What It Means To Be a Gamer
Social labels are always subjective constructs. Even in the cases of nationalities or religions — which we tend to think of as obviously and clearly defined — the definition of labels are up for debate. What makes an American an American? Is it strictly someone with a U.S. passport? What if a person has dual citizenship or non-native ethnic backgrounds? What makes a Christian a Christian? What if a person was baptized but never goes to church and doesn’t really believe in God?
Gaming isn’t quite such a profound subject and doesn’t do so much to define who we are, but the principle is certainly the same. Adopting a label like “gamer” puts in a category with others — complete strangers, but strangers who share a basic human experience.
What we think it means to be a gamer
Along with labels, of course, come stereotypes. It can hard to separate stereotypes from reality. Some of us may think of Christians as church-goers, but plenty of people consider themselves Christians without ever going to church; somewhere along the line, attending church was dropped as a prerequisite for being considered a Christian.
Stereotypes about what it means to be a gamer have their own little nuances. What do you think of when you think of a gamer? Probably a teenage boy or unemployed young adult who spends nearly as much time playing shoot-em-ups or strategy games as he would working. Popular culture certainly perpetuates this image of what it means to be a gamer. Think of South Park’s take on World of Warcraft.
What it actually means to be a gamer
The establishment of such stereotypes makes many hesitate to actually consider themselves as gamers. Me? I work out, eat healthy, work a full-time job, have a family and I don’t even own a desktop computer. Sure, I get through some business meetings playing Angry Birds on my phone beneath the table, but does that make me gamer? Well, it might.
The truth is, labels and identities depend on large part on how an individual sees himself. For some, it’s the amount of time they spend gaming that makes them a gamer. For others, it’s the amount of money they spend on games. A person could even call himself a gamer because he identifies with the gaming culture, follows game releases and development, watches others play on YouTube, but never plays himself.
So, what does it mean to be a gamer? Whatever you want it to mean — as long as you enjoy it and embrace the gamer in you.
