People who watch TV religiously have no business calling gamers childish. amirite?

"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time"

by Anonymous 1 month ago

This! My partner and I are in our 30s and we've gotten judgment from some people because we'll stay at home during the weekends and just play video games. We also do Saturday and Sunday morning cartoons w/ bfast I'm spending 5 days a week maximizing shareholder profit. I should be able to do nothing for two days without judgment. House is clean, fridge is stocked I'm fine! Lol

by Anonymous 1 month ago

the only qualifier being that "time enjoyed" shouldn't come at the expense of self care. I know too many people who spend hours a day gaming but never seem to have 10 minutes to clean the trash out of their car or have the energy to actually fold their laundry when it's clean

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Yep, I think a lot of people conflate enjoyment with escapism.

by MammothCommercial 1 month ago

My ex and I used to fight about this exact thing

by Admirable_Service 1 month ago

And no matter how you explain it, it will never matter.

by luis99 1 month ago

When my wife and I were dating she said the same thing and I pointed out that 2 hours of video games is no different than 2 hours of tv or playing on your phone. She said good point and started warming up to gaming as a hobby.

by ferrygarrison 1 month ago

my dad said he had a problem playing video games because he would play a couple hours every other day. So he's sworn it off and spends even more time watching TV. He got me into them as a kid so it's frustrating to not get to enjoy them with him because he "didn't wanna lose to me" like hey idiot, there's co-op games everywhere now. -_-

by Jonathanraynor 1 month ago

the same thing happened to my dad. now he spends most his days smoking and watching TV in the garage or sitting in the living room. like yeah...video games were the problem.

by Choice-Quit 1 month ago

My dad used to beat MMPR on SNES regularly. Then I beat him on Star Fox 64. He hasn't touched a game since. That was 27 years ago.

by ReplacementOnly8670 1 month ago

Years ago im talking the 80's and early 90's games were seen as for kids. Nowadays it is a legitamate form of entertainment media with titles that are targetted for adults only so I agree with you.

by StatusMuffin530 1 month ago

That makes sense to me, I'm generally of the mindset that people can spend their time and money how they see fit.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

im not sure about around the world, but in my community sitting around watching reality TV is considered just as bad, if not worse, then gaming all day. At least with gaming theres a social aspect for online games and you can at least have some sort of social interaction. Reality TV you just sitting there dumbing your brain.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

there's a huge social aspect with reality TV. even if you don't get together to watch it with people, most people who watch these shows have some group of people they talk about it with. for example, my family and I have a weekly phone call to talk about our "family show"

by Wittingariane 1 month ago

Ain't no way you can call gaming childish when you're glued to your couch for hours every night watching brainless crap. Grown-ups play games and they can damn well enjoy 'em without some prudish busybody judging their fun

by pfannerstillmar 1 month ago

Watching 6 hours of TV a day is reasonable, but somehow, playing 6 hours of video games a week is "wasting my life." Make it make sense.

by ReferenceOrnery 1 month ago

who the hell thinks watching 6 hours of TV a day is reasonable?!

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I think this is a pretty popular opinion around here.

by mertzenola 1 month ago

Good take

by Anonymous 1 month ago

umm maybe in 1990. In 2025 I can pause whatever I want lol.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Ya really WTF this guy talking about lol

by Late_Assistant 1 month ago

To be fair I'm pretty sure most people can pause TV. I don't watch TV myself other than the footy, but I know mum has been able to pause and record TV for like 20 years at this point.

by Josefina16 1 month ago

Why can't they pause?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

..you can pause if you're streamingz and let's be honest, more people stream than watch live TV, an online gaming match, you can't pause

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I have a couple shows I watch intently but for the most part my TV time is also when I do my laundry, tidy the house up, make my grocery list, etc.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Current online gaming you cannot do this. It's no different than leaving a basketball court to go read a book, then go back to the court. Sorry.. Games over.

by Late_Assistant 1 month ago

True or if you indulge in social media or porn, feel like out of TV/Social Media/Gaming/Porn gaming is arguably the most harmless.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

