StaceyPowers Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 In another thread, @22_22 mentioned that while he has learned cool things from video games, he tends to use them as an escapism outlet rather than deliberating trying to learn things. This made me curious to what extent most of us here prefer games for escapism vs games to help us confront our RL problems? I would say I use games primarily for escapism, a way to try to get out of my own head and stop thinking about my life for a few hours at a time. But I like playing games that give me valuable insights or ideas that I can bring back to RL with me and which somehow improve life outside the game as well. Like, video games help me get out of my own head and escape, but when I deal with real life problems, sometimes I find myself asking, “What would Joel do? What would Ellie do? What would Leliana do? What would Booker do?” etc., and it helps. 22_22 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blackangel Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 I use games like that on a daily basis. I escape my own mind by concentrating on something that doesn't affect my actual life. If I can leave my own mind and reality, it helps keep me from blowing my stack and completely wigging out. I just need to disappear from reality, and go into a fantasy world. My mind gets to revolving around things, and I start to dwell on shit, then I start getting angry, which in turn makes me start getting violent. That's when all hell breaks loose. If I didn't have something to distract my mind from itself, it would not be a good situation. I'm stuck in a fucking chair so what else do I have to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Family sedan Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 I find that some of the best escapism are the GT6 Rome races. It's auto racing in a historic city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 I think sometimes dealing with the initial rush of andrenalin shot of the problem requires gaming. Once the problem we get used to, then we can face it. That's how I am viewing the problems in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyPowers Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 On 5/6/2020 at 2:16 PM, The Blackangel said: I use games like that on a daily basis. I escape my own mind by concentrating on something that doesn't affect my actual life. If I can leave my own mind and reality, it helps keep me from blowing my stack and completely wigging out. I just need to disappear from reality, and go into a fantasy world. My mind gets to revolving around things, and I start to dwell on shit, then I start getting angry, which in turn makes me start getting violent. That's when all hell breaks loose. If I didn't have something to distract my mind from itself, it would not be a good situation. I'm stuck in a fucking chair so what else do I have to do? It is a similar situation for me in dealing with both my anxiety and my pain and the toll that they take on me. They distract me from the things that make me anxious by giving my brain’s reward center something else to fixate on, and while they don’t distract me from my pain, gaming is one of the things I can do that I really enjoy that the pain didn’t take away from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Sometimes picking too much stressful games can be bad for the anxiety too. I play MOBA which does help anxiety but if there are toxic players it can mean things would go bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARx182 Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 I don’t have such a deep reason for gaming. I play games for enjoyment when I’m bored, but I can understand why people using gaming for escapism, I sort of do that with tv shows/movies but not games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 On 6/16/2020 at 4:17 PM, ARx182 said: I don’t have such a deep reason for gaming. I play games for enjoyment when I’m bored, but I can understand why people using gaming for escapism, I sort of do that with tv shows/movies but not games. I think you are young or maybe under 25 or so. As you move ahead and life hits you. Then such depth comes in. If you don't get much life knocks, then the depth stays away from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander. Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 (edited) During the most recent lockdown due to COVID-19, socialising with others has come to a complete stand still. Especially during these times, I find escaping through video games the best technique for forgetting about real life problems, stresses, and worries. However, escapism isn't by any means a reliable, long-lasting replacement for human interaction and real places around the world. Indeed, time does go a lot quicker when I'm having fun, playing computer games. Edited June 19, 2020 by Alexander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARx182 Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 4 hours ago, skyfire said: I think you are young or maybe under 25 or so. As you move ahead and life hits you. Then such depth comes in. If you don't get much life knocks, then the depth stays away from you. I am 18, but I do not think it's to do with age. You can be stressed regardless of your age, life hits people at 16, 17... I am just personally a calm person that does not take stuff to heart, that's my personality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blackangel Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 8 hours ago, Alexander. said: During the most recent lockdown due to COVID-19, socialising with others has come to a complete stand still. Especially during these times, I find escaping through video games the best technique for forgetting about real life problems, stresses, and worries. However, escapism isn't by any means a reliable, long-lasting replacement for human interaction and real places around the world. Indeed, time does go a lot quicker when I'm having fun, playing computer games. That's not entirely true. For a misanthropic introvert, human interaction is actually a bad thing. Add sociopathy on to that, and the further we are from people the better. That's why almost every form of relationship I have is strictly online. I can count the number of people that I actually care about on one hand. But all they have to do is fuck me once, and the number goes down. People get only one chance with me. Once that chance is blown they never get another one. And I will haunt them until I have ruined them. Never Forgive. Never Forget. StaceyPowers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyPowers Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 6 hours ago, The Blackangel said: That's not entirely true. For a misanthropic introvert, human interaction is actually a bad thing. Add sociopathy on to that, and the further we are from people the better. That's why almost every form of relationship I have is strictly online True, and I would add to that the fact that some of the more meaningful interactions I've had with people have been online, including in games I've played. The physical world is part of the real world, but the digital world is too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 (edited) How do you exactly keep people in human interaction where they are not accepted or taken care of nicely or even looked up positively? Sometimes escapism and sometimes alternative reality is the solution for a good of that person. Edited June 22, 2020 by skyfire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
