10 Habits That Are Secretly Ruining Games For You

Summary

In this video, the speaker discusses 10 bad gaming habits that can detract from the enjoyment of playing video games. These habits include juggling too many games, not knowing when to stop, expecting to win on the first try, sticking to familiar play styles, overlooking the artistic beauty in games, overindulging in competition, following gaming discourse too closely, relying too much on the internet for help, only playing new and popular games, and binging without balance. The speaker shares personal experiences and offers insights on how to overcome these habits to enhance the gaming experience.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Bad gaming habits can develop due to our brain's tendency to prioritize immediate rewards over long-term benefits, forming a 'cue, craving, response, reward' loop.
• 🎮 Juggling too many games at once can lead to a lack of fulfillment and make it difficult to get immersed in any single game.
• 🚫 Knowing when to stop playing a game that has become a chore is crucial to maintaining a healthy gaming-life balance.
• 🏆 It's important to embrace the challenge in games and not expect to win everything on the first try to truly enjoy the learning process.
• 🛠 Experimenting with different play styles can significantly enhance the gaming experience and keep it fresh.
• 🎨 Appreciating the artistic and aesthetic elements in games can elevate enjoyment beyond just gameplay mechanics.
• 🏆 Overindulging in competitive gaming can lead to emotional rollercoasters and detract from the overall gaming experience.
• 🗣️ Following gaming discourse too closely can influence personal opinions and potentially cause missing out on enjoyable gaming experiences.
• 📚 Relying too much on the internet for help in games can diminish the satisfaction of overcoming challenges independently.
• 📱 Focusing solely on new and popular games can lead to a cycle of dissatisfaction and prevent the discovery of older, quality games.
• 🚫 Binging video games without balance can lead to addiction and a decrease in dopamine-driven pleasure, necessitating regulation or abstinence.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to discuss the bad habits that can develop in gaming and how they can detract from the enjoyment of playing video games.

How does the author describe the formation of bad habits in relation to gaming?

The author explains that bad habits form due to the brain prioritizing immediate rewards over long-term benefits, often leading to mindless behavior that can sap the fun from gaming.

What is the 'cue, craving, response, reward' loop as it relates to gaming?

The 'cue, craving, response, reward' loop is a behavioral pattern where a cue (e.g., approaching a risky situation in a game) triggers a craving (e.g., for safety and control), leading to a response (e.g., quicksaving) and resulting in a reward (e.g., relief from knowing actions have no permanent consequences).

Why does the author believe it's important to commit to a single game at a time?

The author believes committing to a single game helps find satisfaction in gaming because it allows for deeper engagement and prevents the feeling of being overwhelmed by juggling multiple games.

What does the author suggest doing if limiting oneself to a single game at a time feels too restrictive?

If limiting oneself to a single game feels too restrictive, the author suggests compartmentalizing play into explicit settings or moods, such as having one multiplayer game, one travel game, and one primary single-player game at a time.

How does the author view the idea of not finishing every game?

The author believes not every game deserves to be finished and that players should recognize when continuing to play is causing more harm than good, suggesting it's okay to stop playing a game if it starts to feel like a chore.

What is the significance of the author's experience with 'Tales of Arise'?

The author's experience with 'Tales of Arise' illustrates the point that commitment to a game can go too far, leading to playing out of obligation rather than enjoyment, and missing the point that sunk costs should not influence decisions to continue playing.

Why does the author encourage embracing defeat in games?

The author encourages embracing defeat because it is an opportunity for learning and growth, and overcoming challenges that initially seem impossible can be one of the most rewarding experiences in gaming.

What is the author's opinion on experimenting with different play styles in games?

The author believes that experimenting with different play styles can breathe new life into a game and is a great way to find more enjoyment, as it was in his experience with 'Elden Ring' when he tried a different character build.

How does the author suggest appreciating the artistic beauty in games?

The author suggests taking time to look at and appreciate the art direction, design, and music in games, as these elements can elevate the enjoyment of gameplay.

What is the potential downside of overindulging in competitive multiplayer games according to the author?

