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Comment by izend | Hacker News Reader

Doesn't always work, video games are probably the cheapest addicting entertainment out there. Doesn't take much income to just survive and play video games all day long.

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I highly doubt that video games are solely to blame.

I was quite addicted to video games until my early 20s, but I eventually understood that gaming falls down the priority list as you take on more responsibilities in life. My friends were the same.

Definitely a symptom and not a cause. Like people that drink heavily in university then don't later once they have obligations.

My university roommate played video games nonstop. Then he graduated, got a job (as a video game developer) and has a wife and three kids. It's like any addiction, its filling a void, but the object of abuse is not what's to blame.

Gaming is just good escapism and a way to pass time. Before gaming, it’d be TV, or reading fiction.

But at least they would be working, probably know how to drive a car, and may consider furthering their education/career when they realize how little they make for their time.

... or commit suicide.

This is maybe a ridiculous question, but why is that so much better? If someone is able to live cheaply, why is it better for them to work in some menial, low-wage job versus being supported by a relative? I think something you have to consider is that if you have low social standing and are poorly educated, your options in life are not necessarily super appealing.

If you have time to play video games then you have time to improve your education and social standing. Wealthy relatives don't live forever.

Consider that the limited resource may be mental, not temporal.

We don't expect everyone to be able to run a 10-minute mile, even though most people can. Likewise we shouldn't expect everyone to be able to hold down a 40+ hour-a-week job and "functional adult" life, even though most people can.

You might have the time, but probably not the money.

In most places community college tuition is cheaper than video games.

Who's to say that they'd remain in low-wage job? They may be wildly wealthy in the future. It's hard to know, since their potential is being squandered by the parents enabling this behavior.

What avenues would they have to realize their potential? College is obscenely expensive, a degree from a community college is afaik useless, rent prices are bonkers, and the job market for those without a degree is wage slavery.

I am suspecting that because of the lack of full employment a degree is just a hack to get first in line for the jobs that the economy is resentfully providing. If companies couldn't find enough workers they'd lower standards and offer training. It's precisely because they can find all the workers they could hope for that we have put the burden of training onto workers.

Yeah, one of my fears is we simply have too many people and too few jobs in this kind of economy. The lower birth rates are a gaia consciousness response to overpopulation in this respect

It's interesting that you don't mention trade schools and then apprenticeship. That's where I'd look, personally, and my impression is that people in the trades can make bank, especially if they eventually set up their own business.

not really, there's only so many tradesmen an area can support, and only union members get any real standard of living. Plus, there's the whole "destroying your body" thing; it's not computer scientists behind the opioid crisis, for example. Its drudgery, extremely hard work, and with a side order of ill health for the rest of your life.

Contractors are doing extremely well right now/are in extremely high demand, and I’m pretty sure union membership isn’t a requirement there…

or most likely meet other marginalized people from society who are their first endearing support system

not so different than runaway teenagers, or ex-Mormons that escape Utah

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