Game Addiction is real??? I say BS

[Jaime_Wolf]

According to News, Doctors, And even websites, Video games are as addictive as drugs.... What?


I'm not joking, this is insane.... My aunt hit it with me today at a so called family meal. I play games to much. was what she said I responded with "Yea but I'm not like your drug addicted daughter." well i didn't say that I said "I play them to get away from boredom after I get my homework done, Its not like I need them." the message was clear, I am not addicted. But my "Denying" the fact I have a problem led her into beliving I do. Soon the entire family went into full blown intervention mode..... I nearly walked out of the room twice.

So my question to you is, Have you heard of this Bull crap? If so are you addicted?

I know I'm not, Now if you don't mind, I need to go blow up Mister X on RE2

"I'm not addicted to games. Clearly there is no such thing as addiction to games."

You can become addicted to essentially anything remotely pleasurable (and, presumably, a lot of things that aren't pleasurable too). That comment about your cousin is callous, petty, and ignorant.

Also, your dinners seem a little melodramatic.

 

[Savagezion]

Big fat -snip-

And obsession is a seperate thing. Behavioral Addiction is a compulsive behaviour, and it exists and is no less real, potentially harmful or dangerous just because it lacks a chemical agent or other physical dependency. Many people seem to forget that the brain itself is an organ, and in fact it is who we really are. The body is just its interface with the world around it. I see no reason why addiction should be limited to external agents chemically affecting the brain when the brain itself creates its own stimulus to which it could addict itself. Anyway,
Behavioral Addiction applies to compulsions including problem sexual, gambling and computer addiction. In this context, the term describes the recurrance of a compulsion to the detriment of the individual or those around them (such as dependents whom that person does not feed or care for, etc). It differs greatly in definition to an obsession.

And yes there is debate as to whether the word "addiction" is appropriate, but that is the nature of language and study. Words are never immune to change or expansion. To allow discussion to devolve into the pointless splitting of hairs over definition, is to do the discussion a great diservice. Terminology aside, it is the meaning intended which should be discussed. Proving somehow that the word "addiction" is not appropriate does not change that the issue exists, and will only prompt another word to become attached.

The stimulus released by the brain is tremendously low compared to chemical imbalances caused by even caffiene. Let's have a look at obsession in a truly raw form. A guy becomes obsessed with a love interest. They create a "physiological need" in their mind for their affection. They seek out that affection and ways to get it (stalking, studying the person in question, etc.) like a crack fiend looks for crack. Actually being able to come to the realization that the person in question may never want to give that affection is not only something they constantly try to deceive themselves into never finding out or straight out denying, but if it is realized, it can cause suicidal tendencies.
Now, are they addicted to that affection or person? Probably affection that they never received in the first place? No. They are obsessed with it for whatever reason. Behavioral addiction is a "quacked out" term for obsession. It isn't really an addiction but instead a psychological disorder. The games are not causing people to quit there jobs. Their ability to prioritize what is more important and access consequences because of some other issue. The gaming/books/cinema is just an outlet. Depression or social anxiety is only a couple of possible diagnosis at play here. "Gaming Addiction" is not.

You cannot become addicted to "anything".
You can become obsessed with "anything".

 

[00slash00]

i believe it can be addicting as SOME drugs. im not addicted, in fact i rarely have time to play anymore *sad face* but i remember times when there would be something i wanted to go to but id end up skipping it because i really wanted to play this video game. so i can certainly see how they could potentially be addicting. plus i mean, we all know that wow is addicting and that people have killed themselves over everquest, so its not an absurd concept

 

[Mistermixmaster]

I'd say that game addiction is a real thing. Sure, it may not apply to the OP, but that still doesn't change the fact that there are people addicted to games out there. Game addiction can be seen on some WoW players (I used to be one for a year or so) and on those who are addicted to slot-machines and such.

 

[ShakesZX]

According to News, Doctors, And even websites, Video games are as addictive as drugs.... What?


