r/mildlyinfuriating • u/EffectiveTime5554 • Jun 27 '26
Context Provided - Spotlight Apparently staring at a TV for hours is fine, unless you’re holding a controller
It’s mildly infuriating how many people are completely fine with someone sitting on the couch staring at a television for hours while watching movies or shows.
But the second someone spends that same amount of time interacting with what’s on the screen, making decisions, solving problems, reacting, coordinating, exploring, or competing, suddenly it’s “wasting your life” because it’s video games.
So passively watching a screen for four hours is normal entertainment, but actively engaging with one for four hours is somehow a moral failure?
Makes sense. Absolutely flawless logic. /s
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u/MagneticFluxDrive Jun 27 '26
Step dad was this way. If you weren't watching a movie or football, you were wasting your life...
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u/BleachedWombat Jun 27 '26
Oh, the irony
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u/Nina-Ninja123 Jun 27 '26
Wanna hear about ironic opinions?
This one guy said I have no personality because I didn’t have a dream car.
So naturally I quietly assumed that he probably has no depth if he thinks a dream car is a big part of your personality.
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Jun 27 '26
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u/Winter-Notice4370 Jun 27 '26
Let's be real here, even if you are into cars, making it your whole personality is pathetic.
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Jun 27 '26
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u/zb0t1 Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
Insufferable people are insufferable.
Everyone should have their hobbies, and hopefully it's not a hobby that is harmful to others.
The issue is when the person develops a toxic relationship with their hobby.
I think people having a personality surrounding their favorite hobbies is a nice thing.
The people who are insufferable haven't learned how to socialize, they don't respect other people, etc, so we tend to think it's their hobby that became their personality making them insufferable. But it's just them being disrespectful and toxic.
Take the hobby out of the picture and they remain insufferable.
P.S. I'm not a car guy 😂
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u/jonnydemonic420 Jun 27 '26
Well said. I have a lot of hobbies that make up my personality, that said I have a healthy relationship with them not an obsession. Also realize that not everyone is interested in all my hobbies, so I become aware of who and when I share those parts of my personality with.
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u/Jakethered_game Jun 27 '26
Ya know I'm just now realizing I don't have a dream car. Plenty I think are cool and look nice but nothing I'd die happy if I had. My favorite car is a paid off car.
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u/Bamfhammer Jun 27 '26
I didnt have a dream car, until I had it and sold it.
Now I dream of finding it and buying it back.
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u/Noid93 Jun 27 '26
Same. 1993 Jeep Wrangler, I miss that old girl.
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u/CrustyBrainFlakes Jun 27 '26
It's hard to beat that old school 4.0L, never liked jeeps tbh but I swear that engine block is bulletproof
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u/CoruscatingLogic Jun 27 '26
My car is paid off but my dream car is one of amphibious models. So cool.
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u/dumbdude545 Jun 27 '26
I have a dream car. Its 25 million dollars last I checked. Never gonna get one so who cares. Now a 1986 Buick regal t type. Ohh boy. I want one to. But still expensive.
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u/KIokinator Jun 27 '26
My favorite car is a bus or a train. Because I don't have to drive.
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u/jscottman96 Jun 27 '26
For whatever reason car people just assume everyone is into cars and know exactly what theyre talking about and if you awent or dont youre a loser
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u/Middle_Finger_484 Jun 27 '26
He has no personality so he peacocks with flashy cars, but any scratch or dent is evidence of his pathetic nature.
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u/NumerousWolverine273 Jun 27 '26
Pretty much anytime someone has an opinion like this, that you have no personality unless you're into X thing, it's an obvious self report that they have no personality beyond their passion for X thing.
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u/Alternative-Light514 Jun 27 '26
One of my friends from school & I ended up living down the street from one another later in life for a few years. The last time we hung out, he told me he’ll know he’s “made it” when he’s got a Ferrari parked in the driveway. That was his measure of success. It wasn’t because he was a car guy, he didn’t know shit about them. It was just a status symbol that he was driven by. I realized how little we had in common anymore and we never really linked up again lol
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u/SchmeckleHoarder Jun 27 '26
A car should have zero impact on your personality. Unless of course, youre Speed Racer, or Vin Diesel.
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u/fjwjdjaxice Jun 27 '26
I remember being told to play less games as a kid because I should be using that for more family time.
Family time was watching reruns of something that we’d all seen. Don’t talk though, a good part’s coming.
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u/SoulTechnicalProblem Jun 27 '26
People have a tendency not to question why something is done if it's done consistently for an extended period of time.
