Video games

[Deleted member 28227]

Oh , no. Apparently you get made fun of for not playing video games now. It’s the true revenge of the nerds.

Nerd here, no console games will be allowed in my home period.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I’ve played a lot of video games my whole life…at least until I had 3 kids under age 3 at one time, which curtailed free time of all kinds. As a kid my mom put significant limits on screen time. Homework first, and we also had to go outside and play a lot. Dead of winter it was cards, board games, puzzles, etc. I never objected to the limits or had a bad attitude about the rules, as far as I can recall.

My young kids it’s TV and YouTube Kids that are favorites. Oldest can get whiny when screen time is up but can usually get back on track with a little prompting. My 3-yr old twins have meltdowns when we cut them off the dope, er, Paw Patrol. I’m OK with that behavior at 3…eventually if they don’t outgrow TV meltdowns I have no problem pulling the plug (literally).

I played a metric chit ton of video games growing up. I think I turned out pretty normal.

I played Skyrim all the way through, for like the 3rd time, plus expansion packs during the first summer of covid. That was awesome.

I never had a console but played hours of golden eye, then halo, starcraft, all the various Baldur's gate games, Civ, ect all through college.

Video games have been shown to cause dopamine dumps, which I think is the issue with kids turning into monsters. Honestly I remember that happening to myself growing up.

No proof here but I think FPS like halo or fortnite are worse in that respect. Turn based games, at least for me didn't have the same effect, I found it way easier to walk away from CIV4 or BG2 than halo.

I think as adults we have learned to handle it better, and that it can be pretty overwhelming for kids, which is why they act like little addicts.

I get the moderation approach, but the form that will take for me is, well when you go to your friends house you can play video games. Might allow some non-FPS on home computers.

 

[jt13]

This thread seems like it's trying to summon @BirdManMike to tell us the benefits of Magic the Gathering over video games

 

[Deleted member 28227]

This thread seems like it's trying to summon @BirdManMike to tell us the benefits of Magic the Gathering over video games

Magic, settlers, ticket to ride, risk, axis and allies, tenjo, pandemic...

there are a ton of really fun games that you can play with the whole family 10/10 would recommend.

We were a card family so hearts/spades/gin and bridge were are go to games. Great for teaching kids math, patterns, and how to politely talk smack

 

[Dougfirtree]

Alright alright, I’m gonna lay some facts down here. This has been such a thorn in my side for a long time where people say that video games are bad.

Not only is that untrue (in moderation of course) I would maybe argue that video games have its benefits.

Let’s not take away the “game” part in video game. There is a puzzle within all games whether it be a board game, card game or video game. There’s a challenge to solve. There’s teamwork to be had. There’s a want to win. A video game, at its core, is no different than a board game. I feel that it sharpens thinking skills.

The real problem with video games is the influencers/streamers/social media stars playing that same game. Spend a few hours on twitch or YouTube livestreams and you’ll see. Fortnite is a competitive game, just like basketball. But you throw in a toxic POS and your young’ns see that, they think that’s how it’s supposed to be. Hell, look at the NBA. Everyone wants to shoot the 3 ball now.

Video games are okay in moderation. When it’s excessive and they start freaking out and cussing out the opponent and calling them trash, it’s risky business. But my guess is they learned it from someone else who does that who then learned it from a streamer.

Agreed. My personal hierarchy of crappy people (in descending order) goes something like:

Mean people

Serial killers

People who abuse dogs

Nazis

Youtubers

 

[BirdManMike]

This thread seems like it's trying to summon @BirdManMike to tell us the benefits of Magic the Gathering over video games

 

[BirdManMike]

Agreed. My personal hierarchy of crappy people (in descending order) goes something like:

Mean people

Serial killers

People who abuse dogs

Nazis

Youtubers

Add ‘bad DJs’ between dog abusers and Nazis then I right there with you.

 

[TOGIE]

I never had a console but played hours of golden eye, then halo, starcraft, all the various Baldur's gate games, Civ, ect all through college.

Video games have been shown to cause dopamine dumps, which I think is the issue with kids turning into monsters. Honestly I remember that happening to myself growing up.

No proof here but I think FPS like halo or fortnite are worse in that respect. Turn based games, at least for me didn't have the same effect, I found it way easier to walk away from CIV4 or BG2 than halo.

I think as adults we have learned to handle it better, and that it can be pretty overwhelming for kids, which is why they act like little addicts.

