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Are video games a healthy distraction or a threat to our society?

Debate Information

ESCAPE TO ANOTHER WORLD 

As video games get better and job prospects worse, more young men are dropping out of the job market to spend their time in an alternate reality. Ryan Avent suspects this is the beginning of something big


https://www.1843magazine.com/features/escape-to-another-world
  1. Live Poll

    Are video games a healthy distraction or a threat to our society?

    24 votes
    1. Healthy distraction
      83.33%
    2. Threat to society
      16.67%
Live Long and Prosper
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    Arguments


  • WhyTrumpWhyTrump 234 Pts   -  
    As video games and virtual reality are getting better, it is becoming unhealthy. It is disturbing to hear about impact on the job market.
    Zombieguy1987
    WhyTrump - a good question
  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5965 Pts   -  
    Video games are a medium. Just like books, movies, theater plays or music, it can be used for different purposes. Some games have incredible plots and deep philosophical ideas. Other games are there just to let people "kill time". Other games still can be used to escape less attractive real life.

    I think that, at least, until virtual reality starts imitating the complexity of real life well, this is not something to be concerned about. When, however, it will be easy to enclose yourself in a very realistically-looking virtual world, with all 5 senses simulated perfectly - then there will be little reason for people to stay in the real world, with all its limitations and dark sides. At that point, it is hard to say what it will evolve into.
    someone234Zombieguy1987AlexOlandxlJ_dolphin_473
  • OutplayzOutplayz 88 Pts   -  
    @agsr

    You only have two options and both options could be true. Anything taken over moderation is bad which in turn could be a detriment to society. Overall, i would say video games are good. They work out the mind and most games push people's thinking to the limit. I can tell who has a low iq and who has a high iq just from having them on my team in a team based strategy game (moba's specifically). Plus, the motivation you have in being number 1 or winning games can transfer into your daily life. So in conclusion, from my experience, i would say games are a good thing.   
  • Nathaniel_BNathaniel_B 182 Pts   -  
    Video games are not bad, but fortnite is garbage.
    Polaris95Zombieguy1987cheesycheeseAlexOlandGeoLibCogScientistxlJ_dolphin_473
    “Communism is evil. Its driving forces are the deadly sins of envy and hatred.” ~Peter Drucker 

    "It's not a gun control problem, it's a cultural control problem."
    Bob Barr
  • OutplayzOutplayz 88 Pts   -  
    @Nathaniel_B

    I'm currently a MOBA player "League of Legends/Mobile Legends". Before that counter strike and COD were my favorites. Overwatch too. 
    Nathaniel_B
  • Agility_DudeAgility_Dude 62 Pts   -  
    Too much of anything can be bad, and video games tend to be addicting. I can testify to that myself. I wouldn't call it a threat to society but I do think that they are bad. It would be like a robber as opposed to 9/11 hijacks. One is bad, another is a threat to society.

    However, violent video games might pose a threat. Games like GTA 5 numb the guilt of violent behaviors, incenvitizing people to commit violent acts out of anger with less remorse for their actions. That could be worst case a threat to society if they are played by younger gamers, making the numbing hardwired into their heads.
  • OutplayzOutplayz 88 Pts   -  
    @Agility_Dude

    I have never gotten the urge to shot someone and i own a lot of guns and have played a lot of violent shooters... years worth. Japan has the highest gamer base... higher than the U.S. i think by triple or double and they have among the lowest violent homicide rate in the world. Therefore, games leading to violence can be debunked. 

    I will agree that games are "addicting" bc they are fun. Driving is addicting if you have fun, basketball, soccer, hiking, etc. Gaming has the same addiction and chance of abuse as anything that is fun. Are games bad overall, no. Are games good overall, no. It's just entertainment and that's all. 
    Agility_DudeNathaniel_BPolaris95Zombieguy1987
  • averyaproaveryapro 150 Pts   -  
    Truly, it depends on what you think video games are threatening. If you think they are threatening kids weight and healthy I agree but if you are saying it threatens violence and the safety of children then I highly disagree. For me, playing video games is a nice distraction off of everything in the real world such as school, sports, etc. I truly love playing video games like COD, Spider-Man, Fortnite, etc. Shooter games really excite me because of the competition there is and just unlocking a bunch of new stuff. When I might be upset over something or stressed out usually playing video games help take my mind off of that because it's just easy to have fun and get addicted to the game. 
  • WordsMatterWordsMatter 493 Pts   -  
    Like many other things if you overdo it then it's harmful to yourself and society, via loss of productivity. South Korea has rehab center for video game addiction because kids there will spent literally weeks doing nothing but video games and resist others attempts to get them to do anything else. If you can get your done and then play video games your good. If it gets in the way of goals or necessities then it's an addiction and harmful.
  • PieterPieter 40 Pts   -  
    Video games are fun, and when used in moderation, they're quite healthy.

    Most of the time, however, video games are being used as a distraction, and many young men and women waste away their lives behind a play station.
    Zombieguy1987
  • Zombieguy1987Zombieguy1987 471 Pts   -   edited September 2018
    Pieter said:
    Video games are fun, and when used in moderation, they're quite healthy.

