Earlier this week, composer Ludwig Göransson took home his second Academy Award; but in his acceptance speech, he ruffled more than a few feathers with an off-hand comment about video games.

In his speech he said: “To my parents, thank you for giving me guitars and drum machines instead of video games”. In a vacuum it’s a pretty innocent statement, after all he ought to be thankful to parents that encouraged his interests and hobbies, but his contempt for less productive hobbies understandably upset a few people.

Last night, 39-year-old composer Ludwig Göransson won his second Academy Award for his score to ‘Oppenheimer’. In a heartfelt speech, he thanked his parents for giving him his foundation in music. pic.twitter.com/hVSDqp0gEw

— Classic FM (@ClassicFM) March 11, 2024

At the root of this is a recent cultural trend that’s been dubbed the “Grindset”, a portmanteau of Grind and Mindset which refers to a lifestyle and way of thinking that maximizes production. This could be financially, or even personal development like body building or studying marketable skills.

There’s nothing wrong with doing these things, and by itself these are praiseworthy endeavors. But at its worst, the “Grindset” philosophy denigrates anything that isn’t done in service of maximizing your productivity.

So of course, the natural enemy of the Grindset is video games. Unless you’re among the top players in a relatively mainstream game, it will be rare for anyone to make money from video games, let alone a stable income. You could compare it to casual football or other physical sports but at least then you’re training your body.

There are some studies which indicate gaming may lead to enhanced cognitive performance and mental health, but that’s besides the point. You don’t have to justify yourself to anyone: you’re allowed to have fun.

I don’t think Göransson meant for his comment to be an endorsement for such a toxic lifestyle, I’m certain he (like everyone else) has his fair share of “pointless” hobbies too. But the response to it underscores just how pervasive the Grindset has become. The backlash isn’t necessarily backlash to Göransson directly, it feels more like a backlash to the background hum of the Grindset, the constant whine that everything we do has to be productive or serve some economic endgoal. Enjoy life. Be happy.