Is escapism a tonic?

[job32]

I mean, is it something that can take you away from all the bad news ( real or otherwise ) being pushed down your throat constantly by the media?

 

[diet_orange]

I'd say so. Though a lot of the hobbies that encourage it are also unfortunately prone to gatekeeping

 

[job32]

I'd say so. Though a lot of the hobbies that encourage it are also unfortunately prone to gatekeeping

I don't doubt that. It's really just being a bit more aware of things and hope you don't step on a mine. I was talking more, for people not feeling freaked out about avoiding the social media and mainstream media, by logging off and playing games offline.

 

[prnzoDraGoonZweiOrta]

I like to mix it up n sometimes retro from my beloved late 80's n early 90's does the trick... or sometimes a modern indie dev'd or even quasi-AAA title can make the rusty but energetic wheels turn again

 

[Segadude113]

it's all i have

 

[Xugabugala]

All work and no play makes Xugabugala a dull boy.

 

[glokglakglak]

escapism is the result of a sub-ideal society

not my fault whatever people built sucks like ASS

 

[Segadude113]

escapism is the result of a sub-ideal society

not my fault whatever people built sucks like ASS

escapism gave us LOTR.

 

[Tetronomicon]

Much like taking any other mind altering substance, it is an intentional distortion of reality. Whether you're using to get away from it (escapism) or just to enhance it (entertainment), video games are another form of said distortion.

If we were to agree that it is an art form, then you'd have to admit it's probably the most abstract of them. It's a medium that lets you do a lot of stuff that others won't let you do. They have a lot of absurd(ist) logic that you just go along with because it's a video game.

The kind of stuff that if it were in a movie, TV show or book would suspend your disbelief and make you think "Bullshit!"

 

[Turbo Kid]

Video games can be a lot of things, so yeah sure.

I have other escapes too though.

 

[prnzoDraGoonZweiOrta]

Much like taking any other mind altering substance, it is an intentional distortion of reality. Whether you're using to get away from it (escapism) or just to enhance it (entertainment), video games are another form of said distortion.

If we were to agree that it is an art form, then you'd have to admit it's probably the most abstract of them. It's a medium that lets you do a lot of stuff that others won't let you do. They have a lot of absurd(ist) logic that you just go along with because it's a video game.

The kind of stuff that if it were in a movie, TV show or book would suspend your disbelief and make you think "Bullshit!"

well, if you're involved in creation of other art forms then it is more interactive as opposed to the relegated role of 'spectator'... n also in the creation of other art in their various mediums n formats - there is a kind of logic-disconnect thereabouts, where conventions inherent to other paradigms in reality are subject to their own stretches of realism into surrealism n w/e else can possibly be stretched to apply to these non-gaming artforms....

oh crap meant to send this a couple hours ago lol well, better late than... ever...

 

[mistymermaid]

It's become toxic. Too often 'escapism' is a euphemism for "game developers shouldn't include subject matter I don't like".

 

[Tetronomicon]

well, if you're involved in creation of other art forms then it is more interactive as opposed to the relegated role of 'spectator'... n also in the creation of other art in their various mediums n formats - there is a kind of logic-disconnect thereabouts, where conventions inherent to other paradigms in reality are subject to their own stretches of realism into surrealism n w/e else can possibly be stretched to apply to these non-gaming artforms....

oh crap meant to send this a couple hours ago lol well, better late than... ever...

That's fair. I've read some absolutely bizarre writings. Hunter S. Thompson alone is a trip.

I think for me though, video games have always had this inherent "weirdness" (for lack of a better term) that other mediums don't necessarily have by default. Video games kind of just have this aspect of it where you kind of just have to accept it for what it is even if the whole package doesn't entirely make sense.

It's become toxic. Too often 'escapism' is a euphemism for "game developers shouldn't include subject matter I don't like".

I kind of agree with this. But I think more so that it needs to be done the right way. For instance, despite being about some extremely heavy topics, I still find the Metal Gear series to be good escapism. Mostly due to the amazing (albeit often times drawn out) presentation and delivery of the ideas explored (the writing and storytelling can sometimes leave something to be desired though). In a weird way it makes me feel okay despite diving head first into what is often times an overwhelming existential crisis. Mutually assured destruction can do that to us though.

On the other side of the coin, I never got into The Last of Us considering how incredibly hamfisted it is with it's unwinnable scenario. There's no exit there and you're never gonna get anything good out of that world (at least for me it won't). As I like to say about that kind of style of storytelling, "it's as impactful as a sledgehammer... and subtle as a one too".

But yeah... you're still right. Some people just don't wanna feel any discomfort (or anything at all) when they interact with media.

