Video game addiction.

[Klippy]

What are your opinions on video gaming being an addiction? Is it substantial or simply the government and parents taking a hobby too seriously?

I don't think video gaming could even be considered a real addiction. I've played video games for hours at a time, then neglected to play any for months at a time. I've had issues with staying up too late due to video gaming, but simply because I've wanted to finish a level or needed to get to a save point, but never because I just couldn't stop playing. My grades are bad simply because I don't study as often as I should or as much as I should for tests, but video games only contribute to that because I'm lazy and don't want to study sometimes.

I've stayed up well into the night before playing games like Left 4 Dead or Resident Evil 5 because I just got the game and didn't want to stop playing, but I knew when enough was enough. I've never stayed up all night trying to beat a boss or skipped showers to play a game instead.

So what are your opinions on this matter? And have you skipped anything you needed to do for a video game?

- - - - -

Since the American Psychological Association decision in 2007, studies have been conducted at Stanford University School of Medicine related to video game play. Researchers found evidence that video games do have addictive characteristics. An MRI study found that the part of the brain that generates rewarding feelings is more activated in men than women during video-game play.

And a report by NBC about it.

 

[IloveKoizumi]

Video game is an addiction in my opinion, and I guess it's based on my personal experiences for continuously playing Call of Duty 4 that it affected my school performance. I am aware if enough is enough, but dropping the controller is just hard. Maybe I just don't have any control .. so hmm.

I've skipped hours worth of studying just to play video games, yes.

 

[PaprikaChu]

The addiction itself is subjective.

people confuse the wanting to play a video game with the need to play.
the difference is, its not same as some mind altering substance we need need to get high on, its just a medium of entertainment.

people who play baseball all the time, neglecting school and chores and other what nots don't have an "addiction", they just might really enjoy the game. but for most people that could justify addiction, then where do you draw the line?


you could be addicted to anything, so in a sense of credibility it doesn't become such a scary word.
i read a lot of books so i must be addicted? why is that any better or worse than video games? or sports?


its not destroying our nervous system with chemicals like drugs or other third party alternative substances.


addiction is purely subjective in this matter.
self control is another aspect--

 

[twocows]

addicted
1. Being physically or psychologically dependent on something.
Source

So the question is, am I physically or psychologically dependent on video games? Maybe partially. FPS games tend to sharpen my mind, and as a result I'll do better in academic endeavors. I'm also usually in a better mood after playing a game, unless it was particularly frustrating. These can be signs of an addiction, but they may also just arise from the involved nature of gaming. I also get frustrated when someone interrupts me while I'm gaming, but I get frustrated whenever someone interrupts what I'm doing, so that's not telling either. Perhaps a better way to test might be to consider how I would feel if I could no longer play games; I'd feel quite disappointed, but I'd find something else to do in its place. This seems to indicate that, for me at least, that gaming is not an addiction, but simply a hobby.

 

[Gummy]

Every time my Math teacher hands us back our test and the entire class does a generally bad job, he whips out his Video Games Ruin Lives speech and always gives us the same example of some student he once taught who went from top of the class to a high school drop out thanks to WOW. Personally, I hate it when people blame things on video games (like GTA creating domestic violence). In my eyes, an addiction is when your body urns for a substance so much that it can no longer properly function without it. If video games has this effect on you, then may God help your soul.

 

[Chikara]

Video games for me, are just a way to pass the time.
To be quite honest, I get more addicted to the PLOT than the actual game. For example, I'm currently playing Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. I love the gameplay, but what I'm really waiting for is the freaking plot to get going. I'm a story nerd, it's the reason I like anime and manga, it's the reaosn I got into shipping countries, and it's the reason I gossip so much(WHICH I'M WORKING AT FIXING).

Story time is my time.

