Poll: Gaming Online and Drinking. Does it count as drinking alone?

[Shiftysnowdog]

So a co-worker and I were having a discussion the other day. I asked him if it is considered drinking alone if you are playing on-line and communicating with your friends while you do it. In my opinion it does not count as drinking alone, I'm socializing and having a good time with my friends while shooting people in the face on-line. Now, I'm not saying that the alcohol makes playing the game better, but it does make for some funny moments.

I argued if you were drinking in a room with 5 people and were swapping out the controller, or playing on multiple T.V's, then it wouldn't constitute drinking alone (and he agreed) but why do we have to be sitting in the same room? Hell, me and some clan mates even played drinking games over Ventrillo. E.g for TF2 every time you die you drink, every time someone taunts after your death you drink twice, when you die by crit you finish your drink etc.. Hell we even played drinking games based on Schwarzenegger movies over vent by all starting the same movie at once. Its the closest thing to going out and drinking with a bunch of buddies you can get in my opinion. What better way to kill a Friday or Saturday night when there is nothing going on?

Now I should probably mention that my co-workers wife is an addiction councillor and her opinions often come out of his mouth. He said, that doing this was the first step to becoming an alcoholic. He also said under any circumstance it should be considered drinking alone. If you are playing with real life friends, if you were playing with friends who are too far away to drink with in a bar (I'm sure we all have on-line friends in other countries). EVEN if everyone has a microphone, is communicating, and having a good time, it is STILL considered drinking alone.

So Escapists, what do you think? Drunk on-line gaming? Yay or Nay?

 

[PettingZOOPONY]

If your socially interacting with another person while drinking then your are not drinking alone.

Now does it count as a Orgy if everyone masturbates over TS or Vent?

 

[kurupt87]

No, you're good.

If you were playing single player or lone-wolfing it in MP then it would but, as you say, you're socialising with your friends whilst drinking.

 

[Shiny Rabbit]

I wouldn't say it's drinking with friends, maybe "drinking while playing with friends" if that makes sence

 

[JoJo]

I don't think it counts but does it matter?

 

[fenrizz]

To me, that's drinking alone, and the only mental picture I get is of one of that type of people who log into video games to brag about how stoned or drunk they are.
Also known as pathetic.
You wanna drink, that's fine, I do a lot of it myself. But not alone, sat in front of a pc/tv with console.
That's just sad. Very, very sad.

I disagree.
I love having a beer or two while I play games or watch football.

I don't think it's sad at all.

 

[Haydyn]

I was leaning towards it not being drinking alone, but the orgy example does prove a point. I also like "drinking while playing with friends". I guess it would count if you occasionally drink while playing with other people you know drinking. I don't consider it smoking somebody out when I hop online after getting stoned with people irl. But if me and people online who knew eachother were both smoking weed while talking to eachother then ya, I just wouldn't use the terming "smoking somebody out". More like "getting high with stoner friends online.

I'm going with "drinking with friends online".

 

[teqrevisited]

I'd say yes, but what's wrong with it? Can a man not enjoy a drink or two whilst watching tv either? It's not as if the intent is to get so pissed that you collapse and drown in your own vomit.

As long as you're not necking 70cl bottles of spirits/entire crates/whole boxes of wine and feeling sorry for yourself when you're not doing so.

 

[Zukhramm]

I don't know, and I don't care. People are too concerned with doing things on their own, in other forums I've seen discussions about how pathetic it would be to eat or go to a movie alone. Really? Calm down, not every single moment of your life needs to be spent with other human beings.

But if you drink one beer by your computer one evening you're on the road to becoming an alcoholic, while getting yourself so drunk that you can't remember your name on a weekend is completely fine, because you didn't do it alone. Yep.

 

[FamoFunk]

When I've done it, and done it while playing and talking with people I know. I always class it as drinking alone as I'm not physically with the other people.

 

[Shiftysnowdog]

I was talking about drinking yourself to a point of being drunk. But for the sake of further discussion what is the difference between having a couple beers, and drinking alone?

Couple beers when watching hockey = ok

4 beers while playing TF2 = not ok?


*Edit* I realise that made me seem like a light weight, it takes more than 4 for me

 

[Broax]

To me, that's drinking alone, and the only mental picture I get is of one of that type of people who log into video games to brag about how stoned or drunk they are.
Also known as pathetic.
You wanna drink, that's fine, I do a lot of it myself. But not alone, sat in front of a pc/tv with console.
That's just sad. Very, very sad.

C'mon let's face it... the only reason you don't drink while you're alone is 'cause your parents won't let you...

For everyone else in the world its normal to drink a beer while playing games or watching tv... It's just what people do everywhere... It doesn't make you cool or depressing... It doesn't really matter...

The only think that might be bad is if you develop the habit of getting drunk alone...

 

[Rayne870]

Drinking alone is filled with so much baseless stigma. If your drinking alone is causing you to lose out on your relationships, career or education then there is a problem. You are doing it recreationally and are socializing by the new medium, so there really shouldn't be a problem with it.

Besides it can have it's benefits. I really hated Fallout 3 based on my view that dice rolls shouldn't be included in a shooter, so I could never stand to play it for more than 5 minutes. I sat my ass down one day and ploughed through a few beers, at the end of the day I had really bit into the game gotten past the initial phase of feeling weak and useless and now I enjoy the game sober.

Edit: It is never OK to drink Saki alone but that is based on tradition.

 

[beniki]

My rule of thumb is this:

If there's no one around to put the beer back in your hand when you fall off of your chair, it counts as drinking alone.