How Gaming Affects Your Brain (Andrew Huberman)

[@GameQuitters]

Do you have a gaming problem? Take a short quiz and find out: gamequitters.com/video-game-addiction-test-for-gamers/

[@TheChiraagG]

I'm concerned about the addiction to data. Not giving an email address for results. They can be provided on the page.

[@ijimkoz]

"Addiction is the progressive narrowing of the things that bring you pleasure." This describes addiction so well and succinctly.

[@GameQuitters]

totally agree!

[@GuestingGameplays]

True, and to add up is also desiring more and appreciating less, as dopamine is the seeking and pleasure in seeking, but you are not doing something that will satisfy your natural desires so it wont bring enough serotonin...

[@PokeShredder]

Literally been stuck playing games. Sold my PC yesterday’s just jumped straight onto my phone as a replacement ! ADHD and stop gaming are horrible.

[@milkmeapollo9048]

I guess depression and addiction are the same thing then.

[@ZombieLincoln666]

Yeah that narrowing translates to your life just revolving around substance abuse.

[@realce666]

Games are so bad these days that it has never been easier to quit.

[@holy_pony8873]

real💀

[@sushmalal4356]

Try souls game

[@LiveBandzz]

Literally bout to go cold turkey. It's only been 3 days without gaming but already can tell its not gonna be hard

[@VoidDweller086]

​@@LiveBandzz Me speaking as being a millennial 37 year old Black American male Who lives in Greensboro, North Carolina Born and Raised, Video Gaming as well as Television Watching is Totally Obsolete Here in 2024 and Beyond Compared to Just Internet Browsing and even Book Reading due to Superior Factors of Information That You Can Find and Seek Out. I personally believe That at This rate, Video Gaming, Especially Here in 2024 is on The verge of becoming a Played Out kind of Thing to do but That's just Me.

[@michaelsmelt5218]

​@@sushmalal4356 Souls-likes are for the jobless.

[@oculasb2752]

Gaming addiction is real. I got caught up in it because it help me escape reality and problems, but before I new it, I stoped working out, cleaning the house, being social and all I wanted to do is play. I finally realized I had a real problem when nothing else seemed interesting to me anymore. So by stopping my mind was forced to seek out dopamine in other places and made me start being more productive.

[@nathananderson8720]

This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my KZbin channel 7 months ago about self development. Now I have 608 subs and > 100 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I could haven’t learned without getting started in the 1st place.

[@s0nofg0d2]

Keep going buddy!

[@shubhan2002]

Awesome now you have almost 3k subs 🎉 congrats

[@JB.zero.zero.1]

We can be hooked on almost anything, including exercise / work / reading / sex / chocolate / TV ... etc. Gaming has had a (mostly) positive effect in my life. I struggled with OCD off & on for years, during hard times with the disease, I used games to focus away from compulsions. I am also diagnosed autistic, albeit higher functioning and have found gaming to be useful as an occupation. I understand the potential downsides, as in, spending too long gaming while neglecting other areas of life (the necessities). For some, they lapse into addictive cycles and this is clearly detrimental. However, for these ones, they likely have a predisposition toward addictive behaviour, which would likely manifest elsewhere. I think it's important to look at positive studies to balance the ideas expressed here. It is my view that gaming can have positive effects on cognition in general, especially for those of us who have inherent limitations; whereby we do not engage as others do culturally and socially. Also, there is nothing wrong with the feedback of anticipation and reward that gaming provides, as long as already stated, a person is not predisposed to depend on this for overall feelings of well being. There is a conversation to be had about exposure of younger people to extended gaming, due to brain development up until the mid 20s.

[@intoxicviii]

Honestly im almost 31 years old, ive been gaming since n64. But started gaming online since i was 14, Im so tired of it. Years wasted. Thinking of selling every gaming thing own. I need Goals.

[@musingsOfADopamineAddict]

Im 38 and have spent the last 8 years doing nothing except playing games. It's pathetic and sad.

[@wongfit]

Health, Job, Family are good ones. You can "gamify" health by chasing things like vo2max, improving on your workouts following legit programs, burpess/mobility/run times/weight lifted. Can you take your shirt off at the beach and not be embarrassed? Self confidence, etc. Job is obviously an independent wage that can possible take care of you and your family/house, etc. Family, could also be social life, traveling, taking care of others, giving back to the world.

[@rautenbruder1426]

It is just shocking that I have only just come across such videos and only now begin to understand my madness. I just drove my whole youth to the wall from the age of 14. No sports, almost no interactions with friends outside of school only in team chat and have forgotten how to interact with people of my age or in general how to interact with real people. The coronavirus has pushed me even deeper into this dark hole. After the Corona era, my gamer friends started to evolve and learned a better consumption with the video games. Eventually I even lost my gamer friends due to my lack of social skills and lack of other similar interests. Eventually I lost the fun of video games myself and understood that I didn't really like the game itself but the fact that you could play it together with video game acquaintances. It's clear that single games still appealed to me and so I was able to compensate for the loss of fun with multi-player. At some point I got the stupid idea to buy a computer to play on. The result was that the addiction was rekindled and there was almost no hope for recovery. But I got into the bubble of "men's tips" and thus into the media bubble about video game addiction and its consequences. Thanks to such videos I realized my drastic problem and made a withdrawal of 3 weeks. Unfortunately, I relapsed in the 4th week and convinced myself that I could handle the addiction better and that playing single player games a few times a week was not that harmful for me. So I lied to myself again with supposedly less gaming time and a supposedly healthy consumption. That was another lie that could destroy my life. Now I started a new withdrawal and went on vacation for 6 weeks to cleane my soul and visit good relatives. Before the trip, all games on the PC were deleted and I brought enough books for the trip to read. It's time to finally get my life under control. The time runs away from me with already 20. Dopamine is so important at the same time but the abuse of this release in the body can be so harmful and messes up your brain.

