[ACTIVITIES] Fufilling Social Needs During Pandemic Lockdown Without Gaming.

[pdallair91]

What's up you amazing ding dongs!?

So, correct me if I'm wrong but is it not a common human need to "play" with other people every now and then.  I mean, is it not reasonable to have fun with other people every now and then?  Personally, I think I need one evening or afternoon dedicated to this at least once a week in order to be happy.

As you've probably noticed, this has become more and more difficult because of the global  Before quitting, video-games were a medium that enabled me to sort of circumvent these constraints; they didn't consistently feel as good as having people over or going out for an activity but it did provide some relief.  Even when I didn't play multiplayer games, at least I was distracted from my social cravings and sense of isolation/loneliness (although sometimes I made it worst by abusing that approach).

Does anyone have any advice or recommendations?  Is it rational to even try satisfying these cravings for the time being?  If so, where should I look?  What other social activities have you managed to do and enjoy remotely?

Thank you

Edited February 13, 2021 by pdallair91

[creationlist]

Hello, so I did quit for half a year now.
I was on and off with gaming, recently deleting all accounts and quitting it completely.

What I do alot is going for a walk in the city.
Mostly at places where people sit, like parks or streets whre much coffee to go shops reside.

I always meet some random people there, also having a short talk from time to time.

So my recommendation is, just to go out at places where usually people sit and relax.
Had good experiences with that, good luck.

[pdallair91]

You know what?  As plain and simple as it is, I think I've already experienced this and it works.  When I go shopping for groceries, I joke around a little bit with the staff sometimes and it feels great.

[creationlist]

Yea, mostly the easy tasks are so obvious, I do not think about them at first.

But usually the easy tasks are the ones who give you good results.

And thats even more important for gamers becouse of dopamine intox and easy results.

[Pochatok]

What I'd recommend, If I understand correctly, in the case of video games fulfilling social interactions for you, I would simply try to choose non-addictive games, like digital adaptations of video games, stuff from jackbox, etc.. Games with the main reward being the social interaction rather than winning/playing the game itself. If you need games to connect with people, then I suggest to play games that focus on that rather than getting into something fun and addictive like MMOs.

[BooksandTrees]

I do puzzles in person and they are incredibly satisfying even though I thought they'd be boring. 

I lift weights, read, join book clubs virtually, I do dungeons and dragons on discord, and I go for walks with people. Shopping also helps. 

[Amphibian220]

Good stuff @booksandtrees .  i think Im missing a lot of these interactions.

[pdallair91]

Hey folks,

Sorry I haven't been actively following.  I have been chiming in with our Discord community every now and then throughout the month instead.

I've concluded by now that "Fun & Play" and "Human Connection" are core values to me, at least for now.  I it is unseasonable for me to expect "happiness" to stem from being "productive" and "independent" 24/7.  So, unsurprisingly, I've "naturally" come to follow some of your recommendations before even seeing your replies. 😊

Unfortunately, I had a little bit of a slip and became a mildly dependent on social media (Reddit, Youtube and Discord especially) and lost control of my daily routine of self-care.  Yesterday, I decided to uninstall the apps from my phone.  It's too easy to simply pickup my phone and start browsing, posting and replying before I realize an entire hour has passed. All the while, the intense emotions (good or bad) from the experience compel me to return time and time again.  We'll see how limiting this to my PC will deter some "impulse browsing".  I hope this will give me more time to take care of myself, interact with current peers, and less time with anonymous strangers (no offense).  Worst case, I'll have to look into means of stopping myself from posting or replying.  I'm not looking forward to leaving these platforms completely because it's also where I get a lot of tidbits of education and news from various subscriptions.

Still, as anonymous as this forum can be, I think I can assume that you all payed attention and tried to understand me; making this interaction far closer to my "Human Connection" value than the moral/political shitstorm I get into sometimes on Reddit and Youtube comment sections.  So, just to be clear to you folks, I do appreciate your advice here. 😇

Take care everyone.  And good luck on your paths. 😌