Right. I was not even done typing out the title of this post and I already knew that it is not going to make a lot of people happy. Indeed, the words “discipline” and “video game timer” are bound to grate on people’s nerves – including mine, on certain occasions. And just so we’re clear, I am not even thinking about children at this point. I am thinking about husbands (and even wives!) who have this unbreakable bond with their favorite gaming console (PlayStation 3 in our case).
So is this scenario a familiar one?
Partner A: Honey, it’s time to go do the groceries.
Partner B: Yeah. Just let me finish this level.
Partner A: You said that an hour ago. You said we’d go in an hour.
Partner B: Yeah. Well I am not done with the level yet. Just a sec….
Partner A: What’s this button do? (Finger hovering over the power button…)
Partner B: Don’t you dare!
Yeah, this has actually happened to me – and continues to happen on a more or less regular basis. That got me thinking, maybe there’s a way to limit playing time when there are other things to be done?
I found a very interesting solution in John Morrissey’s Game Dr Video Game Timer. This gadget cuts off the power to the console after a specified number of hours. Obviously, someone has to input the number of hours. Once the power shuts off, the timer has to be re-programmed and a password is needed to do this. The good thing is that before it cuts the power off, it gives you several warnings so that you can save your game.
True, it is meant for parents who want to instill discipline in their children but who says adults can’t use it too? What do you think?
Uh. Commence flaming. Seriously this is not good.
Along with the baby cry analyser this gives parents one more way to avoid interacting with their kids in the formative years.
http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/parents-get-much-needed-help-with-the-baby-cry-analyzer-2009078/
From the adult use pov > nah still sucks. If you feel you need this then you obvoiusly think you spend to much time gaming and a band aid is not going to help you solve that. If you have a real addictive personality, I do, then you need to solve the root not trim the branches.
Whenever I read Instill and Discipline in the together I can’t help but think of how people used to train horses and how we realised that there are better ways to obtain respect from both man and beast alike.
LOL around this house, the term is … Dad, (mom) can I set the timer on (insert childs name here)?
it has worked for years! We use the hold timer function on the microwave & yes the threatened finger over the power button always seems to find the nearest save point for the current level …