[@adamlevi87]

Thanks for sharing! How are you these days?

[@Steve-ArfArf]

All in moderation my friend. I have a similar problem to you as I have little self control so will binge binge binge, so few years ago sold all my consoles, PS4, switch etc. I replaced that time with learning piano, reading etc but tbh it was pretty boring. I felt I had no time to really just let myself go and enjoy 'playing'. Anyway I've just bought a pS5 and have started the binge again and felt a lot of the negative feelings I used to feel so cut back on the usage, now I try and have a healthy mix and play only occasionally, I feel like this balance is better but I have a way to go. Life is all about moderation and balance. Need that line between order and chaos

[@adamlevi87]

@@Steve-ArfArf thats true.. the "problem" is a lot of people have a hard time to moderate gaming as a lot of games are built in a way that makes you want to play a lot .. (because of a lot of reasons , Quit gaming site mentions a lot, dopamine explains some too)

[@Steve-ArfArf]

@@adamlevi87 Yeah it's easy to sit there and game, it's hard to get up and do hard things. Its simple really and we all know the answer, it's just hard putting it into action

[@mohaglade4892]

we are discussing how to deal with this addiction and the conversation is similar to coke or weed addiction conversations. me and you both. im at 30 yo. and i look into my life from the age of 9 to now 75% of my life time went into gaming. imagine what other activities i could have done that i would master and make myself proud and leave a mark at life

[@karanvinayak505]

I was the perfect human being until my friend introduce me to gaming and since that day I deleted 4 years from my life straight and now I stopped having dopamine from gaming anymore and decided to go back to cleaning my house, car, hit gym and get good clothes. I am happy I finally came out of that shithole but I have no regrets as i get to not take small things for granted like I use to. I understood that doing even small things like taking shower daily, keeping room clean, doing exercise are not actually small and give me sense of achievement now. I am glad there are communities like this exist to improve the human well being. Last thing I want to mention is that gaming actually did one good thing to me is that it made me quit drinking entirely and i am alcohol free for last 2 years and have no plans to ever touch alcohol.

[@GameQuitters]

Glad you are becoming a better version of yourself again. That’s why I don’t like gaming for myself, it makes me someone I don’t like to be. Spoke about it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ3bomVrfa6hldU

[@ashutoshsharma7803]

Ye pubg wala h kya😂

[@alexforce9]

My dude, it seems that you just have addictive personality and its not about booze or games - its about you and how you just deep dive into something sometimes. Could be wrong tho.

[@Ragnaroxoddasy]

"Perfect human Being"

[@AcesGaruda]

Video games are fun. They bring joy into one’s life. There are studies showing they can even have benefits for your brain. The key is moderation. Sometimes I feel like I want to keep playing but I turn it off because I need to do other things. If you have some self control then it shouldn’t be a problem.

[@ruben.108]

That's the problem, im very addicted at the moment as I used it since a kid as a way to avoid trauma, now im just stuck in a shithole i can't get out. Im gonna look for help to get rid of my addiction cause I wanna live life again and it has destroyed all my relationships and goals.

[@Maktheblade]

So, this kind of statement shows how different people perceive experiences in life without applying empathy and consideration of others' lives and how their brains have developed. How can you "have some self control" if your dopamine pathways are so screwed up that self control is virtually unobtainable? Self control needs to be rewired, and that means re-firing the neural pathways to allow neuroplasticity to work over time. Moderation is great - if you can control the neurocircuitry that governs it! It is exactly when a person has experienced things like early childhood trauma, for example, that rewires their ability to moderate their behaviour; which can manifest as an inability to understand what moderation even is - it's important to be aware of the complexity of what's going on here and perhaps try to see another's perspective.

[@ARRRGgHHHHHHh]

Addicts can't moderate. An alcoholic can't drink "once in a while," or they will relapse. In my experience gaming is the same. If you are not addicted and can play an hour a day, great, but if you have the addiction there is no going back.

[@MrSfinn9mm]

Everything in moderation is I game a few hours a day work 50 hrs a week go to gym. And keep up with family and friends

[@TheOfficialRandomGuy]

@@ARRRGgHHHHHHhthat depends entirely on the person. I’ve gone through times of my life where I’ve put countless hours into a game until I get burned out, and would go years without even picking a controller up.

[@highwayhermit]

Im quitting all gaming and internet use. I want my motivation for life back!

[@bill5563]

how's it going?

