Shadow Side of Gaming

The last few days I’ve been thinking about gaming.

I’ve been so busy working on my plans for my you tube channel and my brand and new videos I want to make.

One of the ideas I had for a video was to share all the good things about gaming.

And there is a lot to say on this subject, but as many good things there is always a shadow side.

And the shadow side of this was a surprise to me.

Let’s dive deep into this shadow.

I’ve been gaming for years now, and it saved me from an unhealthy lifestyle (drinking out in town every weekend sometimes on weekdays)

I’ve always been a highly extroverted, but also sensitive person, so I craved human connection so much that I wanted to always be surrounded by people.

And I found it in gaming.

People from all over the world who had the same interest as me, people I could talk to from the moment I woke up until late night hours.

Working together as a big group to defeat bosses and other foes in my games felt amazing, and the long discussions stimulated my mind like nothing else could.

I found myself for years sitting in my room, in front of my computer playing and talking to my friends.

I never realised the hidden dangers and negatives doing this, until recently…

Bad Health

Not moving around a lot, sitting in the same chair for years isn’t healthy, but I never saw it as a bad thing. “Since I’m still young(ish) it’s fine, right?” That was my thought

Until recently…

Recently I’ve had issues with my weight, gaining weight to an unhealthy amount again, but its not just my weight.

My feet keep swelling to the point when I go for a small walk it’s painful.

I realised it’s a sign of me leading this lifestyle.

It’s a common thing in the community of gamers I hang around with, that we don’t move a lot and just play games all day, and though we talk about the fact that we are in bad health, even joke around it sometimes, it’s not something most of us does anything about.

I’ve only recently discovered its not just gamers that has this issue but is talked about from one of my favourite you tubers.

When she streams, she actively tries to make an effort in doing a few stretches and walk arounds.

When you are so much in a gaming session and fully immersed into it, its hard to pull yourself out of this.

Its not better when you stream or make content.

I’ve easily found myself deep into my editing program for days. From when I wake up to, I crash late at night.

Lately I’ve been going for walks and doing small workouts at home to both lose a little bit of weight but also get somewhat of a better fitness appropriate for my age again.

By ignoring my health for years, I can literally feel my body hating this neglect, so I urge you, if you are a gamer, streamer, or content creator, move out of your chair, do a little dance, go for small walks, basically just move a little before you turn back to work or gaming.

Of course, this won’t be applicable to all, but mostly to people who is like me, who easily gets consumed by an interest and have a tendency to over do it.

Now to the other shadow side of gaming...

Disconnection from real life.

In my case, this is an issue, I again only just thought about recently.

I have a mentor in real life. Real Life is what we gamers like to call, life outside of gaming.

I just got a new oner and talking to him the other day, I described myself as an extrovert, where he said

“That’s funny you say that Fay, I would never have described you as an extrovert.”

First, I laughed a little, but then I realised, he might be right.

Having been stuck in my room for years, I haven’t gone out a lot.

I’ve declined most of the invites from friends to go out in town and chosen to just stay at home.

With excuses like, I have a group meet up to defeat a boss in the game or I got some work to do.

Until years passed and I rarely if ever got invites to go out again.

It’s not been a problem for years, because I wasn’t just sitting in my room on my own, but I was socialising with people across the world.

But sometimes I miss going to the zoo, or the movies.

When covid hit, and we where all stuck at home, us gamers didn’t feel much of a change, since it was basically the same lifestyle most of us had for years.

But today I do feel differently about it.

I shouldn’t have disconnected myself from real life friends as much as I did.

Today its harder for me to go out.

One, I found almost no motivation to do so, since I’ve taught myself to crave entertainment or craving my work constantly

Also, when I do venture outside, it’s a lot harder to approach non gamers.

I keep thinking, what do I talk to them about if not gaming?

I’ve never been good at small talk, but always been good at conversation normally, and now I find it hard.

I’ve now committed myself to go out more, even if I find it tedious and boring, and would rather still game, but having a community in real life, where you can go out with a friend to see a movie or go to the zoo, is still something I miss having.

Yes, I have my friends online, but the closest of them lives on the other side of the country, most of them lives in other countries.

I do have one friend from my 20’ies bless her for still sticking around, and I still occasionally but rarely do fun stuff with her.

Now to my last downside...

Love

Its funny that its love I put here, but as a full time gamer, you only meet gamers.

Especially when you game so much, and hardly go out.

You meet everyone you know in game, and they are all from different countries.

I’ve fallen in love often over the last few years.

Living in Denmark and falling in love with someone who lives in the UK was great for a while, but then the long-distance hits you.

And hits you hard…

When I first started gaming, I often thought finding love in game to be a myth.

Falling in love online playing games sounded a little crazy to me, but I found out rather quickly that it does happen.

Not just for me, but a lot of my friends found each other that way.

And for some it has been great, and a fairy-tale story, where everything ends well.

But in most cases, it fell apart after a few years, with the constant prospect of having to travel to see them in other countries.

Yes, it’s possible to move country for love, but its not as easy.

There are a lot of things to consider.

Job options, leaving family and friends behind and so much more.

My first love online was a guy from Scotland, and after just meeting hime twice we moved in together.

Here in Denmark

He left his whole life behind, his friends, family, car, his job, and was struggling for years having lost this and trying to come to terms of becoming a Dane, and it took a toll on both of us.

I’ve had 3 long distance relationships, and I only moved in with one of them.

The other 2 we had to wait months to see each other, and only for short while.

Today love isn’t something I’m actively seeking but looking back at my history with love, I would rather not have to deal with another long distance again. Its just too hard in the long run, if moving country isn’t something you really want to do.

For me personally I would love to live in another country, but leaving my family behind, its not something I want or can do, not at the moment anyway.

Its a big decision.

And I think for gamers in my past shoes has to really think about this too.

I do salute the couples that made it work, and truly admire what they have been through, the road they took and the hardships it was sometimes.

I have to admit though the feeling of seeing a loved one standing on a train station waiting for you, and you haven’t seen them in months is the most amazing feeling ever.

So yes, love is on the shadow side too.  Though it can be on both sides…

I’ve realised…

Ive realised being a gamer and living this lifestyle, its totally fine, but there has to be a balance.

I think with everything you can easily overdo it, so it becomes unhealthy. But its up to you to find a healthy balance between the things you love and your health and mental health.

For me its something I only started doing now, and I reckon I will soon find a healthy balance.

But I’m happy I realised this now and not too late, where it could be more harmful to my welfare.

I remember the word hubris I got from my old Greek lessons, and Its about that overdoing something can easily become your downfall, and its about finding a perfect balance.

Too much of something is never good.

Though yes there are shadow sides to gaming it’s not all bad.

I’ve gotten a lot of amazing things too, the last decade, and it’s something ill blog about sooner then later.

But today I felt inspired so thus this blog post.

I’ve been hard at work the last few weeks, on my future plans, so don’t have the time to write as much as I would want, but I do it when I feel inspired.

If you are a gamer, and find yourself doing what I did.

Gaming a little too extremely, my advise to you.

Find a healthy balance to still do what you love, but take care of your body, your mind and the connections you have in real life.

Remember to drink a lot of water, and move every now and then, your body will love you for it tomorrow.

Balance is everything…

That was it for today, until next time 🙂

I still need to finish my website, but almost there.

I hope to write a blog post of the good sides to gaming soon, so stay tuned ❤

Until next time have an amazing and healthy day

Missfaylyn out