The potential downside of overindulging in competitive multiplayer games is the emotional rollercoaster it can create, with highs of winning and lows of losing, which can lead to frustration and a negative gaming experience.

Why does the author warn against following the gaming discourse too closely?

The author warns against following the gaming discourse too closely because it can lead to missing out on games that might be personally enjoyable, as opinions can become the defacto viewpoint and influence personal decisions about games.

What is the author's view on using the internet for help in games?

The author views using the internet for help as beneficial but cautions against an unhealthy reliance on it, as it can prevent the rewarding feeling of solving problems independently and reduce the highs of gaming.

How does the author feel about only playing new and popular games?

The author feels that focusing solely on new and popular games can lead to a cycle of churning through releases without finding satisfaction, suggesting that older games can also provide great experiences.

What advice does the author give for maintaining a balance in gaming habits?

The author advises maintaining a balance by setting rules for gaming consumption, such as only playing after completing important daily tasks, to ensure that gaming remains a rewarding experience and doesn't lead to addiction or imbalance in life.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Understanding Gaming Habits

The speaker begins by acknowledging that everyone has bad habits, including those related to gaming. They explain that these habits can form in unexpected areas and share their personal experiences with gaming habits over the years. The goal of the video is to identify and discuss 10 such habits that can detract from the enjoyment of gaming. The speaker introduces the concept of 'cue, craving, response, reward' loop as a way to understand how these habits form, using 'save scumming' as an example. They emphasize the importance of recognizing these habits to overcome them.

05:02

🕹️ Juggling Too Many Games

The speaker discusses the first bad habit of juggling too many games at once, which can lead to a lack of focus and fulfillment. They suggest committing to one game at a time or, at the very least, organizing gaming time around specific settings or moods to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to enhance the gaming experience.

10:03

🏆 Not Knowing When to Quit

The second habit discussed is the difficulty in knowing when to stop playing a game that has become monotonous or unenjoyable. The speaker recounts a personal experience with 'Tales of Arise' and advises viewers to be open to the idea of moving on from a game when it no longer brings joy, considering the time already spent as a sunk cost.

15:08

🔮 Expecting Immediate Success

The speaker addresses the common expectation of winning or mastering games right from the start, which can lead to frustration when the game's difficulty increases. They encourage embracing the learning process and the satisfaction that comes from overcoming challenges, rather than letting initial failures affect the overall gaming experience.

20:09

🛡️ Experimenting with Different Play Styles

The fourth habit is the reluctance to experiment with different play styles, such as character classes or strategies. The speaker shares their preference for magic-based characters and how trying a different build in 'Elden Ring' enhanced their enjoyment. They encourage stepping out of comfort zones to find new ways to engage with games.

🎨 Appreciating Artistic Elements

The speaker emphasizes the importance of appreciating the artistic and aesthetic elements of games, such as art direction, design, and music. They recount their experience with 'Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess' and how it made them more aware of the game's beauty, suggesting that taking time to appreciate these aspects can elevate the gaming experience.

🏆 Overindulging in Competition

The sixth habit discussed is the overindulgence in competitive gaming, which can lead to emotional highs and lows. The speaker shares their experience as a competitive player and how they had to accept their limits over time. They advise being mindful of the emotional impact of competitive gaming.

🗣️ Following Gaming Discourse Too Closely

The speaker warns against relying too heavily on the gaming community's discourse to form opinions about games. They recount their experience with 'Battlefield 2042' and how initial negative reactions might have deterred them from enjoying the game. They encourage forming independent opinions and not letting external discourse dictate personal gaming experiences.

📚 Relying on Internet for Help

The seventh habit is the overreliance on the internet for help with games, which can diminish the satisfaction of solving problems independently. The speaker reflects on the use of strategy guides in the past and how they provided useful information while also potentially reducing the sense of achievement. They suggest finding a balance between seeking help and figuring things out on one's own.

🆕 Focusing Solely on New Releases

The eighth habit discussed is the focus on playing only new and popular games, which can lead to a cycle of constantly seeking novelty without finding lasting satisfaction. The speaker recommends exploring older games and engaging with communities that appreciate classic titles, suggesting that age does not equate to a lack of quality in gaming.

