Total Time spent: 100 + 300 + 400 + 1500 + 7800 = 10khrs+
SO… this is quite a big number. Since I like math (I think I passed grade 12 somewhere in between my game playing), I can figure out what % of my life was taken up with this good'ol game playing. In a single work week I roughly have 35hrs of time available for watching TV, gaming, cleaning the house (yah right), or doing other things. Over 20yrs this equates to 36.4k hrs total free time. Thus, over the last 20hrs I have spent over 27% of my available free time playing computer games!
SO… this is pretty sad. In fact, this is the first time I've really calculated this out and I realize exactly how sad it really is. As an interesting exercise to the reader, you may also want to calculate your own gaming time just to see how much of your life has been sucked away.
Now before I go further, perhaps I should probably reiterate that not all gaming is a waste of time. In fact, for me when I was younger, a good part of gaming was probably educational. The problem is not that folks play computer games, because under controlled circumstances it can be a great way to let off steam and “meet” people. The real problem is that many folks are probably just like me. They are somewhat normal… err were normal, and let the games take control of their lives for extended periods of time. The question is how do you fight gaming addiction?
I'd like to propose 5 ways on how to fight this nasty little addiction called computer gaming. Some of these work, many do not, but hopefully it will give you the reader some tools to reduce the impact that gaming has on your life. These ideas are sorted by what I have found to be effective (least to worst):
#5 Destroy or/and disable your computer
- Description: Reading this might sound funny, but it is true. An effective way to quell your gaming habit is to disable your computer for a period of time. Don't believe me? Try doing what I did one late evening while studying for a college exam. I took my keyboard, mouse and cables and threw them out the window. That night I focused and was able to study all night.
- Timing Savings: Unfortunately disabling your computer is a short-term fix. For me it was only effective a couple nights. Soon I got the better of myself and was compelled to find my equipment a couple hours later. A better fix, albeit unrealistic, would be to ship my equipment to a foreign country.
#4 Have someone monitor your usage (i.e., take your equipment)
- Description: If you have someone who has control over everything you do (aka a parent), then this could work. Unfortunately for grown adults this doesn't work, if it does then you're world's a bit weirder than mine. I've tried to have other folks guide my habit (e.g., girlfriend), but it failed miserably. It started out well but then ultimately you end up getting in arguments, the girlfriend gets angry and you become sad.
- Time Savings: If you have someone available to monitor and control your computer usage the time savings could be huge. Unfortunately this didn't work well for me so it is only 4th in the list.
#3 Install Software to Control/Monitor Usage
- Description: At face value, installing an application to monitor and control usage of game apps seems like the ideal solution. I've tried a variety of apps both custom and otherwise such as Sentry PC (http://sentry.com) , but unfortunately the evil little gamer inside always seems to come up with ways to circumvent the system. The biggest problem with these programs is that usually I'll get annoyed and uninstall them as soon as they get in my way.
One particular program I've been finding really useful, though, is a web based program called Rescue Time (http://rescuetime.com). This program monitors your application, mail and Internet usage and provides an excellent way to gauge where your time is spent. It won't fix your usage but it will give you additional insight into where you are spending most of your time, and allow you to adjust your schedule accordingly.
- Time Savings: If there was a way to control usage reliably and disable a users ability to uninstall the program then this could be THE solution for folks who have computer addiction issues. The problem is that apps can always be circumvented. Perhaps someone should design a computer chip that will monitor and control computer usage. If someone wants some help creating this chip let me know
