Video games and violence

[sparky]

I like video games but lately I have been questioning playing them. Because of violence and the fact they always revolve around weapons. Then the shift to 4d, is like we are controlling these characters while they are in 3d and not aware, if that makes sense. On the other hand, it's really fun and addicting, it's a cool past time. Any advice is welcome.

 

[Mr. Premise]

I like video games but lately I have been questioning playing them. Because of violence and the fact they always revolve around weapons. Then the shift to 4d, is like we are controlling these characters while they are in 3d and not aware, if that makes sense. On the other hand, it's really fun and addicting, it's a cool past time. Any advice is welcome.

I guess it all depends on what your Aim is. If you have an aim, does playing video games help you get there or not?

 

[sparky]

No it doesn't.

 

[Carl]

You may find these threads very helpful:

World of Warcraft & My Predator

Videogames, narcisism and some thoughts

video games

It is kind of like 4d controlling 3d, much like the concept in the movie "The Thirteenth Floor". A question worth asking is, would it be more likely that 4d STS engages in this kind of behaviour, or 4d STO?

 

[Mr. Premise]

No it doesn't.

Well there you go, there's your answer!

Using Gurdjieff's comparison of our existence here as a prison, there are two responses to being in prison: 1. Try to escape or 2. Do your time and try to pass the time as best you can until they release you. So it seems to me things like video games are things that help people pass the time. The addictive nature of them can have bad neurological consequences too, I think.

 

[RedFox]

On the other hand, it's really fun and addicting, it's a cool past time.

Everyone needs time to unwind and do something creative - video games seem to fill that particular need in the same way that artificial sweeteners taste like sugar, but are actually empty calories, lacking in real substance.
More so video games tend to stress you out (even if you don't notice it), so do the opposite of helping you unwind. The achievements in them are also virtual, and generally count for naught - they are a fictionally agreed upon 'achievement'.
Going from that to something that does help you unwind, and does achieve something tangible can be really tricky. It may not be as instantly rewarding or give you the same 'hit' to your reward centres of the brain, but with persistence it can create a lasting sense of achievement that has permanence and depth :)

 

[sparky]

the achievement part was addicting, RedFox.

and how to get out? how to escape Mr Premise?

 

[Mr. Premise]

the achievement part was addicting, RedFox.

and how to get out? how to escape Mr Premise?

You mean how to escape the prison? We're working on it. ;)

Seriously, though, you can check out the links in your welcome post.

And welcome!

 

[Keit]

I like video games but lately I have been questioning playing them. Because of violence and the fact they always revolve around weapons. Then the shift to 4d, is like we are controlling these characters while they are in 3d and not aware, if that makes sense. On the other hand, it's really fun and addicting, it's a cool past time. Any advice is welcome.

I also once played computer games, particularly one MMORPG. And yeah, it was fun and very satisfying. But the truth is, that I was doing that instead of facing reality and dealing with some rather urgent and important issues in my life. What was also scary, that even after years of not playing anymore, sometimes, especially during moments of stress, my brain was bringing forth images from the game, as if replaying whatever gave it pleasure. The dopamine rush, like in the rat experiment, when they pushed the pleasure button again and again until they dropped dead. Really scary stuff, when you think about it. As for the violence, I guess it's something similar, though FPS type of games and GTA weren't really my thing.

Another insidious side of computer games, especially the ones loaded with graphics, is the said above dopamine rush. What happens is, that when you try to cut back, living a normal life seems too dull in comparison. Well, at least this is how it feels to your brain with destabilized brain chemistry. So, naturally it wants to go back doing what it was doing, because this lack of constant stimulation is literally painful, like going through a drug withdrawal. That's why Mr. Premise mentioned the aim. Because without it you may not have enough motivation to go through something like this, even it will turn out to be a life saver in the long run.

 

[Scribblenauts]

I like video games but lately I have been questioning playing them. Because of violence and the fact they always revolve around weapons. Then the shift to 4d, is like we are controlling these characters while they are in 3d and not aware, if that makes sense. On the other hand, it's really fun and addicting, it's a cool past time. Any advice is welcome.

Hello Padme, and welcome to the forum
- you put some really Interesting questions in your threads, also your avatar! :D
- now you made me wonder, if that makes sense, does it mean that life in 4D is extremely boring and the 4D dudes need to pass "Time" (as they experience it of course) doing some "cool things and stuff" ?!