🚫 Binging Games Without Balance

The ninth habit is binging video games without maintaining a balance in life, which can lead to addiction and compulsive behavior. The speaker discusses the neurological effects of excessive gaming on dopamine levels and suggests strategies like dopamine fasting or self-binding to regulate gaming habits and maintain a healthy balance.

📖 Seeking More Strategies

In conclusion, the speaker invites viewers to share their own struggles and strategies for overcoming bad gaming habits in the comments. They express hope that the video has raised awareness about these habits and encourage ongoing discussion to help gamers improve their experiences.

Keywords

💡Bad Habits

Bad habits refer to persistent behaviors that are considered detrimental to one's well-being. In the context of the video, bad gaming habits are behaviors that can diminish the enjoyment or have negative impacts on the gaming experience. Examples from the script include juggling too many games at once or not knowing when to stop playing a game that has become monotonous.

💡Mindless Behavior

Mindless behavior is when actions are performed without much thought or consideration. The video discusses how engaging in video games mindlessly can lead to the formation of bad habits. It contrasts this with a more ideal approach to gaming that is more mindful and intentional.

💡Immediate Rewards

Immediate rewards are short-term benefits that provide instant gratification. The video explains how our brains are wired to prioritize these over long-term benefits, which can lead to the formation of bad habits. An example given is the 'cue, craving, response, reward' loop, where the reward is the immediate relief felt from save scumming in games.

💡Sunk Cost

A sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered. The video mentions how not recognizing sunk costs can lead to continuing to play a game long after it has stopped being enjoyable, simply because of the time already invested.

💡Overcoming Challenges

Overcoming challenges is a core aspect of many games and is tied to the satisfaction of achieving something difficult. The video encourages embracing the challenge and learning from defeat, rather than expecting to win everything on the first try.

💡Comfort Zones

Comfort zones are the behaviors or environments where a person feels at ease and without stress. The video suggests that not experimenting with different play styles, staying within one's comfort zone, can limit the enjoyment of games. It encourages stepping out of these zones to try new strategies or character builds.

💡Artistic Beauty

Artistic beauty in video games refers to the aesthetic elements such as graphics, art direction, and music that contribute to the overall experience. The video encourages players to appreciate these elements, as they can enhance enjoyment and immersion in games.

💡Competitive Multiplayer

Competitive multiplayer refers to game modes where players compete against each other. The video discusses the highs and lows of this type of gaming and how overindulging can lead to negative experiences, suggesting a more balanced approach.

💡Discourse

Discourse in the video refers to the conversations and opinions within the gaming community about games. It warns against relying too heavily on this discourse to form opinions, as it may lead to missing out on games that could be personally enjoyable despite general negative reception.

💡Strategy Guides

Strategy guides are resources that provide tips, walkthroughs, and other assistance for games. The video reflects on the use of such guides and the internet for help, cautioning against an overreliance that can diminish the satisfaction of solving challenges independently.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward system. The video discusses how gaming can affect dopamine levels, leading to addictive behaviors and the need for balance to maintain a healthy relationship with gaming.

Highlights

Bad habits can form in unexpected places, including video games.

Mindless behavior towards video games can lead to the formation of bad habits.

Bad habits often go unnoticed and can diminish the enjoyment of gaming.

The first step to breaking a bad habit is recognizing its existence.

Bad habits form due to the brain's prioritization of immediate rewards over long-term benefits.

The 'cue, craving, response, reward' loop is a common pattern in habit formation.

Save scumming is an example of a gaming habit that can diminish long-term enjoyment.

Juggling too many games at once can lead to a lack of fulfillment.

Committing to a single game can increase satisfaction.

Knowing when to stop playing a game is crucial to maintaining enjoyment.

Not every game deserves to be finished, and players should decide when to move on.

Setting unrealistic expectations early in a game can lead to frustration.

Learning through defeat is a key aspect of many games.

Experimenting with different play styles can enhance gaming experiences.

Appreciating the artistic beauty in games can elevate enjoyment.

Overindulging in competitive gaming can lead to emotional rollercoasters.

