Is it a waste of time to play computer games? You get short-term pleasure from playing video games, but long-term loss in terms of finance, education, and relationships. Do you regret spending a year of your life playing Doom, when you could have used the same amount of time to learn a language? Is the flow state of playing a video game worth it?
That implies that those who don’t play Doom do sit around learning languages. All hobbies are valuable, both in terms of pleasure and the therapeutic benefits of doing something you enjoy. At least IMO.
I am not implying that those who don’t play Doom sit around learning languages. I am simply saying that a person could learn a language using the time spent playing computer games. Regardless, the time spent playing computer games could be spent on activities that lead to the achievement of goals more important than the achievement of a high score on Mortal Kombat.
Computer games give pleasure, but the pleasure is short-term. There may be therapeutic benefits, something subjective and subject to debate, but these benefits must be weighed against the possible harm. I question the legitimacy of its therapeutic benefits. I have never heard of a sociologist certifying that the introduction of computer games to society has lead to a decrease in overall stress (if by therapeutic benefit you mean a decrease in emotional pain/stress).
Hobbies are valuable, but the danger of computer games is its advanced capability of inducing a flow state and releasing dopamine to your pleasure centers. Computer game addiction is the possible consequence, if the “therapeutic benefits” are excessive.
Er… What are we doing here, if not playing just another varient of a computer game…?
Don’t play 'em then, if you don’t like them or think they’re addictive. Problem solved. 
eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
besides, the inventors of the games need to eat too so play to your heart’s content…
-Imp
Its a matter of preference. It seems you are trying to argue that vanilla ice cream is better than chocolate. Who is to say the enjoyment from learning another language is much more valuable than fragging 20 other hardcore gamers in a row “KILLING SPREE!”
Or, you could do both 
Medal of Honor, for example, allows you to go on a mindless killing spree whilst at the same time teaches you German (granted, the phrases are few and they probably have a limited usefulness, but its still 2 for 1…great value).
The point is not just learning a language. The point is that you are spending time on transient pleasure when you could be spending time on something that may be more important to you.
It is not just the pleasure of the game that needs to be taken to account, but also the long-term outcome. You play a game, and you get emotional pleasure, but you don’t get anything else. There is no financial gain. Also, the type of pleasure from playing a computer game is limited compared to that of a relationship, especially a sexual one.
It could be a matter of preference, that you’d rather play a game than conduct coitus with a beautiful woman, but the issue is about calculating exactly how much a game means to you.
To rank the importance of playing a computer game to you, you have to put a value on its short-term value and long-term value. I would value it a 75 (on a -100 to 100 scale) in terms of short-term value, but in terms of long-term value I would value it a -100. If I crudely add the two values together, the overall value of playing a game is -25, which is my value of playing a game.
Unfortunately, most of us will not die tomorrow, and if you want to be witty with me by saying the quote is saying we figuratively die tomorrow, I show your quote’s absurdity with another one: “become a nympho, get HIV, do drugs, go to jail, get raped by your fellow prisoners, for in fifty years we die.”
I don’t play them anymore, and I am trying to quit completely. However, I am not trying to argue the harm to society caused by video games; instead, I am trying to argue the harm caused to the individual. I am also trying to make you question the value of computer games to your life. This value is subjective, but it being subjective does not mean it cannot be changed.
If I were trying to argue whether or not we should make computer games illegal or legal, that would be a different argument all together, and that argument would have to take place in the future, when we do have imaginary matrix-like worlds so addictive we would never want to leave.
I don’t see how comparing life to a computer game adds anything to the argument. Let me replace some words in your question with other different words: “What are we doing then when we have sex with our wives, if not having sex with another variant of our sisters?” “A wife is different from a sister!” you scream. Likewise, life is different from a computer game. Life is not just about pleasure, but about other stuff, too. It’s partly about finding meaning, and you cannot find that meaning in a computer game (although you can find a pseudo-meaning in a computer game, i.e., kill the bad guy to save the electronic world).
In other words, have sex with a prostitute who speaks German to hit two birds with one stone: learn the German language while having sexual pleasure. I don’t see how this point has relevance to the main theme of my argument.
Let me reiterate: when I said you could learn a language in the time spent on computer games, I was implying that you could probably do a lot in that amount of time. The point was not to say that you should all learn a language instead of play computer games.
Most of us could learn a language in the time we “waste” on ILP, too. By that reasoning you could logically condemn all non-essential activities that don’t involve earning a living, sleeping, eating & excreting. As if the goal is to master as many languages as possible before we become food for the worms.
At any rate, that glosses over the fact that learning a language is hard work and often is impossible without formal instruction. It requires insight and, to a degree, an inate aptitude for languages. It’s often not much fun, and not everyone is capable of it as adults. So to condemn one’s leisure activities as being less productive than some arbitrarily chosen alternative activity is pointless. At worst it’s like asking someone to beat their head against a wall for yucks.
I don’t really play computer games very much, if ever. But I doubt it’s any “worse” for you than TV, smoking, drinking or doing drugs.
