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Video Game Addiction: Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous?
Biology 202
2002 Second Paper
On Serendip
Video Game Addiction: Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous?
Mary Schlimme
Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Street Fighter are familiar names to nearly all of us. They are all best selling games of major video game consoles. Over 9.8 billion dollars were spent on video games in the United States during 2001 alone, and video game consoles are present in 36 million homes in the United States (1). With the increasing amount of time that people are spending on video games, one is left to wonder if it is possible to become addicted to video games. Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous?
Addiction has been defined as "A primary, chronic disease, characterized by impaired control over the use of a psychoactive substance and/or behavior. Clinically, the manifestations occur along biological, psychological, sociological and spiritual dimensions (2)." While there is currently no category for video game addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3), which is the manual utilized to diagnose psychological disorders, video game addicts are often described by clinicians in the field as displaying many symptoms characteristic of other addictions. These behaviors include failure to stop playing games, difficulties in work or school, telling lies to loved ones, decreased attention to personal hygiene, decreased attention to family and friends, and disturbances in the sleep cycle (4). Withdrawal symptoms can even include behaviors as severe as shaking (5).
All addictions can be dangerous and harmful to the addicted person and others around him; however, video game addiction can be particularly detrimental to children. Video games are becoming increasingly popular with children of young ages, which in turn may raise the likelihood that these children will develop addictions to video games. Furthermore, playing violent games may be associated with a tendency to behave more aggressively, although the data are inconclusive about the cause and effect nature of this relationship (6). In a study by Irwin and Gross, children who played a violent video game displayed a higher level of aggression than children who played a nonviolent game (6). Similarly, in a study by Calvert and Tan, college students who played a violent video game reported more aggressive thoughts after playing the game than college students who played a nonviolent game (6). Although several researchers advocate the position that video games cause violent behavior in children and adults, there are also many researchers who support the opposite belief, which is that video games purge one's desire to act violently and thus reduce the amount of violence in which a person will engage (5). Other detrimental effects of video games include taking time away from a child's studies or homework and decreased social skills (5). Finally, despite possible detrimental effects of excessive video game playing, there are benefits to playing video games in moderation. For instance, video games may improve spatial abilities, the ability to create and apply multiple strategies, and may help develop critical analyzing techniques (7). Due to the nature of video games, psychological, social, and neurological factors have all been associated with excessive video game playing.
The psychological cycle of substance addiction and other maladaptive behaviors can be applied to video games as well. A person playing a video game feels an emotional high, commonly known as an adrenaline rush, as a result of his gaming tactics (8). He then plays the game more and pushes his physical and psychological limits in order to experience the emotional high. Eventually, he will again reach a level that stimulates the production of adrenaline. The cycle may continue until it leads to an unhealthy level of interaction with video games, which some professionals may label video game addiction. Even famous psychological effects such as the sunk cost fallacy can influence the addictive cycle. This fallacy occurs when a person feels compelled to continue performing a certain behavior because he has previously invested time in the behavior and does not want to feel as though his investment was wasted (9). Similarly, Dr. Timothy Miller, a clinical psychologist, states that many video game players may feel that they have wasted their efforts if they do not reach the next goal in a game, which may lead to additional time spent playing the game that the person otherwise would have spent in a more constructive task (4).
According to Dr. Orzack, the Director of Computer Addiction Services at McLean Hospital, social pressure or lack of social skills can also lead to video game addiction (4). Dr. Orzack suggests that many video game addicts have struggled with finding their place in society and as a result play video games in order to become part of a crowd. The players then may feel compelled to reach the next level of achievement in the game in order to flaunt their abilities in front of their peer group (4). While these social effects are important to consider when investigating the development of excessive video game playing, it is equally important to discuss the neurological effects as well.
Not only can excessive video game playing cause behavioral and social changes in a person, but it can also result in neurological changes as well. A recent study utilized positron emission tomography in order to show that levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine increased while playing video games (10). Dopamine is believed to mediate several behaviors, one of which is the experience of pleasure. For example, dopamine levels increase in emaciated rats when the rats are presented with food, and similar effects are found when water deprived rats are presented with water. Despite the positive effects of dopamine, high levels of the neurotransmitter have also been associated with addictions to drugs and substances (11). Because increased levels of dopamine have been found in people who are playing video games and because these effects are similar to the increased levels of dopamine in drug addicts, some researchers have hypothesized that higher levels of dopamine can produce a dangerous cycle leading to addiction of video games (11). However, because this research is fairly novel, studies replicating the data are necessary. Furthermore, the possibility of involvement of other neurotransmitters during video game play should be explored since it is possible that multiple neurotransmitters may interact in addictive behaviors. Finally, because this area of research is fairly new, many interesting questions can be raised. For instance, does excessive playing of video games cause a fundamental and permanent change in the dopamine system? If so, what are the subsequent effects on the pleasure systems of these individuals? Do these people require more dopamine to be released as a result of a decreased sensitivity to dopamine that was caused by the excessive play, in a way similar to other addictions (10)? If future studies demonstrate these patterns, and if they are considered in unison with the psychological and social ramifications of excessive video game playing, it can be concluded that the video game addiction can and does exist. In that case, the answer to the initial question of "Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous?" is most certainly yes.
References
1)Assorted Gaming Statistics, A good reference for game statistics
2)Definitions in Addiction Medicine,
3)Computer and Cyberspace Addiction,
5)Video games: Cause for concern?,
6)Video games: Research, ratings, and recommendations, Contains many references for empirical studies
8)Are video games really so bad?,
10)Positron Emission Tomography ,
11)The Biochemistry of Human Addiction, Discusses the role of dopamine in addiction
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Continuing conversation
(to contribute your own observations/thoughts, post comments on the Video Game Experiences Forum on Serendip) 07/12/2005, from a Reader on the Web I find that when I play games that when I play some video i get a high, until I start to find my self doing the same thing over and over again. But just because you can get bored doesn't make it addictive. If you hit a jump on your bike for a while, eventually it gets boring. You just find a bigger jump.
