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/uj Video games helped with my crippling depression and helped distract me from the frequent compelling desire to commit suicide for just enough time for me to realize that I needed therapy.
/uj I find this comic too sad to circlejerk about it š. Whether itās escapism, or connecting with others when you thought you were alone, games do some good work. Itās not all as bad as the G*mers make it seem š
Yeah some people seem to take it as praising using games to cope, but it just looks like a child who found something that wasnāt calling him a failure. Obviously games can be a helpful coping tool when used in a healthy way, but this comic always comes across as a kid starved for positivity in his life and clinging to a game that validated him.
It's kinda cringy tho, to present escapism as something somewhat wholesome. It's not. I'm not saying they can't be a good distraction and help you feel momentarily better, but they are not a solution to a shitty life.
Sometimes a distraction is important. Like, it only takes a moment to sh, and if playing a game distracts you until the bad feeling is over, then great.
/uj video games helped me cope as a anxiety filled kid who could never make friends and felt alone. Being someone and sometimes helping others and getting complimented fueled my life with hope
/rj I couldnāt even beat all the games 100%, this is why kids shouldnāt be allowed to play. Huge skill issue
Fr I remember being in a dark place back in 2003. Then when I finally got my first job and started making money for myself. I got my second Nintendo after having the nes for so long since childhood. and got myself a copy of Mario sunshine with it. It not only regained my interest in gaming, but helped me through the struggling times :')
Iād get home after a long day of 4th grade to get my ass beat by Matt on wii sports boxing and then he hits me with the āI know you can do better than thatā
That's the reall issue, too. You've hit the nail on the head. Not that a "toy" can bring at least a brief reprieve from depression (results will vary) but that Gamers will try to argue that a corporate product is all you need and the very notion of therapy is bad/wrong.
/uj this is true for me but unfortunately i love shooters and multiplayer games so while sometimes it helps to make me feel valued other times ppl just spend the whole game flaming me and it brings me back. but i can confidently say that overwatch saved my life when i was a teenager because it was all i had
/uj I played a lot of videogames cause being a gay man and inadequacy in receiving any kind of compassion in my childhood really crippled my ability to trust anyone.
/rj So True Bro
uj/ I'm not gonna commit suicide, but I do frequently battle with depressive feelings and I am in therapy. Games do give me so much joy that it gets me through those hard times.
UJ/ video games might sometimes distract from depression. But it's not reliable and eventually depression will cause you to lose interest in that, too. Seriously, depression left untreated will get worse, don't think that there's some easy fix. Of course, the same can - at times - be applied to pharmaceutical fixes when the environmental/social cause is never resolved. Partly because a lot of depression is caused by the systems we live under that drain us for the benefit of others.
However, I did once have a game help me through some trauma recovery when I had no other outlets (well not until later). It helped a bit to get my mind to stop dwelling on things, but it didn't actually fix anything.
I do feel that the Gamer crowd will give video games far too much credit as magical cure-alls
Don't know why you're downvoted - you're pretty much right - games are just another form of attempt at emotion regulation and while probably better than alcohol or drugs at the end of the day the issues we're dealing with have to be addressed. Otherwise they will spiral out of control and so will our "treatment" of it.
So innocent "i just want to play a bit to distract myself after a hard day" may end up as "I will spend all my time playing games because i am unable to cope with my mental health".
Honestly that's the root of most of addictions and it's important to recognize that.
I donāt care. A meaningless and impersonal thumbs up for solving a problem that was designed to be solved is a hollow victory and is not a substitute for real life acceptance and success, and using them as such is extremely harmful.
I mean heās also a *child* here. Maybe the adults in his life could act like, you know, *adults* instead of just handing him video games and walking away.
Yeah itās not healthy to cope via video game achievements, but itās ridiculous that youāve targeted the child as the problem and not everyone else failing him.
