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Post by Nowhere Man on Dec 14, 2014 10:21:30 GMT -5
Two things have become my bane: Video games and YouTube (and in general other time wasting aspects of the internet).
Like many here, I enjoy reading comics, reading books and...ugh...playing video games. I love video games, I really do, but even though I'd classify myself as a mid-range gamer (not very casual but certainly not hardcore) the games I gravitate toward (really long, involved RPG's) are cutting into my leisure time in other areas. The most aggravating aspect of these games for me is that I spend most of my time stopping and starting new characters because, given the "build your own" aspect of most of them, I spend a lot of time going over the same ground or looking at wiki's. It's just not fun anymore. Also, to be honest, I feel like I'm wasting my time with these games. Maybe at almost 37 I realize that these games are really for 16 year old's with limitless free time who don't have to worry about adult life?
With YouTube, I find myself wasting time and losing hours of my life, sometimes on stuff worth watching (historical documentaries) but often on complete tripe. The fact is, it's just easier to mindlessly click on video recommendations as opposed to reading those damn worthwhile DK visual encyclopedia's that I've been meaning to read. This just needs to stop.
My two main goals in relations to this is to read more, but perhaps surprisingly, watch more good TV and movies. My TV and movie watching has slowed down to virtual nonexistence. Over the last seven years, I'd estimate that I might watch three movies a YEAR! I don't know why I'm so addicted to these time wasters, but at least for me, I need a change.
Does anyone else struggle with this?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2014 11:28:04 GMT -5
Trebor,
I spend about 1-2 hours a day watching You Tube (anything from History, Comic Books, Godzilla, World War II Fighter Jets, and anything that tickle my fancy) and it's a problem just like you describe here. I'm retired and I watch about 12 to 20 hours of Movies on Turner Classic Movies and it's continues to grow and grow because I just can't stop there. Not to mention hours and hours of (television) sports too.
I totally understand what you are going through and I need to re-prioritize my life and start getting little more active and that's might be my New Year Resolution for 2015.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Dec 14, 2014 11:50:01 GMT -5
I hear you. The frustrating thing is that I REALLY do want to read more and spend my time learning new skills, learning more about art, literature, politics, etc, but find that the old routine of mindless gaming is the go to fall-back. I realized that that particular brand of escapism was not only not that fun anymore, but I started realizing that I was having an internal dialog with myself, while playing, that I wasn't challenging myself enough in other areas.
Well, I packed up all my games to be sold at my earliest convenience. On a related forum note, that stuff was cutting into my comics reading time. I can't tell you the times I REALLY wanted to be reading that classic run that I'd never read before, but I was putting it off so I could loot yet another mine and kill yet another goblin or watch yet another wildlife video on YouTube.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Dec 14, 2014 11:52:04 GMT -5
No struggles because I'm twenty! Woooo! Given your avatar pic and avatar, you're at the very least an old soul. I never would have guessed you were 20. The next thing we know, Millennial's are going to start making Bonanza themed profiles. |
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Dec 14, 2014 12:54:56 GMT -5
I don't play video games like I use to. Now it cans take me 3-6 months to get through a game even if I really like it. I think I've been playing Dead Space 2 for almost a year and haven't finished it. Mostly because of two aspects; most of my gaming is playing multiplayer games with my boys (a lot of Wii and local split screen shooters) and I don't have the motivation to try over and over when I get to spot that I can't pass. I'll turn it off and may not come back to it for a few days. It's the only way I can enjoy games without getting frustrated at them.
For me about the only thing YouTube is any good for is listening to music I don't own. Now my children will wastes hours on end watching YouTube. I don't know how. It's just channel surfing I guess, which even when I had cable I never did.
When I do want to watch movies I watch something I own or netflix. For instance yesterday I spent most of the afternoon watching three Jason Statham movies.
My reading has almost completely stopped. Between work and young kids and an almost agoraphobic wife, when I do sit down for me time, I don't want to put much effort into it. Watching movies or playing games I already know are about how I spend my leisure time.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
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Post by shaxper on Dec 14, 2014 13:01:24 GMT -5
I lost touch with video games a long time ago. I still play the old ones on occasion (though not very often), but once systems evolved beyond the traditional Nintendo/Sega D-Pads, games just got too complicated. It takes a lot of time and work to get into a game these days, whereas you could teach someone to play Mario Bros. in minutes. I just don't have the time, interest, nor energy. My favorite pastime remains writing about what I read and watch, and reading about what others read and watch. I'm quite thankful I have the CCF for that  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2014 13:46:05 GMT -5
I play maybe an hour a week at the moment, don't spend much more than that watching tv or reading comics either. I do spend a lot of time online though. I can do that away from home too though. Lunch break at work, sitting in a lobby. But I spend a couple hours a day on the Internet, which far outweighs all my other leisure activity
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Wild Card
Full Member
I'm out of my mind; But trapped inside my head!
