this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2023
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Gaming

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What's the age cut off for socially acceptable gaming (self.gaming)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by TIN to c/gaming@beehaw.org
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So, hear me out.

I'm a 47 year old guy and I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoy video games. I always have, from playing Head over Heels on a Speccy +2 to ESO and Valorant on my self built PC.

Due to various life circumstances, I'm also on the dating scene and to most women I meet, around my age, video games are anathema. When I say that I like them it's usually meet with an "oh dear" or a "my son would probably love to talk to you about them, I find them really boring"

I have two boys, both teenagers, both play all the time and sometimes we all play together (although they are better as they have more time to apply to games). Their friends are amazed that I will talk about games with them, that I know someone about games and that I play games. None of their parents want to talk with them about what is effectively their main hobby that they do all the time (big sad).

So the question, there must be some sort of cut off age at which video games are no longer an acceptable pastime. Is it absolute age based (nothing after 35) or is it something to do with the progression of games into popular culture and people born after, say, 1986 will not see it as unacceptable?

I don't have an answer, I just think it's an interesting question. Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!

Edit to add: I'm not planning on stopping through peer pressure, just wondering about the phenomenon!

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[โ€“] UziBobuzi@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I'll be 59 this year and have been gaming since Pong. They'll pry my controller from my cold, dead fingers. Also, I'm a woman as is the circle I play with, who are also all older women (45+). We do exist and couldn't give a fuck about what society thinks about it.

Better gaming than just being a potato watching TV every spare minute with no other outlet.

Gaming's been shown to help prevent dementia because it keeps the brain active.

Consider that the women that you've been trying to date that don't appreciate gaming just aren't the right partner for you.

[โ€“] TIN 8 points 1 year ago

I appreciate that, thank you! My ex could never work out why I preferred playing video games to a more mature activity like watching TV which always seemed like it was the wrong way round to me - at least I get to interact with my entertainment ๐Ÿ˜‚

[โ€“] Asenath@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

50 year old female, been playing video games since the Atari 2600. With the SO since 1996.

Methinks OP just needs to meet more women. There is no "cut off age at which video games are no longer an acceptable pastime".

[โ€“] TIN 2 points 1 year ago

I think I need to meet more women as well ๐Ÿ˜‚ but that's a different thread!

[โ€“] Hawne@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

58 with a similar background (except that I'm a man) and I have no intention to stop.

I'm essentially a PC gamer but had a few game consoles too (until Dreamcast), which I ditched as soon as PCs were able to provide a decent platform for modern gaming. I'm a modder and occasionally a tweaker so I prefer having total control over my gaming environment than being restricted by a closed system console.

I love many game genres, my favorites being immersive open worlds and strategic action and stealth games (ร  la Ghost Recon Wildlands or Mass Effect) but I don't limit myself to those. Each genre brings its own amusement and interest, either honing your reflexes or challenging your cooperation skills or your memory.

And above all, gaming is fun!

There is no age cut off for enjoying challenging both your mind and reflexes, nor to have fun. And imho enjoying gaming at our ages is one of the many symptoms of still being a young soul.

[โ€“] Ragnell@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

Gaming vs dementia isn't new. I started gaming on my greatgrandmother's atari system in the 80s, which was doctor recommended for her Alzheimers.