    Most of the time, however, video games are being used as a distraction, and many young men and women waste away their lives behind a play station.
    so............ YouTubers who play video games for a living are wasting their lives?
  • Here's a better question "Is it the time now that begs this question?"  Sometimes it best to let the generation reflect.
  • @Zombieguy1987 Wouldn't that depend on the child?
  • SilverishGoldNovaSilverishGoldNova 1201 Pts   -   edited October 2018
    Video games are not bad, but fortnite is garbage



    Finally someone else who,  doesn't play ing fortnite.
    Zombieguy1987
    I am no longer active on DebateIsland or any debate website. Many things I have posted here and on other sites (Such as believing in the flat Earth theory or other conspiracy theories such as those that are about the Las Vegas Shooting or 9/11) do not reflect on my current views. 

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p6M-VgXHwwdpJarhyQYapBz-kRc6FrgdOLFAd3IfYz8/edit

    https://debateisland.com/discussion/comment/18248/#Comment_18248 (Me officially stating that I am no longer a flat-Earther)
  • RS_masterRS_master 400 Pts   -  
    I believe video games are threats because it spoils peoples mental health. It prevents strengthening of physical health. Video games also are bad for the environment. Some teenagers sometimes even drop out from schools and lock themselves in rooms only to play video games for 13 hours a day. 
    Zombieguy1987xlJ_dolphin_473
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
     I am a huge puzzle game nerd and I think games like these provide us another way of exploring reality. Just like how exploring mathematical ideas is not a waste of time even if the ideas get too abstract, exploring these imaginary sets of rules and their implications - I think - can even be healthy for us. 

     Yeah, we will (probably) never magically teleport into a 2d universe where our whole purpose is to push boxes onto "X" marks like in sokoban but this does not mean sokoban does not hold a certain reality within it. These abstract ideas that puzzle games introduce allow us to explore certain parts of reality. And whether these certain parts of reality are useful to us or not is irrelevant. What matters is that we are exploring reality and gaining an understanding.
    MayCaesar
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -  
    My take on this question:

    "Are video games a healthy distraction or a threat to our society?"



    https://amp-usatoday-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/98292922?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQA#referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/02/23/gamer-dies-22-hours-into-marathon-live-stream/98292922/ 

    "Gamer dies 22 hours into marathon live stream

    ELIZABETH ARMSTRONG MOORE | NEWSER STAFF | 9:21 am EST February 23, 2017

    (NEWSER) – It started as just another day at the office for Brian "Poshybrid" Vigneault, a 35-year-old gamer known to spend multiple days in a given week live-streaming himself playing the game World of Tanks for 20-plus hours straight."

    "This time, however, the Virginia Beach father of three got up to smoke a cigarette 22 hours into his stream about 4:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 19 and never returned.

    People figured he fell asleep, but when a friend sent a message the next day, the response came from a police detective investigating his death, reports Kotaku. "

    "The exhausted-looking father of three had been streaming on the gaming platform Twitch to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and PCGames reports he'd been doing similar marathon gaming streams over the past few weeks.

    While the cause of Vigneault's death hasn't been determined, PVP Live reports that much of the speculation centers on sleep deprivation and related heart complications.

    The site notes that big-name streamers have been complaining about the pressure they feel to go for longer and longer stretches, and Vigneault was known for chain-smoking and drinking during his own sessions.

    Vigneault's death is being mourned online, with the moderators of his Twitch stream turning his channel into a memorial. "

    Maybe a health study could be conducted, on some voluntary gamers, who play video games, for hours at a time, to see how their blood pressure is doing, maybe some lab work, to check on the health of their blood, and their heart, and maybe, listen to their heart, and lungs, while playing a video game at the same time?

    Some people can develop blood clots, from sitting for long hour's?

    WebMD, has a lot of information on their website.

    Zombieguy1987ZeusAres42
  • jesusisGod777jesusisGod777 115 Pts   -  
    Video games in every sense are unhealthy.

    They condition what someone expects to experience. 

    Socially, that's ridiculously detrimental because people who play video games often then expect reality to compare to phantasy.

    Since video games are violent, they develope social responses to behaviour consistent to how they play games.


    대왕광개토
  •  

    Video games are a healthy distraction that is a threat to society. Education is a healthy distraction that is a threat to society. Food is a healthy distraction that is a threat to society. This is a question looking for direction not truth it’s a rhetorical question. Where do we go from this astounding revelation?

    A job market does not ever get worse it changes, constantly, the basic issue always being repetitive training generalized for jobs has a cost facture which can be driven out of control for many reasons.

     Video games themselves are the ultimate reality, anyone who plays must face one simple truth….you’re going to lose. The observation is that people become determined to finish the game to unveil a story like reading a book or complete a task.

  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -   edited July 2019

    Are video games a healthy distraction or a threat to our society?


    They are a health threat. 


    https://amp-usatoday-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/98292922?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQA#referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/02/23/gamer-dies-22-hours-into-marathon-live-stream/98292922/ 

    "Gamer dies 22 hours into marathon live stream

    ELIZABETH ARMSTRONG MOORE | NEWSER STAFF | 9:21 am EST February 23, 2017

    (NEWSER) – It started as just another day at the office for Brian "Poshybrid" Vigneault, a 35-year-old gamer known to spend multiple days in a given week live-streaming himself playing the game World of Tanks for 20-plus hours straight."