[@C4rkus]

​@@bill5563they can't answer, they quit internet use 💀

[@RinTohsaka-dn3lp]

I did 3 days ago feeling awesome only KZbin

[@ValenceFlux]

Short story. I was one of the first generation of kids with a portable game player that was constantly told to put it down and socialize more. I quit gaming and played guitar more I noticed everyone starting to stare at cellphones as those got popular as much as I used to play the games. I quit gaming for a few years and I only started this channel to expiriment with a few ideas during what I could call a career shift for health reasons. I think my aptitude with some games lead me to participate competitively in some interesting career opportunities under stressful deadlines but that's another story.

[@salmonsuit]

I'm taking a big step today and selling/recycling my gaming computer. It's hard to give up because it has been a safety blanket for me since lockdown: a quiet, familiar, gamified world that was predictable and seemingly safe. but in my hiding i've also thrown-off my brain's balance and lost my desire and joy from other activities that are more fulfilling. i think i've accepted that modern games are just too addictive and should be avoided. once i reset my hedonic set point, i may allow myself to play some SNES or something that isn't so captivating

[@salmonsuit]

I sometimes left my computer at my friend's house for a month, i've uninstalled games, i've hidden my charger cable. but somehow it always comes back in my life and distracats me from becoming the person i'm ready to be.

[@ahklys1321]

Can I take it

[@salmonsuit]

@@ahklys1321 lol it's long gone buddy. it was super old and out of date anyway.

[@Romano-sn4ru]

As a male nurse i need that dopamin rush from gaming. It works like an Anti depressant pill without side effects.

[@childoflight389]

Let me guess. You are single or your relationship is suffering. No woman wants to deal with this.

[@sifathassan7653]

Its a shame to say that I am 38 but got addicted to gaming since covide-19. Now i have lost my job, unemployed and the relationship with my wife is getting more toxic every single day. I am an animation artist a youtuber and a pod seller the skills which are flashing away from the toilet because of my game addiction. Please wish me luck cause I am about to apply the dopamine detox. Hope this works.

[@TheDrownGod1213]

How's things?

[@michael-mh2hh]

hey brother noticed this was two months ago , either way you went I want to give you motavation now to keep trying to make the steps for you to take control of your body and mind, so you can be your own "controller"

[@talonsummerlin1316]

Rumor has it, the detox applied to KZbin too.

[@VoidDweller086]

​@@talonsummerlin1316 KZbin Watching, Internet Browsing and even Book Reading is 50,000 times superior to Video Gaming and Television Watching due to Superior Factors of Information That You Can Find and Seek Out, Especially Here in 2024 and Beyond.....

[@RinTohsaka-dn3lp]

How is it going

[@CS-xn6vb]

Love to see more people quitting games 💯 I’m not addicted or have been but see lots of people being turned into depressive hermits because of it.

[@CoCoFantastique]

I'd rather people play video games than go on social media bullying and harassing people for a dopamine hit. Anything can be come an addition.

[@iztherelife1340]

Our grand kids are addicted. And their parents do not care. They prefer handheld devices to grandparents. If we try to lure them away it takes extraordinary measures. We give up. They are lost for lack of a better word. It’s sad. We see the writing on the wall. It will be way too late when they realize it.

[@alexforce9]

No offence - but you are boring to them. You are old people - they are young - you have nothing in common. They can't just sit and talk with you - coz you dont have shared interests or cultural background. So the best you can do is to engage in activity that you can all share. Give them kids something to do with/around you. Painting some old wood table, cooking in the yard, cleaning the garage, ect. In my country this how grandkids and grandparents bond - by the young ones helping the old ones doing stuff or learning from them to do stuff. Like girls learning how to do traditional meals by her grandma or the boys learning how to fix stuff from their grandpa.

[@nightmoose]

@@alexforce9 No offense but you don't think these grandparents have tried...doing things with their grandchildren and teaching them things? Of course they've tried that. Hopefully when the children mature a bit they'll realize the value of spending time with their elders, many young people realize this after an initial immature phase.

[@alexforce9]

@@nightmoose How do you know what they did or did not try? That's one BIIIG assumption. Many old people just think that their company should be interesting enough. Many people in general think that about themselves lol.

[@user-rl8zs6pc9r]

@@alexforce9no offence - but you’re a hypocritical airhead. You made a number of assumptions yourself by claiming that they have no commonality, that they just want to sit and talk, and that they haven’t tried much BETTER activities than the suggestions you made. Cook outside? Paint an old table?? Clean the f-ing garage?!? Lmao oh yea great ideas… those will pull any kid away from their video games 😂

[@TheOfficialRandomGuy]

Or you can learn to game with them. Ever played Red Dead Redemption? It took place during the era you grew up in.

[@InfiniCoder]

I always enjoyed my major/job. Recently, I started engaging in video games seriously and became obsessed with them. It made me feel so good that even while working, I would watch youtube videos about games I liked. Then, I realized that I no longer enjoyed my job as much as I used to. Gaming can really be like a drug, preventing you from enjoying life by doing the right things. This video helped me quit this 'drug.'

[@christopherburns2922]

Day 94 of the G-Virus Detox: I now do long walks and hit 10k steps or more daily (high of 23k) to get natural dopamine highs. When I started it took several weeks to build consistency and I keep going, because I enjoy the weight loss results. This has become a staple in my overall progress to become healthy.

