OPINION
Play for 30 minutes, play for 30 hours, play for 30 days. The degree of time an individual will spend playing games varies based on their choices, commitments and wants. How does an individual manage their time in the unpredictable, challenging and current humdrum of life, the recession and all of the challenges it brings?
Let's cast a brief overview at the choices. Depending on what you believe, you can choose how to act and react in any given situation. Theoretically therefore you can choose to play a game for a matter of mere minutes before you switch it off, like an iPhone game, and call it a day, right?
And yet, when a game is truly absorbing and captivating it hardly ever seems like that is the case. Whether you consciously or subconsciously carry on playing for prolonged periods in lieu of other responsibilities.
But suggesting only this would seem a little rash and ill-informed. For those choices to have an impact, we have to consider an individual's commitments. Generally speaking, a child's commitment is mostly towards their parents and friends, granting them more free roam for gaming time and indulgence.
Becoming teens, they gain the increased capacity for decision-making and responsibility in their life, splitting their gaming time between life, school, romance and other important obligations. Moving into adulthood, commitment to work, family and friends challenge the length of play time individuals can commit to (sometimes if any at all).
Of course, it comes down as much to our self-control as it does the game's ability to keep the player sucked in for prolonged periods of time. There has to be a point where we can put down the controller and say "I'm done", even if we have to say it out aloud to stop ourselves.
How long do you think is reasonable amount of time to play games for on a weekly, or even monthly basis? Feel free to post any thoughts in the comments section below.
4 comments:
Is that you in the photo Paddie ? come on admit it !
Yeah some people have addicitve personalities, and if it wasn't games it would be something else like drink, drugs, sex ect.
Your right it is down to self control though. For me personally, enough is enough when I feel bored, tired or my mind wanders to other things, which since discovering internet dating, is quite frequent these days!
Some games drag you, but I like a game that I can pick up and play, put down for a week or 2 then continue later and still being on top in it.
You could have another debate about people that play WoW - its like their under some kind of spell or trance. I'll be playing F1 2010 or FF13 etc and I'm thinking these poor lost souls, they don't know what their missing!
Great subject Patrick. One of your best posts. I would say, simply for health reasons, you shouldn't exceed more than 90mins in one session. Further your shouldn't average more than one hour a day over any given week.
What I love about the Nintendo Wii is the little reminders it gives you to turn off and go back to the real world.
Hey you's two. I appreciate the comments you've left and I hear you on those things. What Nick said though is quite true. I have an addictive nature as regards to absorbing information is concerned.
If something's going on with my body I want to know as much as I can. I feel it helps me to get a very well-rounded sense of the matter, rather than sit there and do nothing about it.
What you both say is taken on board though. Take away a man's possessions and what is he?
What he's capable of.
Peace.
I haven't played much of anything except for review purposes this week. That's literally been drop in-drop out play as far as it goes.
Might treat myself and have a little bez tonight though. Need to get used to playing this if I were to get on a mag. but is good for other pursuits as well (probably).
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