Video games come up a lot (and I saw this when I was teaching) as an obsession, becuase of the very short, tight feedback loop. That can become addictive to people who take in many streams of information quickly (as ADD people do); the instant feedback and fast pace feels about right. It's oddly satisfying in a druglike way.
It can become really negative because video gaming is a closed loop. Nothing about a person is likely to change in a good way as a result of gaming. It also encourages an illusion of control and mastery that sometimes seems to engender frustration when the gaming addict tries to deal with real problems in real life.I plead guilty to using MetaFilter, my email, and MetaChat as a fast-paced feedback loop sometimes. To keep it marginally healthier, I try to limit my internet activities to reading, writing, researching, and interpersonal communication, so that there will at least be some content knowledge or social network building that results. THis way I feel that I am connected to the world and open to change from it, rather than just stimulating my brain on a hamster-wheel cycle.I found gaming to be ultimately a waste of time, since once the game is over you walk away unimproved as a person, having lost hours of your life. ~up til here i'm with. but if you enjoy it, i think it's fine. don't need to be improving. (~acquiring)
posted by miko 25 February 13:17