    "This time, however, the Virginia Beach father of three got up to smoke a cigarette 22 hours into his stream about 4:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 19 and never returned.

    People figured he fell asleep, but when a friend sent a message the next day, the response came from a police detective investigating his death, reports Kotaku. "

    "The exhausted-looking father of three had been streaming on the gaming platform Twitch to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and PCGames reports he'd been doing similar marathon gaming streams over the past few weeks.

    While the cause of Vigneault's death hasn't been determined, PVP Live reports that much of the speculation centers on sleep deprivation and related heart complications.

    The site notes that big-name streamers have been complaining about the pressure they feel to go for longer and longer stretches, and Vigneault was known for chain-smoking and drinking during his own sessions.

    Vigneault's death is being mourned online, with the moderators of his Twitch stream turning his channel into a memorial. "

    Maybe a health study could be conducted, on some voluntary gamers, who play video games, for hours at a time, to see how their blood pressure is doing, maybe some lab work, to check on the health of their blood, and their heart, and maybe, listen to their heart, and lungs, while playing a video game at the same time?

    Some people can develop blood clots, from sitting for long hour's?

    WebMD, has a lot of information on their website. 

    PlaffelvohfenZeusAres42
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @TKDB

     So if we do not play for a long time, it is not unhealthy. Which destroys your entire argument.

     Are sweets a threat to our society because some people cannot control themselves and eat the sh*t out of them?
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -  
    @AlexOland

    Does candy, fast food, sugary drinks,  desserts, obesity, anorexia, or diabetes, in general have any specific value to the theme of this forum?

    "Are sweets a threat to our society because some people cannot control themselves and eat the sh*t out of them?"

    "Are video games a healthy distraction or a threat to our society?"


    No your argument, is irrelevant.




    Plaffelvohfen
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

     You argue that because some idiots overplay the f*ck out of games and refuse to move, games are a threat to society.

     So I argue that by the same logic; sweets must be a threat to society because some people overeat them and destroy their bodies. 

     Extremely relevant if you are able to understand what I am saying.

    ---

     You also ignore the first part of my argument probably because you realized it refutes everything you claim: 

    "So if we do not play for a long time, it is not unhealthy. Which destroys your entire argument."
    Plaffelvohfen
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @AlexOland

    Do you go to your doctor for yearly checkups?

    https://amp-usatoday-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/98292922?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQA#referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/02/23/gamer-dies-22-hours-into-marathon-live-stream/98292922/ 

    "Gamer dies 22 hours into marathon live stream

    ELIZABETH ARMSTRONG MOORE | NEWSER STAFF | 9:21 am EST February 23, 2017

    (NEWSER) – It started as just another day at the office for Brian "Poshybrid" Vigneault, a 35-year-old gamer known to spend multiple days in a given week live-streaming himself playing the game World of Tanks for 20-plus hours straight."

    "This time, however, the Virginia Beach father of three got up to smoke a cigarette 22 hours into his stream about 4:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 19 and never returned.

    People figured he fell asleep, but when a friend sent a message the next day, the response came from a police detective investigating his death, reports Kotaku. "

    "The exhausted-looking father of three had been streaming on the gaming platform Twitch to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and PCGames reports he'd been doing similar marathon gaming streams over the past few weeks.

    While the cause of Vigneault's death hasn't been determined, PVP Live reports that much of the speculation centers on sleep deprivation and related heart complications.

    The site notes that big-name streamers have been complaining about the pressure they feel to go for longer and longer stretches, and Vigneault was known for chain-smoking and drinking during his own sessions.

    Vigneault's death is being mourned online, with the moderators of his Twitch stream turning his channel into a memorial. "

    Maybe a health study could be conducted, on some voluntary gamers, who play video games, for hours at a time, to see how their blood pressure is doing, maybe some lab work, to check on the health of their blood, and their heart, and maybe, listen to their heart, and lungs, while playing a video game at the same time?

    Some people can develop blood clots, from sitting for long hour's?

    WebMD, has a lot of information on their website. 


     "So I argue that by the same logic; sweets must be a threat to society because some people overeat them and destroy their bodies. 

     Extremely relevant if you are able to understand what I am saying."


    An excerpt from the mentioned story

    @AlexOland:

    "While the cause of Vigneault's death hasn't been determined, PVP Live reports that much of the speculation centers on sleep deprivation and related heart complications."


    @AlexOland


    (Is your own blood pressure, in the 120/ 80 range (It's the same range for males, and females by the way.
    Is you pulse, between 60-100 beats a minute? 
    How was your last checkup, did your doctor, suggest to you about avoiding certain foods, or ask you if you smoke, or drink alcohol? 
    How does your lab/ blood work look?
    Do you, maybe have a history of heart related complications, or suffer from sleep deprivation? 


    What kind of health issues, run in your family? Because you can develop health issues, via what your own family has in their family tree.

    "You argue that because some idiots overplay the f*ck out of games and refuse to move, games are a threat to society."

    Obesity, anorexia, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gorging on fast food, candy of any type, alcohol, gorging on illegal drugs, and ignoring on ones own health by mindfully gorging on playing video games, basically to the point of death, it's a threat to an individuals own life? Along with changing the individuals family life?)

    @AlexOland:

    The above reaffirms my argument. 