I get the moderation approach, but the form that will take for me is, well when you go to your friends house you can play video games. Might allow some non-FPS on home computers.

yeah i think that's a good point overall.

there are definitely some negative side effects overall with video games and a developing brain. they truly are addicting.

but, i will definitely push back on claims that video games make kids dangerous or violent, not that you were making them. i think there are plenty of studies to back that up, too. such claims are just political fearmongering.

might they make a kid little more OCD or ADHD later in life? i dunno. potentially.

but there is a hugely important element of just letting your kid have some fun. you think about those nerdy kids who were so sheltered in middle school, forced to play their cellos 4 nights a week and have family gatherings on friday, and chores and snooty expensive sports and activities all day saturday and nothing but church and homework on sunday. those kids didn't have a lot of friends and were really awkward to be around. i don't think that's setting them up for success.

we were let loose on both video games in the basement and airsoft guns in the back yard. we spent our summers in middle school largely unsupervised riding our bikes every where we could, hours at the pool and riding to mcdonalds, running from the cops while after blowing up fireworks, and yes then we'd settle down for an evening or all nighter of halo or something. video games were super social for us too. but overall just lot kid stuff. tons of fun. we spent a lot time outside doing kid stuff. but video games were a part of all that kid stuff.

i think the crux of it all is if i was failing in some sort of aspect of my life as a middle schooler and a high schooler, whether it was failing in my sports (swimming and soccer), or my grades, or my ability sit down with the family for dinner every evening, there would have been no video games. they would have been taken away. but we were pretty normal well rounded children with lots of healthy friendships, success in school and sports, and healthy family lives that did pretty normal kid stuff and we also played plenty of video games.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

yeah i think that's a good point overall.

there are definitely some negative side effects overall with video games and a developing brain. they truly are addicting.

but, i will definitely push back on claims that video games make kids dangerous or violent, not that you were making them. i think there are plenty of studies to back that up, too. such claims are just political fearmongering.

might they make a kid little more OCD or ADHD later in life? i dunno. potentially.

but there is a hugely important element of just letting your kid have some fun. you think about those nerdy kids who were so sheltered in middle school, forced to play their cellos 4 nights a week and have family gatherings on friday, and chores and snooty expensive sports and activities all day saturday and nothing but church and homework on sunday. those kids didn't have a lot of friends and were really awkward to be around. i don't think that's setting them up for success.

we were let loose on both video games in the basement and airsoft guns in the back yard. we spent our summers in middle school largely unsupervised riding our bikes every where we could, hours at the pool and riding to mcdonalds, running from the cops while after blowing up fireworks, and yes then we'd settle down for an evening or all nighter of halo or something. video games were super social for us too. but overall just lot kid stuff. tons of fun. we spent a lot time outside doing kid stuff. but video games were a part of all that kid stuff.

i think the crux of it all is if i was failing in some sort of aspect of my life as a middle schooler and a high schooler, whether it was failing in my sports (swimming and soccer), or my grades, or my ability sit down with the family for dinner every evening, there would have been no video games. they would have been taken away. but we were pretty normal well rounded children with lots of healthy friendships, success in school and sports, and healthy family lives that did pretty normal kid stuff and we also played plenty of video games.

Yeah my FPS comment isn't so much about game content as game dynamics. The pace doesn't lead to thinking or strategy, they are way more exciting and therefore IMHO dop producing... I'd throw driving games and like super smash in there as well.

Kids need their parents to help them regulate, gotta regulate the video games just like everything else.

 

[MarvB]

If I would have had a front end loader at my disposal when I was in high school I would have got in a lot of trouble.

Don’t know why I couldn’t get the girls…it was a sweet ride

 

[Nameless Range]

I played lots of video games growing up. Nintendo, then Sega, then Playstation. Loved Madden, as well as the RPGs of the 90s (Final Fantasies, Legend of Legaia, Lunar, etc...)

I am not gonna pull up the dozens of studies that show that screens make kids crazy but they absolutely do - these dopamine drips of operant conditioning designed to do keep the addict glued. Could be video games, tv, youtube, social media, HuntTalk.

We, like most parents, deal with it daily. I am hard up against video games insofar as being things allowed in our house. Kids need to go outside more than ever, and nearly always. By keeping them from video games I don't think you are harming their futures at all, and if anything, you are providing them with an advantage.

