When combined with bad diet it'll eventually result in significant increase in one's physical volume, and there can be social and economic problems, depending on how much time and money gets spent 🤣

Doing too much of anything is bad. At the very least you lose time you could spend on other things that may be more beneficial to you on the long term.
Specifically gaming, though its true for anything non-social passtimes, if you do it too much growing up instead of socializing, you'll have underdeveloped social skills which will kick you in the ass.
Though in the past decade social media overtook gaming on this front.

Muz wrote on 2022-01-16, 14:46:

Are there any negative effects of ___ too much?

yes

There's not a "too much" if 8 hours sleep in 24 hours and a couple of meals or three and adequate hydration happen. There has been instances of dudes dying of heart attack or heart failure from doing marathon no-sleep sessions fuelled by energy drinks and salty junk. Also moving around regularly is recommended to prevent blood clots in the legs (which might shoot you in the head or other vital organ)

Other bad things are not related to video games per se, but to obsessive behavior, i.e. declining personal relationships, hygiene, neglect of responsibilities.

Your son might think you were long dead and refused to accept the fact when you told him "I am your father."

Seriously, there are thousands of academic, eye-catchy, or fear-mongering articles in the past 50+ years on this topic; what's the point asking it again in a forum known as "very old games on new systems?"

Muz wrote on 2022-01-16, 14:46:

Are there any negative effects of playing computer games too much?

- You will miss out on time with your children and/or wife/girlfriend.
- Neglect practical jobs around the house, ending up living like a pig.
- Loose time that you would use on a job, and ultimately get fired.
- Not getting enough to eat. Loosing sleep.
- Being asocial with your circles of friends and family.

Those are the downsides of too much gaming. And NO. You will totally not become a psychotic mass murder, getting rid of the bodies by chainsaw and acid.
Those are urban legends and have no hold in reality. Unless of course you are mentally unstable in a big way in the first place.

Everything in life is healthy, if done in moderations. Yes, even a cigar if you smoke one cigar a year. Then it is good for mentality and soul, body can survive.
Just be aware not to smoke anything at all, if you live close to air polution. Even poeple who had never smoked, die from lounge cancer due to diesel particles.
Everything in moderation.... Everything.

Muz wrote on 2022-01-16, 14:46:

Are there any negative effects of playing computer games too much?

The thing is that computer games are designed to be played "too much".

So, if you're not planning to just admire them as a pure pieces of art only, you have to choose only between (1) to play too much or (2) not to play at all.

In my case, I just don't find computer games attractive enough (new ones, old ones ... doesn't matter). This is because I find a real life being much more complicated, colorful, interesting and thus more attractive than computer games.

Regarding "any negative effects" of playing computer games - we live in the world where everyone has to decide what is positive for him and what is negative by himself.

You fail to get laid?

If you have any sense of self-control or discipline, games are no different from any other form of entertainment. This is especially true with computer games, since they typically allow you to save at any time, and many games are designed with "natural" stopping points (for example, at the end of your turn in a strategy game). I'd argue they are much easier to enjoy in small doses than watching TV, for instance, which requires a 1 hour minimum investment for most shows, or 1.5-2 hours minimum investment to watch a movie.

Of course, this doesn't take into account games with gambling elements like loot boxes, which are expressly designed to get a small percentage of players completely addicted.

The dark side of computer gaming? Uhh...other then forgetting about the real world or potentially developing a lootbox addiction, gaming is no worse then any other hobby. Moderation is key, don't play all day.

Too much of anything is good for nothing, as the saying goes.

Saying that, I learnt a lot from computer games - language, vocabulary and general knowledge. As an example, I learnt what "rubble" means from Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. (FYI, English is not my primary language.)

I guess it's how you use the information and utility available to you. - You can use the knife available in your kitchen to either cut the vegetables or use as a murder weapon.... it's how you look at the things available to you.

Muz wrote:

Are there any negative effects of playing computer games too much?

You'll start to worship SatanCthulhu. Obviously.

Imho just like any other distractions, when the distractions increase too much might change the usual list of everyday priorities where time is the big factor. At the end I found that I'm more interested in the hardware itself and the tech knowledges because at least something remains from reading/tests/installations experience; the number of game/retrogames that hardware run is more "to test the hardware itself" than the videogame itself. In last two decades only a couple of videogames I did finish with the right focus, most other times I'd get bored. This happens because after a certain life point there's not anymore imho (and probably it's just the mind evolution) the right 'mind setting/feeling' to actually enjoy any videogame (for example) without thinking to real life problems, when instead in the past most probably had the required patience, time, etc..

It depends. Do you play enough that it becomes a vice for you? Remember, your vices owe you nothing, and you will never regain the time you spend on games. Occasional play is fine, but don't let it get in the way of school, work, love, and life.

Don't forget though that excessive gaming is a gateway drug to nachos, which is a gateway drug to the devils lettuce, and from that a small step to ending up dead in an alley with a needle in your arm. 😉

Other than making one start pointless threads, not really.

Ask my parole officer

BitWrangler wrote on 2022-01-20, 15:20:

ending up dead in an alley with a needle in your arm. 😉

Oh man, I hate it when that happens!😂