Why gaming is a hobby disliked by girls/wives.
I was okay with gaming as a hobby when I dated my hubby. In fact, we often played games together and his friends envied him for having a girlfriend who enjoys gaming with him rather than asking him to stop gaming like many other girls.
But after we got married, his gaming habit started to affect a few aspects of my life. So now I feel that gaming is an unproductive hobby and I dislike it. I am going to share my opinions that arise based on what I experienced (having a gamer husband), so I admit that I could be generalising many things. But hey, these are my opinions.
First, guys treat the games more important than other tasks they are supposed to do (like housework). When they spend more time gaming, their wives end up doing more of the housework. And some guys are so engrossed in their games that despite many reminders to do their share of the housework, they keep saying “will do later” but never do it.
You often hear wives complaining that their husbands are busy gaming (either on computer or using handphone) and neglected the housework/kids. Since when do you hear a wife complain “My husband did not do the housework because he is busy reading a book”? Or since when do you hear parents tell the teacher “Sorry my boy didn’t complete your homework because he is busy fishing”? Being addicted to mobile/computer games is one of the top reasons why students don’t do well in school, as opposed to other hobbies.
Second, guys are more uncivilised when playing co-op or competitive multiplayer games. They want to win the games so badly, they get emotional and curse or swear a lot. When they talk to each other over the mic, they cannot control their volume and their shouting can often be heard throughout the house. Many guys have anger management issues when they lose a game. Why must they react so negatively over a game which has no relevance to real life? I really cannot stand hearing vulgarities in my own home, especially when there are kids around. Super bad influence.
Third, a gamer appears more slack than other people pursuing other types of hobbies. Imagine the sight of a guy slouching on a chair, clicking his mouse away. The only word that came to my mind is “slacker”. Then you imagine another guy cycling, or exercising at a gym. And the word that came to my mind is “fit”. Or you imagine another guy baking/cooking in the kitchen and you go “wow, a great cook!” Somehow the image of other hobbies just appears more positive and attractive than the image of gaming. I know guys will think that gadgets look cool. They think that their elaborate computer set up looks cool. But most girls are not in tech stuff so we don’t care.
I know some of you will disagree with what I shared and said that you are a gamer and you can regulate how much you game such that you don’t neglect other things, you don’t curse, etc. You could be the minority. I am just sharing my experience. And if you are a gamer who feels that your wife always nags at you and you don’t understand why she dislikes gaming so much, maybe this post can help you to understand.