    ("You also ignore the first part of my argument probably because you realized it refutes everything you claim:"

    "So if we do not play for a long time, it is not unhealthy. Which destroys your entire argument.")








    PlaffelvohfenZeusAres42
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -  

    "Are video games a healthy distraction or a threat to our society?"


    To go outside the box of this question, for a moment. 

    Those illegal immigrants, or aliens, from the 50 different countries, that illegally entered the United States, via the Southern Border, are a threat to our society.

    Laziness, and complacency, are a threat to our society.

    Some, and their addictions, to the various illegal drugs, are a threat to our society.

    Some of the individuals, in the country, who have, maybe, comprised themselves financially, are a threat to our society.
    PlaffelvohfenThiefZeusAres42
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @TKDB

     You just repeat your earlier points and fail to realize that playing games for a reasonable amount of time is not unhealthy.

     By the way, thank you for being concerned about my well-being. I do not have any health issues and I exercise regularly. 
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -  
    @AlexOland

    In your mind, you can think that way.

    But to others who don't, they aren't you, so, I guess they're chasing a type of time, that their state of health, can't afford? 

    Chasing laziness, and complacency.

    Because you can afford your words, while they're chasing theirs away, through their own unhealthy choices.

    By abusing their health through, obesity, anorexia, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gorging on fast food, candy of any type, alcohol, gorging on illegal drugs, and ignoring on ones own health by mindfully gorging on playing video games, basically to the point of death.

    Are you a doctor, of any type, because your opinion matters to you only? 

    Go to a hospital, and see how some have been taking care of themselves?
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

     Irrelevant. You are still unable to explain why it is wrong to play video games for a reasonable amount of time. 

     

     
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @AlexOland

    Here's the theme of the forum:

    "Are video games a healthy distraction or a threat to our society?"

    "Many gamers (Guillaume among them) report that they are happy with the decision to work less and game more. Yet economists like Hurst fret about the long-run consequences. Although digital-enter­tainment experiences are both amazingly enjoyable and relatively cheap, other important consumer goods – like houses and medical care, furniture and food – still cost money, sometimes quite a lot of it. People’s tastes change as they age. Young men content to remain outside the labour force and play video games – while their parents provide food, shelter and health insurance – may begin to desire something else as the years pass. But, having been out of employment during a crucial period of life – early adulthood, when friendships and contacts are made, experience and skills cultivated – such gamers may find themselves unable to build the lives they come to realise they want.

    One hears this regret in talking to older gamers. “Of course gaming has interfered with any attempt to look for or do any serious work,” says Arturo, 29, who reckons he has spent 600 hours playing Kerbal Space Program, a space-flight simulator, and possibly more at Starcraft II, a strategy game. He doesn’t just miss the forgone income and opportunities; he could have been reading, he laments. But those hours are gone for ever. Between the game reviews and player tips, online forums for gamers are thick with discussions among those who worry their lives are passing them by but cannot find the will to put down their controllers. "


    "The designers of the game of life, such as they are, may have erred in structuring the game in a way that encourages young people to seek an alternate reality. They have spread the thrills and valuable items too thinly and have tweaked the settings to reward special skills that cannot be mastered easily even by those prepared to spend long hours doing so. Unsurprisingly, some players are giving up, while others are filling the time not taken up in rewarding, well-compensated work with games painstakingly designed to make them feel good.

    It is not always clear when gaming is the refuge of the trapped and when it is the trap. Ashley, aged 37, is certain that gaming is not the source of his problems. He played video games in his youth, but not obsessively; like other teenagers he made plenty of time for football and skateboarding. The games took on a different cast in his 20s, when he spent time abroad teaching English: he played heavily as a way to deal with the loneliness of being in a foreign place. But he was able to let the games go when he returned.

    Then he enrolled in graduate school, to become a therapist, in a programme that required him to undertake his own intensive course of therapy. He fell into a deep depression, for which he blames the therapy. Gaming became his coping strategy, “a way of switching off thoughts”, he says, and a means to turn away from responsibility. He resisted the label “addict”. But that is what he has come to understand he is.

    The depression is the problem, Ashley says, not the games, but the hours he spends playing at Pro Evolution Soccer are making things worse. They get in the way of his relationship. “She hates it,” he says, when asked how his partner feels about the gaming. The potent combination of depression and gaming has also prevented him from progressing professionally. He has failed to complete his degree and his working life has stalled.

    David Mullings’s relationship with games is entirely different. He just got a job working for a hedge fund, after spending time volunteering for the Hillary Clinton campaign (in some games you can score more points than the opponent and still lose). Asked whether he regrets the time he spent as a hard-core gamer, he admitted it has costs. His wife frequently grew frustrated with him. She found herself texting him things like “Can I get that back rub?” in order to draw his attention away from the screen. But he could have been down at the bar with the guys, dealing with his disappointment that way. Instead he chose to game.

    And what he got from the game was much more than mere distraction. It was fellowship with others. Indeed, his group of friends has become a broader online community, calling itself Dads of Destiny. The men bonded over shared experiences. “Sometimes a player would say, ‘Guys, I need to change a baby,’ and the other players would provide covering fire while he was gone.” They helped each other. Dads would pass around their cvs and connect with each other on LinkedIn. One of their number, a veteran, credits their gaming community with helping him adjust to life after military service and deal with post-traumatic stress. David is pretty sure they have saved at least one marriage.