I'm not joking, this is insane.... My aunt hit it with me today at a so called family meal. I play games to much. was what she said I responded with "Yea but I'm not like your drug addicted daughter." well i didn't say that I said "I play them to get away from boredom after I get my homework done, Its not like I need them." the message was clear, I am not addicted. But my "Denying" the fact I have a problem led her into beliving I do. Soon the entire family went into full blown intervention mode..... I nearly walked out of the room twice.

So my question to you is, Have you heard of this Bull crap? If so are you addicted?

I know I'm not, Now if you don't mind, I need to go blow up Mister X on RE2

It's not BS. Did you ever hear about the woman who shook her own baby to death while she was playing WOW?
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-10-29/story/more-information-jacksonville-woman-who-shook-baby-interrupting

She shook HER OWN BABY. TO DEATH. I'm not saying she was addicted to games, or that she was completely right in the head in the first place, but you have to admit that there is the possibility.

 

[UberNoodle]

Ubernoodle,
Hmmm, i see your logic and i feel i may have mispoken what i meant. I simply mean that people will put all kinds of harsh claims to the video games industry, and that claiming that there is some kind of serious addiction to gaming that requires intervention (as said by the original poster) seems like a very over the top reaction to something i dont feel is especially hazardous or problematic. I will definitely take time to reflect on your criticisms, as i really would not want to make the same mistake twice of making myself sound as obnoxious as you made it seem. Thanks for the reply.

Well I must apologise for I think I might have been to strong in my wording. I agree with you that anybody who equate "addictions" as equal in effect, is most likely wrong. Behavioral addictions are very real, but because they are psychological, they are treated and diagnosed much differently to chemical addictions, naturally. They are also much less prolific in the sense that while game addiction is certainly recorded, the connection is not strictly causal. In this sense, it serves the issue better to interpret the "game" in "game addiction" as a simple descriptor and not the name of a unique phenomenon. Games are just one of countless things that a person could become psychologically and behaviorally addicted to. They therefore can't be labelled as cause for that effect.

 

[Geo88]

And obsession is a seperate thing. Behavioral Addiction is a compulsive behaviour, and it exists and is no less real, potentially harmful or dangerous just because it lacks a chemical agent or other physical dependency. Many people seem to forget that the brain itself is an organ, and in fact it is who we really are. The body is just its interface with the world around it. I see no reason why addiction should be limited to external agents chemically affecting the brain when the brain itself creates its own stimulus to which it could addict itself. Anyway,
Behavioral Addiction applies to compulsions including problem sexual, gambling and computer addiction. In this context, the term describes the recurrance of a compulsion to the detriment of the individual or those around them (such as dependents whom that person does not feed or care for, etc). It differs greatly in definition to an obsession.

And yes there is debate as to whether the word "addiction" is appropriate, but that is the nature of language and study. Words are never immune to change or expansion. To allow discussion to devolve into the pointless splitting of hairs over definition, is to do the discussion a great diservice. Terminology aside, it is the meaning intended which should be discussed. Proving somehow that the word "addiction" is not appropriate does not change that the issue exists, and will only prompt another word to become attached.

I think we have the same point, but you made it much more eloquently than I did. As I said, we could call it Bazooka Joe bubblegum if we wanted to, but it doesn't somehow change the problem.

The focus of the issue is if people can become compelled to play games to the point that it leads to negative consequences. As it's been said, people have died directly as a result of excessive gaming. As rare as such extreme occurrences are, they can't just be brushed aside because they make us gamers look bad. And I imagine it doesn't even have to be that dramatic. Choosing to play a game over eating dinner or showering could be symptoms of a minor addiction, though I'm not a psychologist and can't say that with a whole lot of academic confidence.

Regardless, it's something to keep an eye out for.

