COLUMN: Playing video games does not mark immaturity
I was on the phone with my mother last week after a job interview in Midland. I told her I had no classes left that day and I planned on going back to my room and maybe playing a video game.
She responded with some form of the phrase, “And I thought you were acting like a grown up today.”
Also, when I told my girlfriend that my Thursday afternoon plans included a large dose of “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” she scoffed at the idea.
While not surprising, I had hoped society had grown past these points.
Just because I had a Nintendo when I was five does not make gaming a childish activity. If anyone walked past Gamestop last Monday night, they would not have found a group of children waiting for “Call of Duty” — or at least I hope not.
Just because I play a video game for a couple of hours does not mean I am wasting my time. If I had chosen to watch a movie instead, I doubt anything would have been said about it.
I understand where both points are coming from. Video games took off in the ‘80s and ‘90s when kids started playing, and society still thinks of a “gamer” as someone who plays “World of Warcraft” for 14 hours a day.
But there’s a reason games like “Call of Duty,” “Halo” and “Grand Theft Auto” sell like hotcakes: Gamers are older now. They have moved past the simple gameplay mechanics and storylines of days gone by.
I know gamers who are 40 and I know gamers who are 12. I know people who play for hours a day, and some who only play an hour a week.
To me, it’s all entertainment. If someone chooses to watch a marathon of “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” or James Bond movies all day, I don’t see why I cannot put a few hours into “Fallout: New Vegas” without any grief.
Luckily, the Supreme Court seems to agree. After oral hearings, the Court’s initial leanings indicate games deserve equal protection as movies, books and the like.
I wish society would follow suit and deem games equal to other forms of entertainment. I have seen it in small glances, like my mom and girlfriend with Mario and Harry Potter games, respectively.
On my end, I am growing up and still enjoying video games like I did when I was 10. And I do not see that changing.
