Who needs a life when you have video games? No need to feel down about your depressing, mind-numbing nine-to-five or the shotty apartment you share with the most unkempt individuals; all you really need is that glorious escape into a video game. No longer are you Joe who works at the Circle K. Now you’re Sir Joseph, slayer of dragons, or Josiah the PI solving a dubious murder – heck, you could even just be Joey the power washer. The possibilities are almost endless, with every video game offering some hook, some escape. This escapism might be all well and good for Joe (who admittedly has it pretty tough), but we must ask ourselves, at what point does his dissociation do more harm than good?

For myself, I spent much of my time in high school engrossed in video games. After school, it became a ritual for me to disappear downstairs and escape into the world of video games. It was hard to have perspective at the time, but looking back, my dependence on video games was likely an indicator of more serious mental issues. I developed a hermit-like attitude toward social interaction – after all, why put myself out there and socialize in the real world when I could just as easily leave my unsatisfactory life behind? Heading towards graduation and subsequently my first year of college, I was forced to reckon with my utter lack of social skills. I made a deal with myself that instead of enabling my sad existence with the all-consuming presence of video games, I would go out of my way to instate more healthy outlets for myself.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I quickly noticed a correlation between the time I spent playing video games and my overall well-being. When I replaced many of those hours with quality time spent with real people, I was all the happier for it. Like many addictions, though, the relationship has its troughs and peaks, and I often find myself right back in the thick of that desire for escapism when I’m at my worst. 

I realize that, in writing this article, I’m joining the somewhat unadmirable company of geezers who have long raged against video games and their popularity with younger generations. In an effort to put some distance between myself and that crowd, I think it’s necessary to elaborate. I don’t believe video games are a gateway drug to evil behavior as the media has often depicted them; in fact, I think they can offer serious benefits. Ironically, what may be their greatest drawback – their transportive power – is also their greatest strength. Sometimes a little dissociation can be healthy, much like casually reading a storybook can be therapeutic in the escape it provides. The key, as with most things, is moderation. 

I’m not alone in having a toxic relationship with video games. For many people, video games offer a safer alternative to the perceived dangers of social interaction — why risk the unpredictability of engaging with someone real when you can have the certainty of something programmed? College offered me the opportunity to break my daily routine and challenge myself to be more social. For those who still find themselves in the grip of video games, it may be helpful to take a step back and try to gain some perspective. We’re constantly told that college is the best time of our lives; as a senior, I hope that isn’t entirely true, but there is some truth in the idea that we will never again have this particular combination of freedom and self-exploration at such a formative time.

10 years down the line, are you going to remember the hundreds of hours you spent cooped up in your room gaming? Probably not. I know for myself, my high school experience was a blur of wasted moments. I was determined that my college experience would be different. It’s time to press X to step out of your comfort zone and enjoy this very limited time we have. The video games will always be within reach, but your friends might not.