this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2026

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Without video games, would more places currently be on fire? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Would young men be rioting in the streets if they didn't have video games to pacify them?

Hear me out.

We are seeing record levels of young men unemployed and living with their parents: The future for them is bleak. Saddled with college debt, they can barely get a job that pays miimum wage, while living independently is forever out of reach.

I feel like at other points of history, there would be more social unrest, but things are exceedingly calm given the economics.

I was watching a video by Healthy Gamer, a gamer bro-turned psychiatrist. He points out that video games are very addictive and seductive because they MIMIC accomplishment. You can grind to get to the next level, you can gain new skills, you are continually put on a treadmill of constant progress. It's very satisfying in a hollow way, satisfying in a way that might make you forget that society has nothing to offer you but debt and homelessness after you followed all the rules.

Are video games weapons of mass distraction, the metaphysical equivalent of a million Christians being fed to a million lions every day?

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[–] lokalhorst@feddit.org 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I would think it is not the same globally. Video games and consoles are a privilege many people in the global south cannot cannot afford most of the time.

However I would dismiss your theory because it too monocausal. Also I get the feeling your are projecting from yourself to others, as video games may play a huge role in your life. I am 30+ and while I grew up with video games, they were not as widespread as today, so maybe I just don't know shit.

But you're saying traffic FROM Moroco might actually be traffic THROUGH Moroco?

I just looked it up, it seems they were morrocon men in the majority, some women from Algeria.

[–] schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It's more a thought experiement, hyperbolically phrased. If you want to be more REASONABLE (yawn), we can ask, "What role do videogames play in squelching social unrest?"

I haven't really played video games for several years myself, but I do know they can offer substantial psychological rewards for people who have no other engagements with society, and having worked with some younger people in retail, video games were a huge part of their life.

And twitch is definitely a thing.