 

[TrevorGruen]

[quote="UberNoodle" post="9.257243.9664404Well I must apologise for I think I might have been to strong in my wording. I agree with you that anybody who equate "addictions" as equal in effect, is most likely wrong. Behavioral addictions are very real, but because they are psychological, they are treated and diagnosed much differently to chemical addictions, naturally. They are also much less prolific in the sense that while game addiction is certainly recorded, the connection is not strictly causal. In this sense, it serves the issue better to interpret the "game" in "game addiction" as a simple descriptor and not the name of a unique phenomenon. Games are just one of countless things that a person could become psychologically and behaviorally addicted to. They therefore can't be labelled as cause for that effect.[/quote]

Agreed. My statement was unintentionally very blanket. I did not specify the difference between chemical and behavioral addictions when i said that video games were not addictive, I just meant that claiming they are an addictive substance in the same way Cocaine or Heroin is an addictive substance seems to be just a way to demonize video games. Yes they can be very addictive, but I would say that they are addictive in the same sense that any really fun experience is addictive, such as rollercoasters. Rollercoasters are an awesome way to get a rush of adrenaline and can become very addictive (why else would people wait 3 hours in a line to ride a 60 second attraction), but that doesn't mean that rollercoasters should be demonized. Things like coasters and video games are just a way to have fun in manageable ways.

 

[Censorme]

All I know is.
-When I go without video-games, I get easily bored.
-When I vacation, I dream and think about video-games I could be playing at home.
-It's the only thing I have that I was used to entertaining guests with. House=boring.
-When I come back to video-games after a long time, I get this little high in the first 10-30 minutes.

It's a little scary. Dudes that get old often drop video-games but still have a high chance of relapse when they see their favorite game re-made with current graphics and gameplay...

Oh my god...

 

[UberNoodle]

Big fat -snip-

And obsession is a seperate thing. Behavioral Addiction is a compulsive behaviour, and it exists and is no less real, potentially harmful or dangerous just because it lacks a chemical agent or other physical dependency. Many people seem to forget that the brain itself is an organ, and in fact it is who we really are. The body is just its interface with the world around it. I see no reason why addiction should be limited to external agents chemically affecting the brain when the brain itself creates its own stimulus to which it could addict itself. Anyway,
Behavioral Addiction applies to compulsions including problem sexual, gambling and computer addiction. In this context, the term describes the recurrance of a compulsion to the detriment of the individual or those around them (such as dependents whom that person does not feed or care for, etc). It differs greatly in definition to an obsession.

And yes there is debate as to whether the word "addiction" is appropriate, but that is the nature of language and study. Words are never immune to change or expansion. To allow discussion to devolve into the pointless splitting of hairs over definition, is to do the discussion a great diservice. Terminology aside, it is the meaning intended which should be discussed. Proving somehow that the word "addiction" is not appropriate does not change that the issue exists, and will only prompt another word to become attached.

The stimulus released by the brain is tremendously low compared to chemical imbalances caused by even caffiene. Let's have a look at obsession in a truly raw form. A guy becomes obsessed with a love interest. They create a "physiological need" in their mind for their affection. They seek out that affection and ways to get it (stalking, studying the person in question, etc.) like a crack fiend looks for crack. Actually being able to come to the realization that the person in question may never want to give that affection is not only something they constantly try to deceive themselves into never finding out or straight out denying, but if it is realized, it can cause suicidal tendencies.
Now, are they addicted to that affection or person? Probably affection that they never received in the first place? No. They are obsessed with it for whatever reason. Behavioral addiction is a "quacked out" term for obsession. It isn't really an addiction but instead a psychological disorder. The games are not causing people to quit there jobs. Their ability to prioritize what is more important and access consequences because of some other issue. The gaming/books/cinema is just an outlet. Depression or social anxiety is only a couple of possible diagnosis at play here. "Gaming Addiction" is not.

You cannot become addicted to "anything".
You can become obsessed with "anything".

(EDITED because I jumped the gun - 'pologies (^_^; )

You are talking about direct and indirect affect, and I appreciate the point of view. I never said that games had a direct affect, not because I studied that, but because I have a head on my shoulders. I think that every rational person understands that too, which is the reason for the debate. One of the biggest factors in this discussion that clouds things is the interpretation and misconstruance of the two words "game" and "addiction", when placed in that order, side by side. I agree that it is misleading in that it implies the existence of a unique phenomenon in which gaming is a direct, causal factor. However, when the term "gambling addiction" is used, how do you react?