    Other gamers tell similar stories: friends made while playing, skills they discovered or honed, discussions that led to jobs, and hours spent away from the troubles of a world that occasionally needs to be blocked out. Theirs are not the only stories. There is addiction. While some gaming communities are welcoming to all, others are relentlessly hostile to outsiders, and to women in particular. And games become the destructive vice of choice for some sets of players, taking the place of drugs or alcohol in a tragic but familiar narrative. But the game is a symptom of some broader weakness, sometimes of character, occasionally of mental health – and, perhaps, of society too.

    Game designers often deploy a technique called “dynamic difficulty adjustment”. In many games, the software assesses a player’s skill and rebalances various attributes of the game accordingly, to keep the game fun and manageable for those of less ability. Gamers early in their careers, or who are simply struggling to pick up the skills necessary to succeed, are given a helping hand; their world might be more generously strewn with useful power-ups, for instance. As players advance, these helping hands are withdrawn.

    There is a downside to such techniques, at least when they are used carelessly. One of my favourite game series has always been Mario Kart, a Nintendo racing game featuring characters from the Mario Brothers franchise. It uses “rubber banding” to keep the game interesting. That is: no matter how good a driver you are, your ai opponents can fall only so far behind; the software will allow them to break the rules of the game, and go faster than their little karts ought to be able to, in order to keep the game interesting. When playing human opponents, those who fall to the rear are showered with the most useful power-ups – such that a leader, after executing a near-perfect race, can be pummelled with misfortunes of one sort or another until a laggard pips him at the post. Clumsy, difficult adjustments like these make the game feel rigged and unfair, which makes it just as unappealing as one that is straightforwardly too easy, or too hard.

    A life spent buried in video games, scraping by on meagre pay from irregular work or dependent on others, might seem empty and sad. Whether it is emptier and sadder than one spent buried in finance, accumulating points during long hours at the office while neglecting other aspects of life, is a matter of perspective. But what does seem clear is that the choices we make in life are shaped by the options available to us. A society that dislikes the idea of young men gaming their days away should perhaps invest in more dynamic difficulty adjustment in real life. And a society which regards such adjustments as fundamentally unfair should be more tolerant of those who choose to spend their time in an alternate reality, enjoying the distractions and the succour it provides to those who feel that the outside world is more rigged than the game. "


    @Ampersand

    So apparently its about the so called "game of life," verses the gamers perspective on their video game lives? 

    If some want to be self created slaves to their video games, it's on their own health to play at their own risks. 

    Very relevant.

    Are marathon gamers playing video games, for reasonable amounts of time?
    Very relevant.

    When pregnant women smoke marijuana, for reasonable amounts of time, are they risking the health of their unborn babies for reasonable amounts of time?
    Very relevant.

    And here's your outlook:

    "Irrelevant. You are still unable to explain why it is wrong to play video games for a reasonable amount of time."

    @AlexOland

    When people do illegal drugs for reasonable amounts of time, are they treating themselves with a healthy self respect, or are they gambling with their own lives, for reasonable amounts of time? 

    Explain around those examples of "reasonable" uses, of one's own time? 

    AlexOlandZeusAres42
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

     If some want to be self created slaves to their video games, it's on their own health to play at their own risks. 

     Are basketball players a slave to basketball? Are mathematicians a slave to math? Or do they take part in that activity because they enjoy doing it? 

     I personally play games because they are fun, just like I solve problems because they are fun. I do not overplay them and I can stop whenever I want. This certainly doesn't seem like being a slave to me. 

     What is the risk here? People have a clear choice to overplay or not overplay. Playing games is not taking a risk, playing them for a long time is. 

     Irrelevant. 


     Are marathon gamers playing video games, for reasonable amounts of time? 

     I am not claiming they are. I literally told you that we should play for reasonable amounts of time so it is obvious that I do not support things like these. 

     Irrelevant.


     When pregnant women smoke marijuana, for reasonable amounts of time, are they risking the health of their unborn babies for reasonable amounts of time?

     Idiotic analogy. Marijuana is the thing that is unhealthy so whether you do it less or more doesn't matter. Also, drug addiction cannot be compared to something like game addiction. They are different types of addictions. The game itself is not the issue, not moving for a long time is.

     Is sitting a threat to society because some people sit all day? I am sorry, but you are just being dumb right now. You have realized that you are wrong and you just cannot admit it so you are spewing nonsense. You cannot even refute or address the one argument I am making. 

     Irrelevant.


     When people do illegal drugs for reasonable amounts of time, are they treating themselves with a healthy self respect, or are they gambling with their own lives, for reasonable amounts of time? 

     I already refuted this above. So this, like the argument above, is irrelevant.


     Explain around those examples of "reasonable" uses, of one's own time? 

     I do not understand what you are asking here. Too much of any activity might be a problem.

     Eating too much is unhealthy, so is eating a threat? Some people are indeed addicted to eating and overeating is a serious problem for many people.It probably has taken more lives than gaming did. Does this mean that eating is a threat or does it mean OVEREATING is a threat? 

     


     
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

     , no one is claiming that game addiction doesn't exist. So you posting those specific stories is extremely irrelevant and shows that you are not even aware of what the discussion is. 

