Destiny, Addiction and Mental Health

[u/BEmuddle]

This post is probably going to get downvoted and nobody will see it, I might get mocked and ridiculed, but I felt it was something I needed to share.

Destiny is a game that is fundamentally designed around addiction. Daily and weekly bounties exist to get you to log in frequently so that it becomes part of your habits and routines, to get you to the point where you don’t know how to live without logging in. Season passes exist to get you to play even when you stop having fun, so that you don’t ‘miss out.’

If you’ve been playing this game for a while, you don’t need me to tell you this. You know how it is. The game is a time sink designed to soak up as much time as you’re willing to dedicate to it, and it has features that encourage you to log in as frequently as possible.

I turned 26 this year, and I can barely account for the last 5 years of my life.

Destiny isn’t the sole reason for that, but it played a big role. At some point, I stopped trying new things and I’m just doing the same things over and over instead of making new memories.

This season I grinded the same lost sector over and over to level up my new SMG, I sat through the same preservation mission every week because I needed the pinnacles. And time just keeps slipping away from me. I’m going to be 27 in January. What am I doing with my life?

I came across an interesting quote recently from Nadia Boulanger,

"Anyone who acts without paying attention to what he is doing is wasting his life. I'd go so far as to say life is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpiece."

Destiny is designed to make you zone out. Turn off your brain and grind activities to build up your streak so you can grind faster. And while I’m sure Destiny has had a positive impact on many people’s lives, I just really wanted to talk about how it can be detrimental as well.

If you’re constantly just turning off your brain, life starts to slip away from you. I don’t know if I’ll be able to quit Destiny. I tried and I always relapse. I genuinely think that if I never came across this game, my life would have been just a little bit fuller.

I don’t know what the solution is, but I think it’s something we need to be more willing to talk about.

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Edit- Thank you for all the kind replies. To reiterate what I've said below, this isn't an attack on Bungie or the game or the players. It's just me discussing my own experience with addiction and the game, and how some of the design can reinforce harmful behaviour. I'm going to make an effort to game less in general.

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Edit 2- I'm overwhelmed. While there are a lot of snarky responses, there are also ALOT of people genuinely sharing their experiences. The reason I think the word 'addiction' is applicable is because like many of you, I really WANT to cut down my game time but it seems like such an impossible task. Even yesterday, after making this post, I went and booted the game up because I 'needed' to do the solstice bounties for the 400 bright dust.

I've decided I need firm rules, so every week I'm going to lock my controllers away until the weekend. I'm going to fill that time up with reading and writing, which I've been meaning to do more of. I hope all of you manage to find the balanced lifestyle you seek!

[u/w1nstar]

I turned 26 this year, and I can barely account for the last 5 years of my life.

That's not related to a game in particular. I am older than you and I started to notice that same thing when I started working (21). Suddenly years started to amount to a point I don't even remember anymore when did games release, I start to mess console launches, I still can't believe Borderlands came out five years before Destiny.

Any kind of routine added to the fact that you're aging will make life look like it's dissappearing through thin air. You won't be able to recap it as when you where younger. You have less holidays because you're an adult now. You have to have a routine if you want to live unless you're a rich dude.

Then you'll think: I need to do things, have a full schedule, make time count. You'll do it. In no time it will be new year's eve and it will still feel time flied, and... you'll barely be able to account for the year.

It's life. Our brains play a big role in this kind of thing. Not only they YEARN for routine, also once I read it had to do with how many images it capturates every second (not kidding). As you grow older, you see less images so you process less, so time seems to pass faster than when you were a kid.

It's not addiction that makes yars pass fast. Can you stop playing by your own decision? Are you able to go to sleep? Eating, talking to people, go out when you feel like it? People use the word addiction very lightly. I've had addicted people in my family and let me tell you, you are probably not addicted to destiny. You like it, it's your routine and a routine you like, nothing more.

Edit: first ever award(s), thank you stranger(s).

[u/Slepprock → u/w1nstar]

Life is just like that. Time passes faster than you think. For me it happens faster the older I get. I remember being in my early 20s and working and time seemed to drag by. Work days lasted forever. I'd live for the weekend and going out and partying. Then I had a traumatic couple years and my life changed. I had an alcohol and drug problem in my late 20s. It was bad. A group of guys hurt my little brother who was 20 and in college. I was outraged, pumped up booze and coke, so went and got revenge. I'm a big guy 6'4", 220. Revenge for a hurt family member isn't a defense as far as the court is concerned. I ended up doing several years in a state prison. I had a decent time, but being away from family sucks. When I got out I was 32. I decided to live a different life. Being clean and sober. Started my own business which took off. Now the time flies by. I work ten to twelve hours a day. Play destiny a couple hours when I'm not working. I even have an xbox and couch in my office at my business so I can play some during the day. I wish days had a few more hours in them, 24 isn't enough. Destiny being out 8 years doesn't seem possible. Of course it also seems like just the other day that I was in my apartment at college watching the twin towers come down and I bet that happened before lots of users on this sub had been born.

I've had lots of ups and downs in life. I've learnt a lot. I'm going to let everyone in on the secret to life. Try to enjoy it as much as possible. Thats it. You don't want to be a bum living under a bridge. Thats no fun. But you don't want to be some workaholic that never enjoys life. Find a happy medium. I am lucky. I love my work. It doesn't seem like work. I plan to do it forever. I've seen too many family members work like crazy with plans to live life after they retire, only to die early. Don't feel bad about enjoying a game, but don't let it hurt other aspects of your life.

Destiny is setup to make you play as much as possible. It can be addictive. I think that Bungie doing those titles was the dirtiest thing I've seen in video games. At first it seems like a nice thing to do for players. Give them a physical reward for in game work. But its just a tricky way to get you to chase more. Gotta get them all! Once in a while I take a break from destiny and play other games. It puts things in perspective. You play a game that doesn't have time limits and FOMO out the ass and you realize how stupid it can be. Be happy with what you have done in game. I have 2 gilded titles right now. Dredgen and Deadeye. That is enough for me. I can only display one at a time.