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Gaming vs Relationships

Posted by Zonk on from the love-hurts! dept.

bgalbraith writes "BBC News has posted an editorial piece called Confessions of a Game Widow, where a frustrated spouse writes about getting neglected by her partner in favor of games such as Halo 2 and Half-Life 2. Her solution to all those like her: 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Let's get together and form a clan. We can call ourselves the Game Widows.'"

2 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Overrated. Heh. by Xaviar21 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I'm a gamer. I also have a full time job. And a relationship. None of them interfere with the others. My girlfriend has a life of her own, too. When she's busy and I'm not, I'll play video games, or hang out with other friends. Sometimes both. I think a large part of the problem is that people demand that all their free time be spent with a significant other. That's simply not the way it should be. You both have your own lives; it's great that you want to share them with each other, but you aren't the same person. Everybody has there own little things that take up their time, that a significant other might not approve of. It's pure arrogance to try to change that, and not change yourself.

    I'm actually pretty annoyed at a lot of the comments in that article. One was about a girl who told her boyfriend that he could get a PS2, or keep her as a girlfriend. One or the other. Honestly, do we ask you girls (if any read this), to either put away your soap operas and boy bands, or leave us? No. And you shouldn't ask the same of us. Even if your significant other did agree to give up his hobby for you, if that is how your relationship works, it isn't going to last. And he will regret chosing you over his hobby, and you will regret the fact that all of his friends now know how bad of a person you are. This works the other way, too. Guys shouldn't ask girls to give up their hobbies.

  2. Addiction is addiction by smcg · · Score: 5, Interesting
    From TFA:
    My relationship of six years ended because of the PlayStation. When our son was born my partner spent all his time playing games. We never went to bed at the same time due to him staying up as he wanted just to get to a certain level. He slept during the day due to being up all night and I was left holding the baby literally. Our relationship ended and he admits now it was down to the PlayStation.
    Video game as chore, as negative reinforcement (removal of withdrawl symptoms), as escapism, etc. It's the type of folks who are prone to addiction in any form that become addicted to video games.

    To know "Daddy" as "the man who snarls at you when you want to play PlayStation" rather than a father figure, well, it really puts a somber image on things. If you'd rather raise your online char than raise your son/daughter, then the child might as well be missing one parent.

    Just interesting to see the shoe on the other foot, when the addiction applies to the parents. Much more serious when you think about it.