How do I convince her games have merit?

[cairocat]

My mom is dead set in scapegoating video-games for all my 'inadequacies' (no innuendo intended). She feels that all video games are useless and mind killing, even more so than television. She believe I have an 'addiction' which she has to cure, and my modest 10-hours-a-week playtime has been reduced to zero. I usually play Halo and I'm ecstatic about Reach. All my friends love it and we play together every night. Since they live far away it's a great way to spend time together and socialize. On the contrary, she sees it as antisocial and useless, so now my four-player Legendary runthrough is a three-man game and I'm stuck hearing stories of 'epic kills' the next day. How do I convince her it isn't killing my soul?

 

[lostzombies.com]

Tell her it's something you enjoy. If she doesn't change her mind then she doesn't love you, sorry.

 

[Judgement101]

Tell her that she is what is socially killing you.

 

[Thedayrecker]

My Grandma thought this, until she heard me singing along to some Italian music from Mafia 2 (she's Italian, and it's from her time era). Now she's okay with them.

Soooo..... is you're mom Italian?

 

[cairocat]

My Grandma thought this, until she heard me singing along to some Italian music from Mafia 2 (she's Italian, and it's from her time era). Now she's okay with them.

Soooo..... is you're mom Italian?

I wish it was that easy...

 

[Danzaivar]

Tell her she's right and you'll spend your free time hanging outside instead. Then go break the law or get caught doing drugs. If she isn't an idiot she'd put two and two together.

Or just demonstrate the above example to her verbally.

 

[cairocat]

Tell her she's right and you'll spend your free time hanging outside instead. Then go break the law or get caught doing drugs. If she isn't an idiot she'd put two and two together.

Or just demonstrate the above example to her verbally.

Wow!

So so far I have:

?Sing Italian Music
?Break the Law

...next?

 

[Hashime]

My mom is dead set in scapegoating video-games for all my 'inadequacies' (no innuendo intended). She feels that all video games are useless and mind killing, even more so than television. She believe I have an 'addiction' which she has to cure, and my modest 10-hours-a-week playtime has been reduced to zero. I usually play Halo and I'm ecstatic about Reach. All my friends love it and we play together every night. Since they live far away it's a great way to spend time together and socialize. On the contrary, she sees it as antisocial and useless, so now my four-player Legendary runthrough is a three-man game and I'm stuck hearing stories of 'epic kills' the next day. How do I convince her it isn't killing my soul?

Show her the studies showing that gamers are faster decision makers, have faster reaction times, are more cognitively active than those watching TV.

 

[SimuLord]

She'd rather have you watching a form of entertainment (TV) that is PROVEN to reduce critical thinking and decision-making skills and which is the fastest way to atrophy the brain vs. a form of entertainment that improves hand-eye coordination, rapid-fire decision making skills, and overall cognitive function?

Stupid parents in this world. Although you could really do a lot better than Halo. My mom encouraged my gaming habits when I was playing Aerobiz and Civilization and SimCity back in the early 90s.

 

[jawg_t-j]

tell her that computer games are an experience a life lesson that halo is teaching you a life lesson and keeping you out of troble. i dont actually play reach so im not quite sure and i wouldnt know about a bosy mum because mines pretty cool she dos get angry at my brother alot but he dos it practilly every free moment he has. but my mum dosnt get gaming see so as long as i show that there somthing worth wile by gaming like i showd her that extra credits video about life lessons in games. or just get her into gaming to see what you see in it. also its a bit weird that she said tv is better than gaming so where dos the internet stand. oh yeah and stuff about that its free speach and that she trying to find a scapegoat for in underapreciated art form.

 

[LazerStallion]

Hit her. If that doesn't work, there are many research studies done about gaming, as previously mentioned. The University of Rochester has done a lot of that, start looking there.

 

[Furious Styles]

Shadow of the Colossus and Heavy Rain. If those two can't convince her that games can be worthwhile then you should probably consider killing your mum.

 

[Paksenarrion]

Tell her she's right and you'll spend your free time hanging outside instead. Then go break the law or get caught doing drugs. If she isn't an idiot she'd put two and two together.

Or just demonstrate the above example to her verbally.

Wow!

So so far I have:

?Sing Italian Music
?Break the Law

...next?

Why not do both? Sing Italian Music *while* Breaking the Law!

 

[Josh123914]

play Halo near her but with all the 'kid friendly' perks on, like the headshot confetti and somehow just focus on whatever the grunts are saying(though that probably won't work with reach because the comic relief was toned down alot for that game compared to say, halo3)

 

[migo]

Tell her she's right and you'll spend your free time hanging outside instead. Then go break the law or get caught doing drugs. If she isn't an idiot she'd put two and two together.

Or just demonstrate the above example to her verbally.

She'll probably blame it on the video games then.

OT: Suck it up, go find a job, or volunteer somewhere to give you experience getting jobs, then once you have money, move out, tell her she sucks and never talk to her again.

 

[ALuckyChance]

Tell her that all entertainment is useless in the end, and that just because you happen to enjoy something that includes violence (and never mind the TV shows, movies, and books that include it. Are those 'useless,' too?), that doesn't mean it inhibits your capacity to be social. In fact, as you are playing with friends, you are being the exact opposite of antisocial.

 

[BenzSmoke]

Show her Extra Credits?

 

[RagnorakTres]

Show her Extra Credits?

......I'll second this idea.

 

[Serenegoose]

Eh, when I was younger and this was tried, I just took up a whole load of space in the living room doing squat all. I did not verbally complain about my boredom, I'd just do nothing. When I was interrogated, I'd have a prepared up answer that invariably mentioned that I WOULD be spending time with my friends if I could game, since that's what they're doing. Since she's stepped in with her heavy handed shit (phrase more diplomatically!) your social life has been crippled since your friends are now excluding you.