The most mentally stimulating.

by Rude_Implement 1 month ago

This just feels like straw man city over here. Would an avid TV watcher really make such a claim these days? This feels like an antiquated thing that parents used to say to children, but surely not anymore, right?

by jakubowskiabby 1 month ago

Actually I happen to know a LOT of women who make these complaints about their husbands

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Are they old?

by adamscooper 1 month ago

Actually no. One of them happens to be my sister in law.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I agree with you and also do not think this is an unpopular opinion.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Anyone here play league , add me

by Anonymous 1 month ago

This pissed me off about the older generation. I'm on my game "all day" aka the 2-3 hours after doing homework, yet you're on your 8th hour of watching whatever is on the screen?

by Moeneffie 1 month ago

Is that unpopular? Seems pretty obvious to me. Scrolling social media I'd say is much worse and less fulfilling/healthy than gaming. Of course in all these things there are very different ways to approach them. An hour or two spent enjoying a great game, show or movie is much different than five hours playing call of duty or watching reality tv.

by adamscooper 1 month ago

True.

by PuzzleheadedPass2517 1 month ago

Agreed. It's all too much screen time.

by Destiny77 1 month ago

I told someone I was looking forward to trying a craft, paper mache (I know that's not spelt right but have no idea how you spell it). They tried to make fun of it by saying I have too much time on my hands. I asked what they were going to do and they said probably just watch tv. That quickly shut them up.

by Grouchy-Remote-7578 1 month ago

Gamers. They came for gamers..

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Can't be any worse than social media right? :D

by Longjumping_Let_4907 1 month ago

Would it be the same for those who read fiction all the time?

by Physical-Yoghurt4458 1 month ago

you are right.

by dubuquemeggie 1 month ago

the difference is that only one person is enjoying the video game, but an entire room can enjoy the tv show together. that's why I don't play video games when family is around unless it's a multiplayer game like Tekken

by Automatic-Minimum 1 month ago

Watching "reality TV" is childish. Especially when you realize that it's completely fake.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I think the biggest issue is level of commitment. I can watch TV very passively and engage in other things. Also any emotions tend to be directed in a passive way However with a game, there's generally a minimum time commitment, you have to be ultra engaged to keep up with a story (if there is one) or on screen instructions. If you're playing CoD and getting upset, it's an engaged upset. Then there's a sunk cost fallacy that can go into a losing streak as well. I get the OP's argument, but video games are generally a level or two up from tv

by UsefulBody 1 month ago

I hear you and I do think you have a point however the vast majority of video games that people play are not real time multiplayer games that are unable to be paused. On the flip side, I don't know many people that will pause a tv show or movie in the middle to accomplish something. I know it's anecdotal but I feel like 90% of the time people will finish their episode or movie and THEN do whatever it is they need to do.

by rodriguezhyman 1 month ago

It really depends on the time investment, whether or not it's an addiction, and if they are paying attention to their partner or their life in general. Gamers who are glued to their game all day, who get snappy if people talk to them, who don't socialize with their partner because they're always on the game… that's too much. I don't know tv watchers who really fall into that level of addiction, and it's pretty common for gamers.

by towneclyde 1 month ago

Sports fans. Sports fans get to that level.

by lavernamccullou 1 month ago

I'm not telling anyone how to live their life but what I will say is my gaming computer dying is the single greatest thing that happened to my health and wellness because I traded in hours and hours of time in energy out into escapist media that didn't help me with my long term goals, to "leveling up" in my actual life

by Anonymous 1 month ago

These people are highly regarded.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Dwarf fortress

by Radiant-Week8832 1 month ago

totally fair statement...can we also add sports fans - whether in person or tv? the sheer amount of time people spend watching men follow a little balll around a field is insane

by Nitzschedortha 1 month ago

Or talking on the phone for hours

by Anonymous 1 month ago

This is like 20 year old discourse, not relevant at all.

by Blaisedickinson 1 month ago