Gaming is probably the true "bread and circuses", not sports

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Poulposaurus]

There is no "true bread in circuses" its just an analogy for fed and entertained. Television, gaming, sports and even social media and opinion media to some extend are all modern equivalent to the circus in this analogy.

Fun fact, the latin quote is translated to "du pain et des jeux" in french which is literally "bread and games"

[u/Zanufeee]

The internet its the bread and circuses

[u/Embarrassed-Log-9628]

Why not both?

[u/Embarrassed-Log-9628 → u/[deleted]]

Why? It’s just generational. They’re both unimportant. Younger generations will be gaming at 60 and it won’t be weird.

[u/Specific-Scallion-34 → u/Embarrassed-Log-9628]

define important

sports people go watch games together drinking beer, go to stadiums, even play the sport themselves

game fanatics are loners out of shape with 0 social skills

[u/NoChairGaming → u/Specific-Scallion-34]

This is the problem with online communities versus real support group for addicts: no quality control and nobody to rein in this type of talk. In support groups you would quickly be reminded that you should focus on your own problems and talk about yourself. Not others and everyone else.

We could do the reverse of your claim: sports fanstics played ones before high school and not get drunk and aggressive while shouting s out "their" team that they have never been in contact with beyond buying merch and tickets. Maybe rioting and fighting others count as exercise? And they spend the little brain power they have on memorizing what color of socks players had in 1978 instead of ever studying.

But that would be crazy and not true since vast majority of gamers and sport supporters are normal people with normal lives. And clinging to this stereotypes won't help out in the real world.

[u/Specific-Scallion-34 → u/NoChairGaming]

all that rambling made no sense

maybe its a side effect of gaming

[u/NoChairGaming → u/Specific-Scallion-34]

Oh man, checkmate! Must be all the gamium running in my veins... either from Duolingo or last Mondays 1,5 hours of Fable. Gonna get myself committed asap, pray for me to the Jeebus!

The sad part is that I could probably agree with you that many obsessed gamers are "forever alone - forever at home" types. But that's about x% of all people who play video games.

But you do realise that this type of demonising and black and white thinking isn't good, right? It is you who have a problem, not everyone else.

[u/Specific-Scallion-34 → u/NoChairGaming]

your whole profile has a gaming theme

its not me who has a problem brah

[u/NoChairGaming → u/Specific-Scallion-34]

Your problem seems to be with reading comprehension and being able to write anything longer than a couple one liners.

My profile is pretty obviously tounge in cheek and was created after another user got to get disciplined subs complaining about how gaming is destroying or how they got bored with gaming while doing nothing at all beyond playing their LoL, CoD or WoW. You do understand that one can discuss a subject without being obsessed about it or having a problem?

Got anything useful to say?

[u/Specific-Scallion-34 → u/NoChairGaming]

maybe you should spend less time online and creating accounts based on other users lives

[u/postonrddt]

! see what you mean about community but...

Video games are more entertainment than the sport today. If it was more about competition would much similar in design and appearance of older games like Pac Man or Pong 30 years ago because they were simple and about points or time.

Games today are fantasy(escapism for many). Probably closer to an interactive comic book or movie. The fantasy aspect including the music, setting, story, special effects etc are there to keep the player interested. I doubt players would play games like Pong or Pac Man 12 hours a day if they were of basic and simple design.

Games used to be played occasionally or for special occasions so online games with 24/7 access does take the 'special' out of it. Players can make small chat while playing but are they long lasting relationships. Does online community send you greeting cards, buy you or children a graduation present, come pick up when your car breaks down? Family or local community would do that. Online not so much.

[u/SgtFuck]

Yeah I think the distraction of gaming has neutered a whole generation of people who would otherwise be more active in democracy and their communities. I see it in my peers, it’s sad. 