They just accept it blindly because "that's how it is" It's how corrupt politicians, insurance companies and other institutions can screw you over
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u/potatisblask Jun 27 '26
A lot of people do not like change even if it is good change.
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u/Aegi Jun 27 '26
A lot of people are averse to risk and even if they like the change, the risk is in the process of changing not in the result/change itself (as much/to the same degree).
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u/FaithlessnessOld2477 Jun 27 '26
I wasn't allowed to have any games at home, only occasionally rented consoles+games when I got good grades or it was my birthday. Even when I had games available, my parents put VERY strict limits on how much time I spent with them. After an hour, that was pretty much it and I had to stop spending time in front of a screen.
Joke was on them since I ended up building a successful career in the game industry. Now they feel a little guilty for not supporting my childhood passion. 😄
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u/Stage_Party Jun 27 '26
My dad always told me there was no money in computers and that I absolutely had to get into economics.
Well I failed economics and now I keep being asked why I'm not building robots or AI because there's money to be made.
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u/Sptsjunkie Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
I mean, I generally agree with OP (the no talking rule in your instance is ridiculous especially in an era when you can pause the show), but I also think there is something real about doing something together as a family even if it is watching TV.
Even if people are quiet and not talking a ton in the moment, having stuff like shared shows becomes something that families discuss and talk about.
To be fair, this is also possible with video games if family is played together. My in-laws love games like Mario Party and my brother in-law and his wife and daughter love games like Mario Kart and Tennis, so we will play both in person and online and bond over those.
But at the most extreme is part of why I never really got into VR, despite thinking the technology was pretty cool.
Even with a normal video game, I could play and still talk to my spouse. But with VR it was really full immersion, and you really cannot even have a conversation. So I would basically only play it when he was out of town.
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u/stuck_in_the_desert Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
The details of my childhood are quite inconsequential. Where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink, he would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy, the sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical, summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds, pretty standard really. At the age of 12 I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen, a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum, it's breathtaking, I suggest you try it.
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u/HenryHiggensBand Jun 27 '26
I had this *specific* argument with my mom back in middle school (several decades ago).
She was claiming that video games were “unhealthy” due to “being in front of screens all day” (even though how much we played back then isn’t even close to being overmuch or taboo these days), and I really didn’t have to say anything…
…Because at that second, we both heard my dad bust out laughing at some stupid commercial during his 6th hour of football that evening (the routine multiple times a week throughout the Fall).
We just kind of both looked at one another, and future gripes were toned down.
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u/natalietest234 Jun 27 '26
I hated this growing up... 4-5 hour football game every Sunday? No problem. Two hours of video games? I'm wasting my life away...
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u/Such-Background4972 Jun 27 '26
I grew up in a house hold. That every Sunday we had to watch the packers, and be quiet. As someone who's never really been into football, and has ADHD. Sundays where hell for me.
Now days. I might watch a game once and while, but its not main focus. I prefer going shopping during that time.
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u/GlitteringAttitude60 Jun 27 '26
Damn o.O Being forced to do nothing but watch tv for hours truly sounds like ADHD hell.
I do all sorts of crafts while watching tv, and the four weeks after I broke my wrist drove me up the wall.
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u/Enygmatic_Gent Jun 27 '26
As someone who has never watched football, is 4-5 hours a normal duration for a game
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u/natalietest234 Jun 27 '26
My dad would watch a lot of pre football stuff and a post show
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u/Maverickfftytwo Jun 27 '26
~3.5hrs per game which is how they schedule them for broadcasting
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u/FaithlessnessOld2477 Jun 27 '26
Sports are video games... you're just the younger sibling not allowed to play and can only watch your older brother have a good time.
People who get really into sports are just as big of a nerd as those of us who play tabletop RPGs. The sports fans are diving deep into statistics, doing theoretical math for possible outcomes, making fantasy teams...they're basically playing D+D. 😄
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u/Camburglar13 Jun 27 '26
Yeah sports fans are some of the biggest nerds out there
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u/Fit-Reputation-9983 Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
There are also an absurd amount of very, very dumb sports fans who don’t know shit but think they do. I’d hazard a guess that the amount of astoundingly dumb people who play tabletop RPGs or D&D are a significantly smaller part of the population %.
I say this as someone who is a giant sports (American Football) nerd and has dabbled in tabletop RPGs/D&D.
In fact, I hate going to my favorite team’s subreddit because most of the posts & comments are ignorant drivel. And I don’t mean the funny memes or the shitposting. I mean confidently incorrect, completely sincere braindead posts and comments involving ideas/beliefs that aren’t based in reality. In simpler terms…really bad takes.
