The Tech Edition
April 09, 2008
Video game obsession has its benefits
By CHRISTIAN MANAHAN
Staff Writer
I have a confession to make.
Most of my readers and contacts know me as the person who is responsible
for keeping the public informed about the happenings in their community.
If news is breaking, I’m right there trying to get the scoop.
However, when I’m not working my beat – a contribution that I like to
believe is for the betterment of our society – I’m doing something many
say is completely unproductive, not only a detriment to society but the
unofficial number-one killer of brain cells.
I may be your mild-mannered reporter by day, but by night I relinquish
all sense of responsibility and give in to my addiction – transforming
into the abomination known as the video gamer.
Ever since the birth of the original Nintendo Entertainment System in
the mid-1980s, I have been a gaming enthusiast. I have failed to show
any signs of letting go of what was supposed to be, according to my
father, an outlet to keep me from getting into trouble or being a
nuisance to my mother, younger sister and him.
So, when I’m not trying to become the next Bob Woodward or Carl
Bernstein, I’m trying to unlock all the gun attachments for the
first-person shooting game “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,” which has
unfortunately become my latest addition, or leveling up in the
role-playing game, “Lost Odyssey.” That one has already knocked three
years off my life, as it has reduced my spare-time physical activity to
sitting on the couch and moving my fingers, something which does nothing
to improve my health.
Lumped inside this brain of mine – which could contain an as-yet
unleashed Pulitzer Prize-winning story – are thoughts consumed with who
will be the next cover athlete for “Madden 2009” or what the new
downloadable levels will be for “Call of Duty 4” on Xbox Live.
And while that may seem like mixing oil and water, the double life I
lead as a reporter and a gamer has given me the balance I need to
maintain my sanity. I need to blow off some steam from the long hours of
reporting, and the blissful zone-out of gaming is a respite from the
deep thinking required on the job and the intense pressure of writing on
deadline.
Strange as it may seem, the mindlessness of gaming serves a purpose and
is truly beneficial. It’s like restarting my computer; it clears my
brain and puts all the jumbled buildup of information collected from a
day’s work aside, allowing me to start fresh tomorrow.
And, unlike video game enthusiasts whose addiction surpasses even mine,
I have learned to tame my addiction so it doesn’t compromise my duties
as a reporter. After all, my job is the only source of income I have to
feed the addiction for new games and equipment. Neglecting my reporting
duties would mean getting fired, which equals no greenbacks, which
equals no more video games for Christian.
The thought gives me the chills.
After giving some thought to the effect the addiction has had on my
life, I’ve realized something: There is actually a bit of good that has
come out of it.
The most important thing that the world of gaming has afforded me is a
connection to my brother.
As there is an age difference between us of eight years – I am 25 and my
brother, Cyrus, is 18 – our priorities in life are quite different. He
is enjoying life as a senior in high school and running amuck with his
friends, while I’m in the process of leaving the nest and starting my
life as a responsible adult.
Playing video games gives us a common ground on which to relate and
communicate. It is very much a topic in our conversations. We discuss
anything and everything having to do with gaming, whether it’s strategy
for finishing off a game or how to wield the nunchuck controller for the
Nintendo Wii to best advantage in “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight
Princess.”
The ability to communicate about the games carries over to communicating
on other levels, such as talking about our career aspirations, girls,
and the life of a teenager in the 21st century.
Many believe that gamers are loners who can only communicate through a
headset, but the relationship my brother and I have developed seems to
defy that stereotype.
Gaming gives my life balance. Work, work, work all day and no play could
cause even those with the temperament of Gandhi to go postal.
I am very much an advocate of Aristotle’s “Golden Mean” and strive to
find the desirable middle ground between the extremes of my life. The
insanity and unreality of gaming help give me the balance I need.