[@GameQuitters]

Love seeing your progress 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@stefangavrilovic1992]

I do all that and game 4 hours a day

[@stefangavrilovic1992]

But congratz, whatever rocks your boat!

[@Ragnaroxoddasy]

so you think gamer's are sub-human scum

[@pdnjlyn2355]

I'm planning to do that 90-day detox. Timer starts now, wish me luck 🎉

[@bonkus4073]

how is it going

[@Koykoy88]

My son tried to detox his was out of the game and cold turkey’d the game, he had a hard time adapting to life, started smoking weed more than usual and ended up falling into psychosis, now they are saying he is schizophrenia because he was hearing voices and seeing things that wasn’t there, we tried medication but he hatted it, so we stopped, he’s a very smart kid but sat out his whole senior year because of it 😭 he’s doing better now but back into the game because I was told it would help him get back to himself, and tune out those voices and visions, which I agreed just because I was desperate, but he made progress, now 4 months later i see his addiction is starting to pick back up so I think I should try the detox, now! The psychiatrist said that it would take him 6 mo to a year to get back to himself but he still won’t be 100 percent. It’s been 9 months now with 3 months left for that year mark, I think I should try the detox for at least a month or maybe cut it down to once a week? Any suggestions in is circumstances?

[@johnny866]

Thank you mann Thank you so much My mindset changed completely after this video

[@PascalMeienberg]

set 1 or two realistic goals, that are definitely achiavable relatively fast and not tooo easy, require some effort. i just finished a 1month detox and was bored out of my mind. but now life seems interesting again.

[@pstewart6537]

I'm addicted to playing Mahjongg while listening to KZbin videos. While I used to listen to interesting videos about self-help, science or history, I've gradually slipped into gossipy, useless stuff. I know I've receded away from other aspects of my life. I didn't expect to fall into this well as I'm not in the typical gamer demographic (63F) so thought I'd somehow be immune. I finally searched for a solution on KZbin and, fortunately, came upon this video. It's enlightening and informative. Thank you so much for your work.

[@washifps]

Is 2 hour of video games to avoid study burnout is good?

[@RyumaaaSJW]

You need to study first to avoid burnout

[@washifps]

@@RyumaaaSJW lmfao

[@melodiasrojas8428]

Is good if you studied first

[@tarkacode]

That's exactly my problem, I play video games for the past 20 years and I am so used to this that I find everything else boring. Then I stop video games because I need to fix my life, and the depression comes after 3 weeks or 1 month, it's always the same...

[@alexforce9]

When you say "Everything else boring" - what do you mean? Like is sex boring to you? Going out with friends to a restaurant? Going on hike? Driving a bike? Working out? Maybe you just like that feeling of achieving something and being good at something. Like beating a hard boss or some victory against other players team. So maybe it's not the games themselves but its the acquiring new skills and seeing them in action that brings you joy?

[@vision3691]

That makes sense. I always valued Video Games over any realtionship I had. The feeling of challenge and belonging I get from video games, no girl can ever provide that for me.

[@jacksputrid]

He’s right……I beat doom eternal on nightmare mode it was one of the best days of my life

[@rutummaling5143]

😅now after hearing this I'll start playing games because i want to quit something more dengerous 😅😅😅

[@holy_pony8873]

A few years ago I watched this movie about a dystopian world where people stopped trying to better theyre life and instead all played the same mmorpg... I didnt realize how close to that it actually is.

[@UNMEASURED100]

I met 5 out of 9 criteria for video game addiction. I realised i am being addicted and now i just wanna quit it.

[@GameQuitters]

u got this :) come join us on the forums or discord, the extra support will help a lot: forum.gamequitters.com or discord.gg/gamequitters

[@uvoros1512]

Theres only so many video games you can play where you either kill enemies, do tasks for npcs, collect loot, etc. Its like every game that comes out is so predictable that you can just save yourself 30 hours of gameplay by envisining it from start to finish in 10 seconds, and to me, that makes it lose its appeal before its even started. Books are more my speed now because of how varied and unpredictable the plots and twists can be.

[@datelovuelta]

I can see myself a few years ago that this was my case, but keep in mind that the gaming is escape for a more deeper and problem. Some choose alcohol, sports, sex, meth, etc. So it is good to have some advice on how to deal with gaming addiction if it is possible to call that, i mean your brain is producing there is sex addiction both are basically the same as you are addict to your own brain due to a malformation derive from an extended exposition to the same behavior. So yea, this is all fine and good but dont stop there, get your life together, raise above your past self and you will be able to play games and have fun without skipping work, class, or leaving your family aside. You will be able to be happy

[@derekangus1354]

I'm almost 60. I remember when it was cool to have PONG. My friend had it. He had CABLE too!! I played outdoors a lot without these luxuries.

[@jacksputrid]

Old people use KZbin?

[@melodiasrojas8428]

@@jacksputrid old comet but yea .......

[@jacksputrid]

@@melodiasrojas8428 the more you know

[@EZM7]

Can’t there be a middle ground though? I have such a strong passion for video games but I wanna know if there’s a healthy way to consume them instead of just quitting them completely

[@GameQuitters]

watch this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJfZqZV7f9qGa9k

[@stephenhughes5156]

Some people can't. Most people can.

