There are times when the comments sent to www.fmylife.com and www.textsfromlastnight.com really do seem as though I could have written them. A few months ago, I read this comment from www.fmylife.com, and I couldn’t help but relate: “Today, I complained to my boyfriend that I was stressed out. He asked me then ‘What do you have to be stressed out about?’ I work 50 hours a week and go to school full time. I ask him what was stressful about his day, he told me that his ‘kill/death ratio went down on Call of Duty.’ FML.”So maybe I don’t work 50 hours a week, but I do go to school full time and have a part-time job, both of which create stress, most often at the same time because that’s life’s fun joke. But anyway, the rest of that statement probably was a conversation that I had with my boyfriend at one time or another. Some people may say I stress too easily, but that’s not the point. The real question is why are video games so important to guys?Guys are instinctively drawn to play hours upon hours of video games because of their competitive nature. Whether it’s a solo-player Internet game or a multiple player console game, there is always a winner and a loser, and we all know how important it is for guys to win. Video games create virtual competition, which men thrive on. Guys no longer have to be physically dominant to engage in competition. They can experience supremacy and victory just by beating their roommates in a video game.Also, playing video games is a modern example of male bonding. Fifty years ago, men were playing cards and smoking cigars over a nice glass of brandy. Now, guys are playing Madden 2010 and drinking beer. Many of the sporting video games, like Madden football or FIFA soccer, offer different online dynasties or franchises where groups of people can create their own individual teams and participate in leagues together. I’ve heard my friends discuss their team’s record and their upcoming matches as if it were real Southeastern Conference football. They can talk for hours about these fake teams and players, and I can honestly say that I have confused conversations about real football with virtual football.Plus, video games are an alternative for the endless hours guys spend watching ESPN and “Seinfeld.” Once the third replay of SportsCenter comes on and they realize that they have seen every episode of “Seinfeld” on the DVR (at least three times), then the boys know it’s game time.The biggest reason why guys play video games is because it’s simple and fun. Once the hand movements are mastered, there is no thought about the repetitive hand motions. Trust me, I have spent too much time watching my boyfriend and other friends play video games and not even realize what buttons they’re pushing. Their physical motions become completely second nature, which allows them to become consumed in the game.
It’s an escape from reality, just like a movie or a television show, but with a video game, the viewer can actually control the outcome, whether good or bad.
At first, like most girls, I didn’t have a good opinion of video games. I thought they were boring and a waste of time. But over time, they have grown on me. When I watch Madden, I feel like I’m really watching a football game. Sometimes, when I watch Call of Duty, I can pretend like it’s a war movie, but only sometimes. I still need some more time with that game.But really, it’s not the most terrible thing — just give me a heads up. I’m sure there are other things I can do to release my stress than watch someone else play video games. So plan your games, matches and invasions, and just let me know so I can avoid the action.
–Contact Brittany Davis at [email protected]