Following gaming discourse too closely can influence personal gaming choices negatively.

Relying too much on the internet for help can diminish the satisfaction of solving problems independently.

Playing only new and popular games can lead to a cycle of constant dissatisfaction.

Binging video games without balance can lead to addiction and compulsive behaviors.

Strategies like dopamine fasting or self-binding can help regulate gaming habits.

The video aims to raise awareness of common bad gaming habits to improve overall enjoyment.

Transcripts

If there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that  we all have some bad habits in our lives—I know  

I do. But bad habits aren’t just limited to  the areas we typically think of, like diet,  

fitness, and relationships. They can  also develop in unexpected places.

For most of my life, I thought  of video games as an escape:  

an activity I could engage in mindlessly  as a way to detach from the rest of the  

world. But as I’ve come to realize, that  is far from the ideal way to enjoy games.

Just like with anything else in life,  mindless behavior toward video games  

risks the formation of bad habits.  And in this video, I wanna shine light  

on 10 of those habits that I’ve personally  struggled with over the last couple decades.

Often, these habits can go completely unnoticed,  

slowly sapping the fun from an activity we  used to find enjoyment in. It’s my hope that  

this video can help you identify some of your  own tendencies when it comes to gaming—because  

the first step to kicking a bad habit  is figuring out that it exists at all.

Before we jump into the list, I do wanna  quickly talk about where bad habits come  

from. The simplest explanation is that they form  because our brains prioritize immediate rewards  

over long-term benefits, which are often less  tangible and therefore difficult to quantify.  

This short-term bias makes it really tempting  for us to repeat behaviors that feel good or  

avoid pain in the moment, even if they’re  not constructive for us in the long run. In  

Atomic Habits, James Clear defines this as  the “cue, craving, response, reward” loop.

To put it in gamer terms: imagine this  loop for save scumming. The cue for  

that behavior would be approaching  any potential conflict, decision,  

or risky situation. The craving is the desire  for safety and control within that situation,  

the response to that craving would be deciding  to open up the menu and quicksave, and finally,  

the reward is the immediate relief you feel from  knowing that your actions now have no permanent  

consequences—if you need to, you can simply reload  that save and try again for your desired outcome.

Although save scumming rewards  you with relief in the moment,  

over the long term you may miss out on a lot of  the tension that makes games exciting to play.

Alright, now that we have a little  background on how these habits form,  

let’s look at the ones that have given me  the most trouble so far in my gaming career

#1 - Juggling too many games at once

I’m a firm believer that we’re living  in a golden age of video games right  

now. There are literally thousands of  amazing titles, accessible in an instant  

thanks to the magic of the internet.  Which is great, but it’s also f*****.

If you find it difficult to stay committed to  a single game at a time, you are not alone my  

friend. I’ve struggled with this on and off  for a long time, and it’s only become more  

difficult as I’ve accumulated more consoles  and enrolled in more subscription services. I  

talked about this in my very first video on the  channel, but I believe that our best chance to  

find satisfaction in games is to commit to them  unless they give us a legitimate reason not to.

Whenever I’ve tried to rotate between 3  or 4 or 5 different games without fully  

committing myself to any of them, it’s left  me feeling unfulfilled. Not only does it  

require a lot of energy to decide which of  those I’m gonna play on any given night,  

but it also makes it tough to get  in the groove with any of them.

If limiting yourself to a single game at  a time is a terrifying thought for you,  

at least consider compartmentalizing your play  into explicit settings or moods. For instance,  

it’s much easier to sustain one multiplayer  game, one travel game, and one primary single  

player game at time, compared to three 70+  hour RPGs that you’re trying to play all at  

once. I won’t lie to you and say that it’s  easy to maintain this kind of discipline,  

but if you try it for yourself I think you’ll  come to the same conclusion that I have.

#2 - Not knowing when to put a game down

In the last habit, we talked about commitment  being a key ingredient to finding satisfaction  

in games. This is the other side to that coin.  Commitment can go too far—to the point where you  

fail to realize that spending more time with a  game is actually causing more harm than good.