 

[Lena CE]

Yea and people use that in a toxic way. It can be how addiction starts and generally create more willful ignorance/negligence. It can also be an excuse to heavily water down media (how often do we see people lament media that they deem political for example) and create stuff that exists primarily to be the artistic equivalent of dangling baby keys in front of someone's face (MCU frequently gets this criticism).

When I interact with good art it can absolutely immerse me in a way that I'm not really thinking about much outside of the art while it's in front of me. Good art can also help me work through stuff happening in the real world in one way or another.

 

[RandomHajile]

I have always played video games - mainly RPGs - to escape the cruel, insensitive reality of our modern world. Cringe, right? I don't care...it's how I feel. Between work, my family, finances, political chaos, war, and random violence on the weekday news, I get burnt out easily. Especially now. Gaming takes me away from that. Particularly co-op games. Right now I'm playing Borderlands 4 and loving it. I can escape reality and enter a world where me and my best friend are blowing up monsters and collecting loot while making funny jokes and laughing. That's priceless,

During GamerGate I remember people telling me that, quote, "You shouldn't be escaping reality, you must face it in games and deal with it". The idea was that you had to be inundated with politics, social messaging, and "awareness" even when gaming. It's the one issue that really bugged me about that whole business. So you're saying the social injustices I see on TV I always have to witness in my games? That I'm an "immature manbaby" if I escape reality?

I pay my bills. Own a home. Work 40 hours a week. I've earned the right to "Escape reality" for a few hours a day if I feel the need. We *all* have. If that's a bad thing, then so be it, I'm a weak person.

You can't even escape it online anymore either. You go to any social media site and you are told to take a stance. State your opinion. Choose a side. Well, I don't want to. There's enough people choosing sides. I don't mind if people want to play games that are full of real world political scenarios and choices. Great, enjoy your games. I promise I won't protest it or stop you...but please do not tell me I cannot have games that eschew those real world themes for something easily digestible and mindless. Or that I'm somehow less of a person for not wanting them.

Sorry if it comes off a bit harsh. I'm not referencing anyone here, just people and places I've interacted with in the past.

 

[qw90700]

That's a complex topic to even talk about but fundamentally it's about personality difference.

Some people are obsessed with learning anything about every news in existence to feel "ironically safe" because they believe to be safe they have to know everything. As a result they constantly check news on their smartphones and whatnot. It's just because they have such a personality if not they having mental illness.

And then some people doesn't have personality to be interested in checking news per se. It's just boring to them like taking the trash out, dish washing, et cetera.

And then some people have the personality to avoid any sign of negativity. They do not escape per se, they are not emotionally sensitive per se. It's just they have such a personality.

Human behaviours are natural cause of having specific sets of genes that is part of the sum of their personalities, therefore using words like "escapism" about a human behaviour will lead to confusion due to how it's wrong and lacking POV to think about this topic. So it's not a topic of escapism when everyone avoids news or they are not interested, but it can be a way to explain why some people have trauma and whatnot over bad news enough to intentionally wanna run away from news and media. Yet this more complex because it's because of personality type and also mental illness that may be caused by the weakness of the personality.

For example what I do is something else. I avoid legacy media like a plague just because they are BS. They wanna turn real life turn into some TV drama, a fictionalized BS that's not really true but just for BS emotional impact. Otherwise I do think a person should be informed about the world constantly because either way even a small occurence in a random street of a world can cause big deal global event. For this purpose what I don't avoid and tuned into is my own source to get news from my life, my city, my country, whatever country related to my country, world and various topics I'm interested in. I don't follow news to feel safe or something, I can do wthout not knowing them but I just have the personality to know and learn enough. My behavior regarding this topic is just being aware for curiousty instead. For example I'm aware of tons of threats to to our solar system and Earth, I'm aware of what threats the world in global scale, I'm aware of how new generations kids live so I can predict likely future of humanity, I'm aware of likely end of humanity but it's just curiousty thing for fun for me. Otherwise I only avoid news that has no use to me, not for emotional reason for really but if it a was emotional reason it would be boredom.

In the end lots of people took the route of being sane and keep being sane by being themselves, and in that context naturally people will avoid what is negative and boring, not to escape but just because it's like a mental "unnecessary harm" as how people would avoid having a fight with people or have to do a boring chore. This naturally makes people do whatever is positive to them that sometimes leads to insanity and addiction.

So only in the context of if a person have mental conditions that make them avoid news in unrealistic reasons and they just hold on to something positive like a lifeline by keeping themselves intentionally ignorent to protect their positive bubble that once the bubble is destroyed they would lose their shit only then I would call it "escapism" so it would be a tonic for them, otherwise it would be a healthy sane way to avoid like how you would avoid being on fire, being shot and stabbed.