[@MunchinYou-jy6km]

I would say there probably is if you are willing to put extra measures. Set boundaries and time limits that you can objectively monitor. All "normal" behaviours can turn into problematic behaviours. You can maybe set a goal to experience the "other" view too, but the goal should be challenging, not overwhelming. Maybe quit games for 2 weeks to 1 month and see what experiences you made and then decide. Usually we are invested in our habits and we barely see alternatives or the consequences of our current habits, hence the resetting phase which you can set yourself.

[@cardflopper3307]

I fell out of video games pretty early (at the end of highschool around n64 era) but i dabbled very lightly in some PC gaming but never took it seriously. I got heavy into board games around 2012. I like the face-to-face social aspect of boardgame/tabletop-gaming. Now when i try a video game i feel like the stimulation is so extreme. I usually compare it to having coffee with 3 creams/3 sugars then switching to black for years.. then when you go back to the 3creams/sugars it feels like overload.

[@keeganmurray3285]

Pre-2015 doesn’t count as gaming

[@grahamkelly8662]

I loved gaming as a kid but wasn’t incredibly addicted but I did get addicted to destiny for 15 months straight, many hours a day. I see my weakness was weekly events with special loot and I stay away from those types of games and apart from that, I’m quite the opposite. I have to force myself to play my games and sometimes go a week plus without. I stupidly bought way too many ps4/5 games mainly ps4. Like 45 physical and 100’s digital. Ps plus/extra/premium/ ps store sales and hardly played any of them and for a few years now, I have that horrible thought of all the money I’ve literally wasted and try to force myself to play . Part of me thinks I should just sell most of my games for pennies and start buying the odd game and actually play it. I always got caught up in stupid hype for a game and not end up playing or liking it.

[@SomeGuyII7]

I've stopped for ~3 weeks and it's hard. My addiction lasted 10+YRs so I think it will take longer than 90 days to recover. The best word to describe how I feel is: blank. I'm not feeling anything; positive or negative. I've lost the capacity to feel emotion. It's how withdrawal feels I guess. I just wish I could get my childhood back. That time will be lost to me forever... >:( I don't know what to do. I know I need to substitute video-games for something, but my baseline dopamine levels are so low that everything feels like nothing. I hope I can find a sense of normality for the first time in my life. There's a whole world out there. I've spent too much time in other worlds.

[@GameQuitters]

90 days is a good start but it’s just the beginning of the journey. Keep going you’ll be blown away at how much progress you can make over a year and longer. Things like boredom will get better, be patient. 👍🏼

[@But_WhatIf]

When I was in that phase (After 13years of gaming) I found pleasure in actually doing chores I kept pushing away from me for so long. It felt great to be productive again and I accomplished more in one month than I did in the last year.

[@edwardleonard5350]

If it get's really hard, try meeting real people and play board game, but focus more on conversation and knowing people. It's helps me when I share my struggles with my friends made through board games and different events.

[@dcpmootown]

Get your self a home gym set up or go to a gym exercise will give you a buzz

[@exclusivememes]

Very in-depth, and detailed explanation on video game addictions and dopamine. Also, can you please show me where to find the 90 days detox program?

[@GameQuitters]

detox info: gamequitters.com/detox program: gamequitters.com/respawn

[@ahklys1321]

Key is to properly integrate the sex, hard drugs and gaming concurrently, preferably at once but the last two at minimum.

[@Powiux]

I lost interests to games over time, because i spend more money on games than playing them, become games more collector than a player . I did not had time for that, because i have put education first and played relative small amounts like 2 hr a week. That shows in video mostly apply to people has addiction.

[@GameQuitters]

thanks for watching

[@REZ_23_Ball]

I sold my video game and didn't game for a year I had the most productive time of my life and was happy. I decided life was good and I wanted a video game I have spent to much money on games that I normally would be good about not spending I'm depressed and just don't have a want to life. I'm selling my system Monday and never returning. Met some cool people online and I wish them the best but it's just not for me.

[@MiKafchin]

ok dude ...whatever ...games are dope , live with that !!!

[@TheCryptoNerd2]

Brokie mentality 😂

[@Byron_Campbell]

i used to be addicted but i quit

[@wildolive53]

is there a link to Huberman’s original video?

[@ordinarypablo]

There are studies showing how gaming decreases gray matter in the brain, I always knew I was dumber when I played videogames but never knew exactly why or if it was only me, but after reading that study I realize that gaming produces brain rot

[@JB.zero.zero.1]

There are other studies applauding the positive effects of gaming. So - which do you choose to believe.

[@mtgreenwoodbustout]

I was fortunate to grow up with Pong. Hard to get addicted to Pong. I got sick of video games real quick.

[@keeganmurray3285]

You got addicted to pong?

[@szebike]

Yeah I will now go to my personal gym my personal sauna will meditate every morning because I'm freakin rich and don't have to worry about time or money.... NOT. I'm so fed up with these rich people giving me advice. Play games just don't overdo it folks once it becomes a chore or the fun stops try a different one and don't neglegt your friends. Also if you go out and can't play you will reignite the urge to play after you are back home.

