I am glad there were no video games when I was a child
By paigea
@paigea (35718)
Canada
December 28, 2015 1:45pm CST
I think I might have spent way too much time playing them.
Instead I spent so much time reading as a child, my parents, who were both teachers and who had taught me to read, were horrified at how much time I spent reading. They were constantly telling me to put down the book and go outside.
I would go outside, but I took the book and found a shady place out of sight to continue reading.
Fast forward to the days when my girls were young. My late niece would walk up to me reading; grab my chin and turn my face to her. Then I would realize the girls were talking to me.
The cat just reminded me of this when he jumped up and rubbed his head on the lap top screen, almost pushing it closed.
While my girls were young I transferred my attention to television. A person can fold laundry and do other house hold tasks while the TV is on.
Now, the internet has replaced books and TV. I don't have kids waiting for me to get off of here. But I do have a home, a husband, and other duties waiting, as I keep saying to myself, "I'll just read one more, one more, one more."
I think it's good I never got started on video games!
The cat just reminded me of this when he jumped up and rubbed his head on the lap top screen, almost pushing it closed.
While my girls were young I transferred my attention to television. A person can fold laundry and do other house hold tasks while the TV is on.
Now, the internet has replaced books and TV. I don't have kids waiting for me to get off of here. But I do have a home, a husband, and other duties waiting, as I keep saying to myself, "I'll just read one more, one more, one more."
I think it's good I never got started on video games!40 people like this
43 responses
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
29 Dec 15
Men can certainly do household chores while the TV is on as when I first met my husband he was a bachelor with his own place and it was as clean as a whistle because that is how he wanted to live. He could also do chores around his home with TV off or on. @MALUS
3 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
29 Dec 15
I read a book a day for most of my life prior to the Internet now I am lucky is I read 5 books a year.
8 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
29 Dec 15
I am glad I read more than 5 books a year but I also like TV and my computer. @BelleStarr
4 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (79937)
• United States
28 Dec 15
@jabouk I probably would have been since I did enjoy playing video games when my kids lived at home
6 people like this
@HebrewGreekStudies (1646)
• Canada
30 Dec 15
While we did have video games when I was a child, I didn't have many. In some sense I feel the same, because I wonder the influence of books on my life-I feel that they were important, and that it was good that I had more exposure to them. It is still good to get "lost" in them.
4 people like this
@saurabhrmp (2283)
• Hyderabad, India
29 Dec 15
In my childhood, Video games were there. But, I am not so much fond of video games.
4 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
31 Dec 15
Pong was the only computer game tech of my childhood - the tennis game we played on the TV set - it felt very futuristic and state of the art then
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
31 Dec 15
@paigea still a fun game for grown ups
3 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
31 Dec 15
That's probably true. I spent enough time on them when they first came out even though we didn't own the next best thing. We did have one of the first Nitendo types to play on the PC, and I have to say that my two year old daughter at the time learned how to swear hearing me playing the games. (She's now twenty-four).
I still play PC games mostly, and now that I have a tablet, I play one that's only available on a device, not a pc at all. I do that too much. But, when young, my mom got us started reading and me and a sister near me in age did most of the reading, which upset my mom many a time when we were supposed to be doing the dishes instead.
3 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
31 Dec 15
@paigea I didn't disappear, for I could be seen plain as day sitting on the rocker in the living room, but no amount of cajoling or concern would get me moving any faster to get my chores done.
3 people like this
@noni1959 (9883)
• United States
30 Dec 15
@paigea I was doing that off and on as well but now back to carrying a real book with me. I also was given a Kindle a few years ago for travel but I love holding a book in my hands. I just read, "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed and glad it was not on an electronic device.
2 people like this
@paigea (35718)
• Canada
30 Dec 15
@noni1959 I just finished an audio book A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. . That was a good book to get me back to reading. It was easy to listen to and I really got caught up in the story. It made me want to get the book from the library and read it now.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14916)
• Malaysia
29 Dec 15
Yes, I am glad my parents didn't allow us to play video games as well, and there was no computer and Internet for us, hence we spent more time with books.
My children are not allowed to watch TV and play video games, and they have more time to play with their hands, and more time to read and draw as well. They seem to be not enough time to play even though they are playing for the whole day, so if TV and video games are added, they might not have time to play.
Though I still prefer to hold a book and read, I read more from my computer screen now.
Though I still prefer to hold a book and read, I read more from my computer screen now. 2 people like this
@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
30 Dec 15
I loved to read too, but I also loved running around outside and playing, especially during the summer when I could go swimming. I still love to read, but I also love to write, so writing takes up some of my time as well as taking care of my 13 y/o, a retired husband, and 2 dogs.
2 people like this
@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
30 Dec 15
Oh, and like you, I probably would have gotten addicted to video games, so I am glad they were not around when I was a kid.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
28 Dec 15
I remember playing 'pong'...it was one of the first computer-ish type games..oh so long ago!
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (79937)
• United States
28 Dec 15
My kids played Mario Brothers and I probably would recognize that music even in my sleep
3 people like this
@paigea (35718)
• Canada
28 Dec 15
@Marilynda1225 my kids never played them much either. So I don't even know if they had that or not
@troyburns (1405)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 15
Video games can be good skill builders, and even relationship builders. The key is - like anything - not to become obsessed by them. Jane McGonigal has given a few TED Talks on the benefits of gaming -
http://www.ted.com Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness ...
2 people like this
@troyburns (1405)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 15
@Auntylou - One of McGonigal's talks is about how gaming can improve longevity - providing an outlet for stress is a small part of that. But once you're obsessed, I don't think there are many health benefits!
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
1 Jan 16
Because I paint, I need my hands and my eyes to do that so i listen to books on CD as i paint. I get them at the library, there is a never ending choice and it entertains my brain as my hands and eyes are busy.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
1 Jan 16
@paigea I also listen while driving, If I'm going to be over an hour behind the wheel a book comes with me again from the Library... endless choices....
1 person likes this
@paigea (35718)
• Canada
1 Jan 16
I recently listened to A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I found that a great book to listen to. I used to listen to them while I drive as I spend so much time in the car. Maybe now that I listened to one, I will be able to get back into it.
Libraries are wonderful. They just have so much we can use for the price of a library card.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326098)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
@paigea I would completely switch off when I read. I was reading under the desk one day in school and came to to see the teacher storming up the aisle towards me. Apparently he'd been yelling at me for a while and I'd heard nothing.
1 person likes this
