Video games an addiction... ?

[Prrkitty]

I'm not quite sure what to think about this article. I use computer games as a distraction when my pain levels get really bad. I would not say I'm addicted...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/06/25/addiction.videogames.reut/index.html

[biggiy05]

I do the same if my pain is getting bad and besides I don't have anything else to do right now since I'm off work.

I heard it on the news as I was walking out the door with the dog. They try and say video games are a source of violence, they are an addiction, they corrupt America..blah, blah blah. Heard it before.

[The_Amaster]

I often read for over 8 hours. Am I addicted? Ah, but I forgot, books aren't evil, corrupting violent psycopath makers like video games are, so I'm not addicted. Okay, if your playing WoW or Runescape for literally 20+ hours a day then your addicted, I have to admit.

[biggiy05]

I often read for over 8 hours. Am I addicted? Ah, but I forgot, books aren't evil, corrupting violent psycopath makers like video games are, so I'm not addicted. Okay, if your playing WoW or Runescape for literally 20+ hours a day then your addicted, I have to admit.

I'm a big reader too. Not eight hours because I like to sit outside and read but it's a little toasty outside and with the pain in my chest I can't concentrate.

Yeah I know some people who play WoW before and after work. I prolly play 3-4 hours a day if even that. I mean what else is there to do? Sit on the couch and watch tv?:shrug:

[Aegix Drakan]

Video games, Addictive?

quite probably. I mean, who doesn't like to get away from reality for a bit. And som eof them are damn fun too. But gaming as a mental problem?

Somehow, I don't think so.

And if it IS diagnosed as a mental illness, then I have two little words to say.

So what?

*flips open DS*



Sit on the couch and watch tv?:shrug:
That's what they want you to do. Sit in front of the brainwashing device.

[Gerudo]

So a few random fuckwads play video games too much. Not a reason to classify it as a mental illness. Besides, to leave it up to some jewbag that went to college to decide how long in one day I can enjoy myself shooting up aliens, stealing cars, and jumping on goombas is just plain stupid.

I'm with Aegix on this one.

*flips open his DS*

[Gleeok]

I don't have an addiction. I...I can quit anytime I want to...just not right now cuz i'm up to lv7.

[DarkDragoonX]

And if it IS diagnosed as a mental illness, then I have two little words to say.

So what?

*flips open DS*


Can't argue with that. If playing a lot of games is a mental illness, then it's certainly a very pleasant one.

[Grasshopper]

I think it can be an addiction, but I don't think its a mental disease. Of course, I don't think alcoholism is a mental disease...and apparently some of those people do. I think people are just so addicted, they have to have it all the time. Why isn't smoking considered a mental disease? :tongue:

[Linkus]

I wanted to laugh as this when I first heard this. Whatever happened to "hobbies"? Just because I own 3 consoles, 3 handhelds, and 60+ games doesn't mean I'm addicted, I just like to play video games!

Also, I can stop anytime, which isn't a sign of addiction. Psychiatrists these days...

[mrz84]

*looks up from his Micro* What?

Let them say what they will. It will not stop me from palying video games. :kitty:

*goes back to his Micro*

[cbailey78]

I can see the video player but I can't get it to play! Just a black screen with grayed out play buttons! How can I fix this so I can play the video?

[MottZilla]

These people are clearly looking for an excuse to not see the real problem. Video games aren't addictive like drugs which can be chemically adictive. People that seem addicted to video games are fucked up but not because of video games. Something else in their life fucked them up.

[cbailey78]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/podcasts/doctalk/site/2007/06/20/pdg.gaming.addiction.cnn

Why is the play button grayed out???

[punkonjunk1024]

Lol, wut?
Duh videogames are addictive. But who cares? It's usually constructive and a great learning tool.
I guess it's usage is kind of in the eye of the beholder, or something.

[Sute]

I'd say they're addicting. Then again, anything can become addicting depending on the person.
It's just creepy when I hear what lengths people go to for online games, and they spend all their time playing it, and once some player kills their character, they want to commit suicide or something like that. I don't know, crazy stuff.