I only introduce the possibility of learning a language to show you what you can do in the time spent on video games. Not only could you learn a language, you could increase your odds of finding a perfect relationship. You could increase your financial stability. You could look introspectively to find meaning in this world, as long as you are doing something that is important to you. The issue at hand is about finding your priorities and spending the appropriate time on those priorities. If your friends are your top priority, you could use the time spent on computer games to solidify your friendships.
As for sleeping, eating, and excreting, these activities are a must to live. As for ILP, you could make an argument that you learn valuable skills on ILP that can be useful in other activities.
Again, I bring up this language issue to prove how much you could do in the time spent on computer games. The difficulty of learning a language is irrelevant to my central argument. My argument is that you could probably do something else that is more meaningful to you (not just arbitrarily learn languages) in the time spent playing computer games.
There are some insightful games that have the same depth as books. I mean you could argue that the emotions evoked from other art forms are similar to the ones in videogames. People are considered cultured if they’re into painting or sculpting or literature or music, but they’re considered immature if they’re into videogames. It’s all the same really.
you missed the point…
the whole thing is absurd…
-Imp
Greg loves everquest. He plays everquest everyday, he becomes so good he becomes an everquest moderator/ovelordwhatever and earns around 6$ an hour. He meets Jane on everquest and they fall in love and marry and spend the rest of their days playing everquest. He enjoys every minute of it with his wife until the day he dies and lives comfortably enough on ramen and a small apartment. Who is to say his happiness from this is any different that anyone would spend all their time accumulating wealth and knowledge, just to use it to gain happiness the way they want.
Isnt all happiness transient
isn’t existence itself?
-Imp
I’m going to propose something, probably totally, absurd here but it’s a thought. Maybe excessive playing of video games have something to do with a need for control. It places you in an unreal world where you have total control. For example, when I had asked my brothers why they like those games, they said it was fun. But when I ask them why it is fun, they replied because they can do all sorts of cool stuff. I’m guessing those cool stuff is stuff like driving cars, going on dangerous missions, etc. What is interesting is that when my brothers get angry, they tend to blow up stuff unnecessarily, attack pedestrians in their games, etc.
I think this can be a problem. Individuals who feel they don’t have total control of some aspect of their lives (emotionally, school wise, relationship wise, sports wise, etc…) will resort to these games for sense of control instead of handling the real problem. I would not refer to playing games as time wasted but as a means of escape (sort of like day dreaming gives you a sense of control). Of course, like excessive day dreaming can get in the way of daily routines, so can video games. It’s like you’re using energy, but not getting anywhere or accomplishing anything. And it can become a routine/habit until you realize what’s going on. I guess habits can be either good or bad, I guess the individual has to decide that…
Peace
No, Happiness is transcendent. Transient is that guy who keeps asking for a quarter every time you walk down the street. 
I jest.
You mention the ideal. This person gets everything he wants: computer games, financial stability, and a wife. If Everquest gives him short-term and long-term gains, it makes sense for him to play Everquest. This ideal actually happens. It is not unheard of to find computer gamers who make a living off of playing Starcraft or other computer games. If they are making a living off of playing computer games, and they have the time and the money to do everything they want, I would not have anything to say to them.
However, most people are in a different situation. They are not gamers for life; instead, they are recreational gamers. Some are addicted to computer games and don’t get the financial benefits of a professional gamer. These computer game addicts live an especially difficult life.
The problem with computer games is that it does not lead to control and freedom in this world, two ideals that is craved by most people. The more computer games you play, the less financial power you have, since you spend your time on computer games (unless you are a professional gamer).
The value of computer games depends on individual factors. If you are playing computer games at twenty-five, and you are dependent on your parents for support, you probably don’t feel too happy about your financial situation, or you don’t care. You lack control of your situation. Consequently, the computer games are a hindrance to your long-term happiness.
However, if you have several million bucks, and computer games is a priority for you, and you are satisfied with your wife, who is a gamer as well, go ahead and play all you want. Your set financially and emotionally. I wouldn’t recommend stopping your enjoyment.
Happiness is transient, but happiness can last for several minutes to several years depending on the type of happiness. Emotional pleasure and joy is transient. Satisfaction can be prolonged. It is up to debate concerning the respective values of pleasure vs satisfaction vs comfort.
There are certain activities that lead to short-term happiness and others that lead to long-term happiness. I would do everything to increase long-term happiness. When I reach the point of diminishing returns (when I can no longer increase long-term happiness), I would then switch to short-term happiness.
The exceptions consist of experiences you will never have again. Short-term happiness from experiences that require youth (sports, women, etc.) is valuable and rare, since I’ll never be able to experience youth again. I would need that type of short-term happiness. However, computer games can be enjoyed at any age. Because of its accessibility (i.e., you can play computer games anytime you want), the experience of gaming should be inherently less valuable.
There are more athletes and musicians that waste their lives pursuing a career that will never happen than computer geeks. Except they end up dumber because training takes more time in athletics and musicians do drugs 24/7. I could train for a few hours in a game sharpen my skills while I’m eating and doing homework and talking on aim and reading message boards… and other stuff.
Which is why I can’t sit down and play anymore. I used to spend too much time on mmorpgs I just can’t live without other things now though. I enjoy the outside too much but I still love a good rpg.
That could be anything done to excess. Or it could be nothing. I know people who back down from all confrontations because they find the simplicity easier to deal with.