     Obesity is a serious problem. Does that mean eating is a threat to society? No. It means OVEREATING is a threat to society.

     Are books a threat to society because some people read books all the day and not move? 

     

    Plaffelvohfen
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @AlexOland

    "Are basketball players a slave to basketball?"

    I don't know, did you interview them, and ask them that question personally?

    Just because you bring up basketball players, as a part of your counter argument, you expect me to feed you an answer, to suit your question?


    "Are mathematicians a slave to math?"

    I don't know, why don't you interview them ask them yourself?
    Another counter argument, that you expect me to feed as well? 

    "Or do they take part in that activity because they enjoy doing it?"
    Another counter argument, expected to be fed as well?
     
    "I personally play games because they are fun, just like I solve problems because they are fun. I do not overplay them and I can stop whenever I want. This certainly doesn't seem like being a slave to me."

    Good for you, a counter argument, that doesn't require you, needing it to be fed? 


    "What is the risk here? People have a clear choice to overplay or not overplay. Playing games is not taking a risk, playing them for a long time is."

    Why don't you interview some of the addicted gamer's, and see what their answers are, instead of asking questions to feed, your individual mindset? 

    "Obesity is a serious problem. Does that mean eating is a threat to society? No. It means OVEREATING is a threat to society."

    Why don't you interview a healthy diet specialist, and get your question, fed that way?

    "Are books a threat to society because some people read books all the day and not move?"

    Why don't you interview an actual Doctor, and see, what their answer, to your question is? 

     "Idiotic analogy."
    "Marijuana is the thing that is unhealthy so whether you do it less or more doesn't matter."
    "Also, drug addiction cannot be compared to something like game addiction. They are different types of addictions. The game itself is not the issue, not moving for a long time is."

    Why don't you interview the same Doctor, and see, if they concur, with your opinions? 

    "Is sitting a threat to society because some people sit all day?"

    "I am sorry, but you are just being dumb right now."

    "You have realized that you are wrong and you just cannot admit it so you are spewing nonsense. You cannot even refute or address the one argument I am making."

    Excuse me, did you interview me, and you quoted me, expressing this to you personally?

    "You have realized that you are wrong and you just cannot admit it so you are spewing nonsense. You cannot even refute or address the one argument I am making."

    Do you maybe make it a professional practice, to put words in someone's mouth?

    Because, that's what you did.


    AlexOlandPlaffelvohfenZeusAres42
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

     You have completely shut down your brain. 
    Plaffelvohfen
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -  
    @AlexOland

    This is your brainy response?

    "You have completely shut down your brain."

    What, no legitimate or fact based response to the below comment from you, in regards to me?

    You started something, by trying to use me, to make a non argument with?

    So now, you're not going to finish, what you created? 

    "I am sorry, but you are just being dumb right now."

    "You have realized that you are wrong and you just cannot admit it so you are spewing nonsense. You cannot even refute or address the one argument I am making."

    Excuse me, did you interview me, and you quoted me, expressing this to you personally?

    "You have realized that you are wrong and you just cannot admit it so you are spewing nonsense. You cannot even refute or address the one argument I am making."

    Do you maybe make it a professional practice, to put words in someone's mouth?

    Because, that's what you did.

    @Ampersand

    Now, you've educated the internet public, in how, Ampersand argues, with non supported opinions, without any merits, or without facts? 

    Thanks for the education Ampersand.
     
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

     , you are not addressing any of the arguments. You are just making comments over them. I am done with you. 

     Be a little self-aware for f*ck's sake. Almost 600 people have marked your arguments as "irrelevant". Maybe that happened because of a reason? I am not telling you you are wrong because people disagree with you, I am just asking you to consider the possibility that other people might be right. Please? 
    ZeusAres42
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @AlexOland

     Be a little self-aware for f*ck's sake.
    (Is your choice of language, supposed to mean anything to the viewing public?)


    "Almost 600 people have marked your arguments as "irrelevant". "

     Prove the above? What 600 people are you talking about?

    Where is your factual evidence, other than your unreliable opinion? 

    "Maybe that happened because of a reason?"

    Again, prove the above? You want to make claims, back them up? 

    "I am not telling you you are wrong because people disagree with you, I am just asking you to consider the possibility that other people might be right. Please?"

    Millions of individuals, are right unto themselves everyday, aren't they? 

    Video game addicts?

    Drug addicts?

    Drug addicts, who are carrying an unborn baby?

    Prescription drug addicts?

    Food addicts, who's health, needs some help? 

    Career criminals, who have maybe spent more time, behind bars, than they have at home? 

  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

      Prove the above? What 600 people are you talking about?

     Click on your own name and scroll down. It will give a list of every reaction you have gotten. I am surprised you do not know of this. 
    ZeusAres42
  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5965 Pts   -  
    Something I have always been disappointed in is how much modern games focus on the theme of violence. Now, there is nothing wrong with violence-based fiction per say - however, there is a very strong bias in that direction. Virtually every major release is a game where you literally play a serial killer, or, at least, a military general making his/her people into serial killers. Take any of the popular genres: FPS, RPG, RTS, Grand Strategy, MOBA, MMO - it is all about roleplaying a superhero killing countless creatures easily, or a general conquering territories. Racing games are a rare exception in this regard.