Sure video games give an adreniline rush at times, but is excitment the main addictive factor? I have to disagree. More importantly, there are styles of play constantly practiced in MMORPGS that are not fun and not exciting, but felt to be necessary. First, this isn't just a kid thing. I know plenty of adults who waste time playing video-games, myself included (this is about my problem)... and I think it would be more appropiate to classify it as an obsessive behavior. (I'm no doctor, so I'll agree addiction works well as a loose definition.) My "addiction": I'd describe my problem using Tetris as an example. It's like the images get burned into my brain, and I'll see the shapes when I close my eyes (ecspesically be for I go to sleep or as I wake up). It seems to become predominant in my subconcious, and I feel a need to play the game to make the visions concrete. The problem is the patterns get stuck in my head. And it doesn't seem to matter what game I play. All video games are pattern oriented in some way: you must learn the pattern to kill the boss at the end of a level, learn patterns unique to various adversaries, etc. I think the addiction is based on trying to complete a pattern that has no end. Be it simple game of Tetris or a complex MMORPG. This is reinforced by being continually rewared in someway during the process: this can be points or (even better) gaining an ability or item to make your patterns more complex. In the highly addictive MMORPGS, there is a type of player (or style of play) who is addicted to the game but is not addicted to the adreneline rush. They are called farmers and grinders. It's also NOT A FUN way to play, but it is done by everyone who has played an MMORPG. The farmer will mine resources for hours upon hours, and can be without being interupted by adversaries (increasing points or gold). There are also groups that band together to increase the ability to farm. There is no type of adreniline rush playing in this way, but it is a style of play that is obsessive. Players will spend hours in one place farming the same area until physical exhaustion.(I've done it, and I've chatted with players who are barely awake who even fall asleep in front of the computer.) Then there is "Grinding". This is done by killing monsters for hours (increasing experiance points). There is no adreniline rush, because there is little danger invovled (the monsters cannot kill the character easily). In fact, there is no challenge to the player in this style of play; yet players will grind until exhaustion soley for the reward of points. In conclusion, there is an addictive quality to games that I have experianced. I doubt adreniline is the key to understanding video-game addiction. The excitment is just the hook. And worse, I doubt limiting time will help because the patterns get stuck in the mind of the addicted player and the thoughts can interfere with mental thought processes. For me (even when I am away from a game that I have been playing), I have a hard time trying to stop thinking about the patterns.
I'm a college student struggling with video game "addiction," and I heartily agree that the sunk cost fallacy plays a very large role in the "lure" of video games. While evidence suggests there is a possible chemical addiction to dopamine or adrenaline released when playing games, I would maintain that the "addiction" is much more psycological than chemical. Three terms used by gamers to describe other gamers are "Timmy," "Spike," and "Johnny." These are descriptors for three model personalities typified by gamers. "Timmy" likes fast cars and explosions, and general excitement. "Johnny" likes things that are aestheticly pleasing, and "Spike" is a competitive gamer whose enjoyment comes not from the game, but from comparing his gaming achievements to those of his peers. My point is that video games cater to each of these differing personalities in many different ways, providing psycological fullfulment that a gamer may otherwise be unable to get without them thus creating a psycological dependency or addiction.
I do feel gaming is a major addiction. I was addicted to the game Medal of Honor Allied Assault since September 2002, and even though I've moved onto other games such as cs source and motogp3 I still play "mohaa" to this day. I think its the joy of the pople you meet, the communitys and even the skill you gain. i have become (sadly) extremely brilliant at mohaa. But it is definitly addictive.
I was really pleased to find this site - I self-diagnosed my gaming addiction a few years ago. I based my assessment on the disruption of social and work life, the sense of a double-life, the guilt (about being juvenile, wasting time, wasting money) juxtaposed by pleasure (escapism), hiding the addiction from friends and loved ones, obsession to the point of time warp, etc. I agree with the previous poster that images and repetitive patterns get ingrained on your consciousness and that playing can become a compulsion with little pleasure. I used to think i was "gifted" when it came to games, and i developed a remarkable learning curve due to my total obsession with play. I haven't lost relationships (although I've lost lots of time), but I've been on and off the wagon for years with games. I think i pretty much have it under control, but I tend to go cold turkey for months or years, then binge for a few weeks to a few months.
I am a seventeen-year-old teen and I would say it’s highly likely that I have some sort of addiction towards video games. It started as a way having fun at first then as a way of getting over my inability to fit in at a new school that my parents enrolled me in. I did not play to brag about my achievements to my peers but instead to use the virtual world as a way of escape. I still have this problem, I loose sleep, don’t eat when should, but things off, don’t finish schoolwork, play to the point that my hands and fingers are in pain and bruised. Sometimes when start a new game that find really enjoyable I will imagine my self in the game ( this can be compared to daydreaming ) no matter where I am, walking, sleeping, ect. None of these problems bother me as much as something recognized recently, I will sometimes get urges to fulfill violent acts towards my friends, family, and even people I am unacquainted with. However I not sure if this has anything to do with videogames at all.
I live with a "gamer". His favorites include, NFL Madden and lately Socom III. We have had numerous discussions in regard to his game playing. His mother and father admittedly allowed game playing all throughout his childhood and this was a way to keep him "occupied" for hours at a time. I met him 5 years ago and while I noticed that he did have a game system, I never noticed that he played it. As we have dated this entire time, this situation has just come to be a problem in the last 2 years. My problem is that he is 28 years old. We have a home together, he has a loving girlfriend, two dogs, a great job and a lot of potential. While he never ever misses work (his hours are such that he gets plenty of days off anyway), he constantly misses "social" interaction with me and friends. It is a struggle to get him to go to a party or any social event that keeps us out for long periods of time and he obviously does not pay attention to his personal responsibilities...he has even started forgetting to brush his teeth on a daily basis... aside from personal hygiene, his responsibilities are minimal. I do not ask much from my boyfriend anymore because I know that not much gets done. I work and am away from the home 12-14 hours a day with just work and he is not. He comes home from his job and does not shower or eat, he goes to play. How can I stop this and not ruin our relationship. Keep in mind that I have done everything except for leaving him. I have even hidden his PS2 to get a LOT of backlash. I have never had to deal with this before and I do not want to threaten him with the prospect of my leaving. What do I do??? Any good ideas of how to stop this. I know he loves me but I'm done with taking second to a game. Christel Fannin
Playing video games is not addictive. There has been a lot of research into this subject matter after the Columbine incident, and although most of it was meant to prove that video games make people violent (was proven false), some of the studies were directed to the so called "computer game addiction". None of these studies have proven anything. Furthermore there is no link between dopamine and computer games, as so many people have said there was. Omar M.
I don't think video games are bad for anyone. I am a parent of three children two of them boys who love video games. They are good boys they don't do drugs,drink, or are they out doing god no's what.