[@leedolian4482]

Its literally all moderation. Im a marketing manager, have a girlfriend I live with, a dog, and I loveeeeee my racket sports and my website. For every hour of gaming I do i make sure to put it in my website the next day. I spent more hours than I will ever admit editing a pokemon rom to bypass trade evolves. Next day I put that much time in the blog.

[@TheDxbsam]

My challenge is google ads and suggested gaming ads. Browsing the internet keeps reminding me of Overwatch. New skins new merchandise and there is no options to stop those ads. Greedy adveriments make it tough. Google News will be articles about Overwatch Tiktok will suggest videos about Overwatch They will target yoyr points of interest with titles: this hero was op . Players are complaining about a buffed hero. SEASON 9 IS THE BEST OVERWATCH YET. ETC 😢 Even of you decided to reduce gaming: ads won't leave you alone. I hope someone sheds the light on this. There is an option to mark some ads topics as sensitive like weight loss ads why we can't mark gaming ads as sensitive 😢

[@yesisthebest]

I have not seen you in a long time but I cannot thank you enough. If it weren’t for them 90 days, I wouldn’t have realized how much I drained myself.

[@yesisthebest]

Quitting is quite effective but here is one that works amazing too, retiring from games.

[@GameQuitters]

🙌🏼🙌🏼 nice to see you again

[@SOLAR_GRASP]

Me looking to start detoxing after gaming for 35hrs in 2 days

[@drakata27]

Is it fine playing casual story based games for 1-2 hours per day while hitting the gym and studying?

[@alexforce9]

I personally don't see how it can be a problem. Unless you are skipping meeting with your friends or dating to play it. Like - its the same as watching tv shows or youtube videos for 2 hours and no one says they are addicted to netflix if they do that.

[@melexdy]

I can safely say I've clocked around 30.000 hours on video games. I played a lot, and while some games were fun , for a while, I can only wonder how many hours I wasted... But at least I won't waste any more.

[@GameQuitters]

your redemption story starts now!

[@turbog2217]

Can’t change what already is, can do better and learn from mistakes, you got this 👍

[@730indoorsman]

what episode of the podcast is this from?

[@subrosa4792]

The key is to get a job. Go to work. This comment section is full of people saying that they use moderation, and only play “a few hours a day” it’s not something that people should be doing every single day. That’s a problem. Get a job. Go to work.

[@andropaolos.matias8848]

Is playing music instruments better than gaming?

[@GameQuitters]

Yes

[@stephenhughes5156]

​@@GameQuitters Why?

[@FJBrandon]

May guess e cause you can do gigs outside impress a crowd hmm create music and sell it get back something than just buying more n more games . I guess brain gets more challenged somehow and help with aging memory issues

[@labombarde1]

I used World of Warships to stop smoking cigarettes... now the system stays on all the time just incase I need a game.

[@user-cv1hk9do4i]

Could you please put links of articls below the post

[@shnydtayne]

The arguments in this video have more holes in them than a piece of Swiss cheese, really. There are SO MANY variables none of these people are taking into account... Like, for example, diet! Or the kind of childhood/upbringing each one has had! I mean, they claim with absolute certainty ("it's simply how the brain works") that doing something extremely pleasurable for a long time will 100% always (1) make you like it less and less with the pass of time, to the point where you'll end up not liking it anymore (the "novelty" argument), and (2) that it will make you lose interest in all (or many) other, less intensely pleasurable things (the "dopamine exhaustion" argument). Both arguments are SO NOT TRUE, that I don't even know where to begin. Firstly: I know many people who have played through and beaten THE SAME, VERY SHORT GAME more than a HUNDRED times, and they are STILL playing it, and LOVE to do so. And I know people who have been eating the same exact thing for decades, and STILL love eating it. Where is the "novelty" of it after having done it a hundred times, and besically memorised every single aspect of it? This is clear evidence that point (1) is not true at all. Secondly: None of these people I mentioned are depressed, or have lost interest in other, less intensely pleasurable things in life (like work, and their other passions). This completely disproves point (2). Then, people would see a kid spending his entire life in his room and overdramatically think that the poor boy "fell into the clutches of the horrible monster that is gaming". They are immediately convinced that gaming is the problem. They don't even consider the possiblity of it being THE OTHER WAY AROUND. What if gaming is NOT the problem, but the TEMPORAL SOLUTION the kid has found? What if his reality is so horrible and stressful to him, that he prefers to play games? Yes, I think that, in most cases, games are a SOLUTION, or at least a COPING MECHANISM. It helps way more than it hurts. Most of the times, when someone gets hooked by gaming to these extreme levels, it's because they are TRYING TO COPE with the real, underlying problem. Just consider this: when people are deeply depressed and end up commiting suicide it's PRECISELY because they feel it's THEIR ONLY WAY OUT of their misery. If that person finds an escape in gaming (or other activities), he or she might end up not commiting suicide. Then, as far as I know, depression is a condition that has to do with dopamine and the will to live and do things, right? Well, then how do these puritans explain the fact that there are multiple testimonies of people HEALING from depression by playing a very hard game, like Dark Souls? On top of all of the above, why is it that nobody sees the crystal-clear contradiction in their argument? If what these people are saying were true, how would they explain the fact that we are even able to have MULTIPLE, equally-intense interests and passions? It couldn't be possible under their hypothesis. Because, as soon as we found something that gave us a huge boost in dopamine, we'd automatically get hooked to it and lose interest in anything else. C'mon, this is so absurd.