I don't care what word is used. If you want to call it obsession, then fine, let's call it that, if that means we can discuss the issue better. People have played games, and gambling games as well, to great detriment for themselves and that of the people who depend on them. In the end, when a person's mind reaches such a state that it requires the stimulus of WOW to function normally or at all, I consider the end result to be, behaviorally, not that disimilar with that of drug addiction. Is it the means of that distortion and word used to describe it, that important, here in this forum?

 

[Savagezion]

-snip-

The reason I make it a point to split those hairs whenever I see it mentioned is because I enjoy the hobby/medium and allowing such a word to be used without detestation, makes me feel as though I condone it. With the world already ostracizing gaming to the level it does with school shootings and everything else, I will stand up against it. Especially, on a gaming site. Look through this thread and see how many "Yep you can be addicted to anything" posts there are. This further validates it when people blame the games for the addiction. Which let's face it, that is the spin this term puts on it. Thus I am a term nazi on this issue. When what needs to be ostracized is the people making messed up decisions. Once again with the school shootings, the games are not at fault, something else is. Allowing society to point the finger at the wrong thing because they wanna use that word instead of the proper term is as bad as blaming games for school shootings.

You are talking about direct and indirect affect, and I appreciate the point of view. I never said that games had a direct affect, not because I studied that, but because I have a head on my shoulders. One of the biggest factors in this discussion that clouds things is the interpretation and misconstruance of the two words "game" and "addiction", when placed in that order, side by side. I agree that it is misleading in that it implies the existence of a unique phenomenon in which gaming is a direct, causal factor. However, when the term "gambling addiction" is used, how do you react?

Same way, honestly. But I ain't a gambler so I am less inclined to ***** about the term there. But I would if I had reason to or if the topic came up in a conversation.

I don't care what word is used. If you want to call it obsession, then fine, let's call it that, if that means we can discuss the issue better. People have played games, and gambling games as well, to great detriment for themselves and that of the people who depend on them. In the end, when a person's mind reaches such a state that it requires the stimulus of WOW to function normally or at all, I consider the end result to be, behaviorally, not that disimilar with that of drug addiction. Is it the means of that distortion and word used to describe it, that important, here in this forum?

There really isn't much we can discuss beyond this point without a particular case in front of us. The diagnosis is not obsession or addiction but something else entirely. The symptom is the obsession you could say. Game obsession = high fever in a psychological sense. Depression, social anxiety, etc. would be the diagnosis (or virus) depending on the person in question. It might even be an unresolved issue somewhere from their past.

I think it is important to explain the terminology on this forum as it seems some people are OK with pointing a finger at the medium here but get all riled up about how games don't promote violence. It's not OK for the media to insinuate games brainwash people into shooting up their school but is OK to insinuate they brainwash people into neglecting their jobs, family, and hygiene. Which statement sounds like it is blaming the game and not the person involved?

He is has became addicted to video games.
He is has became obsessed with video games.

That is why I feel the terminology is important. Just the 'spin' it puts on the issue.

EDIT: Just caught your edit. I basically double state my point is all so I will leave it how it is. Deaf ears though, you know? I ain't about to argue with everyone in the thread. I wish Extra Credits would do an episode on this so that people would pay attention. It way better than "What should we call a 'gamer'?" which they have covered.

 

[brunothepig]

Of course it's real. It isn't on a par with major drug addictions, as that can result in physical symptoms. However, one can become addicted, to a degree, to anything. Games are actually a relatively easy thing to become addicted to, since they're about achieving, and escapism. We all know how it feels to finally best that damn enemy, get a perfect killstreak, or achieve whatever. It's easy to imagine someone getting addicted to that feeling.
So yeah, it's certainly real. But the media does tend to over-exaggerate it.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

According to News, Doctors, And even websites, Video games are as addictive as drugs.... What?

Games aren't as addictive as drugs. (First off, addictive as what drug? Not all drugs are chemically addictive.) They just can do what drugs do without injecting the chemicals yourself. They get your brain to release chemicals such as endorphins (endogenous morphine), which makes you feel good and reinforces behavior. Rewards (even praise) give your brain incentive to shoot itself up with, essentially, "reward juice" - which reinforces whatever actions got you that reward.

