Prejudice against video games...

My uncle just visited me today,and went off on a rant of how some kids went insane due to playing video games...
He apparently watched a Voice of America article or something like that, after he was done telling me these ,,facts'', he asked me if i was going to develop a mental disorder due to playing video games, to which i responded with a laugh. 
My dad is very much the same -.-
Anyway,do you have any family members or someone close to you that breaks your balls over playing video games?

Nope, no crazy people in my family. 
In Denmark nobody belives that bullshit (well ok, there might be 3-4 people who apparantly do) about videogames being bad for you and nonsense like that. 
Here we have old people who just know when people are crazy and blame the person for being an "idiot" or "weird" 

Not video games in general, though my friends do bust my balls over WoW even though i only play a couple hours a week >.>

" @ZeForgotten: Yeah well we cant all be perfect like you Danish -.- You're still a prick though. "

I don't give a shit what my family thinks. I take care of myself and stay out of trouble.

I'm not a prick, I'm an asshole and proud of it :D  And I'm better than everyone else, so it works out in the end for me :D "

" @ZeForgotten:

I'm not a prick, I'm an asshole and proud of it :D  And I'm better than everyone else, so it works out in the end for me :D "

Just for that comment,everything is forgiven XD "

" My uncle just visited me today,and went off on a rant of how some kids went insane due to playing video games... He apparently watched a Voice of America article or something like that, after he was done telling me these ,,facts'', he asked me if i was going to develop a mental disorder due to playing video games, to which i responded with a laugh.  My dad is very much the same -.-Anyway,do you have any family members or someone close to you that breaks your balls over playing video games? "

" I don't give a shit what my family thinks. I take care of myself and stay out of trouble. "

I cant get a girl cause everytime they ask me what my hobbies are the first thing i say is videogames then everything else. The second that word comes out of my mouth there gone. And my friends bust my balls for playing MMOs.

My family doesn't think I'm crazy but they don't really approve. I have to buy all my own games :(

Not really, I'm lucky in that all my immediate family 'game' to some extent.

I can feel hatred for those two swelling within me. Have you explained to them "correlation does not mean causation?" That the people who do these types of things are already mentally unbalanced? That a small portion of video games are actually rated M?

Nope, haven't met anyone who thinks like that.

My girlfriend was kind of against violent games, however I'm not sure if thats the case anymore. she really likes watching deadspace 2, I think its the scare factor.

Well my father doesn't like violent games, but I'm also at the age where his opinion on small things like that don't exactly matter. Plus I bought him Band of Brothers and The Pacific for the last two christmases and he loves them, even if they're violent as shit. 
 
He doesn't rail me about my games as much as before, and in exchange I don't rail him for listening to that AWFUL acid jazz elevator music he listens to. 

I play video games and no one breaks my balls for it.

People still are arguing against this stuff? We have bigger problems.

Gamers, if you're really concerned about the content in video games because your friends or family believe it turns people into ruthless killers, just ask them what video games Jack the Ripper played or which Mortal Kombat inspired Adolf Hitler. While they still hold that dumb look of confusion on their face, just reply, "Exactly." and walk away.    

" My uncle just visited me today,and went off on a rant of how some kids went insane due to playing video games... He apparently watched a Voice of America article or something like that, after he was done telling me these ,,facts'', he asked me if i was going to develop a mental disorder due to playing video games, to which i responded with a laugh.  My dad is very much the same -.-Anyway,do you have any family members or someone close to you that breaks your balls over playing video games? "

It's the same ol' story repeated throughout time. All forms of entertainment are bad for you, rots yer brain even. Video games, music, movies, television, hell i'm sure the spreading of information in written form is considered bad for you by some.
...now if you'll excuse me, i am off to do something more productive with my time and build this pipebomb out of household paper, gum and my own snot using these easy three step instructions i found on the internet....hoo'rah for productivity.

I was surprised to read all of the replies to this topic which described users suffering  the very prejudice which the title alluded to. If I might quote Cedric The Entertainer: "I'm a grown-ass man..." I pay my own bills and I do what I want for leisure.  
 
Incidentally, I find that many people who despise gaming are simply for want of experience with it. 

No not really. I think my grandmother and a couple others look down on me for playing games like it's some kind of silly childs toy that I'm too old to be using, but no one has ever said anything to me about it. They don't do it out of some kind of malice though, I just don't think they understand it and still associate it with a kids toy. At least in the case of my grandmother.

There are certain personality types that aren't helped by video games. People with OCD and those struggling with depression and/or personality disorders that make social interaction difficult can find themselves sucked into gaming in a way that's unhealthy. But it's important to note that video games didn't cause those problems. Specific kinds of gaming like MMOs can feed into people's bad social habits.
 
It's a mistake to think that gamers in general are like this, and can't imagine that many people take such arguments seriously. You get a lot of the negative perspective from older folks (I'm talking in their 50s and older) who don't have much direct experience with video games and don't understand them. The stereotype of gamers wasn't terribly accurate back in the 80s and 90s (although I have to admit I knew a few who fit the profile) but it's hardly true at all today. Everyone under 30 is a gamer of one sort or another these days. And as the general gaming population ages (hell, I'm in my mid-30s) you'll see less and less of this. 