I fell victim to this when I was playing  through Tales of Arise a few years ago. I  

thought this was a good game overall, but  like many JRPGs, the combat was starting  

to get pretty repetitive as I neared hour 40, 50,  60. That was just too much Tales of Arise for me,  

but after putting that much time in,  I did wanna see how the story played  

out in the end. So I put my head down  and trudged through the last 20 hours.

Looking back on that experience, I should have  stopped playing as soon as the game started  

to consistently feel like a chore. I could have  easily watched the last few cutscenes on YouTube,  

and I would have saved myself almost two  weeks of mostly disinterested gaming.

Not every game deserves to be finished,  and that assessment has to come from you  

personally. You are the only one who can decide  when it’s time to move on—so keep an open mind,  

and remember that your time spent with the  game already is 100% a sunk cost. So you  

should never consider that time in your  decision about whether to keep playing.

#3 - Expecting to win everything on the first try

In any game with challenging  bosses, tactical battles,  

or head scratching puzzles, there’s often  a temptation for us to set expectations for  

our future performance within the very  first couple hours of the experience.

The problem with that is most games have a  difficulty curve that continues to slope up  

over time. In other words, the beginning of  the game is usually the easiest part. Despite  

knowing this, I can’t count the number of  times I’ve gotten irrationally frustrated  

after the first so called “skill check” in  a game, and I know I’m not the only one.

When you start a game effortlessly defeating every  enemy or clearing stages with perfect execution,  

that first difficulty spike is like  a shock to the system. In the moment,  

it can feel a little crappy to realize that you  are not, in fact, infallible. But the mistake I’ve  

often made is letting the frustration of that  defeat linger. This is especially problematic  

because the entire premise of many fantastic  games is learning through defeat. Instead,  

you should welcome the opportunity to develop  mastery over a challenging situation. Because  

overcoming something that first seemed impossible  is one of the greatest payoffs in gaming.

#4 - Not experimenting with different play styles

We all have our comfort zones when it comes  to games—these are the character classes,  

weapon choices, and strategies that come  most naturally to us. Maybe you tend to  

gravitate toward big swords over bows  and knives, or you like to over-prepare  

for situations rather than rushing in  and seeing what happens. Personally,  

I’m a sucker for a good spell. Magic based  characters often have strong AOE potential,  

and I can usually cast spells while keeping  some space between me and my enemies.

I’ve played mages in a lot of different  fantasy RPGs, but if I’m being objective,  

it’s not always the most enjoyable  experience. In my Elden Ring playthrough,  

I started with a strict intelligence build.  Even by level 40 or 50, I was still just  

running around poppin off Glintstone shards at  anything that moved. It was around that point  

I finally admitted to myself that I’d probably  have more fun if I just tried a different build.

This can be a daunting proposition depending  on how attached you are to your play style,  

and I do have to subtract a few points  from Elden Ring for making it not that  

accessible to players. But after tossing  away the comfort of a familiar play style,  

I have not once regretted my decision to try  something new. It is, without a doubt, the easiest  

way to breathe new life into a game. I do wanna  shout out Capcom in this segment, because in my  

experience they do a great job encouraging players  to try different tactics in their games. Dragon’s  

Dogma 2 has a really fluid vocation system, and  the Monster Hunter series is constantly tempting  

you to learn a new weapon…and then inevitably  spend 20 more hours optimizing a build for it.

#5 - Not appreciating the beauty in games

Video games are the most dynamic form  of media. They’re interactive, yeah,  

but they’re also rich with artistic beauty—and  this medium gives players a unique way to engage  

with those elements. If you let the credits  roll on a big AAA game, it’s not uncommon to  

see hundreds or even thousands of names  who contributed to that final product,  

with many of them responsible for parts of the  game that go unrecognized and uncelebrated.

A mistake I’ve made too many times  in the past is focusing on just  

gameplay. I get so caught up in the  mechanics, trying to win and have fun,  

that I completely blind myself to all the  other amazing elements of the package.

