You just need to set up a couple of basic ground rules which limit how much time you actually spend gaming. The gaming isn't a problem, it is how much you're doing it.

Some basic ones could be:

• Limit the money you spend. That way you spend less money and you have fewer games to play so you'll try to play the best ones you can. Also with fewer games you'll have less temptation.
• Set aside specific times you want to play games and otherwise keep it off limits.
• Make sure you spend X amount of time doing something productive before you play games. So for instance you can play 5 hours but only if you spend 5 hours studying.

etc.

First, something addressed to the OP. Do what will make you happy. Nothing less, nothing more. If that means going out every Friday and Saturday, fine. If that means gaming, fine. If that means reading, or watching TV, or playing football, or going on adventure holidays, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone to any significant extent, fine.

Don't ever feel that one hobby or form of entertainment is better than another, unless it gives you more enjoyment.

Now, to focus on the two links you posted.

The Article:

Lol wut? It was a nice short story, but it made no sense whatsoever. Firstly, drugs, smoking and alcohol are all lethal addictions. Gaming isn't. Secondly, there's no gene for addiction. Thirdly, he's been playing Dragon Quest for two and a half hours a day. Big whoop? Fourthly, the DS is not a half-empty bottle, because it doesn't have any adverse effects on you. Fifthly, if you want to sleep, just fucking sleep, and if you want to go out clubbing, do that, or if you want to play Dragon Quest, stop listening to your drugged-up father and do it!

The Video:

Excuse me while I go punch a wall.

The first three minutes of that video was perhaps the most irritating, condescending, arrogant and pretentious thing I have ever seen. You can't put virtual achievements on your CV? Sorry, is everything now related to your profession? You can't put smoking, drugs or excessive drinking on your CV, either. You can't put "Yeah, I go out every Friday and Saturday with my friends and get hammered" on your CV. Indeed, there's not a whole lot you can put on your CV, so worrying about that is pointless.

That's the trouble here. He's saying that gaming is worthless because it's entertainment. So, essentially, we should all just work and then go to sleep? But no, he says, as long as it's a social experience, it's fine. Instead of gaming, go smoke pot with your friends! Go mug people! Hire a prostitute off the street! These are all social experiences! And after all, as long as you're with people, brain damage, prison sentences and STDs don't matter, because you're being social!

How do you plead to murder? Not guilty! I was doing it with friends!

The social stigma attached to gaming is finally dying, and this is something which seems to sicken the animator of that video only because he played one game too many (he did, which doesn't mean that every gamer everywhere does). This is harking back to the days when everyone thought gamers were people who lived in their parents' basements and never saw the sunlight.

Well, you know what, animator? Go on. Give up gaming. Go spend time doing cool stuff. But I will know at the end of the day that I did what I enjoyed, and you were too scared to do so.

EDIT: The last two minutes were slightly better, but only slightly, because you know why he said gaming was fine? Because it could be a social experience.

First, something addressed to the OP. Do what will make you happy. Nothing less, nothing more. If that means going out every Friday and Saturday, fine. If that means gaming, fine. If that means reading, or watching TV, or playing football, or going on adventure holidays, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone to any significant extent, fine.

Don't ever feel that one hobby or form of entertainment is better than another, unless it gives you more enjoyment.

Now, to focus on the two links you posted.

The Article:

Lol wut? It was a nice short story, but it made no sense whatsoever. Firstly, drugs, smoking and alcohol are all lethal addictions. Gaming isn't. Secondly, there's no gene for addiction. Thirdly, he's been playing Dragon Quest for two and a half hours a day. Big whoop? Fourthly, the DS is not a half-empty bottle, because it doesn't have any adverse effects on you. Fifthly, if you want to sleep, just fucking sleep, and if you want to go out clubbing, do that, or if you want to play Dragon Quest, stop listening to your drugged-up father and do it!

The Video:

Excuse me while I go punch a wall.

The first three minutes of that video was perhaps the most irritating, condescending, arrogant and pretentious thing I have ever seen. You can't put virtual achievements on your CV? Sorry, is everything now related to your profession? You can't put smoking, drugs or excessive drinking on your CV, either. You can't put "Yeah, I go out every Friday and Saturday with my friends and get hammered" on your CV. Indeed, there's not a whole lot you can put on your CV, so worrying about that is pointless.

That's the trouble here. He's saying that gaming is worthless because it's entertainment. So, essentially, we should all just work and then go to sleep? But no, he says, as long as it's a social experience, it's fine. Instead of gaming, go smoke pot with your friends! Go mug people! Hire a prostitute off the street! These are all social experiences! And after all, as long as you're with people, brain damage, prison sentences and STDs don't matter, because you're being social!

How do you plead to murder? Not guilty! I was doing it with friends!

The social stigma attached to gaming is finally dying, and this is something which seems to sicken the animator of that video only because he played one game too many (he did, which doesn't mean that every gamer everywhere does). This is harking back to the days when everyone thought gamers were people who lived in their parents' basements and never saw the sunlight.

Well, you know what, animator? Go on. Give up gaming. Go spend time doing cool stuff. But I will know at the end of the day that I did what I enjoyed, and you were too scared to do so.

EDIT: The last two minutes were slightly better, but only slightly, because you know why he said gaming was fine? Because it could be a social experience.