AlexTheGrape Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone, I'm Alex.Here's my story.I'm 17 years old, and I come from New Zealand. I'm still in high school, and still have another year to go. I started playing video games when I was 5, when my parents bought me and my brother a playstation 2 for Christmas to keep us occupied. From there playing video games became our go to activity at home, and as Cam mentioned, it provided us with a sense of purpose by providing us challenges from which we can see measurable growth in our play. So I suppose we've been at it for 12 years now, most of my life! I did well academically in school, I was competitive this way, and so was my brother. This justified to me that gaming was ok just as long as my grades were high, which was true to an extent.My gaming days consisted mostly of the Jack and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank series on the PS2, then super mario and pokemon on nintendo DS when I was about 7, then PC and XBOX games when we were about 13. My brother and I played all sorts of games together, we still had time outside whenever we needed to, but our parents weren't very strict and our holidays completely consisted of gaming.During high school my friends consisted of gamers. Unfortunately in this time, almost all the boys played video games, so it was hard to find ones that didn't without ending up with the 'cool kids' that are destined to be party animals. I tried to quit several times, and I've found I had a kind of pattern when it came to these relapses (I also found this term helpful for understanding this!). I would quit gaming, work hard for a month. I would then work with gaming as a reward, when the nostalgia kicks in. Then I would just game in most of my free time. Next when it came to the holidays, I would game for all my free time, then at the end of the holidays hate myself for wasting so much time and quitting again. Then the cycle repeats.My brother wants to be a game developer after high school, so unfortunately video games were always close to hand and I could see him playing when I had quit, which did nothing to help my nostalgia. Now I wish to finish gaming for good, and finally focus on my ambitions to become an inventive person that writes poems and can build funky contraptions. I used to love designing mechanisms to make that would make life more interesting, like a lunch dispenser that would provide a day's worth of lunch, or mechanism that converts the energy of rainwater coming down from the roof into usable energy, however insignificant. I also wish to pick up the skills I left behind, my social skills in the past few years have deteriorated as I delved deeper into the world of Steam, and I stopped playing guitar, from which I derived much self confidence.What do I wish to bring to the table? I'll make sure to support others that are trying to quit gaming as well, and in the process not try to get addicted to blogging!I've watched many of your videos Cam! It's heart warming for me that there are people out in the world that dedicate their time to helping others like you do. I would be very pleased if you could comment on this post and tell me where you're replying from! You'll be a role model for me along the way to finding meaning in my life and becoming a better person. Cheesy, but its the truth.Thanks to the community, and thank you Cam for setting it up! Edited July 26, 2016 by AlexTheGrape Removed names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookieshark88 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Thanks for introducing yourself with such a well written post! I think you will come to really enjoy these forums. Is there anything you would specifically like to know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexTheGrape Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Thanks for the compliment! I would like to know some ideas for being social during the school holidays. I will be able to drive by myself soon, so what would be some good ways to keep social when I'd usually be at home? Also, would it be ok to play an XBOX game with my brother every now and then? It seems it could lead to greater nostalgia though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Adair Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Hey Alex! Great to have you join us here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Hi Alex! Welcome!Thanks for the compliment! I would like to know some ideas for being social during the school holidays. I will be able to drive by myself soon, so what would be some good ways to keep social when I'd usually be at home? Also, would it be ok to play an XBOX game with my brother every now and then? It seems it could lead to greater nostalgia though. ?What do you like to do? When I was at school these were my favorite holiday activities.Summer camp. Starting from setting tents and building the kitchen zone (each team their own) including table and benches. Then two weeks in close contact with nature. I loved collecting and chopping wood, fueling the kitchen (an art in its own merit), taking care of the evening bonfire. Long and challenging hikes. Pure bliss. Also the only time I didn't play games.Playing music. Band rehearsals, jam sessions, concerts, and writing my own stuff.Hanging out with one friend at a time. Connecting at a deep, personal level with people of all ages (well, mostly older since I was much younger).Since you are still in touch with your creative side and are a blooming inventor, why don't you expand on those traits of your personality? Commit to writing something every day. Set an achievable and measurable goal, like 100 words. It's just a trigger to get started. Teach yourself more about mechanics and electronics, see if you want to learn coding. Look for a mentor who's better then you are and who will enjoy helping you grow your skills. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookieshark88 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I think the answer to the Xbox games question lies within your own conscience. You will be able to feel if that's a good activity for you. If you do play Xbox games be mindful of yourself. Do you feel satiety after playing for a bit or is there a never ending urge to play a little bit more? Think of it like hunger. When you eat a meal you eventually feel full and stop eating. If you never get the full feeling then you know it's something you need to avoid altogether.Tom's advice is great and there isn't too much more I can add to it.Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexTheGrape Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Thanks Guys! This is a really helpful community. I think I'll just avoid the games altogether, as you say wookieshark, it is like a hunger, and the time played always stretches longer than expected.Thank you Tom for your ideas! I was actually thinking about learning to play the guitar again and go to an Easter camp which focuses on leadership. I'll make sure to deepen the connection I have with my friends, at the moment we just stick together because we're good at similar things, i.e. robotics. When I used to play guitar it really made me feel happier when I got into it, making your own music is a new experience every time.Also the idea about a mentor and the daily commitment is a good idea too Tom! I started writing a diary when I quit gaming, and it is more of a reflection thing. If I allocate a little more time to write and be inventive, I'm bound to be on the right track! I currently program using the python language and know a little on how to code in others, but currently I can't translate these skills into anything other than making minor programs for a windows computer, so I guess I need to teach myself a little more in the electronics side to connect up my skills.Thanks again guys, its people like you that make the community the supportive place it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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