How much time on TV/Games is too much (if any)?

Thomite

Hi all,

I'm working on a project and I was wondering if I could get your opinion on this...

On a per week basis, I probably spend on average 24 hours playing videogames and 4 hours watching TV. Keep in mind that the average amount of TV Americans watch per week is somewhere around 24-28 hours--depending on age group and different studies and so forth. So, do you think this is normal/okay/healthy? That is, is it better, worse, or the same to spend more time on videogames as opposed to TV? Is this more time than a person should be spending on either activity? Is it okay to spend large amounts of time on one, but not the other? When would you consider it to be an unhealthy amount of time spent on either?

I realize I may only get a certain set of opinions by posting this on a videogame site, but I'd still like to hear what you all think.

Arkady

I think it's relative. An unemployed college student could probably dump 60 hours a week into games and not really be all that worse for wear. A dude with a job and a family would be hard-pressed to even get 20

TubularLuggage

As Arkady said, it's relative.

I'd say it's too much as soon as it interferes with things like work/school, social life, other passtimes, etc.

rocky62

Well, the healthiest would be close to 0, if not 0 hours. But how much is too much? I wouldn't say 24-28 is all that bad because it's only about 3.5 to 4 hours a day. Just sacrifice a little sleep to extend your hours :P

Zimmydoom

The TV is on in my room literally every waking moment unless I am studying, although I only pay attention to it for about 2-3 hours a day (and most of that is sports and news). I game for up to 6 or so hours a day when I have nothing better to do, and not at all when I'm busy.

Thing is, TV and video games are really two completely different activities and shouldn't be conflated in this sort of study. One is passive, it's on in the background and doesn't require your input or even your attention. Some people just sit in front of the TV and stare off into the middle distances like a slackjawed idiot, but it's not necessary to give TV your full attention. You can still be productive with it on. You can look away to rest your eyes, you can pause to use the bathroom during commercial breaks, you can cook or clean or exercise or any number of other positive activities while watching.

Games, on the other hand, require your full and undivided attention. They often warp our sense of time and one can spend hours simply wasting away, not blinking, not moving, not eating, not reading, not talking, not anything without even realizing it. People with addictive personalities and kids without self-control are especially at risk. So, really, it's dependent on the schedule and personality of the player.

Cinders

Feral wrote: »

Question: "At What Point Is the Pursuit of a Healthy Life Excessive?"
Answer: When the pursuit itself negatively impacts one's quality of life to such a degree that it overwhelms the positive health benefits.

That wasn't so hard, was it?

This is pretty much the same answer only imagine that instead of health, it's referring to video games.