# As a gamer: why am I a loser who is wasting his life away? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 21, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923 "2014-05-21T13:59:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earth001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a6a055/32.png) [@Earth001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earth001)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/1 "2014-05-21T13:59:54Z")
So I am 20 and I got a lot of interest like: science fiction, fantasy, movies, tv shows, technology, computers, and video games. But whenever I mention I like video games I always seem to get negative insults regarding my gaming hobby. Here we are a decade in the 21st century and I still get a lot of people saying negative comments about gamers and video games. Funny thing is when I mention that I like movies everyone seems to think its sweet and innocent that they like film. If I’m a hardcore film buff that’s perfectly acceptable. But if I tell people I like video games than I’m a loser with no life or wasting my time. Why does society have a negative view for video games? But other forms of entertainment don’t carry this sort of thing like movies, books, or in some cases watching TV? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/2 "2014-05-21T14:05:29Z")
Who is telling you this? Being a gamer is pretty accepted. I mean, Obama has mentioned how much he likes playing the Wii with his kids. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/3 "2014-05-21T14:19:16Z")
People who self label themselves as “gamers” usually spend an inordinate amount of time with the controllers in their hands. Most people that partake in entertainment activities don’t do it for more than [3 hours per day](http://bgr.com/2014/05/14/time-spent-playing-video-games/)on average. And that’s an average amount, there are plenty of people in that demographic that do it up to 6-8 hours a day. That’s way beyond an entertainment activity and crossing into an obsession. That’s why gamers get the stigma of being **losers**. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/4 "2014-05-21T14:21:35Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > People who self label themselves as “gamers” usually spend an inordinate amount of time with the controllers in their hands. Most people that partake in entertainment activities don’t do it for more than [3 hours per day](http://bgr.com/2014/05/14/time-spent-playing-video-games/)on average. And that’s an average amount, there are plenty of people in that demographic that do it up to 6-8 hours a day. That’s way beyond an entertainment activity and crossing into an obsession. That’s why gamers get the stigma of being **losers**. Hogwash. “Gamer,” in the general sense, stopped applying to the obsessives a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/5 "2014-05-21T14:24:19Z")
Are you holding down a job? (and/or) are you doing well in school? Are you physically fit? Are you mentally fit? Then tell everyone to fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/6 "2014-05-21T14:25:57Z")
/\ OK, I like this answer considerably more than mine. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/7 "2014-05-21T14:27:17Z")
> **[Why are TV and Video games viewed as Pointless. Yet movies and books are an...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=720819)** > > I would like to know, it seems like society tends to view TV and Video games as a waste of time. That people who spend long hours on TV and video games should be doing better things. Yet, we never hear anyone looked down for making movies or liking... > **[I gave up on video games. What should I peruse?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=717226)** > > So I recently gave up playing video games and watching TV since they are time wasters. What sorts of hobbies or activities should I pick up? > **[Got any "anti gamer" or "video game ignorant" stories?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=715472)** > > Let me explain, for lack of a better word for the title. Have you ever met someone who either didn’t really “get” video games. Someone who either thought that “OH NOEZ TEH VIDEO GAMES CORRUPT TEH YOUTH!” or “What are you talking about ‘good story’,... > **[What other forms of mass media did older generations complain about?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707834)** > > It seems like a lot of older people and parents often like to complain about the things that the younger generation enjoys. I am not so sure if this is a recent phenomenon or has this been going on through human history. Here are some of the forms of... > **[Why is "screen time" so frowned upon?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=711307)** > > I would like to know. Why do so many people seem to frown on exessive use of “screen time” or other electronic devices? Things like computers, televisions, game consoles, smartphones all seemed to be frowned upon in society if people use them to... > **[Video game addiction](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710539)** > > So, what are your thoughts on the subject of video game addiction? There are people who believe its real and there are other people who do not believe its real. Which one do you think? > **[Why do so many people badmouth video games?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707836)** > > I am 20 and I have been gaming for most of my free time and since it is the year 2013 I have always thought we were passed the ignorance of when other people looked down on gaming. But apparently I was wrong and I have found out that a lot of people... Because when people obsess about anything they become uninteresting. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/8 "2014-05-21T14:38:48Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > [Why are TV and Video games viewed as Pointless. Yet movies and books are an artform? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=720819) > [I gave up on video games. What should I peruse? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=717226) > [Got any "anti gamer" or "video game ignorant" stories? - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=715472) > [What other forms of mass media did older generations complain about? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707834) > [Why is "screen time" so frowned upon? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=711307) > [Video game addiction - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710539) > [Why do so many people badmouth video games? - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707836) > > Because when people obsess about anything they become uninteresting. That’s a wrap. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/9 "2014-05-21T15:08:33Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > [Why are TV and Video games viewed as Pointless. Yet movies and books are an artform? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=720819) > [I gave up on video games. What should I peruse? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=717226) > [Got any "anti gamer" or "video game ignorant" stories? - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=715472) > [What other forms of mass media did older generations complain about? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707834) > [Why is "screen time" so frowned upon? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=711307) > [Video game addiction - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710539) > [Why do so many people badmouth video games? - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707836) > > Because when people obsess about anything they become uninteresting. I owe you a beer. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/10 "2014-05-21T15:11:17Z")
Bingo! Points to **Telemark**. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/11 "2014-05-21T15:26:47Z")
