Most men who have played video games on even a semi-regular basis have experienced what is known as Gamer Rage. Frustrations at being unable to progress past a certain point in a game or constantly being killed by other players in an online setting are just a couple of the known causes. Anyone can be affected by gamer rage.
The level of frustration that often sparks this rage touches men on an almost primal level. The frustration builds until men feel the irrational need to lash out at someone or something. Broken or damaged controllers, holes in walls, and smashed TVs or monitors are just some of the casualties of gamer rage. It can also lead to broken relationships or friendships as well as injury to oneself or anyone else in the room.
There are some that scoff and just say that it is the result of taking games too seriously. In a way, this may be true, but it may go deeper than that. Man has within himself a basic need to compete and emerge victorious against all obstacles. Some may feel this more strongly than others, but it is generally there on some level.
This need to compete and conquer is one of the things that often lead to an outbreak of gamer rage in men of all ages. Anyone who has felt gamer rage should consider a few things about their gaming. What types of games are being played? How much time is spent playing these games? Are they games of just one type, or are they a blend of games?
Psychologists are becoming more and more convinced of a link between violent or anti-social video games and increases in aggression. People have been saying that these violent games teach those that play them to be more violent and aggressive. In a way, this is true. Video games do teach the players on some level, and the types of games being played on a regular basis will affect those that are playing them.
Gamers that play a lot of games that center around violence or competition should consider adding games that have no competition to their play time. These non-competitive and non-violent games can help to counter the frustration generated by more competitive and violent games. Gamers need to find a balance in their gaming to avoid being a victim of gamer rage.
Another possible counter to gamer rage is to get up and walk away. When frustration begins to mount, pause the game and walk away for a while. This gives the gamer a chance to cool down and clear his head before returning to the game that was frustrating him. Five minutes away from the game could be all it would take to avoid something that will be regretted later.
Gamer rage is not something that is necessarily easily fixed. It stems from base emotions within the player, but it can be easily avoided. It takes making a conscious decision to change things about playing video games. There is nothing wrong with playing video games, and there is nothing wrong with playing the games that the gamer enjoys. There just needs to be some moderation.
Limiting the time spent playing and alternating the types of games played can go a long way toward preventing gamer rage. Gamers need to remember why they started playing games in the first place. Most often it was to relax and break away from the stress of their daily lives. Games provide a way to escape for a while, but that escape shouldn’t add to the stress.
Gamer rage can affect anyone at any time. It can hurt everyone, but it can be avoided. Games are meant to be a fun escape and should stay that way. All it takes is for the gamer to make a choice about playing.