Mario is not addictive! I grew up with mario! If nintendo read this there would be a LAWSUIT! You Don't know what you are talking about
I am the mother of a 17 year old who I believe may be addicted to video games. I am also a licensed substance abuse counselor. My concern is that I see some of the same types of dysfunctional behaviors of addiction in my son. He avoids friend and family, his school is definately suffering and when I recently took his gaming system away he become angry and violent. Afterwards he became dispondent. Is this withdrawal? I can't say. Recently a client of mine said he was no longer using drugs or alcohol but stated he was addicted to video games. He even quit his job so he could play more. I know that people don't think that this is a big problem...I get that, but my point is what if we are looking at and addiction here? How many people are we willing to write off on this learning curve? As a parent I feel completely responsible. I have been feeding this addiction since my son was old enough to hold a controller. He is even going to school to be a video game designer. Long story short... my son has few social skills, few friends and is now in withdrawal "literally". Tonight his father and I talked about sending him to a treatment program, seriously. I am even looking at how to finance the 6 week program which costs around $16,000! Money I would rather spend on his college education...only without some serious help I don't think he will make it to college! So if you think you might have a problem like this you probably do. As I tell my clients, if you are not sure if you have a problem...quit, and see what happens.
There already is On-Line Gamers Anonymous for people addicted to computer, video, on-line, MMORPG and any other kind of games. It is OLGA and the URL is www.olganon.org Visit the site and don't forget to go to the Pot of Gold on the site - the message board and read stories gamers and their family members and loved ones have shared. http://p198.ezboard.com/bolga No matter what the "Professionals" say, ask the people who are in the depths of this latest addiction, to see how they feel about this activity. It is serious and does ruin many lives and relationships. Elizabeth Woolley
Video games could be addictive, but I find that it's really more just a hobby for me, being young as I am, a way to spend time that can't really be spent on anything else.
I am 33 years old, and for the last 3 years I have wondered if video games were addicting. For me, I have an addictive behavior, but I never get addicted to just one thing... It may be 3 weeks at a time with an addiction, 2 weeks off, and then 3 weeks on again with a totally different high. When I am playing video games, I stay up late, get no sleep, and am completely unproductive at work. It is like I am in another world. I am not a violent person, and I don't like the violent games. I like the puzzle solving games, and fantasy games the best. I dream about those games, and sometimes, I get away from work at lunch to play them. I started very young when I got my Atari 2600, my Coleco, and finally when the mother of all gaming systems came out, the Commodore 64, I was in heaven. In the summer, I would play video games for 20 hours straight, and then sleep for 4, just to get up again and play them again until my parents kicked me off. I was only 11 when I was doing that destructive cycle. Now personally I think there are too many violent games, and many games are graphically exciting, but not challenging enough or creative enough. But I definitely know the feeling I get for instance when I play video games versus when I have done drugs is EXACTLY the same. Weird? No... the dopamine levels are affected whether its drugs, alcohol, gambling, or whatever addiction it is... and I would categorize video games along those lines. The key is moderation. Moderation of ALL the vices (drugs, alcohol, gambling, porn... whatever) is ok, but when you are like me, there is no moderation. It is either all or nothing. That is when it become detrimental to the psyche. My 2 + 2 cents
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games are addicting. I started with a play station in 1998. I would start playing as soon as I would get home from work,or as soon as i would wake up on the weekends. I would be up at seven in the morning and play until two or three in the morning. On the weedays i would start playing as soon as I got home and played too 10 or 11 at night. i did this for a year. I neglected my wife and my daughter for that. I feel it didn't give me a high or a rush. It feels like a way out of reality. I didn't see the problem. My wife would get on me case about me playing all the time. I guess you could say I didn't care what anybody said or did, I kept on playing. The house could have been on fire and if i had time to take anything with it would be the ps. One night my wife had enough and smashed it. Things got out of hand that night. Then the PS2 came out and I bought it. At this time I thought I was over that. Guess again. I had the PS2 for about 2 years and she had enough and smashed that one. Now we got a computer. I started the same thing just different system. She brought it too my attention and i didn't see it at first. She stop it before it got out of hand. Now I'm going to limit my self. When my kids are in bed and I have some free time. I will get back to you about If IT works for me. Yes IT IS ADDICTING.
For Cristal Fannin There realy isn't an easy way to approach it. In his mind you are first. That's how I seen my family. But in reality they were put second. I think you should realy make him take a good look at his self. I you have a camcorder, record him for one week. Then tell him you have something very intersting to show him. Let him see what he looks like with the controller in his hands,his eyes glued to the tv. This might bring it to his attention. Write a nice long letter about how it is affecting your life. I wish you the best of luck ... Reader on the web, 2 June 1006
I have slowly come to realise that I am addicted to playing PC video games. The thought terrifies me as, unlike console games which are independently associated with the television, the personal computer game distracts and consumes my ability to focus on productive work. While I am not sure whether it would be responsible to "blame" my recent failures and shortcomings in life on video games, I have found myself in the past two years playing thirty to forty (I think this is probably too low... but I have never really counted the time) sitting at my laptop playing one immerse game after another. It will happen that an entire day will pass without my knowledge as I am sitting at the keyboard and mouse, repetetively following the adventures of some fantasy character or war simulation or whathaveyou for endless hours. It's effect has past on to my personal life where I will find myself removing myself from my friends and family, my girlfriend, and all associates to lock myself inside my dorm room wasting time with the damn things. I wonder whether or not this obsessive behaviour has been triggered by a chronic depression I have experienced these last two years, or whether it has in some manner influenced this illness. The results have been nearly catastrophic: I have been expelled from my university, and I have not been able to focus or write for two and a half years. There is talk of "moderation" and "addictive personalities" but, despite dabbling with a plethora of drugs and alcohol in high school and my first years of college, I have not encountered anything as sinister. Now I realize that my medical illness has stemmed from other aspects of my personal life and genetics, but I cannot stop to wonder at the effect of my game playing. The answer seems clear enough: there is nothing healthy about video games. Unlike sports and exercise, they do not strenghten and condition the body; unlike reading and study, they do not develop the mind and critical faculty; and unlike sex, food, wine, and conversation they do nothing to stimulate the human spirit and social character. This blight has nearly ruined my life (I am only 22 and, after therapy, returning to finish my Bachelor's), and I would warn anyone about its seductive charms. How many other addicts have thought themselves impervious to their drug? Heroin, cocaine, alcohol, tobacco, compulsive gambling, pain killers... The list continues. Yet, when I think of it, there is nothing quite like the unreal feeling of accomplishment in the video game that, when one is caught in the grip of spiritual and psychological despair, encourages continued retrogression whilst presenting the dizzying feeling that "yes, look, I am controlling something; I am doing something." Only one more turn, one more level, one more mission ... Reader on the web, 22 June 2006
I am a girlfriend of a gamer and yes I do believe there should be a gamers anonymous or a addac tyoe group for the families and friends.