I just really hate when people try to tag the blame on video games when I kid attacks another kid. When I was five or so, I clearly understood the things I had done, it's just so lame that people can't raise themselves and they're so weak minded that they have to lean back and blame games for their own actions >_>

But if anything, I'm addicted to the computer, it's all I really have, plus, it does it all for me, chatting, news, WEATHER, art and such :D

[beefster09]

I've probably learned more useful things from video games, the internet, and TV than I have from school. I'm rarely addicted after I beat any game for the first time anyway.

[SpacemanDan]

I play video games...alot. Meh, what does it matter. I do other stuff too. (Read, bike, draw, etc.)
I've met people who spend days sitting in front of their computer playing WoW with a pack of RedBulls to keep them awake so they don't die (in the game), then when the next day rolls around, all they do at school is talk about how they reached level 7. I get really annoyed to hear all about it when I have no clue what they're saying, nor have a care about it. (I'm not trying to be rude to them, but I've never like MMORPGs) That's what I would call an addiction. (A major one, at that.)
I know I never have to worry about MMORPGs, because I've grown to dislike them over time. If I want an RPG, I'll stick to what I'm used to, and that's a good ol' console (or handheld) OFFLINE RPG. (Now, don't get the wrong idea, I'm not anti-social or anything, but when it comes to RPGs, I like to play them alone.)

[cbailey78]

You would rather be addicted to video games than be addicted to drugs!

[Mitsukara]

I could go into a long spiel, but screw it. Instead I'll put my feelings bluntly:

The Amer-emo drama llama strikes again.


Okay, if your playing WoW or Runescape for literally 20+ hours a day then your addicted, I have to admit.
QFT, however.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBGkVrSgEHc

[Sute]

Ha, yea, my brother rented Final Fantasy 10 when it just came out, and he played it for three days straight.
He lost five pounds and gave his bladder the most horrific chapter in its life.
later he said he thought the game sucked. Psh. how weird.

[AtmaWeapon]

Rise up thread! RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE!

Also anything can become an addiction in excess.

[Archibaldo]

I agree with this. My roommate and I have a friend who we don't bring to EB games because of the try-out stations there. Once he starts playing it takes forever to get him to stop. We're afraid to let him get a X360 because he might forget to eat and die.

[MottZilla]

The chinese are pros at gaming till they die. I can't count how many stories of chinese people dieing because they wouldn't stop playing some computer game.

[AtmaWeapon]

In some of the Asian countries I don't feel as shocked towards obsessive gaming behavior as I do towards Americans. I believe Korea and maybe some other countries have professional gamers who actually make their living off of tournament winnings. There are TV channels that show Starcraft matches, and the whole thing is considered a sport.

Consider how many kids in America are injured or killed playing football, baseball, and many other sports that are televised. Professional athletes make large amounts of money for playing a game, and to a lot of people that is the perfect occupation.

So, by analogy, when a person games to death in a country that supports professional gaming as a lifestyle, I am not very shocked. I'm not sure if it's happened in America yet, but it would be really shocking here since professional gaming is very limited and not exactly considered a sport by a significant portion of the nation.

*edit* Also here's an interesting anecdote from Eve-online.

China has its own server for the game that is isolated from the nations that could spread the corruption of democratic ideals to the fine citizens of China. The other servers are primarily populated by American, Canadian, and European players (we'll call this the ACE server for short). The ACE server is characterized by constant galactic warfare; imperialist expansion is the name of the game and if you made a time-lapse of the political map you'd see the rise and fall of several player corporations who in some cases took over half of the conquerable galaxy, but were eventually defeated by new, fresh players. At one point, my corporation considered how interesting it would be if a gate were opened between the two servers and the ACE servers could fight warfare against the Chinese player corporations.

Then, a few people who followed the game a lot more closely than they probably should pointed out it wouldn't happen. On the Chinese server, there is one player corporation. If you don't belong to it, you are harassed to the point that the game is unplayable. When you are in this corporation, you are assigned some form of farming as your in-game function. You are given money to get the equipment you need, then you do it. You give your proceeds to the guy that runs the corporation. If you ever cross the corporation, you are ejected and harassed endlessly until you quit.