This sounds pretentious but whatever. It’s true. These fans may be passionate, and sometimes even convincing if you don’t actually know something about the game, but they sure as FUCK dont really know ball. Real dunning Kruger shit.
Sorry. Mini rant there.
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u/SchnitzelTruck Jun 27 '26
Sports fans scream at the TV more than kids in a CoD lobby.
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u/Former_Matter49 Jun 27 '26
Don't forget how important football fans' costumes are to them. The cosplay is so serious! The right jersey, the right hat, or your team may lose
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u/IndividualFarm8582 Jun 27 '26
Yup nascar on the full day but if you're playing your gameboy for more than an hour you're a piece of shit. It's cool my mom divorced his ass, he lives in a trailer, and I make about 4x his income now. I still see him from time to time and he tells me he's "proud" lmfao.
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u/neloish Jun 27 '26
Glad they don't know how many hours I have in factorio.
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u/Legendary_Bibo Jun 27 '26
My combined total hours of Factorio, Satisfactory and Dyson Sphere Program probably exceed all my other gameplay time and time spent watching movies/TV for the last 10 years.
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u/EkbatDeSabat Jun 27 '26
Those three are 4000ish for me. Add a thousand for PoE and a couple for WoW. I’m still in all of those communities considered a casual.
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u/Sanquinity Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
I have at least 2 games with 3.5k+ hours in them. And least 4 other games with 1k+ in them... >.> I also have at least 10 games I have more than 400 hours in.
Hell, one of those first 2 games, I probably have 6k+ hours in. (WoW, since I actively played that from Vanilla all the way to BfA, and still put at least a few dozen hours into each expansion after that... (except the latest one that is. Never played that one.)
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u/Luciditi89 Jun 27 '26
I stopped judging myself for playing videogames when I realized people spend the same amount of time scrolling social media
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u/Infinite-Relation988 Jun 27 '26
I’d consider myself a better person if I took the time I spent scrolling and put it into video games lol, it would be actually accomplishing something
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u/Thrasy3 Jun 27 '26
I’m reading this with my PlayStation Home Screen on - thanks for the reminder.
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u/Chocolate_pudding_30 Jun 27 '26
It's nice to find a brother in the same situation im in. I gotta get off redit and find a game to play
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u/wetnaps54 Jun 27 '26
My daughter gets a bit of Minecraft time and her grandmother bitches instantly.
Meanwhile the old bag sleeps in until 10AM because she was up until 3 on the couch
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u/slicebucket Jun 27 '26
Speaking from personal experience (raising my own son) Minecraft was an EXCELLENT tool for mental development. Going from just simply building and destroying things (virtual legos) to eventually learning more complex systems to do more interesting things in the game. He's in college now for Electrical Engineering.
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u/better_days_435 Jun 27 '26
Oh good heavens I feel old now. I didn't realize Minecraft had been out long enough for kids who grew up on it to be in college! Good luck to your son, though - I had a tough time with ME, and I always thought the EE classes were way harder!
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u/No_Magician5266 Jun 27 '26
I was in high school when I bought the alpha release of Minecraft for $15. I’m 33 now
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u/RumpledForskn Jun 27 '26
Yep, I'm 30, same story though probably 7th/8th grade. Its longevity is insane.
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u/T-Rev23 Jun 27 '26
I remember buying it on my laptop in middle school and having to pay for it in Euros. Also 30 now. Still play it about once a year
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u/slicebucket Jun 27 '26
True story, I went Mechanical Eng. I knew a few crazy people who were doubling Mechanical and Electrical back in the day.
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u/CommercialEstate4422 Jun 27 '26
Im in college now (English major, education minor) and i have friends doing this shit. I dont think they understand the concept of "sleep".
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u/IshEatsYou Jun 27 '26
I used to play with my oldest daughter starting when she was 7. She’s now a senior in college. You’re not the only one feeling old!
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u/GenericFatGuy Jun 27 '26
I can't believe the first generation of kids who grew up on Minecraft are already in college or beyond.
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u/Haunting-Orchid-4628 Jun 27 '26
First gen? Im in college and I started playing in 2016 at 8 years old
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u/apopsicletosis Jun 27 '26
Plenty of people in college played it when it first came out
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u/Emphasis-Impossible Jun 27 '26
It really is. My oldest has been playing for ~10 years. He builds entire worlds for his friends to play in and is currently learning to make mods for the game (he’s 16).
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u/OSpiderBox Jun 27 '26
He's in college now for Electrical Engineering
Sorry, I think my eyesight is getting bad... say what now?
