Are computer games ruining peoples lives?

DaltyF · Nov 27, 2014

The thing is, it's so easy to spend money on these types of games. Whether it be your card that you're using or not. I've entered mine online many times, to the point I remember every number and can have something purchased as quickly as a minute. I don't know how much money I've spent online on Runescape or private servers, over the past 6 years it's probably been $2000-$3000. Money in which would be nice to have, but it was spent for entertainment purposes, so I suppose it was well spent. Thing only draw back from this is all Rsps eventually go down. But it was never ment to be an investment.

I never drop a lot of money at one time on a game however, because I have too many bills which have to be paid, and a family to provide for.

I suppose it differs from person to person, someone with weak willpower and acces to a parents credit card could spend a lot of money, in a hurry

symphony888 · Nov 28, 2014

Well Gaming itself is good.

If we put in the context whereby learning and gaming. Which mostly calls, Game Based Learning.

It stimulates a successful learning environment and also provides motivational learning context to suit different learners.

But if you're saying bout gaming itself, it definitely relieves stress and depression.

I myself do it to release my stress from school. And it doesn't really ruin my life YET.

jed1 · Dec 10, 2014

Do it too much and if it becomes an addiction, like any excess habit that stimulates consistent release of dopamine into your body...yeah...

Virtual Merchant · Dec 10, 2014

The answer is absolutely. 20 years ago, people didn't rely on pixels to have fun.

rebirth2316 · Dec 12, 2014

There are those who game because they don't have amything to live for, and there are those who game to enrich their lives.

Saint Versace · Dec 14, 2014

I do think that they allow people who are socially awkward to have some outlet.

Scottie · Dec 18, 2014

yes, i think it ruins the life of people with an addicting personality like me :c i can get addicted for weeks at a time

Le0nidas · Dec 18, 2014

Scottie said:
yes, i think it ruins the life of people with an addicting personality like me :c i can get addicted for weeks at a time

^still logs in 1hr badkid
All jokes aside online games can really be addicting lol. I used to play 8 to 10 hrs a day of rs but since its my senior yr of hischool i decided to enjoy highschool before college and quit. And i have to say am having a great time with my life atm. So much extra time to do stuff and hangout with friends. Greatest decision i made in my life lol.

AcesandEights · Dec 21, 2014

I go on the point of 'everything is fine in moderation' . If you are playing a appropriate number of hours sure, gaming 24/7 then use it is going to negatively impact your life.

Saying 'computer games' ruin people's lives is dependent on the situation, some people can get positive benefits from gaming and some can be impacted negatively.

I took my GCSE's a few months back and did well, I got 3 A*'s , 4 A's and the rest B's. My A*'s all came in writing subjects, what do I owe my success to? Online gaming, runescape and forums like this one. I started playing a very nescient teenager, I started posting on a forum at the age of 14. Slowly but surely my level of English increased significantly and helped me to be successful where I required a good level of English.

Now, don't get my wrong , I'm not saying that computer games are amazing... I mean I have been stupid enough to spend money which is not mine. However, I was lucky enough to realize my actions and retrieve most of the money. Do I blame the game for doing this? No. I blame myself for the actions I completed, I was given the outlet by the game sure but after all I am responsible. People which ruin their lives due to computer games must look closer to home before blaming the pizels.

'Are computer games ruining people's lives?' I don't think so but I believe the answer to this can be based on personal opinion and perception.

Trout · Dec 25, 2014

Everything has it's pro's and con's.

You can get addicted to nearly anything if you're mind is that way, it's all about having priorities and limits and being able to admit if you have a problem. Yes a video game could quite possibly ruin your life if you're not careful/

uJesternWind · Dec 26, 2014

jed1 said:
Do it too much and if it becomes an addiction, like any excess habit that stimulates consistent release of dopamine into your body...yeah...

Exactly this - except unlike other excess habits, video games are designed to be addictive (so parallels with nicotine)

getonmylvl · Jan 1, 2015

didn't realise this thread was still alive, I have not really been on sythe. I do believe that video games are becoming "the main thing in people's lives", it used to be the same with me and the only way to stop getting addicted to them for me was to sell my playstation and lock my runescape account (although that wasn't intended, it did stop me). For a long time I hadn't played on my PC at all, got interested with downhill biking, skiing and airsoft, but I am trying it once again with team fortress 2 and steam.

I have seemed to become addicted again, which is something I will need to stop as I have exams coming up.

I come from an addicted side of the family, my mum decided she was an alcoholic, although not a stereotypical one, she decided that she couldn't control herself much and that she liked alcohol abnormally, and so stopped drinking. Just like that. Sober for a year or two, and its very impressive. I think the only real way to conquer something addictive is by admitting you are addicted to it and then accepting it is a part of your life, talking to people about it and deciding to stop, and making the will overpower the want, i guess you could say.

tehRonskie · Jan 2, 2015

No, but it's going to ruin their lives if they let it ruin it.

Every thing that gives us pleasure always have a bad side, for example drinking alcohol, it helps the heart but if you're going to drink alcohol every day then it is bad.

RSGambler · Jan 2, 2015

tehRonskie said:
No, but it's going to ruin their lives if they let it ruin it.

Every thing that gives us pleasure always have a bad side, for example drinking alcohol, it helps the heart but if you're going to drink alcohol every day then it is bad.

EDIT:Everything has a bad side

Xine · Jan 2, 2015

it has advantage and disadvantages its only up to you how you will use it

incize · Jan 2, 2015

There's different angles for looking at this I think, if you think of ruining someones life, it seems the argument has been around both regarding addiction and Financially.

The argument with addiction is that it is all 100% self control and that the only person who can stop it is the end-user, the player. That doesn't also change that games like World of Warcraft and other huge MMOs have time-sinks and addictive qualities worked into the game keeping you playing for hours at a time and playing daily, World of Warcraft is the easiest to depict here with its daily quests feature and including in their new expansions requires you to come on at least every day and spend up to an hour in your own personalised building, and if you don't you are penalized through inefficiency and game progress - for those already with a competitive edge to games who want to be the best will then make sure they can get on each day for hours at a time.

as for financials, every single Free game on facebook, every game on Android and iPhone app stores and a huge amount of online games including Runescape now have these 'Instant gratification' Micro-Transaction options which allow you to speed up the process of your entertainment of the game, for only X amount you can Do X faster/better - a lot of people dont have free time to play through a game and grind anymore so when theres an opportunity to skip content or even Get an ingame currency which allows you to buy things or gamble to get potentially expensive things (such as CS:GO or runescape is the worst for this in my opinion, abusing Gamblers fallacy and such things with their microtransactions). These things even though again ultimately lie within the choice of the end-user purchasing them or not, its still the game producers giving them the tools to do something potentially silly in the falsehood of benefits in their game

sUP000 · Jan 6, 2015

I honestly think that the technology is ruining people's life and it makes people isolate themselves away from the real world. Nowdays nobody got time to play outside and such because the technology has taken over the entertainment. "No, I was supposed to watch a serie today" etc.. But I mean it's very useful today and can be fun to play with friends sometimes. So as long as you have control of your life, I think video games and such is very fun and entertainment.