Why are video games seen as a waste of time, but binge watching Netflix is considered normal?

[Systemshock2023]

It's just because gaming it's still a hobby women do not validate for the most part. Those reports like "women are 50% of total gamers" that's bullcrap.

I find binge watching Netflix or streaming services boring AF.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

I find binge watching Netflix or streaming services boring AF.

Any kind of medium is 95% boring crap. Be it movies, TV shows, video games, etc.

 

[Kokoloko]

Yep, always thought this as a kid. At least its more engaging than TV

 

[Swolf712]

Was having this debate with my gf the other day. She dislikes video games and I said ‘why though? How are they different to films or TV series? In fact I’d argue they’re better as you’re actually engaged with it’ She weren’t having it

Going to the ballet, attending a concert, listening to a lecture, etc. all involve sitting in your chair and having accomplished "nothing". If this is the standard people are going to use, then they need to broaden the scope to include anything entertaining that doesn't involve active input from the entertained.

A huge part of this goes right back to the "video games as art" debate.

Basically, film, ballet, a concert, etc. That's all seen as an art form. That's "culture". Video games are seen as "junk', no better than your popcorn flicks, your Saturday Morning Cartoons. The idea that video games can be art, can tell meaningful stories, can be more than Mario jumping from platform to platform, that's still a relatively new idea for a lot of people. Even the showrunner for TLOU acted like finding a video game that was more than the above was some sort of super rare gem when really... it's not. But people have to be awoken to that first. TV had that same problem for a while in general. TV wasn't cultured like film. TV just rotted your brain. TV actors were considered failed actors unless they could make the jump to film and "escape" that. TV didn't really start to escape that stigma until around the 2010s, I'd say. But even then, it's still seen as below film more often than not.

It may be on the horizon, but it's not quite here yet. I mean shoot, there are even GAMERS who think that games that do that "lack gameplay" or are a waste of time because they're conditioned to. For them, it IS all about rapid stimulation and smack-talking with people and that's it. So there's resistance from within and without.