Gaming the System: Gaming Addiction & Screen Time

If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me "playing video games is no worse than watching Netflix" I'd probably have about $200 give or take...

But, is there any truth to it? Well, kind of...

The problem is television isn't designed to be hyper-stimulating, unlike video games. You don't get pop-ups rewarding you for playing for a long time, you're not being challenged, and most of the time it's not social.

I had fun making this one!

As always thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it I'd love it if you could leave us a review as it really helps us out!

Until next time.

Music by Nordgroove from Fugue.

Ed Latimore is a heavyweight boxer, author, and physics major who transformed himself from someone battling with a heavy alcohol addiction into the inspiring, passionate, and knowledgeable man he is today.

Using the experiences he has gained throughout his life, he regularly provides advice to thousands of people every day through his Twitter page, his live speaking events and his regular newsletter.

In this episode of Gaming the System, I talk to ed about the struggles he faced during his journey and how he overcame them, as well as discussing how people in the Game Quitters community can use the parallels between alcohol and gaming addiction to really turn their lives around.

Check out his website here!

Thanks for tuning in, and I hope you enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed making it. If you're listening on Apple it would mean a huge amount if you could leave us a review, thank you!

Music by Nordgroove from Fugue.

How many times have you tried to take up a new activity, only to give up after a few weeks or months?

You're not alone.

So why is it that you can go for 16 hours straight on a video game but can't maintain the focus to build new skills?

By the way, the podcast is only a fraction of what's contained in the blog post! Make sure to read it here!

In this episode of Gaming the System, James explores how gaming has desensitised your mind and how it affects your ability to make certain choices concerning your happiness.

You'll learn how you can take the focus you've developed through gaming and transfer it over to something productive, and start making real change come about.

Thanks for listening.

If you're listening on Apple it would mean a huge amount if you could leave us a review, thank you!

Music by Nordgroove from Fugue.

While in the middle of recording another episode, it dawned on me that it has been exactly 30 days since I embarked on a new chapter in my life and moved to Thailand to work for myself.

It hasn't been without its struggles (listen out for the story of why I burst into tears in my flat), but comparing myself now to who I was 2 months ago is like night and day.

I'm happier, more focused, relaxed, determined, passionate, confident and every other word I can think of. I don't think there has been a single negative since I moved out here.

In this episode, I talk about my journey from gaming addicted and depressed to becoming the best version of myself over the last year. 

I cover the skills I learnt, the path I took and the choices I made in order to give you an idea of what can happen if you overcome gaming addiction to really make your life the best that it can be.

Thanks for listening.

If you're listening on Apple it would mean a huge amount if you could leave us a review, thank you!

Music by Nordgroove from Fugue.

As someone that has struggled with both depression and gaming addiction, I've definitely had thought about whether or not they're connected.

I've even been asked a number of times "did gaming make you depressed?".

I've had a lot of time to think about this question, and that led me to make this podcast episode.

Spoilers: Gaming doesn't make you depressed.

However, being addicted to gaming is definitely fostering a perfect environment to amplify any existing problems you might have. The key is to build awareness and find balance.

I hope you enjoy the episode, and forget to leave a review if you're listening on Apple Podcasts, it means a lot to us.

Music by Nordgroove from Fugue.

When people quit gaming, they're suddenly left with so much free time they have no idea what to do with it.

As a result, they deem their detox a failure and go back to gaming.

"I don't think I was meant to  quit gaming."

Usually, people end up going back to video games because they didn't put the systems in place beforehand to enable them to maintain a sense of direction after they quit and start the detox by hitting the ground running.

In this short episode of Gaming the System, James discusses how you can go about putting the necessary systems in place before you quit, to ensure you give yourself the best chance of success.

If you want to find out more, we go into way more detail in our recent guide on How to Quit Gaming in College!

Music by Nordgroove from Fugue.

This episode is a must-listen whether you're a gaming addict, parent, or loved one. There's so much information and great advice it's hard to know where to start.

2 years after arriving on Episode #14 of the Game Quitters podcast, Jared Webb comes on to talk to James about his journey through the ups and downs of conquering gaming addiction.

We discuss what it's like to raise a son and how he's going to limit his children's tech use, how Jared went from running 3 hours a week to 3 hours a day and completing a 100 mile race, as well as how he overcame urges during his gaming detox.

Don't forget to share the podcast with your friends and family, and leave us a review if you enjoyed it. Thanks for listening!

Music by Nordgroove from Fugue.

ESports. You either love them or you hate them. Or, in most cases, you have no idea what they are.

With the recent success of the Fortnite World Cup, which saw 16-year-old 'Bugha' walk away with $3,000,000 in prize money, a number of discussions have been brought up around the topic of electronic sports.

Should the be banned? Are they bad for our health? They're good for us... You get the idea.

In this episode of Gamin the System I chat to the founder of Game Quitters, Cam Adair, about the positives (and negatives) of eSports, some valid concerns about the rise of the sports, as well as some potential outcomes we as an organization would like to see come about as a result.

As always, thanks for watching.

Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

The first episode of our new podcast, Gaming the System! We've kept all of the old Game Quitters podcast episodes that you loved, we're just adding to them with these.

On this episode, James discusses the recent controversies in the crossover world of gaming and gambling. Covering topics such as the GTA Casino, manipulating users to spend more money, and the prevalence of gambling in games marketed to children.

Thanks for watching, and if you enjoyed the episode don't forget to give it a review or send us a message telling us what you think. We love all feedback.

Peace.