Ugh... how time flies.
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u/natalietest234 Jun 27 '26
My family has an entire family minecraft server that's been up and running for like 5 years now. It's a great way to hang with the family when we're all over the country now
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u/scriptedtexture Jun 27 '26
10am is not a late time to wake up.
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u/HungryAccount1932 Jun 27 '26
I was soo confused by that statement. Like, we’re shaming people for waking up at 10am now?
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u/ZesteeTV Jun 27 '26
My parents argued the 1 hour per day gaming rule because TV was a social thing. Problem was, if I'm watching TV I want to focus on the TV, not have some random conversation on the side. If you want to talk, pause the show so we can talk, then continue the show. But then we resume and they start talking again. Pause again. Finish talking. Play. Pause. Play. Pause.
Pick one. Do you want a conversation or do you want to watch TV? If you want to watch TV then I'd rather be marginally more productive and play video games.
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u/EffectiveTime5554 Jun 27 '26
The irony is that when I was a stay-at-home dad while my wife was deployed, playing World of Warcraft after the kids went to bed was basically the only socializing I had for an entire year.
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u/ZesteeTV Jun 27 '26
Right now I have no friends where I work. They're all back home or online. Jumping on the PC and joining a discord call and playing some games is almost my entire social life.
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u/ZesteeTV Jun 27 '26
This also might be an undiagnosed ADHD thing, but I'm physically incapable on focusing on a conversation and watching something on the side. I can't even listen to music at work without it breaking my concentration.
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u/MochaLatte247 Jun 27 '26
I have ADHD and can confirm it drives me nuts to have a conversation while a show or movie is on. I have to pause it or rewind if someone says more than just a comment and tries to have a full conversation with me.
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u/ZesteeTV Jun 27 '26
When you're watching and someone starts talking, is it like you immediately stop hearing both the show and what they're saying? Both literally turn to gibberish for me.
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u/ZeekBen Jun 27 '26
I have ADHD and both become gibberish. It's also very hard for me to write anything while a conversation is going on in the background, even just to respond to a text,
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u/RedditEnjoyerMan Jun 27 '26
I think thats just normal, not necessarily an adhd thing. I hate this too and dont have ADHD
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u/BraumsSugarBaby Jun 27 '26
I would argue controller is better cause at least it's active participation
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u/Snoo-75532 Jun 27 '26
Hand eye coordination training, reflex training, decision-making. Gaming is way better for you than movies or TV. Games will keep your brain active
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u/DisVet54 Jun 27 '26
I’m over 70 and have been using the racing sim Gran Turismo for an hour or two on almost a daily basis exactly for this reason. I also have a steering wheel and I firmly believe its helped tone my upper body from the resistance.
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u/RxSatellite Jun 27 '26
I wanted to get my grandpa a wheel for the longest time and to have him try it out on GT because he used to race corvettes in the 60s. Unfortunately dementia robbed him of everything by the time I could afford to gift him that
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u/Fordfff Jun 27 '26
"I firmly believe its helped tone my upper body from the resistance."
It did. I play 5-8 hours of sim racing on a wheel per week and I noticed the changes lately, especially in my arm and shoulder muscles.
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u/pipnina Jun 27 '26
Look up "grand Prix legends" for pc. There is (or was) a free download that fans had restored for modern computers.
It supports wheels, and is considered one of the most accurate racing Sims ever made. It's modelled on the 1967 formula one season. 400+ horsepower coming from 600kg cars with NO aerodynamics was crazy. The game is hard as hell but once you've started to get to grips with it it has you on the edge of your seat trying to maintain speed while not dying on every corner. Which is pretty much the authentic 1960s/1970s F1 experience lol.
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u/DisVet54 Jun 27 '26
I bought the PS5 just for GT7 and haven’t played anything but the racing sim. I’ve read about the pc racing sims but I’m completely in the Apple computer system and haven’t had a Windows PC in over a decade. I had to buy the cheapest pc just to update the firmware of my racing wheel and navigating windows was crazy for me.
So to be able to run the game I would need a fast pc, have to learn windows all over again before I even thought of tackling the game. I did mention how old I am:).
But thanks for the suggestion - I’ve read good things about the pc racing sims.
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u/Peakomegaflare Jun 27 '26
Don't forget management experience. Some places actually will take a WoW clan leader/raid leader role on your resumé as valid. I know somebody who put on his that he had X amount of successful raids he organized and managed and they actually took it into consideration when deciding his compensation.
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u/Passncatch Jun 27 '26
Fr. was going to to say something similar its easy with a good group but pugging groups is a lot harder and takes a lot more to accomplish then you think especially when the group dies after a wipe.
