Chapter 5: How much time do I really spend gaming?
If you are uncertain about whether
you are addicted to video gaming, there is a very helpful way to put your gaming
behavior into perspective -- and that is by keeping a “time log.”
What is a time log? A
time log is a record of the total amount of time you spend gaming each day.
Example of video game log:
Day: Monday
Time of day: 3PM
Game: Call of Duty
Number of hours: 4.0
Location of gaming: bedroom
Day: Tuesday
Time of day: 7 PM
Game: World of Warcraft
Number of hours: 1.5
Location of gaming: bedroom
Day: Wednesday
Time of day: 930PM
Game: Call of Duty
Number of hours: 2.5
Location of gaming: bedroom
Day: Thursday
Time of day: 430 PM
Game: Call of Duty
Number of hours: 1.0
Location of gaming: bedroom
Day: Friday
Time of day: 430 PM
Game: Grand Theft Auto
Number of hours: 4.0
Location of gaming: bedroom
Day: Saturday
Time of day: 3 PM
Game: World of Warcraft
Number of hours: 4.0
Location of gaming: friend’s
house
Day: Sunday
Time of day: 2 PM
Game: Grand Theft Auto
Number of hours: 3.0
Location of gaming: bedroom
What was the total amount of
time you spent gaming this week? 18
What time of day do you usually
play? Afternoon
Why
do you play during this time? To take a break after
school and to hang out with friends on the weekend.
What
is your favorite gaming location? My bedroom - because
it is private.
Putting your gaming time in perspective:
The gaming log above recorded
18 hours per week (or about 2.5 hours per day). If you have a similar gaming
pattern, you are spending:
72
hours per month (4x18 equals 72)
864
hours per year (12x72 equals 864)
4320
hours per five years (5x864 equals 4320)
To put this in perspective in
terms of days spent gaming, divide the above hours by 16 hours (or the typical
amount of time a person is awake), and this will give you the total number of
days you are spending playing video games:
4.5
days each month (72 hours divided by 16)
54
days per year (860 hours divided by 16)
270
days per five years (4340 hours divided by 16)
What is your reaction to the
total number of days you are spending in the course of the year video gaming?
Were you surprised 2.5 hours per day of gaming, which is a very common amount
of time, means you are spending 54 days gaming per year?
Can
you see any downside or problem with spending 54 (or more) days a year gaming?
Yes/No/Unsure
If
yes, briefly describe how you see the negative consequences of gaming:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What
are you missing due to the time you spend gaming? Circle any of the activities that
apply to you:
Going to the movies
Going to a concert
Going to a restaurant with
friends
Going to an arcade
Going to the beach
Taking a bike ride
Taking a hike,
Going fishing
Camping
Cooking a meal
Barbecuing
Participating in a political
group or club
Learning to drive
Taking a road trip
Writing a blog
Creating a website
Studying
Preparing for college entrance
exams
Participating in school-based
clubs
Taking a martial arts class
Playing chess
Learning to play an instrument
Learning photography or
film making
Reading
Working out
DATING!
As any honest gamer will admit,
the vast majority of online gamers are male. As such, the more time you spend
within the gaming community, the less time you have to spend with girls. The
less time you spend with girls, the less time you have to practice how to start up
a conversation, flirt, or learn the best way to ask a girl out on a date.
One thing is absolutely certain
about spending time video gaming, no girl is going to knock on your computer or
television monitor and ask you out on a date. One of the great risks of being a
big-time gamer (50 plus days per year) is the loss of opportunities to develop
socially, especially learning what girls need and want from friends that are
boys and from boyfriends.
So, given the potential
downside to gaming, why not keep a gaming log for a period of seven days and
see what is really going on in terms of how you are spending your time and
energy.
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