There will always be detractors, though. Best just to ignore it and go on doing your thing.

no, no crazy people that think i am wasting time playing video games.

Tell them that gaming gave you Tourette syndrome
 

Nobody ever gives me shit for playing games. My dad sometimes jokes about how much I play, but he knows that I work on other things too and he doesn't mind that much. But no, I don't get bullied at school or made fun of or anything for playing games. I think that my grandparents don't think too highly of video games, but I don't think that's necessarily their fault. They're just a product of the time they grew up in (a time without video games).

People that still hassle people over this or any other form of entertainment need to find something more important to worry about.

I have a friend who is essentially prejudiced against modern video games.  If it isn't something like Tetris or Picross, she thinks they are just worthless and stupid.  She's literally said that she just doesn't understand the appeal when compared to movies or music.  Oh well.  It's her deal.

" Nope, no crazy people in my family. In Denmark nobody belives that bullshit (well ok, there might be 3-4 people who apparantly do) about videogames being bad for you and nonsense like that. Here we have old people who just know when people are crazy and blame the person for being an "idiot" or "weird"  "

My parents play video games. My grandma plays Jeopardy on SNES; Three of my ex girlfriends have played Oblivion to fucking death. No, nobody has ever busted my balls over playing video games. Move to Canada. 

" I cant get a girl cause everytime they ask me what my hobbies are the first thing i say is videogames then everything else. The second that word comes out of my mouth there gone. And my friends bust my balls for playing MMOs. "

Naw not really I am just one of those lucky people who doesn't have one of those close minded families who believes everything the tv tells them. The only beef some family members have with it is when all someone does is play them all day and not get out.

" @scarace360 said:

" I cant get a girl cause everytime they ask me what my hobbies are the first thing i say is videogames then everything else. The second that word comes out of my mouth there gone. And my friends bust my balls for playing MMOs. "

Don't apologize. I was briefly engaged to a psychotic who was pissy because I was a gamer. So I told women from them on that I game and that isn't going to change.  My wife is cool with it. "

well let's state the obvious here and don't try to deny it because you love video games. The average gamer spends tons of hours isolated from the world and just looking at lifeless pictures . He prefered this fictional world over real life maybe because he got some issues in real life that he needs to work on . 
I have seen many topics in gaming sites about depression and I'm starting to believe that it's common among gamers . Naturally due to their unhealthy life style . You are created as a social being and ignoring that aspect is gonna hurt you in the long run . 
Why couldn't games be just arcade for a fun of 30 minutes ? Making video games a large part of your life just doesn't feel right to me .

" I don't give a shit what my family thinks. I take care of myself and stay out of trouble. "

" well let's state the obvious here and don't try to deny it because you love video games. The average gamer spends tons of hours isolated from the world and just looking at lifeless pictures . He prefered this fictional world over real life maybe because he got some issues in real life that he needs to work on .  I have seen many topics in gaming sites about depression and I'm starting to believe that it's common among gamers . Naturally due to their unhealthy life style . You are created as a social being and ignoring that aspect is gonna hurt you in the long run .  Why couldn't games be just arcade for a fun of 30 minutes ? Making video games a large part of your life just doesn't feel right to me . "

Well my mom sometimes doesn't like it when I play till over midnight, mostly because she hears screams of people dying and it freaks the shit out of her. I got headphones now though. so she's cool with it.
 
My dad walked in yesterday when I was playing Dead Space 2 and saw me getting mutilated, he laughed and told me I suck.

If I'm spending more time playing games than spending time with my wife I sure hear about it. Apparently, in depth conversations about Jane Austen (and chores)  are more important than Dead Space 2.

My parents don't play games, but think games are totally normal, and don't think it's weird that I go to sites like GB, or listen to podcasts about them, luckily.

" @MikeinSC said:

" @scarace360 said:

" I cant get a girl cause everytime they ask me what my hobbies are the first thing i say is videogames then everything else. The second that word comes out of my mouth there gone. And my friends bust my balls for playing MMOs. "

Don't apologize. I was briefly engaged to a psychotic who was pissy because I was a gamer. So I told women from them on that I game and that isn't going to change.  My wife is cool with it. "

Man you got lucky. "

" @scarace360 said:

" @MikeinSC said:

" @scarace360 said:

" I cant get a girl cause everytime they ask me what my hobbies are the first thing i say is videogames then everything else. The second that word comes out of my mouth there gone. And my friends bust my balls for playing MMOs. "

Don't apologize. I was briefly engaged to a psychotic who was pissy because I was a gamer. So I told women from them on that I game and that isn't going to change.  My wife is cool with it. "

Man you got lucky. "

Her view is I could be drinking and carousing at a bar, so this is harmless. "

" @MikeinSC said:

" @scarace360 said:

" @MikeinSC said:

" @scarace360 said:

" I cant get a girl cause everytime they ask me what my hobbies are the first thing i say is videogames then everything else. The second that word comes out of my mouth there gone. And my friends bust my balls for playing MMOs. "

Don't apologize. I was briefly engaged to a psychotic who was pissy because I was a gamer. So I told women from them on that I game and that isn't going to change.  My wife is cool with it. "

Man you got lucky. "

Her view is I could be drinking and carousing at a bar, so this is harmless. "

Where did you find her? "

Yep both of my parents...