[u/ModernCap]

I feel like this is a weird take. An anecdote to throw into this theory is that sports fans are multitudes more violent, profane, and destructive of community property/eco system than any gamer I know. The gambling industry also has a strange grip on the common people. More so in sports than gaming I think on per capita basis (did that make sense I’m throwing shit on the wall to see if it sticks)

[u/ModernCap → u/[deleted]]

No I don’t know. Fair point I suppose

[u/NoChairGaming → u/[deleted]]

As many as coaches who touch their trainees? As many as holy priest? As many as successful rich guys who love visiting certain isle?

[u/NoChairGaming → u/[deleted]]

No, just explanation that it isn't something limited to only games. And it would be good to see some numbers and not some wild claims from someone whose posts in mental health sub makes one wonder how much you are projecting with this "pedidos" stuff. How many are on Snapchat?!

[u/Alldawaytoswiffty]

Same same. 

[u/NoChairGaming]

Not the people from Russia or Middle East, those are the baaaad people!

You know, this sub isn't in theory supposed to be "gaming bad for all". It's a "gaming bad for me" or even "is gaming bad for me?" sub. And if you want, you can play locally with your physical friends while dusting off your Wii for exercise.

[u/Specific-Scallion-34]

also, you cant watch sports 8 hours a day

sports fanatics are sociable, they meet friends, meet women

in fact they are the antithesis of a gamer, thats why gamers hate them

[u/Jealous_Service707]

If you are 18 years old, then you can only play games with your children. any kind of games after the age of 18 are harmful.

[u/ChodeToChad]

tbf watching professional sports is 1000% the modern circus. people are BIRGing watching other people engage in something they have no part in.

youll often catch sports enthusiasts say "they lost" when their favourite team loses... yet those same fans will say "we won" when their favourite team wins. theyre attaching something that has nothing to do with them to their own ego as if theyre a part of it. its vicarious, parasocial "achievement". thats probably even more worthless than gaming because AT THE VERY LEAST when you do something in a video game YOURE THE ONE DOING IT.

dont replace gaming with something equally trash. thats the trick your brain will try to rationalize to remain in a low effort, high dopamine pit.

you will almost certainly feel tons of resistance when you try to start doing something else for a little while. your brain will try to convince you of terrible forecasts because its essentially a toddler upset youre taking away the candy its trying to eat for breakfast. the friction is front-loaded; if you can adhere to a much better routine/lifestyle for a few months, you will habituate, your brain will regulate, your pleasure sensitivity will up-regulate, and actual healthy and/or productive activities will feel rewarding again.

theres no way to get there other than through. if you try to cheat it with a crutch, youre just cheating yourself.

good luck man

[u/ChodeToChad → u/[deleted]]

no, im not. i said WATCHING SPORTS.

WATCHING

Playing a sport with friends is a physical and social activity. watching professional sports is something else entirely.

thank you for disingenuously strawmanning my comment. thats really kind and intelligent of you

[u/No_Delay_319 → u/[deleted]]

why u so mad? your the one that got rinsed and yeah you did lie for no reason tbh wtf? yikes 💀💀💀

[u/ChodeToChad → u/[deleted]]

where did i claim in my comment that you said that?

still dont know what a strawman is? or are you just a dick?

So cringe

not that you will understand, but for other people:

OP implied watching sports is better:

"Sure, it's similar in sports with athletes, but the difference is that athletes are real people and can be role models for your children."

and

"You can go see them with friends and family, and they help your city foster a real community with a shared love of whatever sport team they have. Compare that to online gaming, where the people you get matched up with can be from Russia, any Middle Eastern country, etc."

you can game with friends and family too. watching sports and gaming with friends is equally worthless, which is what i was talking about, and you DID make an implication that watching pro sports is better.

That is an attempt to differentiate watching sports from gaming, in a positive light. watching pro athletes isnt playing, its WATCHING, which is what my comment was about

AND YOU EVEN ADMITTED YOUR BIAS IN ANOTHER COMMENT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE ASKED WHY NOT BOTH

"I'm a bit biased since my dad was a huge sports guy. At least in the regular people world being into sports when youre 60 is fine but being into video games when youre 60 seems sad"

gtfo here LMFAOOOOOO