Videos games as a form of escapism? The heck is this?

[Junkhead]

Context:

Some guy in some article said video games are MEANT as a form of escapism.

“Majora’s Mask” is a tale of loneliness, betrayal, love, mortality, and unholy power– and that’s why we love it. Unlike any other Zelda game, “Majora’s Mask” is able to reach into the darkest depths of a gamer’s subconscious and drudge up all of the forgotten underlying reasons the gamer had begun playing video games in the first place. Majora attacked our weaknesses, and we were glad for it.

The reason most people first pick up a video game is to escape; to become the all-important hero, to take control in a chaotic situation, save the day, and be praised for it. Video games are a sojourn from the humdrum of everyday life.

My response to that:

Bullshit. Well, I understand that to each it's own, but...video game's weren't MEANT as a form of escapism. To think of such is shallow, demeaning, and it's also offensive to my person, even if I'm not a gamer. Video games are meant as a form of entertainment, plain and simple. Just because people are dumb at using them doesn't mean it gives them the right to insult them that way. It's like drugs, alcohol, technology and just entertainment in general. People choose to blame their creators as an excuse for being dumbasses and not knowing what the word "moderation" means.

So, yeah. Moral of the story: Kids, don't use such fine creations as an excuse to hide from your mediocrity and the fact and you may very well not have "a life". :p

And with that, I'm off.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Juliet

[Florete]

...What the hell are you so mad about?

Almost all entertainment can be escapism, video games included (if not especially). How is that even an insult?

[Junkhead]

It's an insult to consider that their point. I don't think it's limited to video games, but I feel that I've heard this quite enough about them. And it's silly.

[Florete]

I don't see how.

es·cap·ism

əˈskāpˌizəm/

noun

noun: escapism

the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.

Just because every time you pick up a game you aren't specifically thinking, "Man, I'd really love to escape from reality," doesn't mean they aren't still a common form of escapism. I, for one, don't see how that's an insult at all; it's what entertainment is made for.

[Knight]

The article colourfully promotes video games like some sort of great place of salvation when in reality the medium is much more mundane. The author is overhyping Majora's Mask and gaming in general almost as an alternative to other mediums (movies, books) or real life itself. Video games are just another entertainment medium, not necessarily superior or inferior to others and is definitely not a substitute for everyday life, nor a place to run to when your own daily problems have got the better of you. I think Soul is angry that these people seem to think that video games can be a substitute for, or even can be superior to, real life and I am willing to agree with him.

EDIT: Honestly, the critical journalism of video games is in dire need of reform.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Knight

[dondon151]

indignation does not constitute an argument

[Esau of Isaac]

I don't see how.

es·cap·ism

əˈskāpˌizəm/

noun

noun: escapism

the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.

Just because every time you pick up a game you aren't specifically thinking, "Man, I'd really love to escape from reality," doesn't mean they aren't still a common form of escapism. I, for one, don't see how that's an insult at all; it's what entertainment is made for.

How is entertainment by its nature made for escapism? The fact that escapism is characterized by seeking entertainment doesn't mean that seeking entertainment is itself escapism.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Esau of Isaac

[Florete]

How is entertainment by its nature made for escapism? The fact that escapism is characterized by seeking entertainment doesn't mean that seeking entertainment is itself escapism.

What otherwise is the point of entertainment? It has no survival or reproductive value.

[Knight]

What otherwise is the point of entertainment? It has no survival or reproductive value.

To teach lessons, to waste time, to provoke thoughts, to bring people together, to express ideas and art, I could go on.

EDIT: A very real and useful application is Native American storytelling, where stories from generations past are passed down to younger generations, a sort of archive within the minds of the people. Without this practice we would not know anything of native American history. Anyone who has listened to an elder speak would probably say it's not the most immersive and private way to escape from reality, but it's informative, interesting and serves a greater purpose in teaching.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Knight

[Esau of Isaac]

What otherwise is the point of entertainment? It has no survival or reproductive value.

That's a rather philosophical question. Would you call soccer a form of escapism? Or exercise? Sex?

Are you really saying that any form of entertainment is a form of escapism, simply because it seeks to create satisfaction for a person? I don't see how games are different from other methods of having fun.

[Rapier]

Term aside, I agree with Juliet that it is exaggerated to give such a purpose to gamers.

"The reason most people first pick up a video game is to escape; to become the all-important hero, to take control in a chaotic situation, save the day, and be praised for it. Video games are a sojourn from the humdrum of everyday life."

Now this is a hasty generalization. How did he/she get to this conclusion? Is there a sample? If there is none, then this argument is meaningless. There is not even a basis for us to discuss about its validity.

Are you really saying that any form of entertainment is a form of escapism, simply because it seeks to create satisfaction for a person? I don't see how games are different from other methods of having fun.