What's interesting about this is the neat social implications. The history of European nations (we'll count America as one here because barring a few ethnicities we came from the same place) is full of imperialist expansion and warfare, and the ACE server is dominated by the same notion. There are free markets in some areas where you are only as wealthy as you are willing to work; other areas are completely communist and a player must only meet certain wartime quotas to continue to receive equipment. But the fact remains that the ACE server is kind of sort of a simulation of the ideals our culture has put into us.

On the other hand, the Chinese players have built an economy and government that mimics entirely their own government. Of course we'd expect them to make a free market and enjoy the freedom of the gaming world, but that is because we grew up in such an environment and detest communism. I think it's interesting to consider that perhaps the Chinese gamers detest our free markets and warfare just as much as we detest their lack of freedom. Had you been born and raised in China, you would hold their opinion. Had one of their players been born and raised in an ACE country, they'd hold your opinion.

Also, even in space war, you do NOT want to be on Russia's bad side. The Russians have been the allies of my corporation for a long time now, and I am very impressed with their ability to turn a ridiculously superior force into a battlefield memorial.

[Nicholas Steel]

they just need to find a way to reduce eye damage from staring/radiation and then game playing will be awesome !

[Darth Marsden]

Are you saying it's not already? Blasphemy!

Interesting story about Eve Online, Atma. Given that games are primarily designed as something entertaining and a break from reality, it's a little surprising that they've chosen the online style that they have. Still, to each their own.

As mentioned, I play games to escape the real world. In games I can do all sorts of things, like visit alien worlds, drive a motorbike across cities, blow the shit out of buildings, etc. Yeah, they're fun, but addictive? Surely that would depend entirely on the person playing, not the medium on which they dedicate themselves?

[DarkDragoonX]

RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE!


I came back to this thread just to say that, but you beat me to it, you son of a bitch.

I hate you now. :tongue:

[AtmaWeapon]

Are you saying it's not already? Blasphemy!

Interesting story about Eve Online, Atma. Given that games are primarily designed as something entertaining and a break from reality, it's a little surprising that they've chosen the online style that they have. Still, to each their own.

As mentioned, I play games to escape the real world. In games I can do all sorts of things, like visit alien worlds, drive a motorbike across cities, blow the shit out of buildings, etc. Yeah, they're fun, but addictive? Surely that would depend entirely on the person playing, not the medium on which they dedicate themselves?Heh you did little more but prove the effects that the society you are raised in has on your perceptions: you expressed surprise that the Chinese built a universe that mimics their world but had nothing to say about how the ACE countries did the same. One can presume this is because you feel the ACE server is the "proper" behavior and can't figure out why the Chinese would prefer a different playstyle.

The Chinese probably do play the game to escape the real world; mining arkanor and bistot in space is probably loads more fun than planting rice or whatever they do in China. Why don't they play a game of democratic imperialism? They've never encountered the environment that leads people to desire those goals.

[Master Ghaleon]

It is an addiction for me. I NEED to play games everyday or I go nuts

[Skulkraken]

Playing games is probably something of an addiction for me. Several times, I've played on and on in an online game, only to realize after I'm done that I completely forgot to eat lunch or get something to drink.

Being online is also something I hate to lose.

[Aegix Drakan]

It is an addiction for me. I NEED to play games everyday or I go nuts

Pretty much that same here. I was studying spanish on sunday, and I ended up playing pheonix wright somehow...

Well...I don't go nuts if I don't play, but...I need an escape. This world is so nasty sometimes that I often want to just fall through my DS screen...

Of course, If I have something really really important to do, the games go on hold. I don't want to screw myself over in real life. Because out here, there is no such thing as "Game over, start again".

[Rainman]

I think for the vast majority of you people video games are just your primary source of entertainment. When you don't have them you just get really bored. Unless video games are grossly interfering with other areas of your life, I'd stop complaining. It's offensive to people who are real addicts.