Almost everyone plays video games in one form or another. But not everyone is a gamer.
For gamers, video games are more than a hobby. It’s a passion and a huge part of their identity, as you’d imagine.
If you’re dating a gaming enthusiast, you should take this vital part of their lives into account. Here are some relationship tips that’ll keep you and your gamer SO as close as can be.
Check Your Own Attitude Towards Gaming
When you date a self-professed gamer, the most important first step is to acknowledge that gaming is integral to who they are.
You see, gaming is something they’re incredibly passionate about, and they’ll devote a lot of time to it. Like it or not, it’s going to be a part of your relationship, too. So rejecting that part of them won’t do you any good.
Instead, you should reflect on how you can fit into their gaming. After all, you’d expect him to accept your hobbies and interests. There’s no reason they wouldn’t expect the same of you.
The problem with this is that so many people fail to take playing games as a serious hobby. They see it as more of a silly pastime than anything else. But any gamer can tell you that video games have long since grown out of their stereotype of childish plaything.
So throw any prejudice you might have about gaming out the window. Understand it for the valid, meaningful passion that it is, and respect the person you’re dating for their hobby. That’ll guarantee you both have a great time in your relationship.
Let Him Have Time to Play
Much like other serious hobbies, video games can take up a lot of time. It’s not uncommon for particularly ardent gamers to spend hours upon hours playing.
However, quite a few people think this would get in the way of their relationship with a gamer. Granted, we couldn’t blame you: avid gamers can spend tons of time doing what they love. One could easily assume all that’s all wasted time that could result in damaging the relationship.
Therefore, when they find a gamer to date, a lot of people try to pry them out of their gaming stations to spend more time with them. The two of them should spend as much time as possible together, right?
But the key solution is to do the opposite. When you forcibly remove them from their treasured hobby, gamers will only start to feel resentful of you. You can guess how unconstructive that could be to building a healthy relationship. But if you give them the space they need, the gamer will appreciate them for taking their hobby seriously.
Tap Into Your Inner Gamer
Giving your gamer SO the time they need to indulge in their hobby is great. But how about taking part in that hobby with them? Not only will that show how much you care about who they are and what they do, but it’s also another way to spend time together.
Finding things you and your partner can do together is dating tips 101, so partaking in each other’s hobbies makes sense. You dive right into the world that your SO deeply loves, which is an incredibly rewarding experience.
Now, that may sound like a big leap for you. Maybe you have zero experience playing video games, or they look silly to you. But rest assured that getting into gaming will be worth your time. There’s a game suited to every taste, so you’re bound to find something you’re into. And there are so many amazing games you can try, some of the exquisite artistic worth. Even if you don’t dig the whole “video games are an art” angle, you can find hundreds of immensely fun shooters, RPGs, and the like.
Also, we should say that gaming isn’t just for the boys — there are a lot of girls who also play video games. If you’re a chick, you don’t have to be a hardcore gamer yourself to keep dating your guy, but it wouldn’t hurt to give gaming a try yourself!
Don’t Get Confrontational All the Time
Like we already mentioned, gaming occupies tons of time. That’s why so many people who date gamers dislike the hobby so much. Their gut reaction is to get them to stop gaming so much and spend more time together. Like we also mentioned, that’s a bad idea: instead, you should give them some space to enjoy gaming.
As you can imagine, this can prove frustrating. Having your partner play video games all the time can make you feel like you don’t even matter to them. Odds are you’ll start giving them a hard time. You may even start browsing online dating sites for a new special someone.
But be patient. Your partner doesn’t hate you because they play video games. They’re just really into gaming. So don’t roll your eyes at them, nag, block their view of the screen, or unplug their computer/console while they’re playing. If you really have a problem with their passion, just talk to them about it.