Gamers are stereotyped into being young men with little to no social life, staring into a screen for hours on end with a two liter bottle of Mountain Dew and a bag of Doritos at his side.
Although this stereotype is warranted in some cases, the fact of the matter is that gamers cross multiple demographics — age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and religion are of no concern.
What is the most concerning of the stereotype is the “binge playing” aspect. Nearly every gamer has experienced the Tetris effect, where even after playing a game images are flashing before your eyes from playing for so long. But most of us have our limits, we have self control.
As much fun as playing a game can be, after a few hours most people feel the need to take a break. For me, I most often take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour.
But there are those who hold no such habits, as can be seen in a case out of Taiwan on Jan. 8.
A 32-year-old man reportedly died of cardiac failure after a three-day gaming binge. According to police, the man’s body had begun stiffening, indicating that he had been dead for a few hours before they arrived.
One week earlier, a 38-year-old man died in Taipai, Taiwan after playing games for five straight days.
Furthermore, in 2012, a 23-year-old man was found dead after paying for 23 hours at an Internet cafe in Taipai. Reportedly, he had died 10 hours into his gaming session, and staff and fellow patrons were unaware of his death.
It is stories like this that attribute to the notion of gaming addiction, which although it is cause for concern in these cases, it is not the norm.
Just as is the case with any hobby or vice, there are those who can maintain self control or get burnt out. Then there are those who push themselves to the nth degree.
There are social drinkers and alcoholics, there are cigar aficionados and chain-smokers, so it is no surprise that gamers run the gamut from casual to serious to addict.
Sadly, the few stories such as these, which don’t even occur in our society, will have a negative outcome on the perception of gamers. As is always the case. As the cliché goes: one bad apple ruins the bunch.
The lesson to be learned from the untimely demise of these men is that anything in excess can be bad for you. Games have the ability to stimulate the mind, develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. But they also have the ability to rob you of your time, health and life, if you give them the chance.
So take a break, relax and don’t let you hobby or vices get the best of you.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