[@blankname492]

I think this is just for people with huge addictions. Addiction level to where they don’t leave their house, only eat fast food, barely spend time with family, etc.

[@MariaH-kj1un]

Thanks!

[@GameQuitters]

you're a legend! thx so much

[@DocOcky]

Gaming, chronic masturbation, and sedentary lifestyle all need to stop in order for most people to feel a difference.

[@Osterochse]

8:25 this raises an interesting question though. If I quit gaming but keep other dopaminergic activities like social media, youtube or even pornography. Did I even gain something from it? let's say I detox from gaming for 90 days but I still engage in other dopaminergic activies, does it even have an effect or is it in vain as long I don't quit everything else as well?

[@GameQuitters]

you can something but not as much as you could with a more in-depth detox

[@MassiveMate]

Are you trying to quit video games while watching porn?

[@VoidDweller086]

Internet Browsing Television Watching Book Reading >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Video Gaming Especially Here in The Ultra Age of Internet Browsing in 2024 and Beyond.

[@hq1082]

It's sad because videogames can be fun, but I dislike the fact that its so detrimental to your health.

[@-LightSmit]

Quitting alcohol and Dota 2 gave me so much time to become wealthy.

[@GameQuitters]

Woot

[@keeganmurray3285]

That’s your problem , you played dota 2

[@Tullex2]

I played dota 2 for 15k+ hours. Sadly I realised that I have to stop at the age of 21😢. I wasted my teenage life on this addicting game. Ignored visiting relatives, friends

[@bogdanungureanu9751]

Maybe being at risk for addiction is a blessing in disguise in a way. Let's say you game obsessively for a few months but then stop cold turkey and never go back to it again. I find that situation preferable to investing an hour or two a day for years which in the end means much more time down the drain

[@erikrivbm9543]

So what do you suppose they do with that one to two hours?

[@PlzUnbanme]

I failed to find your sources for those stats about dopamine levels. I did find links to courses ... This seems like a scam!

[@ZombieLincoln666]

No chance gaming releases more dopamine than cocaine lol. gaming + cocaine? now that’s a lot of dopamine

[@Judah_Mafia_074]

A lot of this is not true i want a relationship but in today's time timimg is not perfect. If that's the case make a youtube video about how living is dangerous.

[@JohnPalmerUK]

Say the website address "slower and concisely" I couldn't understand you each time you said it. 😂

[@dawidwyborski3753]

Dont smoke, dont drink, dont drugs, dont play video games, dont watch porn...and in the end of your life you realize that you lose a lot of pleasure only to live few year more and have little more healthy life.

[@GameQuitters]

List of low value pleasures

[@erikrivbm9543]

Comparing playing video games to smoking, drugs, and alcohol addiction was just retarded😂😂😂

[@holy_pony8873]

Id say for all thoses things moderation is key, but in the case of gaming your peers/fellow gamers push you to play an unhealty amount of time( its not the same for drugs or porn where most of the time people are conscious of how much it affects them(Actually its kinda the same thing for drug but generally not as much, in gaming community having thousand of hours is a flex meanwhile is you say I smoke 8 time a day people are more likely to feel bad for you)

[@fernandoa5432]

You probably never really experienced a healthy life. It's not about the mind, it's the body itself that changes and makes you feel good whether you want it or not. It feels like being a super human. I totally recommend it man, it's impossible to regret taking care of oneself.

[@PJ-mb3ue]

I don’t think you understand, the point is that your pleasure actually decreases with those behaviors…

[@maxr.9837]

Videogames you have ti create stategies, be patient, resilent and be careful with your decisions which help to mantain your brain actiivty

[@marwin5393]

the disease is addiction, gaming is just a product not the addiction it self go to any 12 step. thank me later

[@Monkeybehindthekeyboard]

I see what’s going on here. I’ve been part of marketing long enough. This isn’t a legit thing this guy is doing IMO. It’s a niche he thought of when trying brainstorm ideas he could use to funnel you to sell you coaching and other shit. Quizzes are not there for you, it’s there to get you on an email list and tell you you’ve got a problem. This model has been done thousands of times and it’s toxic. Mast majority of us are not addicts, yet he’d convince you that you are. Think critically when you see shit like this

[@alyssawelch3845]

Can you PLEASE create a series (or edit as kid friendly) to be safe for kids under 9? Without mentioning porn or suicide!? I am trying to teach my young boys the dangers of gaming to their brains and I can’t find appropriate materials for younger kids. For prevention! Please help us parents out 🙏🏽 the gaming pressure is on for the young kids too! Some videos I’ve seen show teens playing games like call of duty and I avoid those as well because they haven’t been introduced to them and they look enticing on the videos. 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@HowDeDoThat]

Talk to them yourself.

[@OvertIntelligence]

STOP THE CAP 🧢.

[@michaelyoon9355]

Nah, I think Ill play BG3 tonight.

[@davince7487]

Its not totally true. Dopamine and such. From that perception, everyone, can be a game addicted person. That is false information.