Kay so skipping right along to people who aren't me. I think people, who others would assume to be "addicted" (for example, people who skip their senior prom to play WoW. There was one at my school who did that...) are just insecure about themselves. They'd rather type and/or talk to people who they don't know because they're worried about maing the wrong impression. ANOTHER EXAMPLE WOULD BE A HIKIKAMORI 8'D

BUT WHAT DO I KNOW, I'M NO PSYCHIATRIST. I wouldn't consider myself addicted, because I don't think addiction to video games exists. No one's injecting themselves with illegal Final Fantasy hokay? |D

 

[H.Lecter]

I am convinced that you can be addicted to video Games.

This has several reasons.
I think I had a kind of addiction. It wasnt that extreme as I see it from some people I know. But there where a team (I think it was the time when I was about 15 and 16) where I only played video games. I barely seen my friends and when I did, I did it only for playing video games together. My grades in school went terribly bad in that time so I nearly had to repeat the year in school. I often didnt went to school, the only thing which I did was sitting in front of my PC or TV and playing video games. When I didnt played any I felt bad, really bad and I got the feeling that I was missing something.
Fortunately things went back to normal. Nowaday I although like playing classic retro-, multiplayer- and great singeplayergames very very much. But I am just a fun of media I although like good films, good musics, and good books.
I think you have to ask yourself if the video games are the most important and enjoying things in your life. A long time there were in my live... But today I got many things that are more important managing my exam, applying to university, finding an apartment where I can move in with my girlfriend, having fun with friends, enjoying time with my girlfriend, going to concerts, getting involved with political things and many more.

The most extremely example for video game addiction is a friend of mine. I met him in my 5th year in school (in Germany the elementary school ends after 4 yours and then in year 5 you go to a secondary school) and I always got along very will with him but he wasnt one of my best friends. I always talked with him about gaming. When I was about 13 the time came where DSL was getting popular, me and him where the first ones in class who had it. We always chatted about games played online minigames etc. When my addiction time came I always played online with him. Mine ended but his got always stronger, he didnt reacted to the people who told him that he should be aware of that. The years went on and last year he broke up school with the "Fachabitur" instead of the "Abitur" which didnt allow him to study what he wants. All of that because of WOW. The last years in school he was even dirty and smelly because he didnt shower any more. The only thing he did was playing WOW. In his rooms around the PC are only chips and Pepsi which are the only food he is eating and drinking. He got extremely thin and his skin and especially his teeth got this yellow tone. When you write to him in ICQ he is always in WOW. He plays nearly 13 hours a day WOW which means he only does his civilian service (which your are forced to do in Germany if you dont do a military service or if you arent healthy enough for the military service) which are 7 hours and does 4 hours the whole other things including sleeping.

That are two reasons why I am convinced that video games can have an additive character. But the games arent to blame I think. The only things which are about to blame are to low self-control of the addicted ones, the missing control of the parents (I think the addiction develops when you are in teenage-age) and the missing elucidation by public services (because the only ones who are there these from the video game hating politicians and so on who dont know how good, meaningful, and impressive a video game can be).

 

[Rogue planet]

I was addicted to video games. I would play for hours without having any breaks at all; when I got MGS I played it from the start to finish only stopping at meal times and the occasional sleep. Playing video games all day was a common thing for me and I would constantly be thinking how to improve my score or how to beat a game boss when I was at school or during the rare times where I wasn't actually playing the game. Eventually I asked myself why I was even going to school. Then I would stay off school often in order to play video games.

I was never addicted to one particular game; once I completed a game then I had to buy a new one in order to feed my addiction. I would spend all my pocket money on video games and if I didn't have enough money then I would steal or 'request a loan' from my parents. My dad was always soft on me and never followed up a 'loan' that I didn't intend on repaying, I don't think he knew the extent of my addiction. My mum would let me do whatever I wanted as long as I kept quiet and out of the way.

After I left Primary school and began Secondary school I stopped being so addicted to video games, I would play maybe 1 hour a day; some days more, some days less. I looked to play sports instead and even joined the school football team. When I changed schools I started to get addicted again, I couldn't play sport anymore and I just couldn't think of anything better to do.

