What happens when you take gaming seriously? Here is the thing, there is a very obvious divide in the way that people think about gaming.
Some enjoy gaming as a passion, some use gaming as a means of livelihood, some consider gaming as a silly, nerdy hobby that you should be strict in creating time for, and to some, it is the veins and vessels of their very being.
Regardless of these different positions, gaming, just like other activities, can certainly be taken too seriously. The effect/consequence thereafter can take both a positive and a negative shape.
In today’s post, we want to look into the points at which you should know that you have taken gaming too seriously, and the possible effects that can follow.
In as much as I can join the league of avid gamers to say that “gaming is serious business”, side effects can arise when we do not take games seriously on the right level. Gaming should not be completely frivolous, and at the same time, should not be completely serious.
This does not go to change the way you feel about gaming … it doesn’t matter. But when you become overly competitive when gaming, and take it too seriously, here are the possible side effects that can follow.
Table of Contents
What Are The Consequences of Taking Games Too Seriously?
1. You are likely to experience behavioral and mental changes
When you take gaming ‘too’ seriously, you begin to spend most of the hours in a day on gaming. This can likely make you become violent, introverted, and eventually lose interest in the environment that surrounds you.
In most cases, people who take gaming as their lifeblood end up with an underdeveloped personality because the person never likes to talk to other people and socialize.
2. Loss of interest in other hobbies
Taking gaming too seriously can lead to a loss of interest in learning new hobbies or playing outdoor games. When one graduates to becoming a hardcore gamer, he/she will always think of gaming and be willing to forgo other hobbies/activities that are sometimes more important than gaming.
3. Weight gain, don’t be surprised!
While some games can boost your ability to think technically and critically, it also comes with their lethargic nature.
That is, spending too much time playing games and taking up multi-player challenges too seriously can result in too much screen time which can eventually translate into laziness and may cause weight gain.
Sometimes, when you are bent on completing a game final level or winning a trophy, you forget to drink water and even eat food on time. While this can be intentional or otherwise, the unhealthy effect is obvious.
4. Taking gaming too seriously may lead to addiction
Just as with other kinds of hobbies, one could get addicted to gaming if it is taken too seriously. The worse part is that there is a negative effect on your eyesight that comes along with gaming addiction, which in some cases can lead to insomnia.
True, there are dozens of games that help in brain development, but at the same time, taking gaming too seriously gives you unnecessary pressure that makes you want to play for hours every day which may result in a slowdown in brain development.
Is It a Good Thing To Take Gaming Too Seriously?
It is very simple to conclude that one should take gaming seriously if one intends to get better at it. For anything at all that you want to be good at, you’d better try 5, 10 times harder than the average guy. Yeah?
For most games, you can not improve and become a master without putting in a serious and reflective approach to it. But there are levels to which gaming can be taken seriously. It even depends on what you consider to be ‘seriously’.
You can spend hundreds of hours watching pro gamers play to understand how they play so well, you can spend thousands of hours practicing different heroes, and yet you can still have your gaming life in moderation.
There should be a clear-cut definition of what we consider fun, game, and seriousness in gaming. The fact that it is called a ‘game’ indicates that there is a level of real-life seriousness that should be put into it.
In addition, I do not see anything wrong in being willing to put enough effort to get on top of whatever game one is playing. ‘Taking a game seriously’ is fun – it may be the exact thing that makes gaming enjoyable to some folks.
But when you take the game seriously on the wrong level, there are standby downsides as we have seen earlier.
Keeping gaming in moderation
It all boils down to the different play styles that different people find appealing.
How often and voracious a guy will play his game may not be fun for the other. Gaming should primarily be about having fun, that is why it is created. But it does not translate that you cannot take gaming seriously on various levels.
Moderation is key for avid gamers, just as with many other activities that come with both negatives and positives. The fact remains that there are harms attached to taking gaming too seriously, and these harms can be avoided by limiting the number of hours spent in front of the screen by socializing in the real world, and by engaging in healthy activities like exercising.
RECOMMENDED: Why Are Gamers Usually So Weird?
Bottom Line
Taking gaming too seriously or not, it is important that gamers are educated on how to protect their hands (thumb, wrist, and elbows), their sleep, their eyes, and their emotional state while they play.
Playing video games can be super fun, and it takes extra seriousness to become very good at the different gaming genres. And, there will be no harm if this is integrated into a healthy lifestyle instead of making it your lifeblood.
Enjoy your time and stay healthy while playing your favorite game.
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