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NEW VIDEO: The Dark Side of Gaming (Documentary)

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Posted

A nerve-racking feeling, a mix of excitement and fear, I've felt this before when trying something new or giving up something I cherish.

I don't know what to do today without video games, but I have a guitar, a book, and my mind is in a good place.

There are a lot of things I want to accomplish in this life. Mark Rudov once said, exaggerating, "Happiness is a bi-product of achievement. Anyone who says they're unhappy is their own fault." I've lived 29 years and have little to say for myself in terms of achievement.

When people ask, "What do you like to do?" I feel guilt when saying I enjoy video games, like it's a frowned-upon thing, something to be mocked or felt pity for.

I'm going to keep good spirits and try to make recognize when feeling urges to play, what's behind those urges?

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Posted
2 hours ago, jakeyb540 said:

When people ask, "What do you like to do?" I feel guilt when saying I enjoy video games, like it's a frowned-upon thing, something to be mocked or felt pity for.

Welcome @jakeyb540!

Now you can say, "I used to like playing video games, but now, I'm doing/learning/exploring *insert new hobby/interest!" 😁

2 hours ago, jakeyb540 said:

I'm going to keep good spirits and try to make recognize when feeling urges to play, what's behind those urges?

Nice! Face the urges and wreck 'em all! Good luck sir! 😂

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Posted

Day 2

Each urge to play games I can describe as wanting to escape from what I'm doing. Whether it's checking my phone, e-mail, facebook, news, walking around, eating something, or even sleeping. Constant nerves, a sense of discontent with whatever I'm doing.

Yesterday, I watched people play games like chess or some moba's on twitch which was a definite trigger to want to play. I even noticed my good friends playing a new game that I'd recommended and it was an internal struggle to not pop into comms, download the game, and play with them. I am realizing that if I have no substitute for playing games, I won't succeed.

List of possible replacements: Chess (Still a game, but perhaps less intensive than video games), Biking, Recreational Tennis, Rock Climbing, Lockpicking, Drawing, Reading, Coding, Guitar, Cooking and meal prep, Martial Arts, Weight lifting. Growing an indoor plant, Buy a fish to take care of, Learn Russian language, Get back into Forex market, Re-read Tony Robbins' Awaken the Giant, DIY engineering with MAKE magazine

Posted

I often wonder if that impulse you describe is the root of my problems. Even on my long stretches without games I still have that constant urge to be doing something else besides simply existing with my thoughts or doing what I'm supposed to be doing. That's a hell of an impulse to try to stop, though, because for me it only pops up when I'm not paying attention so it's nearly impossible to catch it until I've already given in to whatever the urge was.

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Posted
38 minutes ago, ceponatia said:

I often wonder if that impulse you describe is the root of my problems. Even on my long stretches without games I still have that constant urge to be doing something else besides simply existing with my thoughts or doing what I'm supposed to be doing. That's a hell of an impulse to try to stop, though, because for me it only pops up when I'm not paying attention so it's nearly impossible to catch it until I've already given in to whatever the urge was.

Yeah, I am thinking it must be a discipline thing, not having a sense of center. I sometimes try meditation like the one described in this youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxJ0N2vq2GM

 

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Posted

That's what I've tended to focus on as well. For me "discipline" has been too broad of a word to work on. When I focus on discipline I end up trying to do everything that occurs to me as something I'm supposed to do and I burn out very quickly. Now I'm trying to make logical plans for my day more. But discipline is still a part of that because once I make the plan I have to actually do it. 🙂

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