Game Over, Man
It's long past time for us men to trade digital adventure for the real thing
The parallels between pornography and video games are numerous and important
Desires have associated obligations
Indulgence in digital fantasies comes at the expense of real-world obligations
This is not a condemnation, it’s a call to action
It’s no secret that many men in the Internet Age turn to pornography to satisfy their sexual desire, but what’s less apparent is that many similarly turn to video games to satisfy the natural male desire for adventure (heroism, leadership, exploration, combat, honor, etc.).
This isn’t to draw a moral comparison, of course — porn is immoral, and video games are amoral; but in both cases, we find that having gratified ourselves in the digital world, we no longer seek to do so in the real one. This at least partly explains why our women end up doing so much of the cultural heavy lifting.
The parallels between pornography and video games are not insignificant. Both offer men the opportunity to indulge an inherent and legitimate need in a highly-concentrated form, housed in a universe designed by and for man, (supposedly) free of consequence, and with on-demand availability. In short: they allow us to satiate a powerful desire without the tedium and risks required by doing so in real life.
But God did not give us these desires simply as conduits for pleasure; they are intended to compel us to fulfill our responsibilities to others. The sex drive leads us to fulfill God's command to multiply and fill the earth (Gen. 1:28); and, of course, to give the physical affection due our wives (1 Cor. 7:3-5). The desire for adventure drives us to lead and defend our families, churches, communities, and culture; all of which are under heavy attack and in need of our assistance.
The fantasies dangled by porn and video games, however, offer us gratification without obligation — all of the pleasure with none of the pain. But by slaking our thirst at the fountain of imagination, we lose our thirst for reality. If I can get my adventure fix defending my imaginary children from dragons, I won’t need to get it defending my actual children from drag queens. The more I indulge myself via fantasy, the more I neglect others in reality.
Screed ended, I want to be clear that this is not a condemnation, it’s a call to action — an encouragement to demand more from ourselves than our culture does. As someone who’s lost many hours to video games, I know all too well the lure of having a world that I literally control; one whose enticement is never stronger than when I seem to have no control over the world around me. But I don’t need to control the world because I know the One who does, and He’s infinitely better suited to the task.
I also want to be clear that I’m not saying there’s no place for video games, nor am I claiming that all video games scratch the itches I’ve described above. I do, however, think it’s worth considering that now, as our civilization collapses, might not be the time for video games. There is a real battle taking place just outside the front door, and just inside are real people needing our defense. We needn’t go seeking adventure; adventure has already found us. It’s time to suit up.