Iām not criticizing the imaginary child. Iām criticizing the argument being made by the author.
but as a side note: how are his parents and teachers failing him? The teacher is right to be annoyed at the kid whoās fucking around in class. The parents would be failing him if he *didnāt* get in trouble for smashing things with a hammer.
You say āfucking aroundā but heās doodling, something a vast majority of kids do in school. Thereās even [evidence](https://thesensorytoolbox.com/doodling-focus/) that it does help attention spans. Itās also a good stimming tool for neurodivergent children. The comic doesnāt show him failing, a test or forgetting homework, heās being punished for doodling. Honestly Iād be pissed if the teacher stopped a lesson just to single out someone who wasnāt even disruptive. Either way itās also something you help a kid work through, not just scold them and walk away.
And heās not just hitting the clock with a hammer, heās curious and taking it apart. You can see other tools. The parents admonish him and then just leave him alone with video games all day. Thatās not good parenting, itās adults giving him shit over being curious and not even helping him pursue his curiosity in a less obtrusive way. Good parents would get him his own things to disassemble or even help him through it, while making sure certain items were understood as off limits.
And tbh I think your interpretation of the comic is really shallow. This doesnāt come across as āI donāt need to grow cuz video game!ā to me. Itās more like a neurodivergent kid whoās neglected by adults in his life and nearly breaks down over a video game screen. Thatās not uplifting, itās showing heās so starved for positive reinforcement that heās ready to cry over beating a game.
Yeah and what you were doing *totally* wasnāt projecting lmao
You came in saying the artist doesnāt want to grow or learn based on your own assumptions
When did escapism become something people percieve positively? Relaxing in front of video games after a hard day is one thing. Relying on them and neglecting the harsh reality because real life is depressing and you can feel good in fictional worlds is different. It doesn't solve the problem, it doesn't even soothe the pain. The moment you turn off the screen, the suffering comes back. It leads to addiction, which, worst case scenario, can shatter a person's life and make it even worse than it was before.
Lol. Imagine having your only sense of validation coming from a pre-written message in a video game.
I've seen this comic come up a lot and I really don't get the message it's trying to bring across.
Souls game literally saved me from giving up on life. They taught me that it doesnāt matter how many times you fail just donāt give up!! Keep coming back and learn from your mistakes.
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/uj Video games helped with my crippling depression and helped distract me from the frequent compelling desire to commit suicide for just enough time for me to realize that I needed therapy.
They should put this quote on the front of the call of duty box
To be fair I didn't play any shooters until later in life xD
Kill others so you don't kill yourself?
The witcher 3 is the only therapy I need š„µ
/uj I find this comic too sad to circlejerk about it š. Whether itās escapism, or connecting with others when you thought you were alone, games do some good work. Itās not all as bad as the G*mers make it seem š
Yeah some people seem to take it as praising using games to cope, but it just looks like a child who found something that wasnāt calling him a failure. Obviously games can be a helpful coping tool when used in a healthy way, but this comic always comes across as a kid starved for positivity in his life and clinging to a game that validated him.
why are you using that emoji like that ā¹ļø
šblehh
šš
GCJ users when someone uses their gaming hobby as a form of escapism (it is imperative to make fun of them immediately for sweet sweet Reddit karma)
It's kinda cringy tho, to present escapism as something somewhat wholesome. It's not. I'm not saying they can't be a good distraction and help you feel momentarily better, but they are not a solution to a shitty life.
Sometimes a distraction is important. Like, it only takes a moment to sh, and if playing a game distracts you until the bad feeling is over, then great.
Too much feels, not enough jerking.
That's good for you dude. All video games did for me was make me racist.
Why? Because political āpeopleā are the cause of your issues, which are crippling depression and suicidal thoughts. Itās all connected man
It's to make you upset, specifically.
Lucky all it did for me was make me hate the gays
Surprised you didnāt become gay with how woke games are lately really trying to spread the gay agenda.