We have two children together and he is on the game 7 days a week. He calls it a hobby but it is certainly more than that. When we met 10 years ago I didn't realize the extent of this. I bought him a Play Station System for Christmas because I knew he liked it and then the next year a Play Station 2. How foolish is that?!
Now the game is Warcraft. We had split three times because I just couldn't take it. Each time I came back he said he wouldn't play it anymore and a month down the road, there it was again.
One of the problems now is that I have become so used to him being gone that I don't know how to handle him being around. If I get upset and ask hime to come off it for awhile he just sits around and I am used to having my space. He doesn't do anything.
My kids are affected a great deal because as soon as I leave the house daddy goes on the game. I have alot of guilt about this. I want to hire a sitter for the time I am out but this angers him.
It's very lonely and I don't know how long I can hang in there. I don't want to have a life like this forever but I love him. It's all quite confusing.
So, if you know of a group in the Calgary, Ab area I would love to know.
Any feedback would also be appreciated ... Chris Von Bieker, 8 October 2006
I never would have believed that video games were addictive if I hadn't seen it first hand. My fiance is totally addicted to video games and it drives me insane. People must keep in mind that there are thousands of personality types in the world and just because one person or several people do not develope this problem it is there for other and a major concern. I am a little bit older then my fiance and we have a one week old baby and both hold jobs while trying to go to school. He is so obbsessed with games that he has started to miss class and negelect his work, me and our child. Today he played for 10 hours straight. He get very anrgy and almost violent when I ask him to stop or walk infront of him and he messes up. It consumes all his time and energy. Though he doesnt believe he has a problem, I know its there ... Havala Strauss, 6 December 2006
I happen to think that there is a good and bad side to all things in life. Anything is okay, in moderation. I have a nine year old son, and truthfully, I don't like him to play video games during the week. He is allowed to play from Friday nights to Sunday aftternoons. No more and no less. I grew up without them and frankly I turned out just fine. I don't have any passion or dislike for them, but he absolutely loves them. I have read studies that suggest that it improves hand-eye coordination.....WHATEVER!!!
Like I said.....everthing is okay from food to sports to video games....as long as it is in moderation ... Michelle, 27 February 2007
I am the wife of a person who is addicted to online games. We are on the verge of divorce, because he cannot do anything, but play online games when he gets home from work. I have tried everything to change this, but nothing works. He does not care that he is destroying our relationship. He instead gets angry with me, when I try to talk to him about making things better. In fact, I have noticed that since his playing these games, he has become more aloof, removed and detached. He is extremely cold now and has no compassion for what I feel. It's like living with a ghost. I cannot say anything about him getting off the computer, or he becomes angry. So, yes, I believe there is much need for research and support groups for the people living with this problem. I believe it is a bigger problem than this country wants to admit to. It is sort of like the "secret addiction." No one wants to believe that this is a real problem for so many ... Rosita Jaime, 6 October 2007
You're right, this is an addiction. However, the only way it can be resolved is by Jesus. Throughout the Bible, Jesus performed various acts of deliverance on people with evil spirits within them, causing them to sin. Addiction is an evil spirit that is accepted into the soul (one's own thoughts, feelings, and emotions)when someone does something against the will of God...This is something serious we are dealing with, not some heretical talk that many think is bogus...this is the Truth of what Christ is about ... Jane, 10 December 2007
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Comments
I think the video game
I think the video game addiction is in very short run of time and also i feel why only the children's were blamed for it,even i found many adults also being addicted to the video games.but i think this addiction only comes when the children are not interested in the outside world and he never finds any thing interesting there.
Video games are in our lives
Video games are in our lives from the childhood days and they influence a lot of actions. They are not only responsible for the bad things but there are more of good things that video game has helped to feature out.
I think there is a sudden attraction in the gaming industry because it's booming up at a rapid pace and addiction is such a thing that requires a lot of time to get controlled and many free games and online games have increased it bit more but surely one would find a way to get out of it sooner.
Old habits die hard so it'll take time but it'll resolve :)
Ok, over half of these
Ok, over half of these comments have to be fake, i play games all the time, most of which are violent, and i have never gotten in trouble at school, check my record, clean as a whistle. The only person i have ever fought with is my sister and thats expected. Also, before video games, people still fought in school, people still shot people. You name it, it still happened before games. No one..EVER...gets like this from video games, usually people get like the way you guys say because of another problem and you are just using video games as scapgoat for your problems, so face the truth and find out whats really wrong, and o yeah, i ahve been playing video games since i was around 4
Ummm
People feel that game designing is a major addiction for pretty much all people...I do not believe that. I play games as much as most people but I maintain a awesome social life and people who play games also have a really good social life outside of games. I've seen people who have played World of warcraft, Runescape, ect. meet other people and get married happened to a friend of mine.
you have choice when playing games. To sit on computer or couch playing something or to go do something with some friends like to a party.
If your addictated to games I have sympathy for you get off the computer and go do something.
same here
I TOTALLY agree with this person. I'm nineteen and never been addicted to videogames. As far as I know what is videogame addiction? Just an excuse to slam a perfectly good hobby in the ground. People need to control themselves because violence itself breeds violence and its their fault NOT the videogame. You want to know how long I have played videogames since I was five and never been addicted.
LOL! People who play video
LOL! People who play video games should be sent to prison. They are a violent bunch.
My brother played video games but last year he slit some kids throat. He now has life in prison.
WTF man that's totally absurd
WTF man that's totally absurd like hell theres deffinitly something wrong with your brother. I personally rarly play video games cause I'd rather be fit but really seriuosly that's just wrong. I think your brother should fricken stay there he sounds messed up. Nothing personal.
This has helped more than u know...
I am a single mother of an 8-yr old boy. He is awesome at what he does... He plays football, basketball, tennis and a lot of other things... but, he has a serious problem when it comes to games... He will play for hours and hours with his friend or his uncle. When the time comes to go anywhere, take a shower, go to school, do homework, go to his sports games and practices it is a battle!!! Screaming, crying, sitting/laying in the middle of the floor and wont budge, saying mean and hurtful things to people. I was begining to wonder where my loving son went and what the h*ll was going on, but now I see! Right b4 looking at this I was googling temper tantrums and found a forum that was about temper tantrums with older children and I was shocked to find that EVERY post had one thing in common... They mentioned a game system!!! I think that this is a very serious problem and needs to be brought to parents attentions... that it is possible for ur child to become an "addict".... Especially 4 parents who can't put two and two together as quickly as i did... From now on, game time will be monitored and limited in our home!!! Thanks 4 this article!!!!