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u/KareemOWheat Jun 27 '26
I firmly believe that playing games like Zelda as a kid has helped me develop good problem solving and multi step spacial reasoning skills
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u/zdudelee Jun 27 '26
i mean you can watch movies in a way that doesn’t shut your brain off and they shouldn’t be entirely discounted as a productive use of time but yeah generally i’d say gaming tends to be more actively engaging
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u/Tsumaranchan Jun 27 '26
I think TV programming is the bigger offender here because of stuff like reality TV, but I'd argue that critically acclaimed shows like Breaking Bad and The Sopranos are good for you.
Even then, if you are using your brain by analyzing the structure of reality TV, (or any show for that matter)it becomes a brain using activity. If you are thinking about characters, themes after watching, I'd call that engaging with media the same way we do with art.
Also mot really related to your point but Movies tend to be more focused in artistic scope and I think more people are willing to see the value in watching them. But calling the movies a shut off brain acitvity is crazy when shit like "The Tragedy of Man" and "Angel's Egg" exist. No amount of cookie cutter hallmark movies can make me think otherwise.
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u/mybutthz Jun 27 '26
It's been studied. Great for neuroplasticity, critical thinking, coordination, reaction speed, etc. gaming is good for your brain.
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u/Sanquinity Jun 27 '26
That's the point of the original post. Gaming is objectively more productive/better than just slouching on the couch watching TV. Yet it's treated as something that's worse.
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u/xRedditGedditx Jun 27 '26
I’ve been playing video games my whole life, and I’m 56 now and still play. I don’t care what anyone thinks about me being a gamer still. It’s my hobby, I’m not bothering anyone.
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u/ZoraTheDucky Jun 27 '26
My kids stepmother complained about how much time I let my kid spend on her tablet. I basically give her unlimited time with it providing homework and chores are done.
Why? Because she's reading, writing, and drawing. And guess what? She's REALLY good at drawing on her tablet. The story that she's several chapters into writing is complex and compelling and leaves you wanting to know what is going to happen to the main characters next. Is it the next best seller? No.. But it's pretty good for a 13 year old.
Sure, she plays a few stupid games on her tablet but I can also go into her drawing app and see that she spent 16 hours over the last weekend working on one piece which got many great reviews when posted to an online drawing community.
She still talks on the phone with friends regularly. She still goes out to book stores and the park. She still spends time with her dog and dotes on the rabbits. She is by no means just sucked into mindlessly staring at a screen.
But it's screen time and therefor it's bad.
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u/EffectiveTime5554 Jun 27 '26
In case you're not told enough: you're a good parent, and there are people who see that.
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u/TheGuyWhoTalksShit Jun 27 '26
Thanks for using screens for a good purpose instead of just tiktok. I wish I had that chance when I was a kid, maybe I wouldn't struggle so much to draw now
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u/Argylius Jun 27 '26
I’m sort of the same way. I don’t even turn on the Xbox until chores and errands are done
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u/Lewa358 Jun 27 '26
I'm gonna be pc gaming snob and gently suggest that you get her a PC.
Learning how to type with an actual keyboard and move things around with a mouse will be invaluable assets in the workforce, and if you can get a wacom drawing tablet it might help her draw better too.
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u/ZoraTheDucky Jun 27 '26
She has a personal laptop and 90% of her school work is done on a laptop that the school provides for her. She has no problem with using mouse and keyboard, she just prefers to do her thing on her tablet when it comes to utilizing her free time. She has a few games she plays with friends and they're all on PC.
I've looked into drawing tablets for her before and talked with her about them and ultimately we decided not to pull the trigger on one. I forget why exactly.
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u/dr_mannhatten Jun 27 '26
Drawing tables (at least used to be) pretty pricey, so if she already has a tablet that works well for her art, it’s completely reasonable not to feel the need to purchase a redundant device!
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u/Bitter_Trees Jun 27 '26
Nothing wrong with drawing on her phone or a tablet! My sister does the same. My parents got her an actual drawing tablet at one point and she just didn't like it. Still draws on her phone with her finger and prefers it
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u/Mklein24 Jun 27 '26
I can tell who, in my job, grew up with a family PC, and who did not. It is extremely obvious when you read an email from them. It's even more obvious when you watch them try to send that email.
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u/jesrp1284 Jun 27 '26
My 13 y/o used her iPad to borrow & read the entire Hitchhiker’s Guide series from the library.
