn't the same as straight out information gathering or honing one's skills, but it does do a fair bit...that is if you don't just play MW2 and shout at americans all day (even then you're experiencing other...cultures?)
Anyway, as everyone else has said, what isn't a waste of time under that bracket? Personally I find it hard to think of ANYTHING that's an actual waste of time, even the most menial of tasks and most meaningless of information can be useful at some point, however even if it were, it's enjoyable, just like sex without a baby in mind, eating good food, playing sports, going to the gym, watching TV, reading and just about everything that doesn't make money...
SantoUno said:
SantoUno said:
Well, I'm retired on disabillity so it doesn't matter so much in my case anymore. I still wind up having to do a lot of others things however.
I do not consider gaming a waste of time any more than any other hobby. The thing is though that gaming does not yet have respect as a hobby, despite a sizable community. A guy who is a recreational fisherman for example who sits around in a lawn chair on a dock, or wades out into knee-deep water, and watches the clouds go by as he holds a fishing rod and waits for a fish to bite that he's probably going to throw back is engaging in a complete waste of time. If he does this regularly he probably spends hundreds or thousands of dollars on fishing tackle to boot. The same can be said for people who build models like planes or boats, collect model train sets, or other things.
The benefit of hobbies are keeping the mind occupied, letting ones hair down, and relaxation, it's a healthy thing, and when people have a lot of free time or are getting stressed out, finding a hobby is something doctors and other professionals recommend.
Given time and the persistance of the community we'll probably see more respect for gaming as a hobby. Right now however people tend to badmouth it because it's not well accepted. It will take until Generation X and Generation Y come into their own and the Boomers are out of the loop for things to really change however.
A more fair question would be to ask people if they felt the time they spent gaming was wasted. At least in my case, and I guess many others, the answer would be "no" because I had fun doing it, thus it was not a waste. Just as the recreational fisherman who does it to relax and goof off and doesn't even develop it as a useful survival skill due to the pace at which he catches fish (he's not aggressive about it) does not feel his time is wasted either despite having nothing to show for it except a bunch of expensive gear, and maybe wet shoes.
I learned the map of Europe and aced geography because of the Total War games.SantoUno said:
However, I know exactly what you mean. I could be raw at break dancing or some other talent if I hadn't sunk thousands of hours into videogames in my life...
Since we all are doomed to die, and our solar system, then our galaxy, then our Universe doomed as well, you can either take the position that nothing is a waste of time, or everything is a waste of time.
Even back here on Planet Earth, who's to say what is and isn't a waste of time? Who wrote what law that says that every waking minute of every day must be filled with material productivity? In that case, most jobs are also a waste of time, since they don't produce much other than intellectual constructs or pollution.
All of this depends on what value you put on the seeming-intangibles, like happiness and recreation. There is nothing factual about any of this, at all. Only mean old grizzled men with bent backs from carrying around hate all their lives because they couldn't get a single day off would mistake "waste of time" as anything other than an opinion.
From the perspective of a forty-year-old man with wife and son and many responsibilities including a miserable full time job that devours gigantic chunks of time with little payoff personally, I can vouch for certain that nothing is a waste of time that injects a little fun, a little action, a little mystery, and a little recreation into my life.
Even back here on Planet Earth, who's to say what is and isn't a waste of time? Who wrote what law that says that every waking minute of every day must be filled with material productivity? In that case, most jobs are also a waste of time, since they don't produce much other than intellectual constructs or pollution.
All of this depends on what value you put on the seeming-intangibles, like happiness and recreation. There is nothing factual about any of this, at all. Only mean old grizzled men with bent backs from carrying around hate all their lives because they couldn't get a single day off would mistake "waste of time" as anything other than an opinion.
From the perspective of a forty-year-old man with wife and son and many responsibilities including a miserable full time job that devours gigantic chunks of time with little payoff personally, I can vouch for certain that nothing is a waste of time that injects a little fun, a little action, a little mystery, and a little recreation into my life.
most forms of entertainment are really a waste of time, you don't gain anything from watching a movie. But then again you can't really live without out some source of entertainment (or can you?)and so, you could possibly see it nto as a watse of time but simply your souce of entertainment
I think this thread is more to do with the insecurity of the gamer, rather than gaming itself.
Entertainment, no matter the form, is a waste of time. That is why it exists, to distract you from the more mundane/constructive/difficult/non-entertaining areas of your life. So time wasting in this regard is important in order to balance your life and emotions.
And for many people gaming is a very effective waste of time.
Entertainment, no matter the form, is a waste of time. That is why it exists, to distract you from the more mundane/constructive/difficult/non-entertaining areas of your life. So time wasting in this regard is important in order to balance your life and emotions.
And for many people gaming is a very effective waste of time.