Miserable
I have been in a relationship with a gaming addict for years now. His addiction has come between us to the extent that it's causing irreparable damage. It is very sad when no matter what you say to an addict, if they are unwilling to recognize that spending every second at home gaming and putting no time in with your partner is jeopardizing your relationship, then there is no solution. I have given up asking him to find compromise or learn boundaries, because it then turns into manipulations that I am 'telling him what to do and trying to make him into someone he's not'. I have given up trying to find solutions. He is a grown man and should be capable of recognizing that there is and has been a serious problem. I have given up.
miserable aswell
i am feeling the same he plays video games for many hours a day we have a 2 year old daughter and i just found out that i am pregnant i feel like i come second and his games are first and he spends no time with his daughter now i cant take it anymore he just gets mad when i ask him to turn the gfame off and read the baby a storie im done aswell asking begging and hoping its not over for us i want him to change
this
all right i didnt even bother reading all of the posts just some at the top,
video games are not addictive, it has been proven false, people who are "addicted" either really dont have the urge to go out and do what there friends are doing, or theperson themselves are just anti social, I used to play games alot and i mean alot not because i was addicted but it was somthing for me and my friends to do together to spend time with eachother without spending money on a movie, or now drinking or doing drugs, if you think about it its a healthier life style to play games alot then to go out and party, it also raises or eye hand cooridination, so for those of you who think someone has a videogame addiction, they dont your crazy, some people just enjoy games like someone else enjoys reading a book,or hunting!
thanks.
I'm having crazy thoughts...
Thoughts like leaving my girlfriend and 3-month-old daughter to go back to the life I used to live: Counter Strike Source, LAN parties, World of Warcraft, my other gaming friends, a fast-food job that lets me be "productive" and only think about games simultaneously. I owned the night.
I don't want to grow up. I don't want to be responsible. I feel unhappy because I can't play games right now. I feel depressed, and I don't want to be.
I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I can FEEL myself doing this. I feel like nothing will ever get better until I escape from responsibility and get back into my games. I see my GF as responsibility incarnate and I resent her! WTF!
I have other negative personality issues too, but I think this factor doesn't help my decision-making. UGH! It's all a mind-f**k right now!
Caution to Parents: Major League Gaming
I have worked behind the scenes before MLG(Major League Gaming) for years. They offer the chance to make thousands of dollars at each event playing video games. Sounds like a great idea huh?
Far from it!
The guy you see on every DR. Pepper Bottle in the nation(T2 from Str8 Rippin) is a highschool drop out. MLGPRO.com promises a chance to compete against the top players in the world and for a 6 figure paycheck.
However this is a lie. You split your winnings with the team. Now even the Coach of the team. So it could be 5 ways! At the end of the year MLG has Tournaments where you can win $100k. But you split that between 4-5 players. After taxes you have around $17k or less.
Most pro gamers make around $10-30k a year which is about $5-$15 per hour.
They spend 10 hours a day playing, 7 days a week in most cases. Some pros play only 3-5 hours a day. K it sounds like I'm bashing MLG(Major League Gaming) right or pro gamers right?
I'm not! The problem is simple. MLG wants to give your child a belief that they can be a the best gamer in the world one day as well. Perhaps they can. Perhaps your child has the ability to be #1. However, you must realize what I know.
Most players in the pro circle are drop out highschool students and college students who have denied education to gain the popularity of pro gaming expert before the world's best. This could include a paycheck as well. This all sounds good. Right up till this point.
I worked with the best. I saw when some of those players who lost Tournaments became frustrated because there only job was to win tournaments. Then when they loose, they go back home empty handed hoping to win another tournament.
MLG and other gaming organizations are a deception before the youth of America and across the world. They are an unsafe platform that brings the influence of video game addiction to a whole new level. I've seen many of these players play up to 70-80 hours a week at the highest. Sometimes even 90 hours a week.
Don't let your child become influenced by MLG or other gaming organizations that promise a paycheck, but only deliver to the top players. Remember, it's almost like hitting the lottery considering each tournament involves thousands of contestants that often play 40 hours plus a week on Xbox live.
I was an addict. I played with pro players that aspired to be #1. After I look back I had fun, but felt like I wasted years of my time before a video game organization that promised the world, but delivered so little.
Be smart Parents. Your kids deserve the best education. I dropped out of College, now am returning. Video games are fun, but can often lead to addiction that will rob your children of a future of greater success.
They deserve better. Believe in them!
i was also a pro gamer for 3
i was also a pro gamer for 3 years. well known now a-days in the field for undefeated with over 2000 wins 1 on 1 and 0 losses. yes call of duty 4 for the xbox is very addicting. i have over 60 game days played and over 400k kills with a KD of 3.2.
This is not true
Hello I am an 18 year old male and I have an "addiction" to video games but can prove your logic to be flawfull and just plain wrong. I am currently addicted to a certain video game by the name of Gears Of War and coming off the addiction of unreal tournament. To me these games are exciting fun and even addictive but I have no trouble making friends and socailizing in the real world and I can follow school work just fine. I dont mean to gloat but I have a 3.2 grade point average and cant say I try to hard but the truth be told video games are addicting but so is smoking or even cleaning. So you need to take it upon yourselves to notice just how loose the word addict is and reason with yourselves do you really want to take videogaming away and why because your scared it might ruin your children well think about bill gates a very successfull man and a videogamer himself
TARDINESS
this is silly.
they jus need to get out the house more and stop playing games, they arent a child anymore so get that f**k up!
LOVE IT !!
Addicted to Minesweeper
I know of a full grown woman who was addicted to minesweeper. Playing for hours on end and could not be drawn away from the computer for anything. I swear if there was a fire, it would be, "Just one more game" and she would burn to death. Fortunatly I got her addicted to Scrabble on line. At least she was using her brain to learn new words. But soon she gave that up and picked up online poker which developed into an "occational" trip to the casino. This soon developed into many trips to the casino. Forgetting about her sick daughter. "Just one more" sit and go or the like. Spending hours at the casino win or lose it didn't matter. Only this time it was with real money and she had no way of stopping herself.
Video game addiction? Gambling addiction? Or just a plain addict. I just wish she would get some help. I am a believe in the 12 step program and think that anyone with an addiction could benifit from it. I think this woman has an addictive personality and needs help. I think that Video game addition should be included in the DSM. And a Video Gamers Anonymous be created.
Thank you for writing this paper. I hope that it gets the attention that it deserves.