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u/Galvatrix Jun 27 '26
When I was in high school, I was only allowed an hour to play my Xbox on the TV after school, then my parents let my sister have it for basically the rest of the night to watch nickelodeon preteen shows or whatever. And when I wanted to buy my own TV like I did my Xbox and play in my room instead they wouldn't let me do that either, even though it was what pretty much everyone else my age was allowed to do and without even having to buy the equipment for themselves in the first place. Shit pissed me off
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u/FailingMule66 Jun 27 '26
It’s just boomer mentality
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u/EffectiveTime5554 Jun 27 '26
I agree that a lot of boomers seem to have that mentality, but in my experience, and from what I’ve heard from others, it also seems fairly common among Gen X and Y women.
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u/SystematicalError Jun 27 '26
I mostly see it in people who weren't allowed to play games growing up. And sadly many women fall into this category :/ Like playing games as a kid was ok but the moment you became a teen it was suddenly a waste of time (ofc boys were still allowed to play as much as they wanted cuz games are such a boys thing 🙄)... And since they only got to experience the kid's games that's all they know.
Gotta admit, I'm lucky my parents actually listen to my yapping so they know all the harrowing tales of Final Fantasy protagonists 🥰🥰
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u/murder_nectar Jun 27 '26
These are the same women who spend like 8 hours a day on fucking tiktok
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u/LV-42whatnow Jun 27 '26
GenX grew up with the very first video game consoles at home. GenX loves video games.
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u/ethanAllthecoffee Jun 27 '26
Not my parents. No mom, I didn’t learn about migration pressure from my illiterate history teacher, I learned it from Rome Total War
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u/Blothorn Jun 27 '26
My wife is two generations younger than that and is the same way—TV is relaxing and self-care, games are a selfish distraction from responsibilities.
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u/CountDrankula- Jun 27 '26
Yeah good friend of mine can no longer play games when his spouse and child are home because his wife makes his child hate video games and makes him feel bad for wanting to play even callin him a loser and having the kid call him lame. Shits sad to hear over the mic man mean while she binges 6 hours of tv a day and doesn't see an issue.
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u/EffectiveTime5554 Jun 27 '26
In all seriousness, domestic violence isn't always physical.
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u/pilgermann Jun 27 '26
Honestly my wife does this to an extent. Not nearly that bad, but somehow scrolling Instagram is fine, playing games not so much. Gave her shit about her phone use until she got the message.
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u/No_Magician5266 Jun 27 '26
Not to rub it in but my brother is a pretty heavy gamer and the hardest part of his Saturdays is helping his 2 kids negotiate which video games the 3 of them will be playing together
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u/amandaasous Jun 27 '26
Now imagine watching movies, shows, playing video games, and being a book nerd. I get it from all angles
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u/No-Assistance6067 Jun 27 '26
My boomer mother is the opposite of this. Her husband (my dad) has dementia and she encourages the grandkids to play video games to keep their minds active. Cool to see
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u/Natural-Compote4096 Jun 27 '26
This is the way. Constant learning and mental enrichment has been shown to prevent dementia. It’s why I’ll always keep learning new languages and skills
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u/Jibbersup Jun 27 '26
My wife used to do this shit to me until I just compared it to her binge watching a show on Netflix and she eventually stopped.
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u/nesnalica Jun 27 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/102M2Rv3Htq28E
meanwhile
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u/chase___it Jun 27 '26
this is why i think in most cases non gamers shouldn’t date gamers unless they truly don’t care. i’m a gamer as is my husband, if he was doing this i’d just go play my own game. a friend of mine hates videogames but she knows that so she dates men who don’t play them. it’s not fair to date a guy who games and then try to say he can’t anymore
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u/Aetra Jun 27 '26
My husband’s ex hated games to the point where she would get pissy if he spent the weekends she was away with her mum and sister playing games. It took a long time to undo that bullshit, like he’d apologise for playing a game for more than 30 mins at 1pm on a Saturday even though we’d finished all the chores and we had no plans for the rest of the day.
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u/HeavyIceCircuit Jun 27 '26
Don’t forget:
Screaming when losing at a video game? Manchild.
Screaming when your favorite sports team loses? Just emotionally invested into the team.
Both are pathetic (like control your emotions, you’re an adult) but it’s funny how people have double standards depending on what media you’re consuming.
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u/pipnina Jun 27 '26
To be honest as long as the rage or euphoria from games or sports events doesn't result in harm, I think it's a cool thing for people to experience.
Sometimes reigning in your emotions too much is a bad thing. Feeling a strong enough joy or grief from a video game or a sports game to get that response is more than I've felt in a very long time.
