I like video games. Sometimes I like taking my video games online and playing with other gamers. Though, that notion is quickly snubbed out by the people who play video games. I don't know why, but gamers aren't very kind towards their fellow gamer. Now, it's always frustrating when the people on the other team continue to merciless you kill you again and again and not let you move two feet before you get killed again. Though, it's always made worse when you hear their voice spewing profanities and insults at you.
Xbox Live is where the dregs of human society seem to congregate, and they seem to wear that image with aggressive apathy. What I mean by that is, if someone like myself were to tell them to clean up their act, they would respond with an "I don't care" attitude and sling even more harsh insults at me. The thing is, that these gamers have anonymity with their gamer handles. While these handles are not completely infallible, as their location can be traced via their IP address, those who hide behind them figure that it gives them the ability to say whatever they feel. As this is America, we as Americans have the right of free speech. Though, while your right to free speech enables you to say whatever you please, there is also a thing called manners. Perhaps there should be a mutual respect for the people who play the same video game that you are right now?
However, none of this is helped by the general consensus of society who has deemed video games to be a waste of time. The average portrayal of a gamer is an anti-social, non-hygienic, moutbreathing neckbeard guy who still lives in his parents basement and doesn't know anything of the outside world. What have we as gamers done to deserve this image? What are we as gamers doing to change that images? Not all that much. Not only are gamers though of as losers, but also foul-mouthed thirteen year olds who know far too many bad words than they should at that age. There are a lot of reasons as to why both of these images are inaccurate portrayals of what a gamer is. Stereotypes will always exist, and there isn't anything that anybody of any kind of group can do about that.
Though, to make matters worse, games don't like gamers. Recently I was playing X-Com: Enemy Unkown, and I came across a bit where my squad of alien killing soldiers found some kind of laser light show that the aliens had in their ship. The game labeled it as "alien entertainment", then one of the COs chimed in with "This is what the aliens are doing with their free time? Oh well, at least they aren't playing computer games." Now hang on just one gosh darned minute! Here I am, trying to promote the positivity of games, and your game is saying that games are a waste of time? You make video games, and yet you still declare them as wastes of time? Are you not proud of the things which you create? Why would you even take the time to put that into your game. Sure it may just be a joke, but there is some truth to every joke. Turns out that not only do gamers have to be okay with playing video games, but also the people who make video games have to be okay with playing video games.
This is some kind of twisted paradox. We play video games regularly, religiously, fanatically, and yet we don't feel good about what we are doing with ourselves. If everyone around us is telling us that video games are a waste of time, how are we not to feel bad? Sure, we may be able to spout stats at those who say that video games are just no good, but what good does that do for us? What ground does that gain for us? I once read a quote that said something to the extent of, "Most people use statistics to support their argument, in the same way that a drunkard uses a lamp post for illumination" Statistics do not help. Reports that say that "Research has shown..." do not help either. What we need to do, is band together, and be friendlier towards one another. Gamers need to stop isolating themselves with other gamers. Diversify! Look at other forms of entertainment, and get a frame of reference. Watch a TV show, read a book, go see a movie, and critically think about it. Games are great. I would play them all day if I could, but I've got other things to do in my life. I've got people who depend on me. People can not spend entire days devoted to something such as video games, or television, or books. In everything, moderation. There are nerds for everything in this world. There is someone who knows everything that there is to know about Star Trek, and there is someone else who knows everything there is to know about the Detroit Redwings sports franchise. Yet, their stereotypes still don't cast as much of a negative light on them as gamers do. We can no longer sit idly by, huddled in front of our screens, isolating ourselves to these video games. Do not let go of your gaming passion, nor should you give it up. All I am asking of you fellow gamers, is just to be more positive.
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