I’ve been playing through Kunitsu-Gami: Path  of the Goddess recently, and let me tell you:  

this is a game that makes it hard for  you to ignore its beauty. There are so  

many aesthetic flourishes that  don’t really serve any purpose,  

other than to just exist and be nice  to look at. Walking around the camps,  

changing your equipment, viewing the different  models of enemies or Japanese desserts—it all  

makes for a wonderful context within which the  mechanical elements of the game can operate.

But not every game is so upfront with its  presentation—so the next time you load into your  

favorite game, take a few minutes to just look at  stuff, appreciate the art direction, the design,  

listen to the sounds, and immerse yourself in the  music. I guarantee it will elevate your enjoyment.

#6 - Overindulging in competition

With my dominant play personality being a  competitor, I have at many points in my life,  

felt the intoxicating draw of competitive  multiplayer games. There’s no feeling quite  

like outmatching another real player—when  your reflexes are dialed in and nothing  

can get in your way, it’s hard to imagine  any other gaming experience topping that.

But as anyone who’s played these kinds of games  knows, you’re signing up for a rollercoaster  

every time you log in. With those highs, so  come the lows. Even if you’re performing at  

the peak of your skill level, these games  will eventually pit you against opponents  

who are even better. And if you get a few of those  matches in a row, it’s a recipe for a spazz out.

In an era when most kids these  days have grown up on FPS games,  

the standard multiplayer experience is  already at the sweatfest level. At my age,  

I’ve had to accept that I simply cannot  keep up anymore. I can handle a little  

bit here and there, but if I overextend  myself I always ended up regretting it.

#7 - Following the discourse too closely

Many of you are likely looped in to the general  video game discourse. Whenever new games come out,  

or a big update ships, or there’s some juicy  industry news, the community always has something  

to say about it. Usually, the big content  creators will put out videos with their own  

reactions or reviews, and often those opinions end  up becoming the defacto point of view on a game.

This can definitely be a positive thing,  if they’re calling out legitimate problems  

or singing the praise for a lesser  known title that’s worth checking  

out. But if you’re always looking to the  discourse to make your decisions for you,  

there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on  some things you may have otherwise enjoyed.

As a longtime fan of the Battlefield games,  I remember vividly when BF2042 launched a  

few years ago, to almost universal mockery.  The game was factually busted on release,  

with some of the jankiest graphical bugs we  had seen since Cyberpunk. If I had taken those  

initial impressions from the community  and solidified my opinion on the game,  

I would have never tried it. But to Dice’s credit,  they did turn the game around. By the time it came  

to EA Play and I could download it via Gamepass  Ultimate, the game was legitimately fun. Was  

it my ideal battlefield game, hell no. But I was  having a great time playing the franchise again,  

and that’s because I didn’t let the discourse  permanently taint my opinion of BF2042.

#8 - Relying too much on the internet for help

Growing up, there wasn’t much better than a trip  to Gamestop. Even if I didn’t walk away with a new  

game, I still enjoyed browsing the shelves and  checking out all the various gaming accessories  

and peripherals. One of the more interesting  items you’d find the were so-called “strategy  

guides” for recently released games. If you’re  not familiar, or you’re too young to know what  

I’m talking about, these were essentially printed  wikis. They were bound like a thick magazine  

and usually featured full-color pages about  everything you might need to know in a game.

Conceptually, these guides had utility—especially  for younger players. I remember reading through  

the one for Animal Crossing on Gamecube and  discovering that you could plant a money bag  

in those shiny holes and would sprout a  f****** money tree. There was no way my  

8 year old brain would have figured  that out. And yet, I gotta wonder,  

what if I did? Wouldn’t it have felt so  much more satisfying to find that on my own?

Today, with intricate fan wikis, YouTube,  and Reddit, the answer to any question about  

a game is at our fingertips. Get stumped on a  shrine in Zelda? Within seconds, you can find  

the step-by-step solution. I do believe that, just  like with strategy guides, having this information  

be accessible to players is a good thing. But  what’s not good is developing an unhealthy  

reliance on it. If you’re immediately reaching for  your phone at any point you feel lost in a game,  

you’re completely closing yourself off to the  potential for that rewarding sensation of solving  

the problem on your own. Without any friction,  the highs of gaming become disappointingly muted.

