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Writer's pictureBeatYourVideoGameHabit

Escape to a new world through video games

Updated: Dec 23, 2018

Playing video games is a huge amount of fun! Not only do you get to enjoy the story line or side stories, you also get to enjoy the game with your friends online. Video gaming allows you to improve your skills and get rewards for excellent game play.


I do not care what people say, by playing video games online you get to work on your communication skills. I.E - Team Co-op missions on online gaming platforms especially. Many online video games have you work with a team of people you may or may not know in order to successfully complete the mission for an update or reward/prize.


Having said this, it is also known that playing video games can cause social anxieties in the real world where gamer's find it difficult to talk to people outside of the video game world.

Been there myself. There was a time I would rather play my games then socialize with people at a pub/club. For one it was cheaper and more fun and two, I did not have to put up with people asking about my personal business such as my relationship status. Plus, I enjoyed the laughs I had with my online friends whilst playing GTA V Online.


However, it is so easy to hide behind playing video games then face the real world.

Escapism is good and ok. It helps you forget about everything, have fun, relieve stress or pass some time especially when playing video games. However, what is not ok, is constantly and excessively playing video games in order to hide or escape from the world. This is where problems arise.


My problem was I was hiding from my university work. I would rather play my video games because I instantly saw the rewards of playing. Whereas for my university work, I would have to wait months maybe years before I saw the rewards of going to university. So, every time I had an assignment or do my dissertation, I said to myself, I can do it tomorrow, I can do it tomorrow, I can get back to it all tomorrow. Though, when I stepped away from my PS3, I realised my university work was still sitting there waiting for me and now I had less time to do it all in. This put more stress on me and it was all my own fault. Even though I passed my work and got my degrees, I knew I could have done better if I had not of spent so much time playing video games. Knowing this, improving my mindset and putting the important things in life at the top of my list, I began to play video games more responsibly and as a reward for my hard work. Through doing this, I am now on my way to my dream career and being able to share my experiences to help others who are possibly in the same boat as I once was.


Like I said, Escapism is good. But doing it excessively like doing too much of anything, can be bad for you. For example, doing exercise and workouts every day is great, but without taking time to rest in between workouts could cause injury. Keeping your body active is a must but it is also good to allow your body time to rest and recharge. It’s called balance and you can more than easily balance your video gaming life with your desired lifestyle. You need to improve the way you do things and how much time you spend on it in your life.


So, when you next go to play your video games, remember that playing is good and ok. But playing excessively that it causes you to forget/ignore your life is bad for you. Find that balance.


All the best!


Vikki


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