Looking back, I was surprised to realize that this actually wasn't something I'd done before; I considered myself quite the avid gamer in high school (I've since scaled back for time and productivity reasons), but the only time I can remember playing video games anywhere near this much was way back in 7th grade, when my brother first introduced me to his Nintendo DS. And at that point in my life, video games were a rare treat, imbued with a magical wonder they've since lost.
So, suffice it to say, I expected to be almost as bored at the end of this as I was after 10 hours of homework.
In an attempt to stave off the boredom, I chose one of my personal favorites: Donkey Kong Country Returns. It's a 2D platformer, similar to Super Mario Bros, originally for the Wii; I played it on my laptop with an emulator. It also had the added bonus of being thematically light, visually pleasing, and challenging but not frustrating, so it was the perfect game to avoid mental fatigue.
To my surprise, the 8 hours flew by. I didn't get bored; instead, I can say that I actually had fun for most of it. It's amazing how much more quickly time goes by when you're not worried about it. Obviously, my day was entirely unproductive, but it was nowhere near the ordeal I expected it to be.
There was one part I didn't anticipate, though: the physical effects of sitting in the same place, holding a controller, and watching a screen for 8 hours had on my body. The first of these became apparent when I got up to get lunch, and felt light-headed almost to the point of falling over. After that, I resolved to get up and stretch each hour, and the problem went away.
Further problems didn't kick in until about 5 hours in. At this point, my body had had enough of sitting in one place; my back was sore from the hard wooden chair, my legs were fidgeting around under my desk, and my arms were tired of being in the same position for so long. On top of all that, my palms had gotten sweaty from holding a piece of plastic for 5 hours, and I had to start wiping them on a paper towel. All of these were things that I had, for the most part, expected to happen, and, though uncomfortable, they did not present terribly large obstacles in my quest of laziness. And until dinner, I was just cruising along. However, after dinner, my eyes started to feel the pain.
It started with trouble focusing. It took me a moment to adjust to every new image on the screen, and I found that I often lost track of Donkey Kong due to the occasional defocusing of my eyes. By the end of the day, either they were dully sore or they itched like hell, and a look in the mirror confirmed my suspicions: they were bloodshot. I'd often heard of bloodshot eyes due to screens, but it had never actually happened to me before, even when I've watched TV shows or movies for over 8 hours. I'm guessing it's because video games require more focus on a small area of the screen, resulting in greater eye strain.
Overall, this past Sunday was still a rather positive experience, and, if you ever find that you have a free day with nothing to do, playing a video game is a surprisingly fun way to pass the time. Just make sure you have a comfy chair, and, for your eyes' sake, try to limit yourself to 6 hours.
I must say I am thoroughly impressed by your feat of endurance. I'll admit to having played video games for extended periods of time before, but 8 hours almost continuously over the course of the day is exceptional. I'll be sure to keep your advice in mind before attempting a similar challenge myself (not that I intend to, as the side effects you described don't sound enjoyable).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jacob, that does take some endurance! My brother played (probably still plays) a lot of video games and I can just tell by his eyes and his lack of energy that he has been playing for too long. Who knew sitting could physically drain you! I really enjoy your blog, its entertaining and I look forward to what you come up with next.
ReplyDeleteThis blog reminds me of that one challenge where the man committed to eating McDonald's for every meal for an entire month... just to see what would happen. I have no idea how on earth you were even able to sit still for more than a couple of hours! I would have honestly been about ready to jump out of my skin if I had to sit at my desk for too long, let along watching my computer screen for that long. My only suggestion for future challenges like the one you wrote about today: please make sure you take care of yourself health wise as you go about these endeavors!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you've told your roommate about the exploits of your passion blog. Otherwise, I laugh at the idea of him just telling everyone that he has the weirdest roommate, but he's only weird one day a week and he didn't start being weird until the second semester. I can't really say that I'm an avid gamer, but I do enjoy playing them from time to time, especially with friends. If I had to play a game for 8 hours, I'm pretty sure it would be one of the Super Smash Bros games. I distinctly remember how much fun that was when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteHi Louis! I could not imagine playing video games for 8 hours, so kudos to you. I was so intrigued by all the side effects having video games had on you. Your back was hurting, you had bloodshot eyes, and had trouble focusing. If we relate these effects to those of middle school children, who definitely take a day or two a week to play video games for over 8 hours, it definitely shows the negative toll on those children. Honestly, your blog could really transform into a scientific study, so be on the lookout!!! Overall, I think the concept of your blog is really interesting and I'm excited to see the other creative stuff you are going to spend a whole day doing.
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