Why do non gamers bash gamers?

Boo8er

In relation to my other thread....
I have noticed that there seems to be some kind of hatred between those that play video games vs those that don't. I notice that non gamers seem to look down on us and have a "we should stop playing games and experience the world" mentality. I for some reason never really know why non gamers would not bash people who watch football, or go out drinking, or people who are film buffs or bookworms. These people never get hated on for their hobby so why is it gamers who get hated on? Here is a list of what non gamers say to gamers:
1. Video games are just a waste of time
2. Video games are addicting
3. Making friends online is not the same as in real life
4. What you learn in a video game is not the same in real life
5. All gamers are obese, anti social, depressed.
6. Gamers should get a life
7. The amount of time you spend playing games you could be achiving so much more in the world
8. Why don't you get a girlfriend

TychoCelchuuu

Because the vast majority of games are shit and if people spent as much time watching shitty movies as they did playing shitty video games they'd probably catch flak for that too. Have you seen video games lately? Mass Effect is a series about spending 12 to 18 hours shooting people in the face and fucking a race of horny blue pansexual lesbians. When those games aren't the ones getting all the press, then people will stop hating on gamers. But until then, until the indie games that are more than juvenile sexist power fantasies become the face of our hobby, people are going to look down on it for the same reason they look (or looked) down on comic books: the most popular examples are puerile beyond imagination. Everyone's favorite deep, complex darling, BioShock: Infinite, is a gruesome murder simulation where you spend most of your time exploding heads. When gamers say "here is the best example of what we do" and someone looks at it and sees nothing but exploding heads, I'd worry about them if they didn't shit on games as a hobby.

Basil

I need an adult!

Grey Paladin

TychoCelchuuu wrote: »

Because the vast majority of games are shit and if people spent as much time watching shitty movies as they did playing shitty video games they'd probably catch flak for that too. Have you seen video games lately? Mass Effect is a series about spending 12 to 18 hours shooting people in the face and fucking a race of horny blue pansexual lesbians. When those games aren't the ones getting all the press, then people will stop hating on gamers. But until then, until the indie games that are more than juvenile sexist power fantasies become the face of our hobby, people are going to look down on it for the same reason they look (or looked) down on comic books: the most popular examples are puerile beyond imagination. Everyone's favorite deep, complex darling, BioShock: Infinite, is a gruesome murder simulation where you spend most of your time exploding heads. When gamers say "here is the best example of what we do" and someone looks at it and sees nothing but exploding heads, I'd worry about them if they didn't shit on games as a hobby.

I seriously doubt that's the reason games are looked down on as a medium by the vast majority of people. Our society is a sexist, puerile, death-worshipping one.

Lanrutcon

Non-gamers are just jealous. After all, while they're struggling with Angry Birds, we're kicking ass in Dark Souls.

I kid, I kid.

Lindsay Lohan

Judging by your other thread, you're a younger kid who is frustrated at being made fun of or insulted for gaming. Assuming you're in high school, I'll tell you a secret, 2 minutes after you graduate absolutely no one cares what you do in your free time. I'm 36, married, have a kid and wear a giant pacman belt buckle just about every day - and if I get any comments, it's compliments. Once you're out of that petty little world of school, people don't give a crap what your hobbies are.

Frei

For a non-soapbox explanation, games are still seen as a "waste of time" whereas a lot of other hobbies are not. I was talking to my dad the other day and he talked about how when he was a kid if you sat around and read a book you'd get chewed out for "wasting your time" when you could be outside, working or otherwise. Honestly, people look down on others for just about everything they can (Tycho's post is a good example of this), from what television shows they watch to what books they read. I don't really see many people specifically targeting video games anymore. What LiLo said is correct, anyway - once you get a bit older, very few people will give a shit about what you like and generally won't care enough to disparage you or even think about it at all (keyboard warriors not withstanding).

urahonky

Yeah Lindsey is right on this. If you enjoy gaming just do it. Don't worry about what other people think.

Zxerol

If you're at a point where people talking smack about your hobby offends you as part your identity or something, then I think you're taking this videogames nonsense (and let's be real here, all of it is nonsense in the grand scheme of things) a mite too seriously.

And no, I don't think there is any grand animosity between the plebes and enlightened "gamers" -- man I'm starting to dislike that term for some reason -- anyway.

Niceguyeddie616

Lindsey Lohan wrote: »

Judging by your other thread, you're a younger kid who is frustrated at being made fun of or insulted for gaming. Assuming you're in high school, I'll tell you a secret, 2 minutes after you graduate absolutely no one cares what you do in your free time. I'm 36, married, have a kid and wear a giant pacman belt buckle just about every day - and if I get any comments, it's compliments. Once you're out of that petty little world of school, people don't give a crap what your hobbies are.

