# I gave up on video games. What should I peruse? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 2, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681 "2014-03-02T17:28:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/21 "2014-03-03T17:46:40Z")
I never took up video games because I took up smoking as a teen, and found that it was really hard/annoying to do both at the same time. So I guess if it were me, if I gave up video games, I would take up smoking. (Although I gave up smoking and didn’t take up video games but I did get an iPod Touch so my hands are still busy all the time.) ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/22 "2014-03-03T18:05:42Z")
Running, walking, or my favorite: cycling. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/23 "2014-03-03T18:12:10Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I never took up video games because I took up smoking as a teen, and found that it was really hard/annoying to do both at the same time. Once upon a time I found it impossible to stop smoking without stop playing Civilization first. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/24 "2014-03-03T18:18:25Z")
> [@Wakinyan](#): > > Once upon a time I found it impossible to stop smoking without stop playing Civilization first. Is that a computer game? Now that I think of it, I totally could have become addicted to computer games because you can smoke while doing those. I was always focused on console games! Wasted wasted youth! ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/25 "2014-03-03T18:42:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Learn to fly an airplane. Or powered paragliding (it’s cheaper ;)). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/26 "2014-03-03T21:11:31Z")
In my opinion, the only reason it makes sense to stop a time waster is if you are actually not already doing something you think you should be doing. If you didn’t have any idea of what to replace them with, you weren’t really wasting time. You were just filling out your empty time, keeping yourself from being bored. So, then, what were you thinking you’d be able to do if you stopped wasting time on TV and video games? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/27 "2014-03-03T21:18:59Z")
Reading the Dope? ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/28 "2014-03-03T22:02:22Z")
> **[Coursera | Degrees, Certificates, & Free Online Courses](https://www.coursera.org/)** > > Learn new job skills in online courses from industry leaders like Google, IBM, & Meta. Advance your career with top degrees from Michigan, Penn, Imperial & more. Free classes from prestigious universities taught by super stars in their fields. I’ve been taking classes for the last year and a half and have really enjoyed them. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/29 "2014-03-05T17:08:49Z")
Learn to play an instrument Learn programming and make your own games, sell them Learn to paint Make YouTube videos about something you are skilled in or knowledgeable about Restore a classic car Hike or bike around your area Go Geocaching Do volunteer work; Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/30 "2014-03-05T18:43:14Z")
Exercise is a good one. There’s the health benefit, and the opportunity to get outdoors and see new things. Also, if you combine it with Past Tense’s advice about chasing women, you might try out this “sex” thing that all the kids seem to be talking about. ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681/31 "2014-03-08T16:29:45Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Learn to play an instrument > Learn programming and make your own games, sell them > Learn to paint > Make YouTube videos about something you are skilled in or knowledgeable about > Restore a classic car > Hike or bike around your area > Go Geocaching > Do volunteer work; Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity, etc. These are all good ideas, but it is worth noting that the only one that is intrinsically social is the last one. The others can be social, but you have to make the extra effort. It might be that your lack of enthusiasm for your current activities comes from their solitary nature (although some games can be very social, so perhaps I am mistaken). Hiking with other people is a much different experience than hiking alone (though I am a fan of both). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-up-on-video-games-what-should-i-peruse/682681.md?page=1)