Posts: 390 
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Post by Wild Card on Dec 14, 2014 18:15:30 GMT -5
When I'm not actually working on homework for college, I'm avoiding it by wasting my time on games, movies/TV shows, and books. Three things I feel maybe I should limit more in my life. It doesn't interfere with my school work, as I actually get the work done, but it interferes with my future. I should spend the time writing. I tend to start writing, take a break by doing one of the big three and then never returning to the thing I was writing until I've forgotten where I was going with it or where I even put the notebook at all.
I often fret after watching an episode of X-Files or something and feeling that maybe I could have spent that 45 minutes writing something. Last semester I spent a lot of time re-watching all 151 episodes of Malcolm in the Middle and here I've begun re-watching all the X-Files episodes. How can I ever hope to be a writer if I don't write? Same thing with acting. If I don't look for auditions, how do I expect to find one to go to? And I tell myself this all the time, yet look what I end up doing: replaying through Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or picking up the next book in a series or, worse, restarting a book series I own with 10 books in it! It also doesn't help when these big three things keep me sane while taking all these college courses and I've never been good at school.
So, I know what you mean. These things that are supposed to be for every now and then leisure sort of just become everything you do.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2014 18:42:56 GMT -5
I need to work less, and utilize my employees more.
Does this count as something that needs to change, life-wise/habit-wise?
I would LOVE to learn piano, but I freaking have NO TIME.
I get maybe 1-2 floppies read a night, if I'm lucky.
And I guess I am lucky to have that much time.
I never played video games, really, not since I was 4 years old and my parents got my brothers an Atari which they broke within, like, less than a month.
I just never got into games.
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Post by hondobrode on Dec 14, 2014 18:50:33 GMT -5
I played the DC Universe Online from the beginning and loved it. My son and I played a lot until he got promoted and I'm training for my new position. Been kicking around the idea of temporarily suspending my premier account of $ 15/mo.
Actually I think I'm going to do it know that I think about it more.
I was playing more and not reading as many comics, but I'm now catching up on some comics reading.
My internet time is mostly cruising CBR, Newsarama, Comics Reporter, Comic Alliance, The Beat, IGN, Comic Art Community, deviantART, and oddball sites here and there, along with CCF, my far and away favorite forum.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2014 19:05:44 GMT -5
One of the changing habits is the fact - I will be swimming more next year to start to get myself in better shape and spend less time online and perhaps cut down my time here in Classic Comic Forum. I will start that tomorrow so I can check out two local pools for cost and availability.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Dec 14, 2014 19:56:12 GMT -5
I strongly considered giving up gaming today, but after sleeping on it, that might be too drastic. The reasonable thing to do is to limit it to my off days. Quite simply, I only play games, or watch YouTube, on my two set off days. If I can discipline myself to do that, I know I'll read and write more. Still, I think I'll stop playing for at least a month, and if I don't miss it, and much prefer the increase in reading books in comics, the I'll consider stopping for good. (I have a few games on my 360 hard-drive that I haven't played yet, so wasting money like that would be irritating.)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2014 20:29:03 GMT -5
My wife is super into video games and spends a lot of time on long complex games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. I tend to only play 2 or 3 a year. One nice thing about modern gaming is that there are so many casual and retro games coming out now. I can pick up a new amazing looking side scrolling spaceship shooter for $5 or $10. Perfect for playing in 15 minute bursts.
I find that I really need to be strict wtih myself on breaking up my free time. Like most of you I can also waste (?) a lot of time on forums like this or watching youtube. It helps for me to structure my free time days out. Spend an hour or two reading a book, spend 2 or 3 hours working on music and then give myself a couple of hours to read forums/video games or whatever else. And I always factor in a couple of hours to go hit a bar or go visit friends as well. It's tough to stick to, but I'm really harsh with myself on it and it seems to lead to a happier life.
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Post by hondobrode on Dec 14, 2014 21:50:00 GMT -5
I get great enjoyment out this the CCF; even more than previously on CBR. This feels like a family and Shax, mrp, Bronzeagebrian, and the whole gang have done a knockout job making it so inviting.
I've got thousands of comics, fanzines and books I haven't read yet and I still keep on buying. Crazy, I know, but thanks to digital I'm able to read many more at night before falling asleep.
If I can get my wife talked into converting one of our rooms into a walk-in closet, I might shimmy done my collection and put it in there and I'll have access to more of it, and more great reading.
Like MechaGodzilla, I'm swimming more next year. She and I both did that a lot this summer and it's good for both of us.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Dec 15, 2014 0:54:49 GMT -5
I agree with destro that it's the type of games that I gravitate toward (Mass Effect and Dragon Age are two that I have) that is probably the real problem. I've noticed that when I do play an action adventure game, or a retro game, it's not nearly the time-suck. A while back I downloaded Ducktales remastered on XBox Live and I still haven't played it. I need to gravitate towards stuff like that I think.
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