Do you ever feel guilty/ashamed after long gaming sessions?

[Corrosion]

So I've always felt this. Originally in my first draft of this thread I had written a long, personal essay but instead i'll just keep it simple.

-Always identified with gaming as a medium the most
-But also...never felt like a Gamer TM enough (I know this all BS but idk, I generally don't play massively popular multiplayer games/I do know about older games but have never played them or several majorly popular franchises, so I dunno I just never felt like a part of the convo). This also extends to the fact that my "rookie numbers" of playtime pale in comparison to most other people lol.
-Always enjoyed the kind of games I play (single player narrative) but have always felt...ashamed to have spent like, 3-6 hours binging on a game in a day.

I have theorized many things about why this is, stuff like clinical depression/suicidal ideation (which I've always had, and sort of bleedss into my perspective on things I enjoy); about how society deems certain activities as productive, and other not; insecurity etc.

Have you guys ever felt the same? For a few years I was also unable to play any games because of a dinosaur PC. Time spent enjoying something shouldn't induce shame, right?

(And yes, this year has been also ridiculously tough so maybe being at home forever is adding to that. But I was in a 6 month long rut, so 8 months in cumulation, that's when Covid hit.)

[=CrimsoN=]

Can't say I've ever felt the same. I always enjoy a good game after work.

[Grendalcat]

I used to experience "lost weekends", sit down and play a game, after what seemed like a couple of hours get up to check the time, and discover 8 -10 hours had elapsed. This often happened on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons.

No shame at all.

[crgzero]

As long as my bills get paid I don't care.

[$2 Hero]

I think you are thinking of something else.

[Paddy Wagon]

Have I felt shame about binging video games? Yes. I have a binge personality so I can binge on nearly anything, soda, fast food, caffeine, (at a certain time in my life), reading, women/relationships. I mean the list can keep going. For me binging is a sign of avoidance. When I binge I am most likely avoiding some unpleasant experience or a task I do not want to tackle. I suppose you can use it like a signal or a tell. "Im binging, what am I trying to avoid?". I think that goes hand in hand with mood disorder too i.e. binging and avoidance or just plain avoidance.

I look at it like this: at least its not drinking, doing drugs or smoking, there are certainly worse things I could be doing. The world is quite chaotic right now, dont judge yourself so harshly.

[Z i o ⚡]

No I usually feel good after those. I only don't feel good if I want to do other things.

[UX1∴73C]

It is not criminal or demoralizing to do as you please in moments of laxity.

[𝕎𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕫]

Why the hell should I? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Only shame that my buy-a-new-game rate is higher than my game-completation rate...

[JobeGardener]

We know you don't feel guilty/ashamed for long posts.

[Sir Dookface McFerretballs]

Originally posted by Sarcophagus:

Do you ever feel guilty/ashamed after long gaming sessions?

HELL NO!

If you enjoy something and it isn't illegal or hurting yourself or others, go for it!

No need to feel guilty for enjoying a good game.

[Xero_Daxter]

Why would you feel that way, OP?

Whenever I have a long game it’s usually a good one especially when we go to overtime. Having tie breakers is very tense.

[Copperfield [SAC]]

I don't remember ever i gamed more than 3 hours straight (normally 1 hour and half or at most 2 hours regularly) because beyond that, my back starts getting hurt.

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

You are odd. Life is already mostly hell and doing something that makes it feel less like hell should not make you feel shame because of it. Sounds like some weird religious self-flogging cult where you need to punish yourself for every sinful thought.

[CookieClicker :)]

No, and why the hell would I?

[yesskillch]

Sometimes, but only in co-op games where I've had to deal with consecutively ♥♥♥♥ teammates the whole day.