Video games. Whether we play them or not, we are all familiar with them. Your boyfriend (or girlfriend) may be obsessed with Call of Duty. You receive daily Cityville requests from your aunt (or other crazy Facebook obsessed family member). It is a fact of life, video games are a defining factor for today’s society. However, there are numerous reasons why I take a personal dislike towards these platforms for virtual reality.
First and foremost, I have lost family members and previous relationships to video games. Not a physical loss in the case of death, but a loss, no less, of ability to communicate with other humans and a solid grasp on reality. Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, FIFA, to name a few, have drained the life and soul out of my brothers, friends, and ex-boyfriends (there’s no wonder as to where the EX comes from). The moment any game is started, the presence of another human being no longer registers and the ability to answer simple questions goes out the door. I understand these games may require focus and attention to detail, but losing oneself completely in a virtual reality is something I will never comprehend.
Secondly, I must admit to feeling inferior to my eleven- and nine-year-old brothers when playing video games. I will admit to having attempted to figure out COD (or was it World of Warcraft, or maybe Final Fantasy… no idea). However, the complex system of buttons, joysticks, and coordination left my mind baffled and exhausted. As a postgraduate, I assumed it would take a couple of attempts to settle into a rhythm and understand how to play the game. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. My simple-minded brothers proved to me that my brain (and hand-eye coordination) is not wired for video games. I could not comprehend which joystick made my character move, which button allowed me to shoot, and which trigger switch (or whatever they are called) helped me jump — let alone figure out who I was shooting at and what I was jumping on.
Thirdly, Facebook games and those ridiculous requests people send to you throughout the day. While I have been known to dabble in the occasional distraction of Sims Social (we all need something when writing essays), I do not harass my innocent friends with requests for virtual goods. No, I do not want to give you a horse. No, I do not want to help build your new room. And NO, I do not want to help you find that automatic machine gun to help kill the mafia. It is bad enough Facebook has become the ultimate weapon in stalking your peers (and family, exes, old professors… basically EVERYONE). I do not need to be distracted by ridiculous virtual requests.
The fourth and final reason why I hate video games has to be…Lana del Rey. Need I say more? Didn’t think so!
Brittney Coker
Image: benchilada on Flickr
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