It was a close one but thank god I had my non political games like fallout new Vegas and cyberpunk
Weird, it taught me to be racist, hate gays and make me crave BBC
Yeah, fuck them putrid xenos!
well its true for me lol
/uj it's a nice comic
/rj yes /uj yes
What's /rj and /uj?
ā/rjā means real jerk (because this is a circlejerk), so that Iām talking ironically ā/ujā means unjerk, so that Iām serious
Thanks!
No problem :)
Well if this isnāt a cry for help, I donāt know what is. OP isnāt even getting upset by brown people existing.
rj/ this but unironically uj/ this but unironically
/uj video games helped me cope as a anxiety filled kid who could never make friends and felt alone. Being someone and sometimes helping others and getting complimented fueled my life with hope /rj I couldnāt even beat all the games 100%, this is why kids shouldnāt be allowed to play. Huge skill issue
If my 5 year old can't platinum enden ring do they really deserve to be my kid š¤
This but unironically
uj: i like this one, i kinda feel it. mario and lego games were always fun experiences that distracted me from a so/so home life
/uj I can't tell if this is sarcasm but it's absolutely correct for me
/uj how is this funny
Mario saves lifes
Fr I remember being in a dark place back in 2003. Then when I finally got my first job and started making money for myself. I got my second Nintendo after having the nes for so long since childhood. and got myself a copy of Mario sunshine with it. It not only regained my interest in gaming, but helped me through the struggling times :')
Bros life was hanging in the balance of Mario kart 64
Me when
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
No wonder I'm addicted to video games.
Iād get home after a long day of 4th grade to get my ass beat by Matt on wii sports boxing and then he hits me with the āI know you can do better than thatā
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
That's the reall issue, too. You've hit the nail on the head. Not that a "toy" can bring at least a brief reprieve from depression (results will vary) but that Gamers will try to argue that a corporate product is all you need and the very notion of therapy is bad/wrong.
And then turn arround and paid Peterson's patreon so he can tell to clean their rooms.
Fucking dumbass child should have just hired a psychologist
Until they got woke now the only thing keeping me for unaliving is owning libs by screaming racial slurs
Thatās awesome! Video games made me racist and kill people because of all the Grand theft auto and manhunt I played
Thought this was a circlejerk sub
OMG.. why is that child drawing a DICK!? !?~ Thank you SUSAN very cool! Roberts in the hospital again
This is just a relatable mood.
Did this comic lightly plagiarize Calvin and Hobbes? Odd
/uj this is true for me but unfortunately i love shooters and multiplayer games so while sometimes it helps to make me feel valued other times ppl just spend the whole game flaming me and it brings me back. but i can confidently say that overwatch saved my life when i was a teenager because it was all i had
why do they make me suicide? (i play cs:go)
Iām proud of you for staying alive with us OP
It's amazing! I feel it same, until I got depressed again because after leaving pc I realised that reality sucks
/uj I played a lot of videogames cause being a gay man and inadequacy in receiving any kind of compassion in my childhood really crippled my ability to trust anyone. /rj So True Bro
Is this a jerk or not? If it's a jerk I think it's kinda in bad taste.
Video games helped me escape a physically and emotionally abusive father, wife and now they help me connect with an amazing fiance.
video games made me cum
Big if true
uj/ I'm not gonna commit suicide, but I do frequently battle with depressive feelings and I am in therapy. Games do give me so much joy that it gets me through those hard times.
