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Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#91
post #51

Sounds like Dota. Dota was a serious addiction of mine. What helped me quit was getting rid of EVERYTHING that could trigger me to play. - Uninstalling Steam - Deleting twitch account - Every time youtube would recommend me a dota video, I would mark it as "not interested" and "dont show this channel again" - Getting rid of my mouse. I gave my mouse to someone for a month for safekeeping. - Finding another stimuli th…

I was considering re installing the game and try to just play less hours, but you are right, it actually feels really rewarding even if it's just 4 months. I'll try to not install it again for more months

Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#92
post #67
post #9

If you really need to stop, use cheats. That will break the dopamine cycle and you’ll be free. Maybe it also works to limit play time to healthy levels. For example, I was once playing quite a bit of WoW, and after I trying it out on an unofficial server where I could teleport anywhere made the game lose all its appeal.

I disagree. It's easier to do none of something addictive than it is to do a little. Your advice goes against what most addiction specialists purport. Obviously this person couldn't manage the vice in the past, so he should avoid it.

We’re not talking about an alcoholic cutting down to a couple of drinks. So maybe there’s merit in it. From my experience, running cheats gives short term fun but then can ruin the game.

Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#93
> Is it possible to have a "healthy" amount of playing? Let's say just a couple of hours in the weekends?

There's a certain online 2d pubg clone, which I won't name, with an average session length of just around 3 minutes (depending on how fast you die, ~10m if you win). Pure skill, no ladder progression. Let me tell you, even after hitting my skill ceiling, I think I would still find it very hard to play "just a few hours on the weekend." When I start playing it, I keep playing it. When I have a free minute, I have an urge to play it. If a game is addicting, it is simply that: addicting. You either play it or you don't. And I will say it again: there's no ladder, no meaningful reward system, no resource grind, just a simple top-down shooter. And it's still hard to just limit my time playing it: after you die, you just click join again. A fresh start. I have gone cold turkey out on it, it was too time consuming.

Not saying it couldn't be possible, though, but I surely have a preference for campaign-oriented games for this reason. When you finish it, you are just done. It takes a continous, possibly long, chunk of time, but at least you know there's an end. And there's more you can experience. There's a many of games beatable in under a 50-hour timeframe, and when you are done, you feel like you have had a meaningful experience, gained fond memories with no regret. There isn't a shit-ton, but there are surely some.

Maybe something like a strategy game against AI could be different, I don't really know. Or, hey, an occasional lan party with friends? The lan-party interaction is much more fun, in my experience, though it rarely happens. And not like you wanna keep playing the game against bots after that.

But I do think the choice of a game makes a big difference.

Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#94
post #89

What games you play?

That's the funny thing, since high school I was never really into video games at all.

It was just this particular game that I tried because it was recommended by some friends and it got me hooked. I'm not interested in trying other games now to be honest.

Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#95
post #30

It's weird, I was very addicted to gaming as a teen. World of Warcraft for 14 hours a day was very normal (and some how I still wasn't incredible at the game). After turning 18, I landed my first job pumping gas and it straightened me out. It fixed most of my social anxiety and stopped spending all day inside. Now 10~ years later, I've swapped addictions. Cars. Spending an entire weekend dismantling and tinkering in…

Yes I also think I have a personality prone to addictions. For example I've never touched WoW because I know the theme of the game, I know myself and I'm pretty sure I'd get hooked to it, probably to never come back to real life :D

Good luck getting away from the car stuff. Maybe try sports, it's something I really want to start this year. Even if we get addicted to sports too, at least it will be healthy!

Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#96

You need something to kill time. You may not like my answer. But how about having kids? You won’t have time to play video games (or your wife will beat you up) for decades if they keep coming. Then you will be too old to play/care about games.

I don't know why you are being downvoted, as I find your reasoning valid. My SO was never keen on the idea of having children. I thought I wanted to have children 5 years ago, but it was really just a default society behavior, not something I had stopped to think. When I had no more excuses to delay having kids (healthy, married, stable job, two real estate properties) I really gave it a thought and concluded I didn'…

Thanks. It's a serious answer. Seriously.

If you don't have kids, and not extremely enthusiastic about your work, you will end up having a life purpose problem. Having kids really solves that.

I do feel raising kids well is the most valuable thing I do with my life. Of course I am just a regular guy with a professional job which I do love, but not extremely successfully or something.

You will understand more when you get older. Just think what you will do when you are 40, 50, 60 years old.

Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#97
post #10

Did something similar here years ago with original Unreal Tournament. Spent up to 8 hours a day playing it on week days, 15-18 hours at weekends for two entire years. Just woke up one day, walked into the bathroom, stared at the mirror for about 5 minutes and asked myself what the hell I was doing. Waltzed into the bedroom where my PC was, uninstalled it and never played a game again. I think I was just "done" at tha…

Seems like 2 years is about the time it takes to wake up hehe

Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#98

I'm late 40s gamer, and been through a lot of this. My key to this, is pretty much only playing games that have defined endings. Keeps me away from MMOs, and FPS shooters with seasonal/ladder systems. This has helped a lot. I occasionally relapse but I'm very mindful of it, since I've been in the grip of EVE addiction so badly haha. best of luck

Yes, you are right, the problem with the game I played is the ladder system. And yes there is definitely not an end. There will be always a better player than you.

Problem is video games with defined endings don't really appeal to me at all. I'm not really into video games in general, it was just something particular about this game that got me hooked. Will try sports now

Re: Ask HN: How do you avoid video game addiction?

#100
post #78

Find a sport. Basketball, tennis, raquetball, cycling... anything you can do with a friend. Go ahead and get addicted to it. The biggest challenge is finding a friend. You can try meetup.com

Yes, that's the plan. Why do you need a friend for cycling btw?
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