Addictivly Yours,
DMG
Duh...
video games are addicting its all i think about before i come home and all i do when nim home its not as other medicle things that make you go insane and completely alone but it makes you feel more and more secure in a place that you belong more and more and the better you do and the more achievements you get the longer and more you want to play
trust me.
I agree with the "get
I agree with the "get control" post. It is not the industry's fault when a kid decides to play video games so much he ruins all other aspects of his life. An educated and somewhat intelligent person should be able to step back and analyze if their habits are interfering with their sought after goals. When a person's goals only surround online video games...then they should get some psychiatric help, or need some sort of intervention. If that doesn't work then let them continue to waste away until they cannot afford to play anymore. Do people really see themselves as a victim of their own gaming? You control your daily actions. If you don't want to do that anymore...just don't do it. Show some self control!
meh
Im 18 years old. and when i play video games im a complete different person, i get angry if people try talking to me and get in my way and vary annoyed. i hurt people that i love just for talking to me when im playing, if i play a game and i just die with out realizing i just scream at them "WHAT!" when they try getting my atenchen, i hate my self for it and i cant help but to feel guilty for letting it control my life for so long. im coming close to even lose my gf over it. so im feeling like a pretty big loser. she opened my eyes that i have a problem. and i need to fix it. so she made me promise that id give them up...for her. so that's what im doing. its hard believe me i just wanna play gears of war 2 so bad right now but i don't want to break a promise.
Dude! keep up the good work!
Dude! keep up the good work! you can do it. Over the past few weeks i too have realized i have a problem. i spend wayyyy too much time on 360 and my school work is being strained b/c of it. i lost my gf b/c of it. and people call me detached and say that im no longer in touhc with reality. i dont know if any of this sounds familure but im going to work towards quiting. i dont know, i just thought id reply and say good job. keep it up. GoW2 and 1 were big faves of mine too but fuck... none of it matters man. its like what that guy says in the movie jar head. (granted hes talking about war and life) but its something like...
"you know what happens when you get to that 9th level of metroid?.... nothing... it just all starts over again." and life, real life is better then that. it goes somewhere.
good luck with your girlfriend man. keep up the good fight.
HEY!!!
Why don't you all stop reading/typing and go play!!!!
Video games are an art, and very much a beautiful sport.
Should we have a "baseball anonymous" or football or soccer? Do they?
Whatever, video games are an amazing source of fufillment and a way of life.
video games are fine as a
video games are fine as a pastime, but when u don't do anything else, u have serious social issues. the reason why we don't have "baseball anonymous" is because it is a healthy sport and requires the physical exercise of more than your thumbs.
video games
I think the key to video games and almost everything in life really is moderation. It isn't good to be addicted to any one thing, we need variety in our lives. Yes I love video games and I admit that I do get addicted to them for periods of time but there is so much more to life then just gaming! Don't let your life pass you by!
this is for the 36 year old
this is for the 36 year old dude who has never kissed a girl. U DONT KNOW WHAT UR MISSING! if u had sex u would dump the vuideogames in a second, i garantee it!
i need help
i am 18 years old and i am addicted to video games i manage to cut down from friday to sunday but it is still not working please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: I Need Help
I totally understand your situation, although I wouldn't call my circumstance a true "addiction". I once loved my gaming system so much, that after working a 12 hour night shift, I would stay up and extra 2 or 3 hours to play before going to sleep. And it's not like I wasn't tired, I was obsessed with getting to higher levels or defeating the games. One thing that helped me was to move the system to a place that I could not see it. Out of sight, out of mind--sometimes this worked. At other times I busied myself with household chores or went outside for an activity like a walk.
Addiction is a serious matter and takes over your life to the point that you lose focus of the important things in life. Just remember, you choose the things in life that make you happy. Good luck with this.
i have a question and need help olganon in spanish too.
The clasics games are adictive. What is the adictive element of actual games ??
Where i can get help in spanish ???????? I know english but a little. And know spanish people that need help like me. I have fear when i think in them , because they are gamers and they send to me a disfuntional thinks based in domination of mi opinion for your interes, same my family.
I was obsessed with getting to higher levels for play whith my guild.
gaming
im a gammer and i have to say u guys are all being quite mean i only live thhe life i do because its fun and that my parents are to stupid to kick me out of the house so i take advanage of them. i am a 36 year man who has never kissed a girl and i don't give a shit because i have 31 online girl friends and and 2 boy friends. and i have 10 lvl 80 acounts on WoW which took the most of my life but well worth it, i also am on the leader bordes for runescape , gears of war, halo 3, 2 , 1, and also cod 4 and 5. as you can see i am a huge gammer nerd that likes the game alot and as you can see im perfectly happy with my life as a virgin gammer...
Seriously dude, it is a
Seriously dude, it is a little sad to lie about how much you play video games and how good you are on a post about video game addiction. Get a life.
All about gaming
It seems to me most of you are quite loosly using the word "addiction". While a select few kids may indeed have a problem the majority of people that play video games control themselves. As far as for the wives and mothers that have left responses, perhaps you should look at yourselves before you start blaming video games for your own personal issues. Your comments are all about yourselves and not your husbands or children, why do you think it is they get more enjoyment from a game than from you? You want them to stop because it would make YOU happy, perhaps think about them and what makes them happy and come together somewhere in the middle.
Video games are a great passtime just like watching a movie or playing a sport. Before all you flamers start bashing that its not related to a sport because it doesn't involve some type of fitness, there are plenty of sports where fitness is of the least concern... whens the last time you saw a model bowler? or biliards player? Video games are simply there for entertainment, and in the case of online games, social interaction and competition between friends and fellow gamers. Same is the case with sports, and whether you agree with the statement or not, some people just aren't cut out for physical competition.
Those of you that commented on losing jobs, girlfriends, family tensions etc... how about you sell your gaming console or computer you use for gaming? If video games are not made so readily available you will find something else to do. You cannot get physically addicted to video games, which means with or without video games, your body will function exactly the same.
From personal experience a good friend of mine plays baseball constantly. All he ever does is play ball, practice playing ball, hangs out with other people that play ball. Is this a bad thing? Does he have a "baseball addiction"? No! Hes a normal person that gets all the things men need; competition, strategy, comradery, entertainment.
Now, on the flip side I also have many friends that play video games. They talk about games, meet up with our other buddies to play games, and indeed even practice playing games when nobody else is doing anything. We hang out, go to parties and out to bars, most of us have steady girlfriends or fiances. So how is this different from the baseball player? The simple answer is it's not. Everyone gets there own share of entertainment, just in different areas of their lives. While my one friend gets his adrenaline rush from standing on a mound 60' 6" away from another dude trying to smash a ball into his face, and the others from beating the piss out of some dude in Korea in an online game its not my place to deny them that enjoyment.
