The Guilded Lilies weblog, which "explores the unique experience of being a grown woman playing computer games", has a new post up discussing "further thoughts on what it means to be productive" in relationship to playing video games.

The author, L Laughy, notes: "I approach my day by seeing it as full of potentially productive time, instead of thinking strictly in terms of fully productive time. I allow for the fact that my mind has a tendency to rebel if not given regular license to relax... It is important that when I do allow myself these breaks that I don't feel guilty about it. Thinking that gaming is a waste of time, especially if you love to play games, is a sure way of associating guilt with your pleasure."

She then cites a Psychology Today article suggesting: "Play appears to allow our brains to exercise their very flexibility, to maintain and even perhaps renew the neural connections that embody our human potential to adapt, to meet any possible set of environmental conditions." So... is playing games psychically and karmically necessary for us, or is that purely the excuse of the 'one more game' crowd? Opinions welcome.