If you’ve been playing video games for a long time, you’ll know that it’s very hard to stop even when you’re in college. With some research I collected, I’ll explain whether you should stop playing video games in college or not. So, should you stop playing video games in college?
You don’t need to stop playing video games at any point in your life as long as it doesn’t harm your overall well-being. Playing video games like many other things is a harmless hobby if you don’t spend the majority of your time on it. As a college student, you need to stay active and continue to focus on your education.
There’s actually a lot more to decide whether you should stop playing video games in college or not. Let’s dive deeper to get a more accurate answer.
How much is too much gaming
You always hear people tell gamers, “You play too many video games,” but how much is too much? Is there a specific duration of gaming that is scientifically proven to be too much? It seems impossible to come up with an answer to that question.
So how much is too much gaming? Well, it all depends on the person. Too much for you may be perfectly fine for someone else, and vice versa. To help determine whether you play too much video games or not, answer these questions:
- On average, how many hours of video games do you play a day? A week?
- On average, how many hours do you spend working on school-related material a day? A week?
You should have two answers for each question. Now answer this, do you spend more hours playing video games than you do on school-related material? If your answer is yes, then you play too many video games.
Think about it. You’re paying a lot of money to be in college, yet you spend more time on a hobby than you do in school. Think about what you could accomplish academically should you divide the number of hours you spend playing video games in half.
For example, let’s say you play video games for 4 hours a day, which totals to 28 hours a week (that’s 12 hours less than an average full-time job). Now, if you divide the amount of time you spend gaming in half, you would only play 14 hours of games a week.
That means you have 14 extra hours per week to do other things. You could use half of that time to improve your grades, get involved in clubs, or participate in other extracurricular activities.
Then, you can spend the remaining 7 hours to improve your professional skills. If you’re a graphic designer, you could spend those hours to learn new software, shortcuts, or work on building your portfolio.
As you can see, reducing the amount of time you spend on gaming can make you much more productive. The best part is, you still get to game for 14 hours a week! That should be more than enough time to satisfy your gaming needs.
Become a casual player
In any game, there are two types of players, the hardcore player, and the casual player. Let me define what each of them is:
- A hardcore player is someone who takes a video game very seriously. Their gaming needs go way beyond clearing the game. They strive to be one of the top players, being well-known within the community.
- A casual player is someone who plays a video game for fun. They don’t care about being the best. They just want to experience all the game has to offer.
If you’re a hardcore gamer, you need to convert down to a casual player. Games are designed to keep people on the game forever. That’s how developers make their money. If you’re a hardcore player, you will never “complete” the game.
Why?
Because there is always more you can do to get better or to be better. All developers have to do is release a new update or addition to the game. These updates can take hundreds of hours to complete, and by the time you complete one, something new gets released.
As you can see, being a hardcore player simply takes up too much time and effort, especially when you’re in college. It takes gaming to a new extreme where it isn’t even a hobby anymore. This is the point where gaming can get unhealthy.
As a casual player, you can experience bits and pieces of all aspects of a game. You don’t have to be an expert and complete everything. You’re just trying to have fun. This is a great way to approach gaming, especially in your college years.
If you’re already a casual player, then there’s no need for you to stop gaming. You understand that games are meant for entertainment – keep it that way. If you find that you’re unable to be a casual player, then it’s time to stop gaming.
Types of games you should play
Believe it or not, there are actually many types of games out there that can help make you smarter. Have you played any games yourself that you think made you smarter? If you’re coming up short, let me give you a few examples of games that I came up with:
- Counter-Strike
- Starcraft
- Path of Exile
An article from Huffington Post suggests that strategy-based video games improve the brain’s cognitive flexibility. It makes sense too; video games can be a lot more than just violence. Let me give you an example using the game Starcraft.
Starcraft is an incredibly fast-paced and real-time strategy game where are you build an army to overrun your opponents. There are 3 races to choose from, and every race has a large selection of units. That’s what makes the game so entertaining.
Every match you play will be different from the rest. There is no such thing as a perfect plan. You have to do a lot of critical thinking, make tough decisions, test things out, think on your feet, and adapt to what your opponent is doing.
The study I mentioned above found improvements in the participants’ psychological performances after playing Starcraft for 40 hours over the course of 6 to 8 weeks.
Aside from strategy-based games, what other types of games can help make you smarter?
- Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs)
In the average MMO, you have to learn how to acquire resources so that you can upgrade/improve your character. Everyone has access to the same resources, so the challenge is figuring out the best way to acquire them.
- Simulation games
Simulations teach players how to operate real-life vehicles and tools. Simulations can be used to train amateurs before they actually operate these assets in real life. Just think about the benefits of playing an airplane simulation game.
- Sports games
Sports games help you become more creative by encouraging players to come up with their own strategies to win. They also allow you to spectate matches from a coach’s perspective which can bring new insights to real life matches.
There are many other game genres I can go over, but you get the point. If you’re in college, it’s best to play games that actually challenge you to think. Don’t just mindlessly kill things for the sake of killing.
The choice is yours
With all the information I’ve provided, it’s up to you to decide whether you should stop playing video games in college or not. Here’s a summary to help you make a final decision:
Continue to play video games in college if you’re:
- Able to achieve your academic goals
- Not spending more hours than you are with school-related material
- Playing video games that challenge you to think critically (e.g. startegy-based games)
- A casual gamer as opposed to a hardcore gamer
- Taking care of your overall well-being (physically, mentally, financially, etc.)
Stop playing video games in college if you’re:
- Not satisfied with your academic goals
- Spending more hours gaming than you are with school-related material
- Playing video games that don’t challenge you to think critically (e.g. mindless killing games)
- A hardcore gamer as opposed to a casual gamer
- Not taking care of your overall well-being (physically, mentally, financially, etc.)
Whatever you decide to do, you can always change your mind later. For example, if you decide you’re going to continue playing video games, assess your well-being a couple of weeks later. If things aren’t going great, try taking a break from playing video games for a little while.
Conclusion
For such a simple question, there’s so much to think about, especially if you’ve been gaming for a long time. There is no right answer, and that’s why you need to assess your current situation to make a decision.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave it down below!
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