Do people look down on you for being a gamer?

aimeeandbeatles

aimeeandbeatles

watermelon
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
20,112
I find that some people do. For example, chatting to one of them now, she says "There's a point where kids have to grow up and do more important things." Ugh!

Here's a bit (names changed for privacy):
Other Person (3:39:53 PM): All Im saying is, I dont play video games.
Other Person (3:41:18 PM): Accept my opinion and move on.
AimeeWilbury (3:41:29 PM): no need to look down on others for doing so
Other Person (3:41:38 PM): I didnt.
AimeeWilbury (3:42:24 PM): yes you did
AimeeWilbury (3:42:34 PM): you implied that I'm not mature
AimeeWilbury (3:42:45 PM): simply because I play games
Other Person (3:42:45 PM): Well aimee, you arent.
AimeeWilbury (3:42:54 PM): but simply because I play games? what bull
Click to expand...

However, I told her exactly where to go. ;)

Have you had any experiences with this? Is it prejudice and stereotyping? Or something else?
 
Yes, in grade 9/10 I was still somewhat socially inept at times and while I didn't mention games very much except to a few friends who played games as well (and I didn't hang out with the greasy nerd/outcast group) throughout highschool I still had comments from people who seemed ot think I was some kind of comptuer genious and would go take post-secondary comptuer courses or something. Despite my social skills improving dramatically after grade 10.

Gaming is becomming more socially accepted, and most young people have played some nintendo game at some point, but there is still a social stigma on it, mostly from people who never really got into it and don't play games very much if ever, and those who never played video games or not since the 70s or 80s.

I found out the head cook at work (who is over 50) used to play Unreal Tournament and now plays some run of the mill mmorpg. I was quite surprised to find out she played games.

I havn't encountered any real bad stereotyping etc when talknig to someone, mostly because I either don't talk to people like that or if I do then it's because I don't really mention games in general conversation very much unless it is brought up.
 
It was a lot worst in the 80s and 90s. There was a turning point somewhere in the recent years, where now there's actually some weird "cred" about being knowledgeable and nerdy about some stuff. That's my experience.
 
aimeeandbeatles said:
However, I told her exactly where to go. ;)

Have you had any experiences with this? Is it prejudice and stereotyping? Or something else?
Click to expand...


Probably only from the females in my family. It IS a good idea to explore more than just electronics.

I think the turning point was when the military began claiming that war was more and more like a video game. But it ain't.
 
For some reason I haven't had to deal with it, but I suppose thats because I tend to act extremely mature in other areas so bothering me about gaming causes me to hit them over the head with my historical or political knowledge that they're unaware of

I balance out my tendency to act like a fifty year old by acting my age a bit I suppose :p
 
My roomate doesn't play games. He said something like that in the OP and we all made fun of him because it turns out he's like the only person anywhere who never plays video or computer games. I still give him hell occasionally about it. So its the other way around in my case I guess.
 
If I play games, does that automatically make me a gamer? Or can I identify with some other group?
 
Dachs said:
If I play games, does that automatically make me a gamer? Or can I identify with some other group?
Click to expand...

Yes. It does not automatically make you a nerd or any kind of sub-group of gamers.
 
I still come down on the guys who waste hours and hours on games, but I dont get to harsh. Unless there still living with there parents or something, then its understandable.
 
I read a good article somewhere saying that strategy games are better for the brain than sports are as they involve thinking. I don't have the exact URL, though.

Also, I have a Readers Digest from December of last year, saying that experts found that games aren't as bad as the parents thought, as long as they're mostly nonviolent.
 
There was a recent study I found off Digg where they found that oeioke whi okayed Call of Duty for 50 hours had a much better contrast detection (detecting shades of grey, which is quite useful for night driving) than those who played a colourful but slow paced non-violent game.

I don't really see a difference between playing a sport, video games, board game or watching TV for fun as long as you are not neglecting other important realities. They all have their pros and cons, depending on the game.

Sports are good physical excersize, but people always have and always will go way overboard on them. Hockey dads...
Lots of people go overboard with games to, and way too many millions of people go wayyy overboard with TV.
 
Well, due to physical limitations (as I'll call them), sometimes my main exercise is hefting my computer tower around.
 
Call me a nerd, sure, but I'll call you what you are right back and see how that feels.
 
Look down? Nope. But in my experience, non-gamers simply can't understand gaming as a hobby. TV is a perfectly fine leisure activity, but playing a videogame is somehow a waste of time :D

I'd rather interact with a videogame than stare idly at a television, though I do like having it on in the background while I game.
 
Yeah I have trouble sitting down and watching an entire movie withotu something to do now, i spent several years watchnig TV while I had toys or the computer to interact with. Eating food is a good TV watching activity though.
 
Sometimes I'll watch a movie while playing a non-intense game (Solitaire, anyone?). I just can't stand doing.... nothing. Hell, I even had mom disconnect cable in my bedroom as I don't watch TV. There's nothing that really appeals to me. It also pisses me off when people lump TV and computer use together. At least with a computer, you're doing something!
 
SimonL said:
What's worst seriously, wasting 30 hours a week playing computer games, or wasting 30 hours a week watching movies and TV shows.

At least the former involves some sort of interactivity.
Click to expand...

How bout there both pretty pathetic and bad......
 
SimonL said:
Yeah, sure, they're both bad, except one of them is 10 times worse. So it's bad and terribad.
Click to expand...

Ok but whats your point?
 
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