Video Game Addiction

[HoboFactory]

Happened to see a few min on the news about the AMA (that's American Medical Association, for you Canadians, etc) considering whether to recognize addiction to videogames as being equivalent to drug or alcohol addiction. It seems to me that a lot of the "signs of addiction" they use to justify such thinking don't always amount to enough to call it a genuine addiction. They say signs include a person getting very angry or frustrated when asked to stop playing, or not enjoying gaming as much as they used to when they first started. At the same time, there are stories of people who play video games so much, they completely fail school and never accomplish anything as a result and crap like that. So, any thoughts?

[Computer]

my parents thought i was addicted... i can stop anytime, I SWEAR

[Muran]

1 word. EverCrack.

 

Some of those MMORPG people are crazy freaks...

[dancing_invisible]

World of Warcrack.

 

I saw an episode of Intervention about a guy who was addicted to video games!

 

In high school I'd turn down going places so I could hit up the Playstation. I remember playing over 30 hours without rest on occasions.

[little miss sunshine]

"I can't take responsibility for any of my actions. I'm addicted."

 

Wah fucking boo hoo to everyone. Excuses are fucking awesome.

[heyrabbit]

hahah, that's why I love you beth.

[HoboFactory]

It's as much about excuses as it is just plain sensationalism it seems. First, they say to keep kids at home as much as possible because all sorts of creepy pedo's are everywhere, then they say, wait, they're not safe at home either because those videogames they play at home will turn them into addicts, and their music will make them violent, and movies with sex will turn them into promiscuous whores. One is left to wonder, is there really anything the news will deem safe anymore?

[Azalroth]

You wonder about that? I'd think it's fairly obvious that they will say that it is unsafe for the sake of news.

[ecnarf]

One day "family values" (whatever the fuck that means) will be deemed unsafe. Just wait for it.

[Azalroth]

"Family Values"...wtf is that?

[ecnarf]

It's a buzzword that conservatives use to mean...

 

1. gays are bad

2. abortions are bad

3. sex is bad

4. condoms and birth control are pure concentrated evil

5. GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY OR GO TO HELL

6. old people are our finest citizens

[no yu begin wher i end]

We'll know for sure if a gay atheist kills Osama bin Laden.

[Seanathon]

Happened to see a few min on the news about the AMA (that's American Medical Association, for you Canadians, etc) considering whether to recognize addiction to videogames as being equivalent to drug or alcohol addiction. It seems to me that a lot of the "signs of addiction" they use to justify such thinking don't always amount to enough to call it a genuine addiction. They say signs include a person getting very angry or frustrated when asked to stop playing, or not enjoying gaming as much as they used to when they first started. At the same time, there are stories of people who play video games so much, they completely fail school and never accomplish anything as a result and crap like that. So, any thoughts?

Saw this on some news program.

I believe they said that it is comparable in terms of addictiveness (word?) to heroin.

Is that even possible in any way?

[ecnarf]

Oh definitely. Clean freaks, for example, are addicted to cleaning because they get a rush of dopamine any time they clean stuff. Sex can be addictive for the exact same reason. Same deal with Jesus. As long as people get some sort of rush out of playing, addiction is soon to set in.

[HoboFactory]

It's a buzzword that conservatives use to mean...

 

1. gays are bad

2. abortions are bad

3. sex is bad

4. condoms and birth control are pure concentrated evil

5. GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY OR GO TO HELL

6. old people are our finest citizens

But church IS dangerous, priests will touch you and what not.

[ecnarf]

That never happened.

 

At all.

[HoboFactory]

It's a buzzword that conservatives use to mean...

 

1. gays are bad

2. abortions are bad

3. sex is bad

4. condoms and birth control are pure concentrated evil

5. GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY OR GO TO HELL

6. old people are our finest citizens

Also, there's something about idealizing the 1950's.

[Moonlight_Graham]

an addiction is an addiction. A person can get addicted to anything that gives them pleasure