While I agree with your sentiments, I think people can still ostracize you for things outside of school. Most will keep their comments to themselves, but you get a few vocal assholes out there in the working world. The key is to filter that crap out and come to a realization that A.) You're an adult and B.) You don't have to prove anything to anyone outside of a few important scenarios like a job interview, marriage proposal etc.

curly haired boy

in this age of smartphones and tablets

even non-gamers are gamers

it's just a matter of degree at this point

TychoCelchuuu

I would also like to note that nobody has ever said any of that stuff from the OP to me. In my entire life. Except #8 but that has nothing to do with gaming.

Seidkona

Whenever I have been called out for playing video games I just ask those people how much TV they watch and that usually shuts them up.

TheKoolEagle

yeah I've never had anyone really harass me about my hobby, and I wear way too many pieces of clothing that are gaming related, all of them usually get compliments, sounds like highschool drama bullshit to me, which is going to happen no matter who you are.

also you don't know who else is getting made fun of, but I bet these so called bookworms you speak of are also getting harassed for being nerdy, its not an exclusive thing. As mentioned before in the age of smartphones and tablets, everyone is a gamer, its just some treat it more as a hobby than others.

Boo8er

Frei wrote: »

For a non-soapbox explanation, games are still seen as a "waste of time" whereas a lot of other hobbies are not. I was talking to my dad the other day and he talked about how when he was a kid if you sat around and read a book you'd get chewed out for "wasting your time" when you could be outside, working or otherwise. Honestly, people look down on others for just about everything they can (Tycho's post is a good example of this), from what television shows they watch to what books they read. I don't really see many people specifically targeting video games anymore. What LiLo said is correct, anyway - once you get a bit older, very few people will give a shit about what you like and generally won't care enough to disparage you or even think about it at all (keyboard warriors not withstanding).

Interesting, thanks. The reason why I am thinking about this a lot is that a teacher of mine told the class that playing video games was a "Complete waste of time". This offended me but then the next day during one of our classroom breaks our teacher showed us a website where we can watch all movies for free. I am like WTF about this. She even called people who played games all day to be weird. I guess she means the youtube commentators on that.

Niceguyeddie616

Boo8er wrote: »

Frei wrote: »

For a non-soapbox explanation, games are still seen as a "waste of time" whereas a lot of other hobbies are not. I was talking to my dad the other day and he talked about how when he was a kid if you sat around and read a book you'd get chewed out for "wasting your time" when you could be outside, working or otherwise. Honestly, people look down on others for just about everything they can (Tycho's post is a good example of this), from what television shows they watch to what books they read. I don't really see many people specifically targeting video games anymore. What LiLo said is correct, anyway - once you get a bit older, very few people will give a shit about what you like and generally won't care enough to disparage you or even think about it at all (keyboard warriors not withstanding).

Interesting, thanks. The reason why I am thinking about this a lot is that a teacher of mine told the class that playing video games was a "Complete waste of time". This offended me but then the next day during one of our classroom breaks our teacher showed us a website where we can watch all movies for free. I am like WTF about this. She even called people who played games all day to be weird. I guess she means the youtube commentators on that.

Sounds like your teacher is a goose, she also seems to not realize piracy is illegal. That happens sometimes when you're in school. I had an Italian teacher who basically taught me about football and his wife's hysterectomy. I still can't speak Italian too well.

Allforce

The key is to be well rounded. Don't be that weird kid who hangs out at GameStop and tries to talk shop with every employee and customer.

Go shoot some hoops or blow up a mailbox with an m80 once in a while. Build a trebuchet and then volunteer at an old folks home. You get the idea.

Death of Rats

Allforce wrote: »

The key is to be well rounded. Don't be that weird kid who hangs out at GameStop and tries to talk shop with every employee and customer.

Go shoot some hoops or blow up a mailbox with an m80 once in a while. Build a trebuchet and then volunteer at an old folks home. You get the idea.

The idea is to be an awesome person who just so happens to game. Anytime you pigeonhole yourself with labels like "gamer" you're asking for people to only look at you as one thing. Gaming is a hobby, and using it as you main method of identifying yourself is hiding everything else that makes you you.

kaliyama

Check out the innumerable help/advice threads about someone destroying their life due to their anxiety + video game addiction and you'll see all those things happen. As Rorus said in your other thread, game in moderation.

Drake

No matter what you do, someone somewhere is going to point negativity at you for doing it.

Fuck em.

The be a balanced person advice is good too. Don't let your only adventures be games.

Sterica

Geth close the thread if gamers are terrible

Geth

Affirmative Rorus Raz. Closing thread...

Sterica

THE ROBOT HAS SPOKEN