Escapism does not necessarily need to be taken on its most extreme meaning (exiting from a painful reality or something like that). I take entertainment as a form of "light" escapism (ie. finding relief in an activity), because entertainment fits in the meaning of escapism that Red Fox cited, however you look at it.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Rapier

[Florete]

To teach lessons, to waste time, to provoke thoughts, to bring people together, to express ideas and art, I could go on.

Yet almost none of this actually precludes it from being escapist in some form. Some of these basically are escapist ideas already ("to waste time," "to express ideas and art." I mean, really? "To waste time"?).

That's a rather philosophical question. Would you call soccer a form of escapism? Or exercise? Sex?

Are you really saying that any form of entertainment is a form of escapism, simply because it seeks to create satisfaction for a person? I don't see how games are different from other methods of having fun.

I did state in my first post: "Almost all entertainment can be escapism."

Perhaps I went too far in saying escapism is what entertainment is made for, but surely all forms of entertainment can be used for escapism (yes, including soccer and sex), and some are meant for it more than others. Video games, I would argue, are one medium meant more for escapism than most others. I would also argue, as per the actual topic, that the primary intent of most video games is, in fact, escapism.

Escapism does not necessarily need to be taken on its most extreme meaning (exiting from a painful reality or something like that). I take entertainment as a form of "light" escapism (ie. finding relief in an activity), because entertainment fits in the meaning of escapism that Red Fox cited, however you look at it.

Yes, perhaps this helps explain it. Calling video games escapist doesn't automatically mean, "Your father just died and you need some alternate reality to allow yourself to remain sane."

[Chiki]

What otherwise is the point of entertainment? It has no survival or reproductive value.

You sound like Makaze. You can't make overly generalizing claims about people's psychology like this.

A side effect of being too intelligent (animals like ants don't get bored but humans and elephants do) is that we get bored. That's why we need entertainment. But that doesn't entail that we always use entertainment to escape reality. We can use entertainment for other reasons. We need oxygen, but we can use oxygen for reasons other than breathing. Basic reasoning.

People often play video games for no reason other than to enjoy it. In the same way that you look at a nice piece of art and admire it. No one says you're escaping reality by looking at art. Similarly enjoying a video game doesn't entail that you're escaping reality.

It's like getting a blowjob. I don't want to get a blowjob to escape reality, because I'm happy with how things are. I just want it to feel good. The only difference is that video games and art are considered higher-order pleasures and sex is considered a lower-order pleasure. That difference doesn't mean higher-order pleasures are all escapist.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Chiki

[Knight]

Yet almost none of this actually precludes it from being escapist in some form. Some of these basically are escapist ideas already ("to waste time," "to express ideas and art." I mean, really? "To waste time"?).

Let's say I'm being picked up to go hang with my friends in an hour, I have nothing to really do so I boot up Super Smash Bros. and play a few matches with CPUs. I don't feel like I'm disconnected from reality, in fact I'm keeping track of the clock, I'm anticipating a real life event, I don't feel like my entire life at the moment is now focused on the video game, I'm not necessarily "escaping" my life.

I didn't mean to say that entertainment can't be escapism, but it can serve many purposes.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Knight

[Garnef]

The reason most people first pick up a video game is to escape; to become the all-important hero, to take control in a chaotic situation, save the day, and be praised for it. Video games are a sojourn from the humdrum of everyday life.

Keyword: Most

He didn't say that videogames are meant as a form of escapism, he said that he feels most gamers play videogames as a form of escapism. Don't mean to rain on your parade, but those are entirely different things.

[Florete]

A side effect of being too intelligent (animals like ants don't get bored but humans and elephants do) is that we get bored. That's why we need entertainment. But that doesn't entail that we always use entertainment to escape reality. We can use entertainment for other reasons. We need oxygen, but we can use oxygen for reasons other than breathing. Basic reasoning.

That doesn't entail a necessity for entertainment at all, merely a desire.

People often play video games for no reason other than to enjoy it. In the same way that you look at a nice piece of art and admire it. No one says you're escaping reality by looking at art. Similarly enjoying a video game doesn't entail that you're escaping reality.

I did state in my first post: "Almost all entertainment can be escapism."

Perhaps I went too far in saying escapism is what entertainment is made for, but surely all forms of entertainment can be used for escapism (yes, including soccer and sex), and some are meant for it more than others. Video games, I would argue, are one medium meant more for escapism than most others. I would also argue, as per the actual topic, that the primary intent of most video games is, in fact, escapism.

Are video games always used for escapism? Maybe not. That doesn't mean it isn't a primary function.

Also, just because you don't consciously think of escaping reality with a video game - as you might for simply enjoying it - does not mean you aren't. As Rapier noted, "escaping" doesn't have to be some extreme.

[Rapier]

You sound like Makaze. You can't make overly generalizing claims about people's psychology like this.