I have definitely improved since then, I'm no longer addicted or even that interested in video games and I have realized that there are far more important things in life. I'm quite ashamed of being so addicted to something that is really so very pointless and I feel guilty every time I play a game any longer than an hour. I now regulate how much time I spend on the Xbox and how much money I spend on the games. I don't blame video game companies, my parents or anybody else; I am the only one to blame.

So yeah, after that confession I think it's obvious that I think people can get addicted to video games; children especially.

 

[Legobricks]

Nobody bashes people who jog round the park every day, nobody calls that an addiction, so why have one off at people who play games every day?
Media.

It's just fun, so obviously you want to keep doing it for longer than you should. I'm sure I'd go paintballing/airsofting a lot if it were as cheap as Internet fees.

 

[devilicious]

Nobody bashes people who jog round the park every day, nobody calls that an addiction, so why have one off at people who play games every day?
Media.

It's just fun, so obviously you want to keep doing it for longer than you should. I'm sure I'd go paintballing/airsofting a lot if it were as cheap as Internet fees.

^ This is exactly my opinion.

The media makes a huge fuzz out of this for absolutely no reason.

 

[Raaji]

I'm pretty addicted to video games, I know I am. I havn't played a game in about a month though (Due to having an F in Eng9 for slacking) I stay up an weekend till at least 1:00am and usually more. And the satisfaction of owning an entire team on CoD:W@W or CoD:4 Is great! But to the point were prople say video games trigger violence, I think thats just dumb. If that triggers something in someone, then I'm pretty sure they already have some kind of problems. Sure a violent video game can get you more aggresive, but to kill someone, no way.

 

[ShinjisLover]

I don't think it could be considered an 'addiction' unless someone won't stop playing a certain game, like my brother and Halo.​

 

[Cherrim]

Nobody bashes people who jog round the park every day, nobody calls that an addiction, so why have one off at people who play games every day?
Media.

It's just fun, so obviously you want to keep doing it for longer than you should. I'm sure I'd go paintballing/airsofting a lot if it were as cheap as Internet fees.

...because they don't skip school/work/events to jog all day, everyday, pausing only to sleep and stop in at a store to grab food they can eat while jogging. :|

I think there's definitely room to say gaming can be an addiction. I've seen my brother addicted to a few free MMOs and my parents used to get in so many fights with him. He's currently supposed to be[/b] banned from all game systems since he's actually failing a few courses and this kid is smart. Gifted, skipped a grade, and all that jazz. So if he's fallen into a trap where sometimes he's even skipped school to stay home and play Halo or, in this case since my parents are too lazy to hide the guitar/drums controllers, Guitar Hero, then I'd say there's definitely an issue.

Sure, self control is a huge part of it. I know I've had that problem a lot where I end up playing games when I really need to study, sleep, do an assignment, etc. But when you consistently miss deadlines, skip social events with friends, etc. just to play games or you get miserable when not near a controller of sorts... yeah, I'd say your addicted.

But alternatively, studies by professional psychologists have shown that while they do have some addictive qualities, they cannot be compared to drugs and the like. I think one person has gone through rehab for VG addiction but for the most part, professional clinics will just laugh in your face if you suggest they're on the same footing with drug addictions. So I think a biiig part of it is irresponsible parenting or, in the case of those not under parental supervision, just irresponsibility all around. :/

 

[TRIFORCE89]

Gaming can be an addiction. It's just not taken seriously because there's no immediate harm. It's certainly a safer addiction (and if you're addicted to just one game - cheaper).

 

[JeTz]

Gaming can be an addiction. It's just not taken seriously because there's no immediate harm. It's certainly a safer addiction (and if you're addicted to just one game - cheaper).

Agree. But addicted to online games might be in trouble.

There are some game using item for sale in real cash.

Some addicted would just go and buy it. Wasted.

Honestly, i did that too. Addicted to game would be a no good.

 

[Cherrim]

yyeaaah.... my brother managed to spend about $100 on Maplestory which is a *free* MMO, so.... :(

 

[Avatar]

Nobody bashes people who jog round the park every day, nobody calls that an addiction, so why have one off at people who play games every day?
Media.

Because jogging in the scope you're referring to is not an addiction.