Big shout out to my friend Richie for helping  me realize this one—I used to look stuff up a  

lot more often before he showed me his  ways, and I am very thankful for that.

#9 - Only playing new and popular games

The excitement of downloading a newly released  game, especially one that’s been hyped up by a  

bunch of marketers and content creators, is always  thrilling. Getting to experience something at the  

same time as thousands of other players around  the world can really make you feel connected to  

the community. But it’s also a slippery slope.  Novelty is alluring, but often fleeting—if  

it’s the sole attribute you’re seeking, you  may be setting yourself up for a detrimental  

cycle of churning and burning  through every notable release.

Not only will this be taxing on your  wallet, it’ll deprive you of finding  

any real satisfaction in games, as  your mind will quickly wander from  

focusing on whatever you *are* playing  to whatever is next around the corner.

If this is something you struggle with, I would  definitely recommend having a browse through the  

r/patientgamer subreddit. There are tons of  great conversations there about old games,  

where players are finally getting around to modern  classics like Dark Souls or Bioshock. Thanks to  

that community, I recently got hooked on this  game called Mobile Golf for the gameboy color,  

which was a sequel to Mario Golf that never  got a western release. It’s just a fantastic,  

streamlined 2D golf game, and it came  out 23 years ago. Old does not mean bad.

#10 - Binging video games without  adequate balance in your life

This one is where we get a little serious. If  you’re watching this video, there’s a good chance  

you spend a lot of your free time playing games,  just as I do. What’s critical to acknowledge about  

video games is that they are a highly streamlined,  precisely tuned tool for delivering dopamine.

This, of course, is one of the primary  “feel good” neurotransmitters in our  

brain. Dopamine drives pleasure, motivation,  and reward…but it also plays a central role  

in addiction and compulsive behaviors.  As Dr. Anna Lembke explains in her book,  

Dopamine Nation, our brains seek to maintain a  sort of equilibrium when it comes to dopamine.  

If we continuously expose ourselves to potent,  dopamine-producing activities like gaming,  

the brain will actually respond by decreasing  dopamine activity, which can lead to feelings  

of withdrawal or emptiness, often followed by  cravings and increased pleasure-seeking behavior.

And over the long term, chronic  consumption of video games will  

build up a tolerance in your brain.  That means you’ll need more games,  

or more stimulating games, to feel that  same pleasure response that you crave.

To break this cycle, some form of abstinence  or regulation is needed. You’ve probably heard  

of dopamine fasting, which is essentially  taking an extended break from high pleasure  

activities. But you could also try various  forms of self-binding, as Lembke calls them,  

which are basically rules you set for your own  consumption behavior. For example, during the  

week I don’t let myself play games unless I’ve  finished all my important tasks for the day,  

which usually includes making dinner,  exercising, working on my next video,  

and other admin stuff. This self-binding  strategy helps me maintain a strong level  

of motivation throughout the day, because I use  gaming as my reward for accomplishing my tasks.  

And that balance ensures that the dopamine  spike from gaming continues to feel good.

For those of you who are really struggling  with this, I would strongly recommend  

checking out Dopamine Nation, which I’ve  linked in the video description. There’s  

a ton more great insight from Dr. Lembke  that I just can’t fit into this video.

And there we have it—10 bad gaming habits. As I  mentioned at the top, these are all things I’ve  

struggled with in the past, or continue  to struggle with today. So just remember,  

if any of these 10 felt especially targeted  toward you, you are most certainly not alone.

I do sincerely hope that I was able  to bring awareness to some of these  

habits that can easily fly under  the radar. At the end of the day,  

I want everyone to be able to get  the most enjoyment out of gaming.

So let me know in the comments: what gaming  habits do you struggle with? Do you have any  

strategies or suggestions that might be able  to help out other players? Based on what I  

couldn’t cram into this video, I’m pretty  sure there will be a part 2 at some point,  

so I’ll definitely keep an eye out  in the comments for your thoughts.

As always, thank you so much for watching, and if  you learned something or you enjoyed the video,  

don’t forget to leave a like on the  way out. See you guys in the next one!