Online Role-Playing Games May Damage Your Marriage
This recent research result can be filed under common sense. A survey conducted by scientists at Brigham Young University found that the excessive role-playing could lead to a decrease of marital satisfaction. 75 percent of respondents said that they would expect their video-game loving partners to put more effort to keep their marriage alive than their sword-swinging avatar.
"It's common knowledge that many couples experience challenges around gaming," said recreation management professor Neil Lundberg. "Particularly when husbands are heavy gamers, it clearly has a negative impact on their marriages." According to the researchers, the hours of video gaming do not matter. It's the video game by itself, "whether or not it creates conflict and quarreling over the game." It appears that especially disrupted bedtime routines is a result and further cause for arguments.
The study covered 349 couples and did not definitively label gaming a marriage killer. 76 percent of couples who are gaming together said that online role-playing has a positive effect on their marriage, especially when the couple interact via avatars. "Not all video games are bad," said graduate student Michelle Ahlstrom. "Some are fun leisure pursuits that when played together may strengthen your relationships with others. With any type of gaming, consider the content of the game. Consider what you are doing in the game, how much time it is taking, how it is affecting you, your schooling, work, sleep, body and especially how it is affecting your spouse and marital relationship."
However, in marriages where only one partner is playing, the problems could be more severe than the study indicates, the researchers said. They noted that many dedicated gamers were not willing to participate in the study. 349 couples were surveyed, the average age of respondents was 33 years with 7 years of marriage. Of those couples in which only one spouse gamed, 84 percent of the players were husbands. Of those couples where both gamed, 73 percent of those who gamed more were husbands.
"This study really does verify that gaming has an effect on marital satisfaction," Lundberg said. "It's not just a random occurrence that a few couples are dealing with. Based on the large number of married gamers, 36 percent of multi-player online role-playing gamers report being married, we can assume this is a widespread issue."
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Wow - awesome! When did Tripod get so famous?!
Thank god i am a batchler
Depends,
If the other half joins in, then it's probably a better basis for marriage.
Though, if you are with someone who is unwilling to share your interests, therein lies the problem.
However, if you are addicted then you will have a problem socially, not just maritally. (same as any other addiction)
Opss sorry batchelor typed in a hurry
Im single as far as I know. There was that one drunken evening in Ogrimmar however & I may have by accident married an Orc.
I just tell her "Hey ur on facebook all the frickin time too!"
That usually shuts her up.....
I play various games, including WoW, with my girlfriend and it doesn't do any harm at all to our relationship. If anything it is much healthier for a relationship than slouching in front of the TV every evening.
As Billybobser says, if you're in a relationship with someone that's unwilling to share your interests then that's a problem, but not really one specific to gaming.
Pfft, I will never marry again.
share your interests...
i would have thought people would find this out early in the relationship, but to have 7years of marriage and NOW its an issue...
theuniquegamer - too right, as bob said - no woman no cry.
Opss sorry batchelor typed in a hurry
LOL, http://lmgtfy.com/?q=batchelor
My wife is not a gamer, although she tried Guild Wars because I play it. We are extremely tolerant and/or supportive of one another's hobbies though, even if we do not share them (hers are crafting-related). If a couple shares core values, and neither has an addiction problem (playing escapist games is just one of many possible addictions), then it shouldn't be an issue.
This just in: putting material things before your spouse can lead to an unhappy spouse and unhappy marriage.
Who woulda thunk it?
...idiots..
Games dont ruin a relationship, its the people in the relationship.
For a marriage to work common hobbies have to exist and have to be done together as much as possible. If you spend enough time playing video-games that you consider it a decent part of your life than you better be with someone who also shares the hobby and around as much as you. Play those games together and it will be a bonding experience.
haha no shit
A survey conducted by scientists at Brigham Young University found that the excessive *insert-anything-here* could lead to a decrease of marital satisfaction.
Opss sorry batchelor typed in a hurry
Third time's a charm?
I can believe that. Anything too much is not good for a marriage especially if the person is not into what the other one is doing. Of course there are always exceptions.
Bachelor FTW!
A survey conducted by scientists at Brigham Young University found that the excessive *insert-anything-here* could lead to a decrease of marital satisfaction.
*insert-anything-here* Was that a Freudian slip? LOL
Scientist at BYU, I don't consider anyone who believes that a man found some gold tablets from god, read them right before they disappeared and started a religion, based on god's writings on those tablets (in a language only he could read) a scientist.
P.S. Hooray for run on sentences!
file this under the no S#$% Sherlock study
Wow... The best thing I can think to say is: DUH!
I play MMOs myself. My wife does not. But we get along very happily. However, that also means I don't sit there for 50+ hours a week. I get on a few nights a week and enjoy my 'me' time. Ofcorse that also means I'm not playing 'hardcore' anymore... Been there, done that. The kids that live in their mom's basements can keep that crap. Too much time sink for a fantasy.
I've tried to get my wife to play, she has no interest. However she does enjoy watching me from time to time (especially if I'm going through some story-strong portions). But I have my me time, she has her me time. Otherwise we'd drowned each other. Did that in my first marriage. Live and learn.
What can damage your marriage? Anything and everything if the slightest bit of THOUGHT isn't given to it. Give me almost any item/task and I'll give you a way it can easily damage a marriage over time. Drinking Coffee even... If you're spending half your paycheck at joe's-coffee-shop, that type of irresponsible book-keeping over time and stress can easily damage a relationship.
Honestly, this type of a study makes me wounder who's dumber; the people being studied (no) or the idiots that think that it is a worth while topic to study (yup). What? You mean ignoring your partner over long periods of time could result in damage to the relationship? No (crap) Sherlock...
It's just like anything else. Learn to do it responsibly, and in moderation... Or it's your own fault for the consequences. That's just common sense to anyone who has any...
Genius research report. How much did they spend on this research project?
Scientist at BYU, I don't consider anyone who believes that a man found some gold tablets from god, read them right before they disappeared and started a religion, based on god's writings on those tablets (in a language only he could read) a scientist.P.S. Hooray for run on sentences!
Well, congratulations! You are officially a biggot.
Well, congratulations! You are officially a biggot.
err... bigot...
Wow. 13 years after Everquest was dubbed "Divorce-in-a-box" a study comes out... WASTE OF TIME on this study.
is this a joke?
Pfft, I will never marry again.
why not?....you just got married to the wrong person and for the wrong reasons.....don't get me wrong, i am married and at times i feel that made a mistake....i don't give up...i keep at it....everyone is so easy to just walk away and get divorced....just think of how many children get hurt in the process.....hey it's your life do what you want
They should have named it Marriage can damage your Online Role-Playing Games. lmao
Saying ORPGs are killing marriages is like saying spoons made Rosie O'Donnel fat. I play MMORPGs, and have a perfectly happy marriage to someone who refuses to play any video game that isn't for Kinect. The key is realizing that playing games is just like doing any other activity that excludes your spouse. It's not the game that's at fault, it's the player. Stop neglecting your spouse! Players with problems are drawn to the MMORPG genre... the genre doesn't create the problems!
If you can play games WITH your spouse, then more power to you! It then becomes like any other activity that you do with your spouse, and counts as time spent with them instead of time spent away from them.