If you really want to help whoever it is with their video game "addiction" I would recommend sitting down with them while they play and try to figure out why they enjoy it so much. Is it the competition, the puzzle solving, the strategy involved in games? Before you start judging and labeling people saying they have a problem, put yourself in their shoes... who knows you may find yourself enjoying your video game experience.
-end of rant
Protect children from Video Game Addiction
Video game addiction shouldn’t get this much attention. Video games can be addicting, but so can drugs, sex, eating, internet surfing, any other thing that causes pleasure. Some time ago my son played video games a lot and I felt that I had to do something. Under my friend's recommendation I tried parental control software. It works perfectly and helps me limit the amount of time my kid spend on the Internet
Life also a war zone to addict
My experience of an addict is that they increasingly see life away from the computer as a war zone too, with inferior scum everywhere who really ought to be eradicated, and pretty paranoid-cowardly to boot.
I believe they have tranferred the thinking processes of cyber-war into civilised society and have not realised this is just marginalising them rather than making them into a decorated hero.
Is this an accurate/useful perspective? I haven't found it anywhere in reference to war games, ( but have come across stuff saying inaccurate metaphorical thinking (treating one situation like another) is an inevitable part of being human(Joe Griffin,Steven Pinker).
Anyway they are becoming so unpleasant it's increasingly hard to hope for improvement, they were naughty, (mildly anti-social) before the games but not seething with hate.
!
that's right.
If you can't control how much you play, you have a problem
it is an addition
When you can not spend more than 2 minutes away from the games because you feel life is boring you have to come to the understanding that something is being triggered in the pleasure centers of your mind to draw you away from real life. This area of the brain may be stimulated by drugs, alcohol, sex, or video games to name a few things. My husband told me he does not want to eat dinner with me and our son, play with our son, or go out of the house because these things are boring. He says the games are fun leaving me to deal with all the boring things of life - I am stuck paying bills, cleaning house, buying food (most of which he does not eat) as well as playing with our son and enjoying watching him grow up. Don't say I need to stand up to him and tell him to stop, I can not get him to stop playing games anymore than my mom could get my dad to stop drinking. His father was an addict it is in his genes I just lucked out that instead of alcohol or drugs my husband chose video games and cigarettes...but is it really lucky? He still spends no time with me and is not the man I married anymore.
I'm with you on this one..
I am in your situation, only without children. I will not consider children now because of my boyfriends problem. When I read your post it was like I was reading a page out of my own life. I can relate to you so well.. I only hope things have gotten better for you, they have (and will not) not for me.
Its fine if you play video
Its fine if you play video games.I have played video games since i was in my freshman year of high school.I know playing a video game for 48hrs is a little bit over the top but we choice to do it
*********************************************************************************
john
wow gold
Its fine.
Its fine if you play video games. I mean I personally don't like them, but I know a lot of people that do. Just as long as it doesn't control your life then its something fun to do. Ya know.
And yeah if it dose start too control your life you"need" to do something about it. But rippin of these people for playin video games for fun, "weather there good or not" is just rude. Just because there not as good as you, don't mean you gotta rip on them for it. Its something or them to do to pass time.
Like that dude that posted the one that said LOSER! That is just plain up rude.
I hate people that are mean like that, I mean are you really ganna judge someone just because they don't play a game as good as you. If you do judge people like that, then you need help. I'm not kidding. That is really rude.
Addicting games
I have played video games since i was in my freshman year of high school. i started playing Final Fantasy XI which is VERY addicting. Every day i would get up and play from the moment i woke up to about 4 in the morning. Without that game i would not be staying up all night, literally, playing non stop for as long as i can. It was very hard to stop playing that game, which i have, but now i am addicted to Xbox live. I play that game non stop now. I go to work at 3:30, come home at 10:30, and i play xbox until 3 in the morning nearly every day. My college scores are dropping and i have no friends. I feel like i have no life and i wonder what my life would be like if i had never played a video game. I think that the only games you can truly get addicted to are Online games such MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) such as World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XI, or Xbox live. Single player games are different because they get boring, repetitive, and lose their entertainment value but when you have a community of people that play it becomes fun. Just think of the effect Myspace has on people.
hmmmmm
hey guys, i wouldnt say i exactly have a problem, i dont play often because of school and work....
but times i find time and like my girl freaks out at me...now i find as much time for her as i can, but idk why she freaks out...
like i couldnt even invite her to my birthday wihtout getting yelled at lol
so she didnt come, well, COD4 ROX! :D
all of these answers are
all of these answers are some what right but in the end lead to one theory that video games are an addition tho it may be true I dont not believe this for the fact being that if playing video games is and addiction then so is watching TV or playing football for hours or wearing shoes every day we do not do these things because we are forced or addiction we do it because it is in are human programming to do so even if we did not have video games we would stay play other things even tho we dont have to its a natural thing and I know playing a video game for 48hrs is a little bit over the top but we choice to do it we do not need to addiction is an excuse word YOU CAN STOP DOING SOMTHING you have the mental capacity to stop doing something we just choice not to say were addicted and we cant stop and that’s the end of it in the end its just another excuse so that people do not have to attempt to fix it by the way i am in high school and the only thing i see for all these answers are excuses you peopl need to get a grip and face the world because if you dont the wolrd will get a grip on you and distroy you.
RE: all of these answers are
I would not consider watching TV an addiction. The act of watching TV does not particularly involve you doing anything, except watching. Television is a form of entertainment, just as video games are; however, video games have risen to the next level-- and I don't mean this in a positive manner. Point 2: football is not an addiction--it's an actual sport and it has its advantages. You're actually moving when playing football, thus it keeps you in shape. In addition, you are interacting with other people, unlike video games, in which you isolate yourself from the outside world and focus on the fantasy you are playing. Point 3: Wearing shoes is not an addiction- it's a manner of required dress. Just because you wear shoes for many hours that doesn't classify it as an addiction. Honestly, your comparisons are pathetic and your answers are far from being justified. I'm sorry to break it to you but gluing your face to the screen for endless hours, depriving yourself of sleep and social contact, and decreasing social contact is NOT in our human programming. If it was in our human programming, then why isn't the entire population of the world engaged in video gaming? Yes, initially, just like drugs and smoking, you make the choice of committing yourself to playing games. However, after the first couple of snifs of heroin, can you stop yourself? Do YOU truly have the choice now? No, your body has grown accustomed to this new addition-- you have made the initial committment, you're not in control anymore. If you have a dying addiction for ice cream, it's extremely difficult for you to stop yourself from eating some, especially if there's a bucket right in front of you. Our computers and game systems are in clear view- parents aren't locking them up in safes or throwing them away. If we see an opportunity like this, then why give it up? We go waste time, skip dinner, make up an excuse for movies with the friends, don't do the english and math homework, and stay up late.
