Video games spoil children, encourage violence, cause stress and anxiety, destroy focus, are a waste of time... I've heard it many times before: from the media, acquaintances and colleagues, all the way to my own mother. "Expert" comments are everywhere, from Facebook warriors who fall for clickbait articles, to people who term video games associate with something they last saw in 1998.
Video games aren't the problem. The problem is the way they are stereotyped. They can be useful, neutral, or harmful, depending on the content and context, not because they are "games". Although some surveys say that the average modern gamer is 41 years old, and the western world accepts gaming as a normal thing, I feel like there is still a certain disdain for games after a certain age in the Balkans.
Playing and growing up
Proveo sam djetinjstvo ispred stolnog računala, igrajući sa starijom braćom strategije poput Warcrafta II, Command & Conquer serijala, point ‘n’ click avanture kao što su Fate of Atlantis i Monkey Island i naravno, brojne RPGove. Za malog petogodišnjaka to su ipak kompleksne igre, na stranom jeziku, i nisam sve razumio. Ali s vremenom, moje razumijevanje engleskog je raslo, moj taktički mozak se razvijao, a sve je bilo tako zabavno. Biti dio neke epske pustolovine u kojoj sam ja centar bila je neopisiva. Sa svakom pobjedom osjećao sam se sposobnije, sretnije, pa i odraslije.
And here, 30 years later, I've graduated college, I'm working as a doctor, and video games have accompanied me every step of the way. Moreover, I associate some of the most beautiful memories with them. Hell, they're not that harmful then, are they? Aside from the lines from our own life, we should look back at the cultural pattern: every new media was once "dangerous": novels, comics, television, metal music, the Internet... video games are only the latest culprit and are regularly understood as something childish and useless.
What does science actually say?
Faster decision-making, spatial orientation, multitasking under pressure, learning by trial and error... these are not theories, but things that have been studied for years in action and strategy games. Science is a lot more boring than critics would like in this regard. Video games have been studied for years and the results are largely consistent: a positive effect is seen on the skills we use off-screen as well.
This doesn't mean that gaming will automatically make you smarter, but it does mean that the idea of "mental decay" is simply incorrect. Speaking of mental decay, I'd rather blame social media for our loss of focus, apathy and passivity. Video games require us to focus, and social networks are the ones that destroy it, but that's another topic.
Still, the addiction exists
That's not the whole story, though, and I'd be biased to say otherwise. Video game addiction exists and should not be relativized. Spending hours and hours in front of a screen, neglecting family, friends and one's obligations, is not a problem because it is video games, but because it is a behavior pattern that is harmful in any form. But what is often overlooked today is that video games themselves are changing.
Many modern games are no longer designed to be played for pleasure, but rather out of a sense of obligation – daily tasks, limited rewards, constant reminders that we'll miss something if we don't log in today. In such a context, the problem is not the gameplay, but the design that does not know how to stop, and we cannot put this responsibility solely on the players, but also on the developers. The mechanics should be what make the game, I should keep coming back to them because I want to, not because of a limited event that requires me to log in daily to pick up a new colorful skin that I will never use but hey, it's limited edition!
Playing and belonging
One of the most common myths related to video games is that of isolation. The image of a lone player in a dark room has long been out of touch with reality. Whether we like it or not, online games have become social spaces. Teamwork, communication, agreement and a sense of community are an integral part of many experiences today, from cooperative campaigns to competitive games that require trust in others. For many people, especially those who find it difficult to navigate traditional social frameworks, games are a place where they learn to cooperate, belong and be part of something bigger.
I fondly remember the time I spent in World of Warcraft with a German I met in the game. We regularly played together and talked on the Discord platform, about everything: I shared with him things from my life, my successes at university, fears about starting work soon, and trivial everyday things, and he reciprocated in kind. I made a friend, a friend whom I soon hosted when he came to support me at the promotion. A few months later I also visited him. Although we both play less WoW these days, we still enjoy hearing from each other from time to time.
Not all games are for all ages
Naravno, ne znači da su videoigre univerzalno prikladne za sve uzraste. PG labels are there for a reason, but we often ignore or don't understand them. In retrospect, maybe it wasn't a good thing for me to play Mortal Kombat as a six-year-old. With today's graphics, I wouldn't want my future child watching someone's spine get ripped out in glorious 4K.
A child who plays content they cannot emotionally or cognitively process will not benefit from the experience, and it may have consequences. But that's not an argument against video games. As with movies, music or the Internet, responsibility does not lie in banning, but in understanding the content and setting boundaries.
Gaming as a vacation, not an escape
That's why I still play today. After work, after obligations, after a day filled with people and responsibility. I choose games that respect my time, I play consciously and stop when I feel it's enough. I don't have to finish each one, when I get bored, I'll move on to the next one. Sometimes I want to climb the rooftops of Renaissance Florence, and sometimes I want to be the governor of a Roman city, an Italian plumber who jumps on turtles, or a Pokemon trainer (the biggest, like no one so far!).
It is not an escape from reality, but a way to return from it more rested. Video games are a form of relaxation for me, as well as for many others. Not better or worse than the book, movie or music… just different. Maybe the issue was never whether video games are harmful. Perhaps the real question is how we play them, when we choose them and whether we know how to stop. Everything else is stereotypes that always fall over time anyway.
And so, if I refuse you a coffee or a beer the next time after work, don't be offended. I just really, really want to micromanage my Roman city right now. I just settled a new island!
Igra, piše i pokušava ne komplicirati. Ne uspijeva uvijek.
