Interesting piece.

As a definite non-gamer and not much of a movie or tv person, it’s really hard for me to grok the hours and hours and hours of games people play, repetitively moving pixels around a screen in what seems to me to be the exact same pattern, all while celebrating looting and shooting. In a world with urgent need for action, it kinda boils my blood honestly.

I try to find some empathy, especially for the group gameplay feature, but…

People are in the streets dying for their rights. The economy and the ecological situation are in collapse. There are untold hours of labor and effort that are necessary now to build community, make changes in our lifestyles, and bring a sea change to the global mindset of our species.

And instead, millions of people are glued to their screens, shooting each other and NPCs. Mostly people with some level of privilege.

While I have some empathy for the desire to complete simple tasks in a complex world, I’m of the opinion that gaming as it stands today feels excessive, overly violent, strategically designed to be addictive to an unhealthy level, and kind of like the Matrix. A lot like it in fact.

If you’re looking for something to do that feels productive, why don’t you go grow a garden or volunteer your time helping an actual cause, or other person? And I don’t mean reviving them after they got shot. 🙃

To each their own. But personally I think gaming is an ginormous time suck of a way to spend time as a human. No matter how it makes your brain feel.

I’ll leave you with my thanks however. It was an insightful read into the mind of a clearly intelligent gamer. Well written.