    I am not one of those people who ring alarms over it; I do not think that all this virtual violence has any real impact on our society. Rather, I see a lot of missed opportunities. I am currently playing Steins; Gate games, visual novels made in Japan. It is crazy how immersive you can make a game without any 3D graphics, complex animations, etc.; music, voice actors and static graphics are all you need to tell a story you can lose weeks in.

    Even more so, there is untamed potential in the market of educational games. As a mathematician by nature, I have always wanted to see a game in the format of an RPG, but where, instead of fighting creatures, you are walking around and solving puzzles, while interacting with various characters and following complicated plots. Where NPCs around you teach you science, arts, cooking and various other skills.
    I think that these games not only could have a very positive impact on our children, but also change our attitude towards entertainment in general, throwing us back into the times of Ancient Greece, when entertainment was all about various arts, sciences, music and literature, as opposed to intellectually and emotionally dull activities.

    On a side note, we also should use the new technology to evolutionise various traditional aspects of our recreational activities. Books can easily be made into visual novels by adding graphics and audio to them, but we don't see it happening a lot, and in general books and visual novels exist as different domains. More integration between different media is needed, in my opinion, so we can have a very rich experience doing virtually anything. Imagine how many more people would read books if they were more "animated", so to speak, and how much more pleasure they would get out of them.

    To summarise, I think that video games and related media have a very strong untamed potential to enrich our society significantly, and we are only starting to explore what they have to offer.
    AlexOlandPlaffelvohfen
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @AlexOland

    Here's Alex, 

    Reactions

    Reactions

    3Persuaded
    138Fallacy
    8Fist Bump
    0Talented
    585Irrelevant
    6Great argument
    0Promote
    34Agree
    36Disagree
    3Informative
    0Awesome
    36Funny
    0Spam


    I'm unpopular, because I'm an Independent, along with being pro unborn baby, toddler, pro children, pro family, pro babies rights, pro fathers rights, pro law abiding, pro SOBER driver, because those who like to abuse alcohol, and marijuana, apparently can't resist, driving illegally on the roadways with the sober parents, and their kids?
    And not driving, under the influence of Opioids, heroin, or alcohol, like those addicts are? 



    I think that some flock to the internet, to get their ways with their own arguments, and are less likely to get challenged, because life on the internet, is easier, than a REAL LIFE, REAL WORLD debate, face to face with the public in general?  

    And I rarely use the Irrelevant button, being that its easier to utilize, than to be able to present a real life, or real world counter argument, based on facts, instead of an individuals opinionated driven opinion, minus the supporting facts?  

    Meaning that I don't RELY on what my Reactions gauge, says about me, based off of, what the Reactions, of what the others think of their arguments, via some of the internet participants?


  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

     If that was true, you would have more stuff like "dislike" or "fallacy". 

     What you mostly have is "irrelevant". Which means that people usually think you make irrelevant arguments. 

     And I am asking you that, maybe you might have a chance of being responsible of receiving this reaction that many times? I am not saying you are wrong because of it, I am only asking you to consider the possibility that you might actually be making irrelevant arguments. You do not need to get so defensive about something like this.
    ZeusAres42
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @AlexOland

    Do you think that those families who have a gamer mom or dad, give a care about their moms or dads addiction to playing video games, at the sacrifice of their kids family time, with their gamer moms or dads? 

    You can go, and mark that statement as irrelevant, or dislike it, or give it a thumbs down?

    I don't care, because I'm pro kids, and pro family, and pro family time.

    And, I think that any gamer parent, who could, go about placing, their family before their gamer addiction, has a family problem, besides a video gamer problem? 

    "And I am asking you that, maybe you might have a chance of being responsible of receiving this reaction that many times? I am not saying you are wrong because of it, I am only asking you to consider the possibility that you might actually be making irrelevant arguments. You do not need to get so defensive about something like this."
  • AlexOlandAlexOland 313 Pts   -  
    @TKDB

     Guess some people cannot even consider the fact that they might be wrong... 

     There is no point in arguing someone like that. There is no point in arguing with someone who ignores my actual arguments. 
    PlaffelvohfenZeusAres42
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -   edited July 2019
    @AlexOland

    Im pro kid, and pro family, before any video game addictions, and illegal drug addiction issues, or whatever other addictions that a lady or guy, might develop?

    When it comes to those millions of people, who have developed their addictions to whatever their addicted to, shouldn't their families comes first, or do those overall addictions come first? 

    And their families come second?

    Especially in the current, and ever developing age of internet gaming, video game consoles, and legalized recreational marijuana, along with the other illegal drugs?

    Wouldn't the above questions, make, for one heck of a 20/20, or 60 Minutes episode? 

     
    PlaffelvohfenZeusAres42
  • GeoLibCogScientistGeoLibCogScientist 128 Pts   -  
    To begin, I want to mention that if anyone is interested in sources on what I'm bringing up, just let me know. I would like to think what I'm about to say is common knowledge, but I may make that assumption too much given my background in psychology and desires to head into cognitive science. I think I do far more studying and research in those fields than anyone not seeking a career in those fields or otherwise interested in them.

