Commentary: Not all fun and video games

Video games can improve your dexterity, vision and memory, and gaming online can help you build social skills and teamwork.

It’s also true that gaming has some downsides.

For example, I’ve found the online gaming community can be problematic — even toxic — depending on the game you choose to play.

Games like League of Legends and Apex can be challenging, especially as a new player, because of intense competitiveness — and even bullying, sexism and racial slurs. But if you have a strong resolve  and can cope with the risk of people being rude to you, these games can be fun, with their beautiful graphics and interesting characters. I recommend playing with friends and finding people who have good attitudes and are helpful/team players.

And while gaming can be a fun hobby, it can become addictive. As someone who has been playing video games since I could hold a controller, I have found it easy to maintain a balance between video games and other hobbies, but that’s not the case for everyone.

Some games encourage users to spend real money on things like skill points or character skins, and virtual slot machines and pay-to-win games only let you advance so far without encouraging you to purchase in-game currencies. Those games have been known to be a gateway into gambling addiction, but, of the many genres of games, massively multiplayer online role-playing games, or MMORPGs, are thought to be the most addictive.

Around 60 million people struggle with some form of gaming disorder, and up to 4% of these people have some form of addiction related to gaming, according to gamequitters.com/pros-and-cons-of-video-games. There is some evidence that gamers with ADHD are more susceptible to gaming addiction, resulting in issues like neglecting personal hygiene, according to mpowerwellness.com. I personally know someone who at one time was spending around six hours a day on the same game, and nearly the whole day on weekends, which affected their social life and personal relationships.

Even with these facts in mind, I still highly recommend this hobby. I have learned so much from video games, including history, entomology, survival, communication and teamwork. And without gaming, I wouldn’t have made many of the friends I did growing up. I was a shy and quiet girl, but I could go on for hours if I started talking about video games.

I recommend PC gaming because of all the possibilities, but a good computer that can run a lot of games can be pricey. If you want to get into gaming, I suggest getting a Nintendo Switch Lite because it’s one of the less expensive consoles, and you can download many games across multiple genres from the Nintendo game store, as well as hard copies from your local game store, like GamePlay in Clarkston or Walmart. Animal Crossing, Asphalt 9, Pokémon, Legend of Zelda and Skyrim are good options to explore. While not all these games will run as smoothly on the Switch as they would on a PlayStation, Xbox or PC, they are a great way to dip your toes in the water of some of the most popular games that aren’t too competitive or difficult.

If you are interested in this hobby but don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a new console, you can always buy preowned or refurbished consoles or download games on your phone. Minecraft is a great beginner game because it’s simple, has both creative and survival modes, is easy to learn and can be downloaded onto most smartphones.

Systems like Nintendo Wii and Oculus (or other virtual reality headsets) are great for gamers who don’t like remaining sedentary, as the main idea is to be up and moving while you play. Virtual reality is awesome because not only can you play games, but you can explore other worlds and participate in activities like painting, riding roller coasters, trying out different medieval and modern weapons in a virtual range, and playing instruments.

Whatever system or games you choose, you should always make sure you are practicing self-care and maintaining a healthy balance of different hobbies outside your work or school schedule. Video games can be a healthy and beneficial hobby, but it’s easy to let them take over your free time, so be sure to take a step back from the screen, take care of yourself and enjoy the real world once in a while.

Nichols, a longtime gamer, enjoys video games and tabletop games alike. She also likes spending time outdoors and exploring all kinds of new hobbies. She can be reached at mnichols@lmtribune.com.