Blog 3 - What's The Issue?

Leading off my last video game blog, I am taking a more personal approach this time.  As said before, I am a strong supporter of gaming.  I don't really see any issue's with it, however, there are two types of gamers...

 1.) The gamer that plays 12 hours a day with no consideration for school work or personal health.  This is the bad type of gamer, and this is the type who needs help.

2.) The gamer that plays 12 hours a day while being efficient.  Efficient is one of my favorite words, as it can be an exponential factor in anyones life.  Efficiency is turning 1 hour into 2 hours, turning a 3 day assignment into a 6 day assignment, and simply being effective at every move you make in your life.

Be the second type.  I view myself as the second type, the efficient type.  Efficiency is a wonderful word, albeit complicated.  Let me break it down for you;

'By the Book' Definition: "Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense."

My Definition: Self discipline, prioritizing, and concentration.

If you are truly efficient, then you would be able to play the equal amount of time that the first type does, while sustaining a healthy lifestyle, and a straight A report card.  This may seem impossible, but all of the successful gamers you see on YouTube with thousand's of fans didn't get there from failing school and being deathly unhealthy.  They got there by being efficient.

So, what's the issue if you're the second type of gamer? 

Honestly, I don't know.  Maybe it's a social or cultural idea that people have, but it needs to stop.  Most gamers are generalized as the first type - The lazy and the stupid.  Many people do not realize the difficulty of being the second type, and that gaming while being efficient is a lot of work.  (Well, more work than walking around the mall for 6 hours mindlessly gossiping, at least)  The gaming community is put down and looked at as loser's and idiots.  While this may be true for a small chunk of the community, it does not mean we should all be judged equally.  If you ever look at the majority of very intelligent kids, you will find that they do not spend their type walking around the mall, or ding dong ditching, or any of the things people find 'cool' these days.  You'll find that some of them are even gamers, or people who enjoy arcane hobbies.

But gaming is for loser's - It's a waste of time!


Wrong.  Second type gaming is more productive than 90% of the things people do these days.  Ever heard of a gamer getting into a drunk driving accident?  Ever heard of a gamer having a baby at 16?  Ever heard of a gamer over dosing on illegal drugs?  Ever heard of a gamer going into debt and losing his house?  No, you don't hear these things because they don't happen.  The 'cool' kids are the ones drinking, they're the ones maxing their parents credit cards, they're the ones making stupid choices.  Gamers live in a safe shell of their home, and they don't cause harm to anyone else.

So what! Gamers still harm themselves...

Well, you're wrong again. Second type gamers do not harm themselves, in fact the only ones doing any damage are the kids who put gamers down.  A gaming lifestyle is more real than any of the media and social programs that kids are in today.  Gaming allows you to speak who you really are, without having to worry about what you look like, or how much money you're parents have, or how many friends you have.  When you're talking to someone over the INTERNET they can't see you, therefore they cannot judge you based on visual appearance.  The only thing people can judge you on is what you tell them and what they tell you.  It's words and emotions - that's it.

Let's not forget about the aspect of fun.  Gaming is obviously a very fun hobby, all the while educating.  Gaming is a way of having fun with you're life, being true to who you are, and practicing the fundamental skills of a successful lifestyle: Efficiency, concentration, self-discipline, and productivity.  Whats not to love?

Thank you if you read this entire blog, and I would be more than happy to reply to any responses you guys have.  If you've made it this far, then props to you.