This thread could have gone in ‘General Questions’ as it turns out there is an unambiguous answer to the OP’s question. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/12 "2014-05-21T15:51:13Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > [Why are TV and Video games viewed as Pointless. Yet movies and books are an artform? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=720819) > [I gave up on video games. What should I peruse? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=717226) > [Got any "anti gamer" or "video game ignorant" stories? - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=715472) > [What other forms of mass media did older generations complain about? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707834) > [Why is "screen time" so frowned upon? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=711307) > [Video game addiction - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710539) > [Why do so many people badmouth video games? - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707836) > > Because when people obsess about anything they become uninteresting. * * * NEW WEAPON UNLOCKED:\*\*\* Rapier ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/13 "2014-05-21T15:52:42Z")
_boom_ headshot ---
**Author:** ![Fool\_in\_the\_Rain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fool\_in\_the\_Rain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fool_in_the_Rain)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/14 "2014-05-21T15:58:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I owe you a beer. Ha, here I was going to defend gamers as I play games too, then **Telemark** shot it down with blasters on full. I got no defense against that 😛 He’s in our base killing our men and all that fun stuff ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/15 "2014-05-21T16:05:29Z")
> [@Fool\_in\_the\_Rain](#): > > Ha, here I was going to defend gamers as I play games too, then **Telemark** shot it down with blasters on full. > > I got no defense against that 😛 > > He’s in our base killing our men and all that fun stuff He’s a spawn camper OP watch out !!! ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/16 "2014-05-21T16:18:02Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > [Why are TV and Video games viewed as Pointless. Yet movies and books are an artform? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=720819) > [I gave up on video games. What should I peruse? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=717226) > [Got any "anti gamer" or "video game ignorant" stories? - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=715472) > [What other forms of mass media did older generations complain about? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707834) > [Why is "screen time" so frowned upon? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=711307) > [Video game addiction - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710539) > [Why do so many people badmouth video games? - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707836) > > Because when people obsess about anything they become uninteresting. That’s a beautiful thing. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/17 "2014-05-21T16:28:35Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Hogwash. “Gamer,” in the general sense, stopped applying to the obsessives a long time ago. Oh really? There’s a big difference between a person that says, “I play video games” and a person that says, “I’m a gamer”. A lot of people that are specific about it tend to invest a lot of time and energy into the activity. Now I’m sure plenty of neckbeards will hoarsely protest that this could be applied to anything. Sports is a popular neckbeard counter argument. But here’s the big difference between video games and sports/movies/etc- While video games have gotten broader appeal over the last two decades, its still the realm of the younger generations. The people like myself that play video games in their thirties were probably into it back in the days of Pong and Pac-Man. But for those that weren’t that into it as kids/teens when it was newer, its less likely they’ll get into it as adults. And the kids that got into video games when they were new may have been the minority. So when you have a conversation with somebody age 30+, its less likely they will be familiar with video games in depth. Conversely, film and sports have broader appeal across a larger age range. My brother in law is the same age as me; if I talked to him about video games he would have no clue what I was talking about, but if he talked to me about the 49ers I would at least have a vague idea. Its easier to connect with people when there’s at least a common level of understanding. As much as we’d like to think video games are more popular than ever, they’re still kind of obscure when you compare them to other more mainstream things. And people that obsess over obscure things nobody else is familiar with are more likely to come off as obsessive or weird (vs obsessing over more ‘acceptable’ things, doesn’t make it fair, just how people perceive it). ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/18 "2014-05-21T16:29:20Z")
I agree that the stereotypical teenager who spends hours continuously in front of a ‘shoot -em up’ game, eating junk food and not bothering about hygiene, studying or getting a job gives a bad impression of gamers. However I’d like to present a gamer success story - why it’s me! :o I’ve played a LOT of chess, bridge, AD+D and computer games. But I always made sure I passed my exams and got a job. I tore myself away from gaming for some decent meals and a bit of exercise. Then I struck gold. 🆒 For the last 27 years, I’ve taught full-time at a private school. My subjects are: - chess - roleplaying - computer games So there you have it - a life full of fantasy, science-fiction and games. And it’s gone jolly well. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/19 "2014-05-21T16:32:40Z")
> [@Earth001](#): > > If I’m a hardcore film buff that’s perfectly acceptable. BTW, I’m not sure what kind of crowd you hang around with but people who watch hardcore films in the buff are usually looked at askance as well. In a more serious vein, you are obsessing about video games AND peoples’ perception of you. Live your life, enjoy yourself, be a well rounded individual and no one important will care that you play video games. But keep whining about it all the time and people will think you’re a loser because you’re annoying. ---
**Author:** ![mage-girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mage-girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mage-girl)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923/20 "2014-05-21T16:39:46Z")
OP, don’t let the bastards who tell you that you’re a loser get you down. 😛 I play video games, and so do most of my friends. Out of the five of us, three are employed full-time. The other two are unemployed or disabled. All of us are college graduates. One is in grad school. Three own homes. I don’t consider any of us losers (though I do worry about how much time a couple of my friends are spending on World of Warcraft). I try not to let video games be the only hobby I have. I do needlework, and sudoku, and write as well. I have a huge list of movies and TV I need to catch up on (if I decide to pursue Supernatural, it is going to take FOREVER to get up-to-date on that alone!). And I have a very demanding cat. 😃 I’m also working on losing weight/getting in better shape, and building better life skills, in anticipation of eventually going back to work. 🙂 Video games, like other entertainment, can be a form of escapism. If you find yourself playing them too much, try to take a step back and examine what is going on in your life. Maybe video games are giving you a sense of control or achievement you don’t feel otherwise. But if you’re managing all your responsibilities, and you’re generally content, I wouldn’t worry about it. 🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-gamer-why-am-i-a-loser-who-is-wasting-his-life-away/688923.md?page=2)