 

[RedFox]

the achievement part was addicting, RedFox.

and how to get out? how to escape Mr Premise?

I understand the addiction from personal experience (I was a gamer for a good chunk of my life).
I realised recently that the achievement thing was a substitution for actually achieving physical goals (behind which was the idea that I couldn't do anything/I was useless....add to that some laziness too). It's also a distraction as keit mentions, if you are anxious, bored, stressed, and more so feel like a failure in life somehow then the 'achievements' in computer games are a really good way to cover all that up and feel temporarily better about yourself.
They don't deal with the emotions or feelings of failure, only cover them up for a little while. Nothing gets resolved, and more than likely these thoughts and feelings increase each time you cover them up without resolving them.
So perhaps a good question (if you want to try and step away from computer games) is - what are you feeling when you are not playing computer games? What do computer games make you feel? Digging through those two and comparing answers should point you towards the emotions/feelings that could use investigating :)

Also understanding the brain chemicals involved in addiction is really useful! You may want to check out the following SoTT article (although it deals with a different addiction, it covers many things that apply to computer game addiction. Also no reading involved, just videos to watch): This Is Your Brain On Porn

 

[3DStudent]

URLs with clickable text links look like (without the first space): [ url=webaddress.xyz]text to click[/url]. Here are the working links for those threads, fwiw:

World of Warcraft & My Predator

Videogames, narcisism and some thoughts

video games

I had a recent run in with playing a game a month ago. It was only two and half days, but I researched the game for maybe a week. I stayed up late a few nights, and it was just to try to get some feeling of accomplishment. And activating old brain chemical highs. I've noticed that returning to the "poisoned well" never gives the old feelings it used to give.

 

[Explorer]

I used to be a huge gamer. I had a lot of fun, but I also wasted so much time. Probably about four years of my young life.

When you engage with this forum, even a little bit, I think you tend to slowly grow out of things like video games. At least, that was the case with me.

On the subject of control and prison, video games are certainly a great piece of mind control in so much as they keep you distracted. I wonder how aware people would be if video games didn't exist. Probably more than they are now.

If its the escapism that draws you to virtual worlds, you should take up reading fiction. For me, immersing myself in another, more exotic world was one of the major draws of video games. Probably why I love sci-fi so much. ;) Not sure if it is the same for you, though.

Keep cool.

 

[Carl]

URLs with clickable text links look like (without the first space): [ url=webaddress.xyz]text to click. Here are the working links for those threads, fwiw:

World of Warcraft & My Predator

Videogames, narcisism and some thoughts

video games

I had a recent run in with playing a game a month ago. It was only two and half days, but I researched the game for maybe a week. I stayed up late a few nights, and it was just to try to get some feeling of accomplishment. And activating old brain chemical highs. I've noticed that returning to the "poisoned well" never gives the old feelings it used to give.

Cheers for that 3D Student, I should have checked them. I must have picked up the habit of using quotation marks for URLs from some website stuff I've been doing.

I also returned to the "poisoned well" recently with some hours of gaming when I was feeling quite foggy and down. I've noticed that it does give the old feelings that it used to give, but I now recognise them as a totally pathological, addictive way to hide from reality. Certainly not something I would recommend for anybody seeking growth or knowledge.

 

[SadEyes]

I too stopped playing a little less than a year ago. I didn't want to spend my 2 hours of free time each day doing the same things in Skyrim that I always did (man I loved that game), so I decided to use that time wisely, reading, meditating or otherwise just Being.

I plugged in the Xbox about 2 weeks ago, powered up an old game (Skyrim and Unjustice), managed to play for about 30 minutes and couldn't do it. It just didn't feel...right. I turned it off, packed it back up and put it in the closet.

I think that I loved video games because I got to see and explore a creative and adventurous side that my life doesn't have. Games involving mere men battling monsters or demons that are much bigger than them seemed to give me "inspiration", and many games I have played have had great "role models" of sorts; people that always remained strong in the midst of chaos. The Witcher, Mass Effect, Skyrim (again) and other RPGs also seemed to contain a vast amount of truth in them. I found myself often reading the memos, books and other things I came across in these games and being shocked at how relevant the "made up" stories in these books were to much of what we discuss in these forums.