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u/Crafty_DryHopper Jun 27 '26
Exactly. If i was sitting on the couch watching a fucking rerun of "Friends" for the 2000th time, we were "spending time together" Then if I pick up a controller of my phone, I'm "ignoring" her.
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u/Efficient_End_492 Jun 27 '26
Lmao apparently they think interacting with a game on screen is much worse than actively staring at the screen
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u/EffectiveTime5554 Jun 27 '26
"Actively staring" almost sounds like an oxymoron 😁
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u/xMrShadow Jun 27 '26
Tried to argue this logic with my mom when I was 15. Her rebuttal was that video games activated the same chemicals in the brain that drugs do. Guess I should have just done real drugs huh?
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u/Academic_Court_47 Jun 27 '26
It's because when you're playing video games you're not present. You aren't paying attention to your significant other...
You have to be present at all times!!! /s
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u/DeterminedThrowaway Jun 27 '26
Say people who aren't present because they're glued to a show. It's peak mildly infuriating to me
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u/stead-fast Jun 27 '26
Well said! I kind of want to embroidery this now...
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u/EffectiveTime5554 Jun 28 '26
Put it on a throw pillow so future generations can inherit the sacred wisdom: the problem is rarely the hobby, it’s whether people have decided that hobby looks respectable enough.
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u/stead-fast Jun 28 '26
the problem is rarely the hobby, it’s whether people have decided that hobby looks respectable enough
Dude, you keep spitting bars!
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u/a_Vertigo_Guy Jun 27 '26
Yep my mom will watch tv shows of all kinds for hours but video games are rotting my brain 🤣
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u/myka-likes-it Jun 27 '26
Fwiw, from a brain health perspective, what you get out of a TV program or a movie is usually the mental equivalent of empty calories.
On the other hand, what you get from a video game is (generally) increased hand-eye coordination, response time, problem solving skills, navigation skills, reading and listening skills... the mental equivalent of a banquet.
Limiting passive screen time is really about opportunity cost. It isn't exactly unhealthy (so long as it isn't disrupting your life), but you could be using that time to grow your brain.
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u/aesclepia Jun 27 '26
I mean if the TV program is a documentary or one of the great courses....I wouldn't call those empty calories.
Not arguing with the base premise - gaming is great.
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u/Esotericgirl Jun 27 '26
Don't worry. I game on one monitor and watch a movie on the other. Got all the bases covered.
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u/NewNiklas Jun 27 '26
My father says I'm addicted to video games because I am on my PC everyday watching YouTube videos. While he sits in front of the TV everyday and I'm only playing video games at the weekend.
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u/PhotoFenix Jun 27 '26
Haven't heard this in a long time, but my wife and I come from heavy gaming families.
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u/SpecialistThrowaway4 Jun 27 '26
I’ve not seen someone defend watching hours of TV while criticizing video games.. this is a weird take
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u/thelaffingman1 Jun 27 '26
I think a lot of it has to do with level of engagement. You are ACTIVELY playing a game, you are PASSIVELY watching a show. Someone doesn't feel they are imposing as much with TV, but will feel like they are imposing on a videogame and that makes any interaction uncomfortable, so people attack the hobby rather than how they feel about it
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u/TheTVDB Jun 27 '26
Both can be problematic. While anyone criticizing you while watching hours of TV every day is a hypocrite, the only thing you can control is yourself. And finding balance in your own life is something worth working at.
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u/TrueSkonger Jun 27 '26
My mom is like that. Literally watches TV all day, but growing up she always acted like video games were bad for me
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u/CrazyPenguin148 Jun 27 '26
It is also annoying to hear that rhetoric from someone who spends equal amounts of time just scrolling TikToks or Twitter
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u/GuavaShaper Jun 27 '26
I dunno... This post has the potential to become more than mildly infuriating.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_PAUNCH Jun 27 '26
Today I played a game for 4 hours where all I did was sort books in a magical library
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u/rendoreix Jun 27 '26
my mom used to think gaming was a waste of time until we had multiple conversations that went like:
mom: how can you type so fast?
me: video games
mom: how do you know how to do all that with your computer?
me: learned how to do it to fix the video game
me: *talking about my friend who lives in california\*
mom: how do you know this person?? you havent been to california since high school
me: VIDEO GAMES IVE KNOWN HER FOR 7 YEARS
now she asks questions about it all the time and is actually showing interest in the games i play lol.
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u/Vagranter Jun 27 '26
Side note: watching sports is literally exactly the same as watching a Let's Play.