 

[kamille]

It's better to not live in the reality. Our journey to the next world might start soon. Escapism to me is the only way to live. Take that away and i have nothing. Games are good for this but i can see how whether it's because newer games seem to be increasingly expensive and half baked or if it's just me losing intrest. This kind of escapism is not producing the calming results i need anymore to me.

 

[Bonkers225]

Yup. Temporary, and may have both positive/negative effects.

 

[Segadude113]

Yup. Temporary, and may have both positive/negative effects.

too much of anything can be harmful, but it's important to take breaks from both work and gaming now n then. A sort of yin and yang now that i think about it.

 

[Ezri_Muldoon]

Escapism as a concept is older than modern media, it's older than the nations of this world. It's older than recorded human history. In fact, dogs, cats, dolphins, ferrets, cows- millions of animals engage with escapism whenever they play in the grass.

Escapism is a break from reality, from working, hunting, securing water & shelter. Its what all intelligent creatures do in their downtime. We daydream, play, engage in social activities which have no objective benefits to our survival.

It's not some tonic.
And whilst I hesitate to say "touch grass" as that will come off as condescending. I do sincerely hope you can detach yourself from media and go and do something you find enjoyable. Disconnect from the algorithm, legacy media, your politically obsessed family member and you will feel better.

 

[Pearly]

Things you cannot control and have absolutely no power over are constantly shoved in our faces to farm interaction of some kind. It's why the "news" is always just bad news.

Twitter and reddit both push things that upset people so you will engage with them, it's designed to upset and bait us. Then anyone that doesn't think for themselves and is constantly plugged into the internet only ever talks about politics and the stuff that's going on.

Mental health clinicians often just tell people to get off technology if they want to feel better, take a good few hours a week to get away from the aura farming that is all the stuff "going on in the world". Video games, like books and many movies, TV shows etc. all allow us to just be entertained as opposed to an anxiety riddled mess that lives to take in a feed of never-ending misery. There's bad and good things going on all the time, always has been.

Once upon a time, for literally everyone, all we knew was what was going on locally, now we hear stuff going on a 1000 miles away and I'm a sociopath if I don't drop everything I am doing to go and protest about it, this is something I just heard about 5 minutes ago, for people I don't know. There's empathy and then there's acting like you can save the world be walking in a parade of other outraged people.

Just enjoy things, unplug from the algorithm and play video games, read a book, watch a TV series or movie, go for a hike etc.

I do find it odd though that during the rage bait sensationalism era of the internet and TV largely copying it, that anyone feels bad for doing anything that isn't consuming that algorithm. I wouldn't call not engaging in that circus outside of any kind of necessary minimum any kind of "tonic".

Turning to substances to avoid issues n your own personal life, that would literally be the definition of a tonic I guess, but not enjoying basic forms of entertainment.

 

[X y b e r - S k u ll]

While I don’t think escapism is this inherently bad thing, and in fact should be something people engage in, I do agree that sometimes too much of a good thing can end up being a bad thing. I think using media as a way to obsessively avoid your own reality and the world around you is an extremely unhealthy way to live and really only ends up hurting you even more down the road.

On the flip side to that though; I think constantly facing reality while giving yourself no downtime to decompress from everything is equally as unhealthy and arguably even more dangerous for yourself in the long-run, seeing as the people like that are the ones who end up breaking down completely and usually end up psychotically harming themselves or others.

I think the reason I like places like RGT and have been a lot more active on here the last 2 months or so is because I find it really helps me to decompress from the bullshit of daily life. In an ever increasing sociopathic world, it’s quite refreshing to have a place like this to come on for a few hours a day, shoot the shit with people and just have some fun (I suppose it helps this is technically a hobbyist forum so we’re all kind of on equal ground here and it’s easier to connect with people).

I guess overall; like many things in life, there’s a balance you need to have.

 

[Pearly]

Fox News lies. MSNBC caves and tries to cater to both sides. Everyone in news media ends up siding with Nazis after that. Republicans are fascists. They take over everything and drive everything to the extreme. That's why we're in this mess and trying to escape it!!!

I personally try to stay apolitical and I myself align with genuine fairness toward people. Political extremes benefit no one, regardless of which direction it leans in.

Politics all lean in the direction of rules for thee, not for me from what I've observed, regardless of who you vote for, someone benefits immensely and many more do not.

I will say though, nothing pisses politically inclined people off more than saying you're apolitical and are literally indifferent to bait for arguments.