No, it's not another excuse for people so that they don't have to fix "it". It's not an excuse. They aren't in mentally in control anymore. Can you stop sniffing heroine after the first couple of times? No- it becomes ingrained in your body. Of course, depending on the person, you be able to withdraw easily from this gaming addiction or you may require some sort of crisis or event to wake you up from your dream. There are endless factors that constitute the effect of playing video games on the person. One must consider the gamer's life: Where does he fit in with his family and school? Is he social, outgoing, or isolated? Does he have many friends? What does he like to do? What type of environment did he grow up in? Has he confronted violent acts before? How do his parents treat him? Is he an only child? What type of neighbourhood does he live in?
One can truly assess the effect of video game addiction on a specific individual after studying the social and psychological theories associated with this addiction and after properly studying the individual and his life. You must not judge people until you've put yourself in their shoes.
People are helpless.. you can't tell them to grow up and face the world. Some are uncapable of doing so. Some are in need of help. But that doesn't mean they do not have the chance to heal -to regain strength and confidence and overcome their addiction. Everyone has that ability, but the problem is, do they have the will power? Do they really and truly want to rid themselves of this addiction? You have to really want it to get over it. Some people can control themselves pretty adequately, while others struggle with their addicitons and life priorities. Please don't let video games take over your lives. Seek help now before it's too late.
you guys are just mad
you guys are just mad cuz you don't have skills in video games, im not addicted i actually play games alot for one reason im good and i get money from being good its the same concept as if i was to practice football or any other sport for hours on end. But when a kid plays a game for hours they are looked at strange and need help and people say its addiction....... makes me LOL maybe some kids just are not made for physical sports and are more talented in strategy and pre thinking games and for those who think that gets you no where, well its time for you to wake up and look around video games are becoming a big way for people to become big and make money you can even get sponsors from it. now for the kids that suck at games ya stop wasting your time and go try something else because everyone is good at something and you just need to find it.
no one is mad there actually
no one is mad there actually are video game addicts... you shouldn't be on this site if your not one either
get control
I am writing a paper about video game addiction and its possible solutions. many of the stories I have read on this page are helpful in the debate against whether or not it exists or if it's just a control issue. I would say it exists in some form in a few people but it probably could be solved with limited access to games or having control. to the mother who wrote the above message "I would like to SUE the industry for ruining my son" i see your problem and you need to try and fix it. get that kid help. it's not the industry, it's your son. theirs nothing i hate seeing more than a kid get out of touch with his family because of stupid habits. please get that kid into the REAL world. some people are just retarded and need to limit their time. i am a gamer myself and i can say it's not that addicting. sure when i get a new game and i play it one night, the next day i go to school i cant wait to play it. but thats it. my grades are fine and i have a job and an active life. all you need is control.
Gaming addiction
Gaming addiction definitely exists. About 10% of gamers are affected. The reason 90% of gamers can play without a problem is that they do not have the disease of addiction. It is NOT simply a matter of "self-control". The symptoms of video game addiction are identical to the symptoms of substance dependence in the DSM-IV, if you substitute the word "game" for the word "substance". My son had all of them (only 3 of 7 are required for a diagnosis of substance dependence). My son's personality underwent incredible changes after he got addicted. He became cynical, manipulative, and arrogant. He flunked out of college and went through a withdrawal that most closely resembled the withdrawal from amphetamines or cocaine (have seen both in my line of work).
www.olganon.org is still there. OLGA/OLG-Anon is now incorporated as a non-profit and in the process of obtaining 501c3 tax-free status.
I would like to SUE the industry for ruining my son
I would like to SUE the industry for ruining my son.
I am a mother and my son does not do drugs. No he is not addicted to alcohol. No he is not addicted to gambling.
He is addicted to online gaming.
This has broken his mother's heart, his father's heart, and his sister's heart, and continues to be a daily if not hourly frustration for all family members.
At age 21 he has been addicted since he was 17. He failed first semester of college-- he just didnt go because he was up all night gaming- he lost his scholarship.
He has been fired or quit multiple jobs because it interferes with his gaming schedule or his sleep which is ALL DAY.
He has no girlfriend and the few "friends" that he does have are addicted like him. I put that word in quotations because these guys have no idea what the word friend means.
He doesnt shower often, he doesnt wash his clothes, he lives with two other backstabbing online gamers and their idea of decorating is setting up 3 computers on the dining room table. They take his money to say they are going to pay the apartment bills and then they dont. The apartment would be condemned if the government ever got in there- food, trash crap everywhere.
We call our son every other day to try to get ahold of him to ask him if he wants a free meal to try to talk some sense into him to make sure he is alive and hasnt gotten into a fight with one of these assholes or ended up in jail or in a car accident after being up all night... He calls us back may be once every two weeks. Email is a farce- he has it but wont respond. when he is with the family he is iether sleeping or checking his text messages to these friggen gamers or answering his phone constantly to give direction to some stupid gamer...
Where is the 21 year old responsible hardworking careing young man?
I would not have a problem with gaming if it didnt interfere with daily life and responsibilities but like all addictions IT DOES. So he is going to end up getting deep in debt because he is paying bills with a credit card and no job. and has no prospects for dating and will not with the way he smells and lives... continues in teenagerhood never growing up-- is there such a thing as skid row for gamers? may be he is already there. We have lost a son- now a member of the gaming night zombies controlled by computers.
LIfe Spans
woooooow gaming is ruining the world as we know it today
i have a friend who threw a $500,000 computer down his steps as he noticed it was hos 62nd birthyday and he was still living with his parents in the same room since he graduated collage he had been trying to gain back the hours of work he had completed in his lifee.......
he completely wasted 40 years of his life on online video games
Cortisol video games
Playing games increases dopamine and sudden reductions of dopamine increase cortisol and other stress responses. Boys are more susceptable to this as women produce different chemicals to stimuli and competition. The lack of studies into negative effects is a real shame, with most of the studies now funded by games manufacturers. Worst it is a shame that nobody from inside the industry will speak up about the issues and clear their conscience.
Thanks for this.
Thanks for this.