Well, I am in a time where I am truly coming into my own as a person. I am realizing the shortness of one's life, and the preciousness of that little time we have. Now, many people like to pass some of their time with leisure activities such as reading, gaming, playing music, etc.... Are all of these things just wasting our time, or is there some meaning behind it all? I hold no particular viewpoint, but am only curious to see what all of you have to say... Cheers :foodndrink:.

It depends. Some may find it useful if they are perusing creative endeavors (inspiration for artists and such), but if it is not truly beneficial in these aspects one could see it as a waste of ones time.

Just as much as reading books, watching television and anything that doesn't bring you direct benefits. All entertainment.



The only difference between gaming and, say, reading books is that reading books makes you look smart.

Whether something is a waste of time or not depends on your opinion. I enjoy playing video games so I don't consider them to be a waste of time, my parents do though.

Do you enjoy it? If the answer is yes, then you are not wasting your time. This applies to any activity.

Yes they do waste my time,and im aware of that,however id rather waste my time with Morrowind than to waste it vacuuming(My mother is SOOO TIRESOME).A lot of my friends dont understand me,and they think i would better spend my time hanging out with girls or them as playing games is "childish".Thats the reason i joined in this forum,to chat with people who actually understand me.

More so than books, less than television. Most games are more of a mental work-out than sitting on the couch watching most shows. I like to think so, anyways....

I don't consider playing games to be a waste of time. I think if you are enjoying yourself then you are not wasting your time you are relaxing unwinding and reliving built up stress. Which is important to do every once in a while. You know to stop us all going batty :batman:

I must say that I agree with all of your sentiments... :foodndrink:. I just had to pose the question :tongue:.

It depends on what one considers leisure, what one sees as important, etc.

Leisure, in itself, is quite important. Quality leisure even moreso.

TV, while considerred a leisure activity, isn't considered "quality" since one merely vegitates (yes, it's been proven in rec. literature).

For any leisure to be "good", one needs to have freedom of choice: choice to do it, chances to make more decisions. Good leisure gets one into the "flow"

Absolutely. Nothing you enjoy could possibly be a waste of time.

If you enjoy it then no its not wasting time. Gaming has many benefits besides entertainment which many outside of the world of gaming don't see or understand. Personally for me I find it's very worth while, as I am interested in gaming journalism.

They waste my time, but make for it by giving me inspiration to write some new songs or poems, pretty much anything that wastes my time becomes something to use in music. But that's me.

Basically, if you are enjoying yourself you aren't wasting time. It's all about what you get enthralled with. It's only wasted time if it starts devouring you and it leaves you an inability to do the other things you love.

It's only a waste of time if you could be doing something you enjoy more with your time.

Life is short. It's also stupid. If you spend your life having fun and enjoying it, then that's pretty much the best possible thing you can do with your life. That's winning at life. Video games are not a waste of time. I have formed friendships and intimate relationships because of a shared common interest in video games.

It is no more or less a waste of time than any other activity in the world.

Yes, but it's a fun way to waste it and I couldn't care less if there are better ways to spend one's time.

I would argue that a well designed game, with well developed characters and an engaging plot is not a "waste of time", as really, it is but another format for watching a storyline transpire, much like that of a book, film or television series. However, I do believe that books and films almost always do it better, with characters and themes being much more subjective, as a pose to most games in which, what you see is what you get. There are of course exceptions to this. I wouldn't say that competitive and non-competitive multiplayer games are a waste of time either, as they can, to a certain extent, bring some amount of sociability to gaming, enriching such skills as teamwork. To say that they would be a waste of time, would be to say that physical sports be a waste of time, which I would not agree with as, roughly, the same skills are gained with each (of course physical activity would bring such beneficial factors as better health and fitness, but the principle is similiar). It all really depends on how much you value, "face to face" in person social interaction, or the interaction over a headset (or whatever it may be).

But no, I wouldn't call it a waste of time, just that some find other activities more enriching which is perfectly understandable.

Only if you play games you hate.

Why would someone do that?

No idea. Hoping to get to the good part that never comes?

You only get one life. As long as you treat your family and others well, pay your taxes, contribute in any way at all to society, why the hell shouldn't you do what you enjoy with that life?

No, they don't. If you're having fun playing them then it's not a waste of time. Like you said, life's short. With that in mind, I think people should just do what makes them happy. Within reason, anyways.

Because they like Atlus games. As much as you love them, you can't not hate them at the same time.

Yup. They're a waste of time. But then again, what is the purpose of time, if not waste?

Time is the enemy. It is our duty to kill it.

[censored] yeah hungry caterpillar.