Depending on the game, and the conditions and frequency it dispenses rewards, a game can be addictive. Look at the skinner box episode of Extra Credits. People will, to varying degrees, become addicted to the game. Don't believe people can get addicted without drugs? Go to a casino. Watch people put money into a slot machine - the people who don't play to get money, but the people who pour their money in, just so they can press the button.

Alcohol's an addictive substance, but you probably won't become an alcoholic from a beer a day. Some people who frequently knock back shots never get addicted. Doesn't mean alcoholism isn't a real problem.

 

[Solo-Wing]

You by definition CAN NOT be addicted to games, Just ignore them, People like that are usually just looking for a scapegoat and think games are an easy target

Ya because when ever people find a Xbox in a murderers house they go "See that? I told you!"
Seriously just fuck off you assholes. It probably had nothing to do with it.

 

[Quaidis]

I once absent-mindedly brushed the shoulder of an Ultima game. Two or more weeks later I came out of some strange stupor from playing it nonstop. Somehow cutting trees repeatedly to make me stronger was so damned interesting. When I regained my life, I uninstalled the game. That is some jacked up shit.

I also find myself at times starting a good game, then finding that hours had passed. Time I could have spent doing more important things, such as work or eating. Other times I start a game and am so compelled by it that I wont let anything stand in my way to finishing it.




Then you have those people in Korea that die from playing too much. That's some crazy shit.

 

[ultrachicken]

Anyone who says you can't become addicted to video games, I point you to World of Warcraft players, and kids in South Korea. It is not B.S., as I think I am slightly addicted as well. There are days were I simply cannot think of anything but playing video games. I turned everything off for a week once, and it was HARD. The addiction is as real as anything else.

Was it hard because you were bored, or because you felt like you just needed to play video-games? If it was the former, then you aren't addicted, you just don't have anything else to do around the house, which I'd suggest you rectify. Otherwise, then you do have a psychological addiction.

OT: I'd suggest that you either stand up to your aunt and parents, or avoid them and wait until it blows over. They're both risky options, because the first one could either help you gain some respect and independence, or it could cause your parents to crack down. The second option can either keep you out of trouble until the storm blows over, or it could mean that you just sit by submissively while your aunt takes your hobby away from you.

I don't know your family, so the decision is yours to make, and yours alone.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

I once absent-mindedly brushed the shoulder of an Ultima game. Two or more weeks later I came out of some strange stupor from playing it nonstop. Somehow cutting trees repeatedly to make me stronger was so damned interesting. When I regained my life, I uninstalled the game. That is some jacked up shit.

I also find myself at times starting a good game, then finding that hours had passed. Time I could have spent doing more important things, such as work or eating. Other times I start a game and am so compelled by it that I wont let anything stand in my way to finishing it.




Then you have those people in Korea that die from playing too much. That's some crazy shit.

Echo Bazaar. My current poison.

How the game really gets you is by offering dozens of genuinely interesting choices at a time, limiting how many you can choose at a time, and then cutting you off from your supply for the rest of the day once you've made 70 moves (like a bastard pusher). If it wasn't for that "genuinely interesting" bit (which is the entire world of game), I would back out from this finely tuned piece of behavioral engineering, but like a pigeon I keep pressing the buttons in hope of tasty pellets.

 

[Mcface]

I can say for sure that they can be addicting.

anything that brrings enjoyment and allows you to escape from whatever, can be addicting.

 

[hyzaku]

I'll buy in to "game addiction" when I see actual scientific proof that it is not the result of having an addictive personality. Becoming obsessed with gaming is not equivalent to a hard physical addiction like drugs or alcohol. It would have more in common with a gambling addiction which is the result of an addictive personality.

The media love to blow things out of proportion and little unthinking sheep just eat it all up without ever researching the presented ideas because "the media would never lie." If someone can't realize that the media (and other groups) pick on gaming as the scapegoat for many of society's problems without any proper evidence to back up their claims simply because no one will publicly defend it, then they can be safely ignored.