[@SajiSNairNair-tu9dk]

👉spiritual power is positive Every Hindu's mantras 🕵️

[@monsterhuntervideos4446]

This doesn't match my real life experience at all, so I don't trust the so called science on it. I play video games everyday. I feel pretty good all the time. I go to the gym 5 times per weak for about 2 hours per session. I do cardio as well as weight training. Maybe I'm an exception to the rule, but I just have no issue with playing them and doing other stuff. I think there's an agenda to demonise video games. You see examples of this with past media propaganda regarding video games. Much of this media stuff is utter nonsense. I also have theories as to why they're demonised and what the agenda is behind demonising them.

[@prototype8137]

This is crazy. There is no way i feel better gaming than after sex. Ive also done coke back in my 20s and you cannot compare the 2. This is bullshit.

[@visionarybrushstroker7694]

Imagine doing porn social media and video games since a kid.

[@RinTohsaka-dn3lp]

😭

[@erniesulovic4734]

Much of this is BS and standard psychology crap. I used to be a very heavy smoker (50+ per day) and 16mg at that. One session with a hypnotherapist and I didn't smoke anymore. And I also had no real desire to quit either, so needing or wanting to quit as being important is also a lie. No withdrawal symptoms or whatever. One session. This slow change garbage is cos psychologists think change is hard. We humans change quickly and think quickly, not slowly. Change happens in an instant.

[@subrosa4792]

Comment thread is full of excuses from video game addicts. They use moderation and only play a few hours every day. Hah.

[@lechatleblanc]

umm video games are exactly like drugs or alcohol... they are not better nor worse....but if anything id say they are more destructive cuz u think i dont have a substance abuse or addiction poblem, i just have a fun healthy hobby....but video games are not a fun healthy hobby in my opinion. they are inherently unhealthy unlike or more than movies or tv..

[@grahamkelly8662]

I don’t believe that gaming gives more dopamine then sex. It’s simple. Everyone generally loves sex but many don’t enjoy gaming, whatsoever and even myself having loved many games over the years but none have off anything like the crazy amount of dopamine, I’d get during sex.

[@amir.r1639]

For my brothers and sisters do not try these games League of legends World of warcraft Dota 2 These are most addictive games that you cant quite at any cost I tried 10 years to quite league of legends It got from 24/7 to 3 hours a day And now 0 hours a day But it got me 10 years to do it Its worse than drug its the most dopamine producer in the whole gaming history Never ever go to try league of legends even for one match

[@thorham1346]

Alcohol is my weakness, not gaming.

[@amir.r1639]

@@thorham1346 best way to leave addiction is to make a new purpose in your life and then try to replace your addiction by something that is healthy and you really like it Its really hard to leave it but trust me if you really want to leave it It will happen no matter what I re installed this game I think around 200 hundreds time but it worked even if lose in your first try dont just give up Every step is success for you when you want to leave addiction

[@Tullex2]

I played dota 2 for 17000 hours. So addictive

[@destroyerinazuma96]

I just miseed a call because of gaming. Not an important one but could have been. Get your priorities straight. And if someone close to you is calling - drop whichever game you're grinding on - the call may be important. Also, if whatever you're playing is strong enough to stop you from picking that call, maybe that thing is poison. Remembered that the beckoning light in the depths may be a carnivore baiting you to eat you.

[@keeganmurray3285]

What game?

[@destroyerinazuma96]

@@keeganmurray3285 Some rpg/strategy one. Either Fire Emblem or Endless Space (not an rpg but atill strategy). They can get pretty addictive.

[@rainmana3530]

What a load of bs.

[@johnny1max113]

niceeee

[@GameQuitters]

thx johnny always appreciate your support

[@ArchitecturalAesthetics2046]

Hygiene is a hobby bro?

[@TheAnalyticalObservers]

What about sex, and cocaine at the same time??

[@Baghuul]

Sex on cocaine is a Dopamine Hurricane! haha

[@TyMetaTV]

is GTA5 a 300% and System Shock 75% games? lol

[@mrnobody2359]

VALORANT BYE

[@k.r.99]

30 day fast you say, huh? That's interesting. IIRC islamic fasting on Ramadan is also for 30 days and they stay away food, drinking (ehich both triggers cell cleaning and renewing in the whole body), sex, as well as generally prohibited stuff such as toxic habits, cigarettes, weed, masturbation for 8-20 hours a day and focus a lot more on their relationship with God, religious deeds, spiritual/mental health, healthy foods (except some cultures often cause muslims to focus on having feasts and parties instead of the good beneficial things 🤦🏻‍♂️).

[@crowfross9437]

No.

[@GameQuitters]

Confirmed

[@crowfross9437]

@@GameQuitters confirmed my ass

[@nicolascaballeroborda596]

Its real videogames fucks real life once ur addicted

[@msrumedia5616]

Use video games for a reason. Don't play brain dead games. Play games that actually make you think. The dopamine talk is interesting but the video games aren't the problem it's the way you approach things that's the problem. Find some type of work that speaks to your soul more than video games and just use video games to learn new things. If you're using video games to escape something then that you should make you feel guilty and you should not leave that guilt unchecked.