A side effect of being too intelligent (animals like ants don't get bored but humans and elephants do) is that we get bored. That's why we need entertainment.

Excuse me, but aren't you doing the same? I can play video games even though I am not bored - maybe I am occupied with something else, but I'd rather play video games than my former activity, and it does not need to be boring for me to abandon it (maybe playing Castlevania sounds better to me than watching a series which usually entertains me, for example).

People often play video games for no reason other than to enjoy it. In the same way that you look at a nice piece of art and admire it. No one says you're escaping reality by looking at art. Similarly enjoying a video game doesn't entail that you're escaping reality.

It's like getting a blowjob. I don't want to get a blowjob to escape reality, because I'm happy with how things are. I just want it to feel good. The only difference is that video games and art are considered higher-order pleasures and sex is considered a lower-order pleasure. That difference doesn't mean higher-order pleasures are all escapist.

The problem is, escapism has a much broader meaning. It can be applied to someone who wants to escape a harsh reality, or to someone who just wants to enjoy a setting with elves, wizards and flying ships with space pirates, breaking the limits of our reality to better enjoy our creativity. Anything which escapes the grasp of reality is to be considered escapism - if you are happy with how things are or not, it doesn't matter.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Rapier

[Raven]

Whoever you're quoting, they are making pretty huge generalisations in saying "most" people use games as a form of escapism.

Most people play and finish games for the sense of achievement, to experience the story, the game play, the characters, whatever the game has. Not for the sake of playing to escape their shitty real life problems.

Also, there's no point in getting worked up over such a trivial opinion.

[Garnef]

Expanding upon Red Fox's post is an example: I tend to get stressed out a lot due to school. Videogames keep my sanity intact, and prevent me from being stressed for long periods of time. It is my escape from a stressful reality.

That said, I also play videogames for fun. They have many functions, and like I said in my post before, the person who wrote the article used "most" as a kes it generalized? Yes, but does that make it wrong? Not really, it's an opinion.

[Rapier]

Again, the wiki writer's argument is meaningless, because where did he/she get the fact that people play games for that reason? Seems like a statement which came from nowhere, because no source or research backing it up was shown. Its generalization is not justified. I'm not sure whether this invalidates or not the argument, though, since I fail logic forever.

[Moira]

The reason most people first pick up a video game is to escape; to become the all-important hero, to take control in a chaotic situation, save the day, and be praised for it. Video games are a sojourn from the humdrum of everyday life.

I feel like most is wildly inaccurate, which is somewhat annoying. I really don't hear of a lot of gamers, yet alone most, play for the npc praise. I mean, really?(not to mention many other inaccurate assumptions)

[Chiki]

Excuse me, but aren't you doing the same? I can play video games even though I am not bored - maybe I am occupied with something else, but I'd rather play video games than my former activity, and it does not need to be boring for me to abandon it (maybe playing Castlevania sounds better to me than watching a series which usually entertains me, for example).

The problem is, escapism has a much broader meaning. It can be applied to someone who wants to escape a harsh reality, or to someone who just wants to enjoy a setting with elves, wizards and flying ships with space pirates, breaking the limits of our reality to better enjoy our creativity. Anything which escapes the grasp of reality is to be considered escapism - if you are happy with how things are or not, it doesn't matter.

First paragraph: not when you have empirical evidence on your side........

Second paragraph: reread the definition. It says *unpleasant* realities.

[Rapier]

First paragraph: not when you have empirical evidence on your side........

Second paragraph: reread the definition. It says *unpleasant* realities.

1 - Yes, you mentioned entertainment and not video games. Seems legit. My bad.

Still, could you show this evidence of yours? I like Psychology.

2 - I don't see how it makes sense to limit the definition to "unpleasant realities", but I'm not going to discuss with the dictionary (unless it is a magical dictionary from Hogwarts).

[Sentacotus]

I don't really see how this is insulting. I don't think the journalist is insinuating that most people who play games are detached from reality or are seeking an "escape" from the real world because they have no life. I think what he is trying to say is that the reason games are so appealing is that they make you actually play the part of a hero or whatever unlike passive forms of entertainment like movies and so on. Which is something you would never be able to actually do in real life and its enjoyable in moderation.

[Vashiane]

Alright, but how many gamers tend to pick up their games more after a long, stressful day?

A lot of them, I bet.

But there's a massive difference between picking up a game to destress and feeling like it's a good escape for a while than literally not being able to put it down and being unable to go back, which is extremely rare.

Although really to summarize my view on this, the quote's got it covered.

I don't really see how this is insulting. I don't think the journalist is insinuating that most people who play games are detached from reality or are seeking an "escape" from the real world because they have no life. I think what he is trying to say is that the reason games are so appealing is that they make you actually play the part of a hero or whatever unlike passive forms of entertainment like movies and so on. Which is something you would never be able to actually do in real life and its enjoyable in moderation.