Why is it video games are often viewed as a "waste of time" but watching sports isn't?

I really couldn't care less. The more they see it as a waste of time, the more they'll leave me and gaming alone! /thumbs up
 
My GF thinks watching sports is a waste of time, but playing video games is for 13 year old boys. Lol. I know what you're saying though. Yeah, who cares.
 
I'm a hardcore cyclist and spend hours a day riding / training for races. I'm also a runner. I could care less about mainstream sports, baseball / football etc are stupid and awful to watch. Plus those players are hardly athletes. Gaming is my downtime from training plus it's more engaging than movies / tv.
 
It's more like gaming in general can be compared to watching TV in general, both are time wasters. I'd rather game than watch TV most of the time.

eSports vs watching real sports is the other argument. I'd rather watch a sports game than watch an eSports match, but I don't admonish eSports and those who enjoy it.
 
Sprayingmango said:
I'm a hardcore cyclist and spend hours a day riding / training for races. I'm also a runner. I could care less about mainstream sports, baseball / football etc are stupid and awful to watch. Plus those players are hardly athletes. Gaming is my downtime from training plus it's more engaging than movies / tv.
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Ah yes because cycling and running are such great "sports." More like exercising than sports.
 
TheCommander said:
Ah yes because cycling and running are such great "sports." More like exercising than sports.
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Competitive cycling and running are most definitely sports. They are watched by billions of people worldwide and are Olympic sports. There are many versions of each and the athletic prowess, skill, dedication and training needed for each is monumental.
 
I always found that's the belief of mostly older generations or even some % of the younger generations that were warped into thinking like those older generations. I'm in my 30s and my parents always balked at me gaming, but never had a problem with me watching TV. Those older generations grew up with just TV, so even to this day they mostly seem to think gaming is some magical devil wizard work or something.

Now that I have kids of my own I actually encourage them to play games over staring mindlessly at a tv show or movie.

I still have overall limits on electronic use, don't want them turning into cave trolls or weirdos, but when they do sit down at the tv, at least playing a game sparks motor skills, logical thinking, imagination, problem solving, mental planning, and so much more.
 
I read a report a couple of years ago saying that watching TV is equal to sleeping while awake because you exhibit the same rapid eye movements while watching TV as you do while sleeping.

Whenever someone tells me "You're wasting your time". I always remind them that, time enjoyed is not time wasted.
 
video games do not promote a healthy lifestyle. Ultimately it is a battle of socially inept basement dwellers. Well, so is someone who spends 10 hours a day shooting football balls, but they are fit basement dwellers.
 
It's not a waste of time if the viewer is interested in the "sport". For example, being an avid snowboarder, I like to watch the winter X-Games and Olympics because I understand what it takes to compete at that level. I believe that could applied to any e-sport.
 
Azureth said:
Very interesting responses. In a similar vein and as to not start up a new topic, what would your opinion be regarding women that views any man that plays video games as childish and views video games as juvenile? I was reading a topic on another forum where a woman said:

"For me, real men don't play video games. Totally a turn off."

And

"To me, video games are juvenile and I would never date a guy who was into them. I want someone engaged in the real world, not an imaginary one."

And also

"So many people that play video games are totally into that, it borders on addiction. I've known people spend any free time they have playing video games. My brother in law would be a good example.

I would rather travel, go to concerts, go kayaking, skiing, hiking, camping, boating, zip lining and have actual experiences instead of sitting on the couch watching someone play a video game. It's just not compatible with my lifestyle."
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I met my wife playing an MMO. I think she would laugh at any woman who thinks this way, then tell them what they're missing out on.
 
Azureth said:
Very interesting responses. In a similar vein and as to not start up a new topic, what would your opinion be regarding women that views any man that plays video games as childish and views video games as juvenile? I was reading a topic on another forum where a woman said:

"For me, real men don't play video games. Totally a turn off."

And

"To me, video games are juvenile and I would never date a guy who was into them. I want someone engaged in the real world, not an imaginary one."

And also

"So many people that play video games are totally into that, it borders on addiction. I've known people spend any free time they have playing video games. My brother in law would be a good example.

I would rather travel, go to concerts, go kayaking, skiing, hiking, camping, boating, zip lining and have actual experiences instead of sitting on the couch watching someone play a video game. It's just not compatible with my lifestyle."
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Going by my rather large extended family, I would say that is a bunch of horseshit. My extended family is big into playing games, and has been growing at a pretty incredible rate. So obviously there are enough women out there that don't give a flying fuck if you play games or not, as long as you are a good provider, good father, and good husband.
 
Sprayingmango said:
I'm a hardcore cyclist and spend hours a day riding / training for races. I'm also a runner. I could care less about mainstream sports, baseball / football etc are stupid and awful to watch. Plus those players are hardly athletes. Gaming is my downtime from training plus it's more engaging than movies / tv.
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NFL players are hardly athletes? Hahahahaha. Look, I don't watch mainstream sports at all, I'm a ski/mountain bike kind of guy and spend my time outdoors as well as some time watching competitions in those sports. I also like watching sprinting at the Olympics so I appreciate that. But saying NFL and MLB players are not real athletes is hilarious.