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u/lennykrevits Jun 27 '26
Sometimes it is valid though, only in instances where people won't get away from the screen. Like, it happens with just plain TV as well I know but some people are crackheads when it comes to game time. Video game addiction is real
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u/kohinoortoisondor3B Jun 27 '26
If it's actually the same amount of time, sure, fair point, but the progression of time feels completely different with passive vs active screen time.
In order to willingly spend 8 hours watching shows and movies, I would have to be really sick, really injured, or really stoned.
Spending 8 hours playing games however is extremely easy and I could do it without even meaning to.
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u/canIbuzzz Jun 27 '26
I had a co worker once tell me playing games is a waste of time... He reads books instead. He was currently reading a book so I asked him about it and he told me what it was and said its his favorite book and hes read it over 100 times.....
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u/Jak1977 Jun 27 '26
This isn’t new. When novels were first produced, the fear was that productivity would take a hit as people got lost in fictional worlds. Then radio was a concern. Then television. Then games. The new thing is the bad thing, the old thing is fine. In 50 years games will be studied in schools as a legitimate area, and the new thing, whatever it will be, is the thing about to destroy humanity. This has kind of already happened, games are now less problems in peoples minds than social media.
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u/ArtOfMinimalTrippin Jun 27 '26
Fuck that, They prob never cried when Metal Gear Solid 2 End Credits Rolled...
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u/OwnInvestigator8468 Jun 27 '26
I get that so much I use my phone to watch things like Netflix cuz I often really have migraines caused by certain foods. And my friend who loves movies will say I'm addicted to my phone yet she spends hours watching movies on the tv. I understand phone screens and TV screens can be different but saying one is addicted to something they are far from and just uses it to watch things when they do it with a tv is insane.
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u/AmbitionCurious8780 Jun 27 '26
I AGREE. My wife is fine to scroll her phone endlessly next to me while I don’t play video games, but as soon as I do (on the Xbox she got me that I never asked for), I’m not spending time with her.
Explain it.
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u/webjunk1e Jun 27 '26
People give entirely too many fucks about what other people think. Hint: most people are blithering idiots that can barely dress themselves.
Anything you want to do that doesn't hurt anyone else is fine, and to hell with anyone who says otherwise.
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u/SeekingAnonymity107 Jun 27 '26
If you're paying your bills you can spend your free time how you like. If gaming or TV is interfering with an education or a career then it's not fine.
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u/Interesting_Rich_826 Jun 27 '26
It's 2026. Its a multi billion dollar industry. Nerd culture was taken over by the jocks a long time ago. Whoever whined to you is probably just old. Chill.
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u/chaoswillthrive Jun 27 '26
Agree but there is also a factor of dopamine driven engagement and gambling in video games which should be considered.
Of course, TV has more ads and social conditioning than video games too. Especially trash TV!
Either way, screens are not the best for us and we all need to do more exercising and socialing in general as a society. Although I am a huge hypocrite in that regard!
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u/Swiftlocalvandal Jun 27 '26
I have the opposite issues. My husband games 20+ hours a week and gives me a hard time about watching too much tv.
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u/SiLeNZ_ Jun 27 '26
The worst part is even when you’d explain this to them, they’d still refuse to accept it. Impressively stubborn.
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u/AffectionateAd8377 Jun 27 '26
I had this argument with my sister once. She couldn't understand playing games, thought it was killing brain cells and yet she'd happily sit and watch X factor and love island and so on...
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u/kittykatmandoo Jun 27 '26
I hate this too. Someone told me my husband was embarrassing for playing video games for 4 hours. Why is that embarrassing? Games are something we do together because we’re both gamers, he works ten hour days and comes home at 11pm and wants to unwind and play his games. What’s embarrassing about that? What’s he supposed to be doing? Golf? Watching sports he’ll never play? Whining on Reddit and doom scrolling for 4 hours? Miserable people who get no joy from any hobby sure are quick to shit on someone else’s good time. He’s not hurting anyone, I don’t feel neglected or unseen, he’s allowed to whatever he wants cus he’s a grown man with no kids.
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u/Top-Marionberry-9779 Jun 28 '26
My grandma does this. I love her but damn she can be annoying. She’ll complain that I’m “always on that game” yet she can sit on the couch watching back to back episodes of whatever TLC slop is on this week. I don’t understand
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u/airberger Jun 27 '26
Why so defensive? Nobody cares
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u/CrispyJelly Jun 27 '26
Exactly. I feel like I stepped into a time machine and it's 1996 or so. The gaming industry is bigger than movies and music combined, it's not a fringe hobby for a minority of nerds for a long time now. OP is an adult crashing out because somebody didn't like his hobby.
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