What is healthy?

[Jon Miller]

What is a healthy amount of time to play games? Basically, I know that at times I can play games so much that I don't do the other things I want/need to do. A very bad example is not getting the work done I need to, but it could also just not doing the activities which will make me enjoy life more (like going to the beach, or going hiking, or going to a party) and playing video games instead.

I know I spend too much time on the internet (and apolyton is part of that), but this isn't about that. So how many hours a week do you feel is appropriate for time spent playing video games?

I think that video games are pretty good entertainment. Definitely better then TV, which is what many people spend hours and hours watching per week.

Jon Miller

[RGBVideo]

0. I'm addicted

[Jon Miller]

I have been addicted. I mean, I have been upwards of 50 hours a week.

But I also am often bored of games and play a lot less. I just want to ahve some games (to relax, to enjoy, to socialize in), but want to make sure I have time for other things. So after how many hours of games should I go "Hey, I have played enough games for this week, why don't I go to the museum". Or something else that I like doing but never do.

JM

[Jon Miller]

Right now I am thinking 20 hours a week, but actually, that is a lot of time. Although I know it isn't all that much compared to the amount of time I have often played games.

JM
(if you think about it, 10 hours on weekends + 4 hours per evening comes out to be 30 hours... easy, and I have easily played 20 hours on weekends and 6 hours on evenings (50 hours) and still did other things.)

[Jon Miller]

One thing is that before MMOs, I think that I spent a lot less time playing games. I think long gaming weeks were 30 hours...

JM

[Cort Haus]

Pekka-esque serial posting, there Jon.

[Jon Miller]

I was doing it before him

JM

[Solver]

A conservative figure would be about 10. An hour on working days and 2-3 hours on weekends. Then no one could blame you for addiction

[Jon Miller]

an hour isn't enough time to do much of anything but in CS:S

JM

[Solver]

I said it's a conservative figure If you play 10 hours a week, then probably even people who dislike games and gaming wouldn't claim that you're a gamer addict.

Which is what's so crazy about Civ, a session shorter than 2 hours isn't really doing anything.

[Jon Miller]

well, I am fine with the number 10, but would wanwt to do it on 2-3 days a week, not on 6-7 days a week.

JM

[Solver]

It depends on what you want. If you want to have enough time for other stuff, you should be defining the number yourself, not using an arbitrary number.

[Jon Miller]

Upper limit is the number I want. I know I can go lower. Like what is a red flag?

JM

[Solver]

I'd say a red flag is 15 hours on 3 consecutive days. If you hit that, chances are you're not getting something done that you should.

[Nostromo]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
Upper limit is the number I want. I know I can go lower. Like what is a red flag?

JM

Game's are OK in general. But MMO's are evil, Jon.

When is gaming too much? When it disrupts your life. For example,

- if you frequently arrive late at your job because of it and get fired

- or if your grades plunge because of it

- or if you don't take care of yourself or the people around because of it

- or if you use it as an escape mechanism instead of getting a life...

Edited for clarity