    I would say it's undeniable the psychological rewards video games have on the human mind. In this respect, one could argue they are a positive if they end up treating a depression one would otherwise have. That said, the adage of "moderation in everything", ironically is not moderate itself in that it probably applies to literally everything. As it turns out, and here is where I will provide a source since I'm sure the average person was unaware, but "Video gaming disorder" is receiving consideration to be put in the DSM-6, and is already considered a disorder by the National Health Organization. [1][2] Certainly getting to a point where you can't pull yourself away from video games that you neglect your health, your job, your responsibilities is a problem. Video gaming like many other activities, can become an addiction. Indeed, it, like many other addictions, stimulates dopaminergic neurotransmissions. It may sound unbelievable, and I can't believe even I am saying this, but deciding on whether you should start up video gaming is something that requires much introspection. If one has an addictive personality, it may be something worth thinking over twice or thrice. 


    Sources:
    [1] https://www.psychiatry.org/.../DSM/APA_DSM-5-Internet-Gaming-Disorder.pdf
    [2] https://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/




    Plaffelvohfen
    "Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal."
    -Albert Camus, Notebook IV
  • I believe that video games are not bad overall. I believe that they are a healthy distraction but only when used in moderation. I agree with @RS_master that if you get so addicted that you drop out of school to play for 13 hours a day, you have a problem, but video games are OK, for example, if you play 1 hour or 30 minutes a day to relax and for some escapism. Lots of people enjoy to play video games, and that's fine. I myself do not play video games but I respect those who do and I don't try to talk them out of playing video games.
    About violence in video games: I think unnecessary violence in games is what makes them addictive. Studies have shown that the violent games are more addictive than the non-violent ones. Partly it is the rewarding sensation of making decisions. Our brains crave that adrenaline rush given by making decisions to survive. Violent games, especially first person shooters, also make you feel as if you are totally in control of your environment. 
    On puzzle games, they can be just as addictive as the violent video games, but they do not have the negative consequences like making people more violent in real life. They have a lot of mental health benefits, for example a study shows that playing Lumosity for 10 hours results in a 10 percent increase in short term memory and 20% spike in attention. I once went through a phase of playing brain games a good bit, but I stopped and now I have replaced it with using this site.
    My conclusion is that video games are not bad or a threat to society overall, but excessively violent video games are. Puzzle games are a healthy distraction and also good for your brain.
    Zombieguy1987RS_master
  • RS_masterRS_master 400 Pts   -  
    @xlJ_dolphin_473 I do not believe that 1 hours and 30 minutes of gaming is good for you when you could use that valuable time to practice anything or do work. It is bad for your eyes and mental health. If you play 90 minutes eventually you will get addicted and play 4 hours and build up on the time and then you will soon regret it and would have wished that you did not even play the game at all. 5 minutes a day is fine though.
    Zombieguy1987xlJ_dolphin_473
  • RS_master said:
    @xlJ_dolphin_473 I do not believe that 1 hours and 30 minutes of gaming is good for you when you could use that valuable time to practice anything or do work. It is bad for your eyes and mental health. If you play 90 minutes eventually you will get addicted and play 4 hours and build up on the time and then you will soon regret it and would have wished that you did not even play the game at all. 5 minutes a day is fine though.
    It is plainly a mistake to say that playing a game for 90 minutes a day will mean that you end up playing for 4 hours and get addicted. You are using a technique called the 'slippery slope' - saying that one thing will lead on to another, and another, and then another, resulting in a bad consequence. You said that as soon as you start playing the game for 90 minutes, you will start to get addicted, and then play 4 hours a day, and then build up on the time, and keep building up and building up until you have got a severe gaming disorder and wish that you never played the game at all. In fact, what is far more likely to happen is that you keep playing for 90 minutes a day, and maybe get a bit of compulsion to play the game, but do not get severe gaming disorder. And if you do start playing for 4 hours a day, someone in your life tells you that you are playing to much and helps you to stop playing so much. Also, playing video games is not bad for your mental health. Many people say that it is, but have no facts to back that up. Studies show that playing video games actually makes you smarter. For example it helps you think on your feet, and improves your reaction times. And the average American uses a computer for 6 hours and 30 minutes a day. Surely just 90 minutes of games does not make a difference.

    So in conclusion, it is false that playing video games for just 90 minutes a day is bad for you, and some studies show it might actually be good for you.
    RS_master
  • Of course, video games are just a simple distraction. Sure, gamers can become addicted to some game that they either want to beat or just love the replay value the game gives. Very very few people may have been violent due to what happened in a video game or because they became inspired by the video game to do what the game does, like shoot people or recklessly drive. However, those that see this and claim that video games (more specifically violent video games) cause everyone to become violent as well is performing the hasty generalization fallacy, which doesn't look at the fact and data of every single person that plays video games.
  • RS_masterRS_master 400 Pts   -  
    @xlJ_dolphin_473 Did you know that some video games damage your long term memory and your Hippo campus? A study from Craig Anderson concludes that some video games help you get more aggressive. Gamers also have less empathy. Doctors have found out that some video games give you motion sickness. Even though three hours a day will make your mental health bad and even though 1.5 hours is a limit, some mental health disorders will take place and the child will start begging to play more and the child will have nightmares if he plays certain types of games.
    RichardCarter2021xlJ_dolphin_473
  • @RS_master

    You wouldn't mind posting a source or link to the study from Craig Anderson, would you?
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