Is there a stigma attached to being a gamer?

[Referal]

I had this talk with a friend the other days. We were talking about how a lot of older people look down on men who play video games. They say things like guys over a certain age shouldn't be interested in fake worlds and if you are old enough to drink, you are too old for video games.

My girlfriend walked in the room and laughed a little and called us lazy nerds. I know she was joking but it made me think... Is there some kind of stigma of being lazy attached to enjoying video games?

 

[Zeratul2020]

I don't think so and if you're a gamer then you won't care right? There are a lot of old gamers like me and it's like riding a bike, you can't unlearn it. You'll always be drawn by video games.

 

[Denis_P]

I kind of feel like it's mostly a generational thing, but I do think that there is definitely some degree of stigma surrounding gamers.

For example, every time I mention playing video games, my grandfather has a habit of reminding me that "Video games were created to distract your mind from the important things in life." And I can only respond with a, "Yeah? And?"

I mean 90% of my day is engulfed with the "important" things in life. I work, I stress over bills, I get existential crises over global warming, but the moment I turn on a video game I'm suddenly a brain dead zombie? And this is a notion shared by a lot of people.

Why should 100% of my day be spent doing something productive or stressing out? I just want a moment to turn by brain off and enjoy an imaginary world, no different than people who watch movies or read novels.