On this topic in general, I agree with the poster that said video games and watching sports are both past times and something to unwind it. Physical activity is absolutely critical and required for humans to function normally, whether it is through sports/exercise whatever you want to call it. Allowing video games to take over your free time to the point you do not exercise is unhealthy, you can't really debate that.
 
Jeremy C said:
I met my wife playing an MMO. I think she would laugh at any woman who thinks this way, then tell them what they're missing out on.
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NoOther said:
Going by my rather large extended family, I would say that is a bunch of horseshit. My extended family is big into playing games, and has been growing at a pretty incredible rate. So obviously there are enough women out there that don't give a flying fuck if you play games or not, as long as you are a good provider, good father, and good husband.
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I agree with that there are women who enjoy their spouses' video game interests and don't find it un-masculine. I believe like minded people thrive and prosper together in their respective relationships like the above. My friend's wife has absolutely no interest in video games but finds it entertaining to watch my friend play games such as Last of Us or the Walking Dead Telltale series.

However, my problem is what do you learn from all this gaming? I came to the realization a few years ago that I couldn't apply anything I was doing in these games that I spent hours playing, namely World of Warcraft. Like, how is practicing the positioning of my toon in Heroic ICC Festergut phase 3 going to apply in anything in real life? (WoTLK, shows how long ago I took gaming seriously). So, I trade playing video games (and my marijuana habit) by taking up outdoor activities and dedicated myself on going to the gym at least 4 days a week. I think I am better off now (also 20 pounds lighter) but I do miss the late nights playing WoW, chatting with the guildies on Ventrillo sometimes..
 
2k3eblade said:
However, my problem is what do you learn from all this gaming?
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Seems like all animals with large brains engage in various forms of 'play.' As long as it doesn't dominate your life and keep you from doing other things I'd be willing to bet that spending time playing challenging/competitive video games is actually good for the brain.
 
Because watching the bachelor is so much better use of your time. It's the grown up thing to do!
 
2k3eblade said:
So, I trade playing video games (and my marijuana habit) by taking up outdoor activities and dedicated myself on going to the gym at least 4 days a week. I think I am better off now (also 20 pounds lighter) but I do miss the late nights playing WoW, chatting with the guildies on Ventrillo sometimes..
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I'm all for a solid balance of being healthy and sitting there playing vids, but the argument you made isn't really that great. The only thing you gained (or lost, hah) was being healthier, and truthfully, you'll still probably die around the same time 60-70 years from now than if you didn't go to the gym 4 days a week (let's be reasonable, if you stuff your face every day and also don't move around much, this argument is moot of course). It's all a matter of perspective I think. Some people justify the fact that they're outdoors or hitting the gym several times a week as a better use of time, and some go with the opposite logic, but all in all, it really doesn't matter at all. You're only making yourself feel good (not you specifically, anyone) by justifying what is a better use of time.

Anyway, I'm not trying to pick on you, I'm just trying to throw out what's been in my head a while (had countless arguments with people about these types of topics specifically).
 
2k3eblade said:
I agree with that there are women who enjoy their spouses' video game interests and don't find it un-masculine. I believe like minded people thrive and prosper together in their respective relationships like the above. My friend's wife has absolutely no interest in video games but finds it entertaining to watch my friend play games such as Last of Us or the Walking Dead Telltale series.

However, my problem is what do you learn from all this gaming? I came to the realization a few years ago that I couldn't apply anything I was doing in these games that I spent hours playing, namely World of Warcraft. Like, how is practicing the positioning of my toon in Heroic ICC Festergut phase 3 going to apply in anything in real life? (WoTLK, shows how long ago I took gaming seriously). So, I trade playing video games (and my marijuana habit) by taking up outdoor activities and dedicated myself on going to the gym at least 4 days a week. I think I am better off now (also 20 pounds lighter) but I do miss the late nights playing WoW, chatting with the guildies on Ventrillo sometimes..
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What you gain is a different tasking for your brain, giving it a different kind of problem to solve. This helps the brain create new connections, keeping your brain healthy. If you do not take time out to use other abstract ways of thinking and working on creating new connections between parts of your brain, then you are more likely to develop dementia or alzheimers. There are many studies showing the importance of changing tasks and giving your brand abstract and more complex problems to solve that involve using more than just simple logic. Also many times games can help the brain multitask, solving numerous problems at once. This also translate well to other activities allowing your brain to work on some problems in the background while you are doing other tasks. Coincidentally this is also why people tend to find solutions to problems later when they are working on something completely different, because it triggered other portions of the brain that happened to have more solutions.
 
sports are considered cool...games, not so much...then again comic books were once associated with nerds but now every blockbuster movie is based off them
 
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