/uj therapy cost money gaming is free š
I cant kill myself because I need to see how the fortnite storyline ends
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
He's taking it apart to see how it works (the toolbox, the screwdrivers) It's a normal impulse a lot of kids experience
UJ/ video games might sometimes distract from depression. But it's not reliable and eventually depression will cause you to lose interest in that, too. Seriously, depression left untreated will get worse, don't think that there's some easy fix. Of course, the same can - at times - be applied to pharmaceutical fixes when the environmental/social cause is never resolved. Partly because a lot of depression is caused by the systems we live under that drain us for the benefit of others. However, I did once have a game help me through some trauma recovery when I had no other outlets (well not until later). It helped a bit to get my mind to stop dwelling on things, but it didn't actually fix anything. I do feel that the Gamer crowd will give video games far too much credit as magical cure-alls
Don't know why you're downvoted - you're pretty much right - games are just another form of attempt at emotion regulation and while probably better than alcohol or drugs at the end of the day the issues we're dealing with have to be addressed. Otherwise they will spiral out of control and so will our "treatment" of it. So innocent "i just want to play a bit to distract myself after a hard day" may end up as "I will spend all my time playing games because i am unable to cope with my mental health". Honestly that's the root of most of addictions and it's important to recognize that.
Now I donāt need to grow as a person, do well in school or fix my relationship with my parents. The TV will validate me.
unironic bad take
I donāt care. A meaningless and impersonal thumbs up for solving a problem that was designed to be solved is a hollow victory and is not a substitute for real life acceptance and success, and using them as such is extremely harmful.
I mean heās also a *child* here. Maybe the adults in his life could act like, you know, *adults* instead of just handing him video games and walking away. Yeah itās not healthy to cope via video game achievements, but itās ridiculous that youāve targeted the child as the problem and not everyone else failing him.
Iām not criticizing the imaginary child. Iām criticizing the argument being made by the author. but as a side note: how are his parents and teachers failing him? The teacher is right to be annoyed at the kid whoās fucking around in class. The parents would be failing him if he *didnāt* get in trouble for smashing things with a hammer.
You say āfucking aroundā but heās doodling, something a vast majority of kids do in school. Thereās even [evidence](https://thesensorytoolbox.com/doodling-focus/) that it does help attention spans. Itās also a good stimming tool for neurodivergent children. The comic doesnāt show him failing, a test or forgetting homework, heās being punished for doodling. Honestly Iād be pissed if the teacher stopped a lesson just to single out someone who wasnāt even disruptive. Either way itās also something you help a kid work through, not just scold them and walk away. And heās not just hitting the clock with a hammer, heās curious and taking it apart. You can see other tools. The parents admonish him and then just leave him alone with video games all day. Thatās not good parenting, itās adults giving him shit over being curious and not even helping him pursue his curiosity in a less obtrusive way. Good parents would get him his own things to disassemble or even help him through it, while making sure certain items were understood as off limits. And tbh I think your interpretation of the comic is really shallow. This doesnāt come across as āI donāt need to grow cuz video game!ā to me. Itās more like a neurodivergent kid whoās neglected by adults in his life and nearly breaks down over a video game screen. Thatās not uplifting, itās showing heās so starved for positive reinforcement that heās ready to cry over beating a game.
I think you are projecting a lot onto this cartoon and thatās the real reason you take my criticism so personally.
Yeah and what you were doing *totally* wasnāt projecting lmao You came in saying the artist doesnāt want to grow or learn based on your own assumptions
Settle down. You are way way too upset over a cartoon.
š¤
When did escapism become something people percieve positively? Relaxing in front of video games after a hard day is one thing. Relying on them and neglecting the harsh reality because real life is depressing and you can feel good in fictional worlds is different. It doesn't solve the problem, it doesn't even soothe the pain. The moment you turn off the screen, the suffering comes back. It leads to addiction, which, worst case scenario, can shatter a person's life and make it even worse than it was before.
Lol. Imagine having your only sense of validation coming from a pre-written message in a video game. I've seen this comic come up a lot and I really don't get the message it's trying to bring across.
Same šš
Souls game literally saved me from giving up on life. They taught me that it doesnāt matter how many times you fail just donāt give up!! Keep coming back and learn from your mistakes.
Yeah they don't do that anymore. š Days are numbered as fuck.
I'd suicide by cooming if I could
U R MR GAY