That said, we have a Nintendo Switch. Basically the modern day Gameboy. It's use is highly regulated, as in it is never to be used when we are home. It does come in handy for some situations. Because a Switch comes with two controllers, it can be played by two children. I have 3. It was nice for that 8 hour flight we took in January, That 12 hour drive to the coast we took last summer, and even this weekend for the 9 hours we spent in the stands at the Twin Bridges wrestling tournament. The games are innocent and controlled, and getting to play the switch, which mom and dad regard as theirs, is a privilege given. We don't do it perfectly, but a couple years ago we really ramped down screen time (got rid of the rokus, took all screens and locked them in our room, basically set daily screen expectations at zero) and the behavior and mental health of the kids seems markedly better.

 

[slatebuilder]

Making dads assholes and eliminating the need for technology since the beginning of fire.

 

[Jamen]

I played video games most of my childhood. Pokemon on the gameboy then i got a NES for xmas one year from my grandparents. I also played outside with my friends a lot and spent a lot of time with my family. In high school i bought my own games and consoles. I have been mad at my teammates and myself during matches before. Same as real sports i played, frustration is a part of all of that. I do believe in limiting screen time to young kids. But a lot of these games do require kids to use their imagination and critical thinking skills, team building ect.

I know kids getting scholarships to college to play video games for their E-sports teams. I personally know people who stream video games and make way more money doing that than a typical 9-5 job. Life is about balance an unhealthy obsession with anything is not good for anyone. I have watched people over obsess about a lot of different things, school, sports, jobs, working out, video games.

I may be a bad uncle in the eyes of some. I have a 6-year-old nephew i let him play spiderman on my PlayStation when he comes over to stay. I am getting him a Nintendo switch for easter. My sister and brother-in-law just had a baby 3 days ago. He is a little early at only 3 pounds but doing good. I am getting my older nephew the switch because i know it'll be a hard transition from being the only child to now not. And with a smaller baby there will be more care and attention needed to be had. That being said there will be a long list of rules he has to follow in order to use his new switch. Homework is done, good grades, room is cleaned, chores are done, help out around the house, eat all his food, and other things and there will be limited time on it. And at any time he doesn't follow that it is gone. It will teach him responsibility and at the same time he will be rewarded with being able to use it.

 

[Gellar]

Don’t know why I couldn’t get the girls…it was a sweet ride

View attachment 267334

It would not have been a good pick up chicks vehicle…no backseat.

 

[MarvB]

It would not have been a good pick up chicks vehicle…no backseat.

Hmmmm...I coulda dropped the forks and attached the bucket?

 

[Sytes]

Only fans, YouTube, TicTok, or whatever all the names relate to are mass $$$.
I interviewed a gal who had a legal only fans account. She presented her Inc tax docs from last year. 23y/o exceeded 1.2million.

We are stuck in an earlier day. Video games of our past meet social media of today.

Parents need to regulate how they feel suites their family interest though to frown on other parents who encourage the value the past+present is well, meh.

There is a quality approach towards managing time for kids to involve themselves with their future that THEY will live within as adults, while we fade away.

Aiding children how to manage their juvenile skills is paramount towards their future.
Ignoring THEIR future because it does *not jive with OUR past is setting themselves to learn on their own because their parents simply said, "no!".



*Edited missed word

 

[WildWill]

Remember these? Pretty sure it's the same one I rode at her age at the same grocery store.

 

[fmnjr]

I’m in running for worst parent of the year according to my son. He has/had some kind of game where he can play with his friends. Fort nite I think. Anyway, he has become a total asshole arguing with whoever he does and his friends online while playing this goofiness. He’s been grounded basically every week since Christmas. Last night he blew his top, hollering at his cousins about whatever the Game entails. My poor wife flipped out and pulled the plug. He was distraught he was banned from electronics for life +50 years last night.

Today we went fishing, played baseball. He’s a normal kid. Acts right, uses his imagination instead of it being provided on a screen.



Poor kids.

All of 'em are doing the games. A lot of so called adults, too. Our boy has become fixated on a f1%#ing Nintendo Switch! Worst $400 we ever spent.

 

[fmnjr]

Magic, settlers, ticket to ride, risk, axis and allies, tenjo, pandemic...

there are a ton of really fun games that you can play with the whole family 10/10 would recommend.

We were a card family so hearts/spades/gin and bridge were are go to games. Great for teaching kids math, patterns, and how to politely talk smack

Just heard about Magic the Gathering from our son, of course. I don't know what it's all about yet but I'm so glad his focus has shifted off of what he was doing before.

 

[BirdManMike]

Just heard about Magic the Gathering from our son, of course. I don't know what it's all about yet but I'm so glad his focus has shifted off of what he was doing before.

The THE GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME.