How Video Games Affect Our Lives

You know you're addicted to video games when you're stopped by the police and the only thing you can think to say is "You can't give me a ticket - I'm a level seventy druid!" Well, OK, so it's unlikely that would happen, but you get the idea. After decades of worrying about public obsession with the Beatles, alcohol, drugs, weird cults and Furby collecting, the possibility of addiction to games has made it to the fore and is a subject much in discussion.

Many folks talk about gaming negatively, focussing on the bad things that can happen when people re-prioritise going to work slightly lower than killing the final boss in a dungeon, or sleep below the importance of earning another million in whatever gaming currency applies. Rest assured, there's a good side to games, too. They're like caffeine for the imagination, they can help the socially inept to better themselves and they can also provide a temporary escape from the drab, dull existence so many of us have.

Why all the bad press? Well, back in the halcyon days of pen and paper games, when small groups of friends would gather to roll dice, argue about treasure distribution and consume gallons of soda, the pastime was labeled "satanic". Whether this was because pizza (the standard fare of a gaming session) is a sacred food and should not be consumed in such quantities or because the predominant game of the period - the legendary Dungeons & Dragons - tended to focus more on demon-slaying with each release, it's hard to say. What is certain is that the vast majority of gamers were not secretly worshipping Old Nick in their spare time: they were generally quite normal people who enjoyed imagining themselves as robed wizards, armoured knights or sneaky thieves and spent some quality time with their friends, sharing a lot of fun and laughs in their enthusiasm for being a part of the story.

As video games, consoles and computers became cheaper and more powerful, many of these same people moved from playing real-world games - be they role-playing, sports, running around pretending to be Batman, card games or something else - into the digital world. From there it was a small step to the online community. With each new generation, the step is shorter and easier.

For now, let's take a step backwards, to the basic idea of gaming rather than dealing with a specific genre. A game is something fun, an entertainment, whether shared or enjoyed individually. Video games have often pitted players against one another, whether directly or indirectly. Beating a buddy at Pong, scoring higher on Pac Man, teaming to complete quests in World of Warcraft - it's all about the challenge of overcoming the odds, of gaining skill, thinking, planning and then getting frantic with the controller and trusting your team members not to "do a Leeroy".

In online games, the amount of social interaction is phenomenal. As someone who has always been a geek - from long before it was strangely cool to be one - I can personally testify as to the value of this communication. Many introverted gamers vastly improve their social skills while playing online, especially since team chat ranges wildly from the job in hand to the latest sports news, politics and whether that girl down the road will go with you to the Prom. Lives have been saved by online friends. Companies have been bailed out by long-distance acquaintances whose only contact is over a wireless connection. Prejudices have been challenged and defeated. There's a lot of value in that.

Offline games have much to give as well. Calmer games like The Sims allow people to leave behind their dirty, one-room apartment and live in splendour for a few hours, to interact and do crazy things. Tactical and strategic games encourage our tired neurons to fire in new ways as we battle to overcome insurmountable odds. Even card games teach patience (no pun intended) and the ability to think ahead. The intellect is stimulated at the same time as the imagination.

Unfortunately, there can be negative effects as well. Too much gaming hurts the eyes, can cause muscle problems such as repetitive strain injury, can lead to addiction and a loss of contact with three-dimensional people. Eating badly and not exercising potentially have long-term effects. Becoming so obsessed with a game that throwing yourself out of a window is a realistic option when your character dies is an indication that you're in need of professional help.

Anything not taken in moderation poses a potential problem to our physical or mental health. Bear that in mind and enjoy your gaming for what it is: entertainment.