Are you "addicted" to Video Games?

[giaokei]

Are you addicted to Video Games? – The Nera Perspective (http://my.mmosite.com/neramaar/Blog/Item/3f2905e085d695dad3de8bc09ddad6d0.html)


I think that this newly formed 'Video Game Addiction' comes under the same category as several other 'addictions' that have popped up over recent years, like shopping addictions, sex addictions, and drinking milk from the carton addictions.


Oh i believe that only drugs can make ppl really addicted, what video game to me is my love. However, there are actully more and more saying hold "addiction" towards video game specially after MMO came out.

[Jibar]

Yes.

Ever seen Trainspotting? Ya know when he's trying to quit? Week without video games reduced me to that within about 3 days. I couldn't stop shaking on the 5th day.

Addictions can be formed for just about anything, and it probably is increasing in frequency thanks mainly to MMORPGs.
I don't think it's a big issue right now though. No worse than most other addictions out there.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

I go camping and feel fine. So no, I am not addicted to Video Games, I'm just obsessed. However, I AM addicted to caffeine. Take from that what you will.

[Khanderas]

Do I play more then I problebly should ? Yes.

On occation I do play even when I am bored with the game, strangly enough it is on WoW when i hang around AV even when I don't really feel like playing. More often then not though I tire of hanging around the cave and I go out and give the alliance the punishment they rightly deserves.

But apart from that, I have no problems to step away and not play anything for a week or two. As long as there is something going on, that is. I guess I am of a generation who needs constant input, one of wich can be games and it is easily accessable.

[Jube]

I don't really believe in Video game addiction, I think for the most part it's a lott'a people with weak wills letting the game take control.

I played WoW for a long time and I saw a lott'a people ruin their lives with that game. Someone would quit and you'd see them tell their tale, how they'd finally realised all the opprotunities they'd missed that they regretted dropping outt'a Uni to get a ****ty job and play WoW etc.

Half of them would be back the next week.
But if you ever stop, and just cut yourself off it's easy. There's no withdrawl, there's nothing pulling you back in. The online commitments aren't as tight as they can appear. It's a matter of simply being strong enough to face the real world rather than retreating to a shell and playing a game to ignore reality.

I'm not one'a the people that ruined their lives with WoW but I did **** up my Uni grades something drastic, but at the end of the day it's my own fault for getting into a rut and turning to the easy option instead of simply bettering my position. Blaming "Video games" as being addictive is simply shifting the blame off yourself imo.

EDIT: And this's someone who played WoW very hardcore. I'm talking End game raiding/2-2.1k Arena. Not some casual stopping for a few weeks at lv40.

[Dhavaer]

No. I'm addicted to the internet.

[SilverSheriff]

I enjoy video games, but lately I haven't played any, there just isn't anything on the shelves that sparks my interest.

[leperkhaun]

I think there are a lot of stupid weak willed people in the world, who are looking for any excuse they can come up with.

I do think that a very small number of people are actually addicted to said things.

[Tom_Violence]

Well, that article was pretty terrible, all things considered.

First off, sex addictions do exist, and are real addictions.

Secondly, this entire section:

"An addiction from my perspective is usually created in the physical realm, like Nicotine and Heroin, whereas a bad habit is something that is created mentally. Now in a world such as ours nothing is ever a certain (excluding death and taxes), and as such there are always exceptions to the rule. I do not believe that all physical addictions are substance based, nor do I believe that all mental addictions aren't, but the vast majority are."

is gibberish, and just shows a complete lack of understanding of what an 'addiction' actually is. A lot of addictions have both a physical and a 'mental' component to them (or is the author going to deny that a heroin addict experiences cravings, depression, and so forth?).

And finally, the examples the author uses are irrelevant. Showing a case of someone that is not addicted to something in no way proves that no one else could ever be addicted to that thing. That's just bad logic!

The only good point that could perhaps be gleamed from this is that some people do overreact about such things as video game addiction. As it stands, video game addiction at this stage doesn't technically exist as a disorder, but its generally considered that it could soon. I'm sure we're all aware of the few people that have died whilst playing video games excessively - you can't tell me that that's just a bad habit!

[Om]

Tomorrow is my first annual Computer Free Day. I'm trying to shake a migraine but keep getting pulled back to that glowing screen...

[poleboy]

I don't think I am as much addicted to video games as I am unable to do nothing for longer amounts of time. I need to keep myself constantly busy, and video games is a good way to indulge in something for a long time without straining yourself too much.
I guess I could invest all that extra energy in work or curing cancer or something, but somehow I think that would be less fun.

[DigoDragon]

I've once been addicted to a video game. I weaned off it sorta like those "Step" programs smokes use to quit. After 3-4 weeks I managed to stop playing the game entirely, much to my wife's happiness. :smallsmile:

[Dallas-Dakota]

I don't believe I'm addicted, but....


I'm addicted.:smallannoyed::smalltongue::smallconfused :
I'm feeling down when I'm not on.
It gives me fun to be here on the internetz or gaming.
I have internet crushes.
Everytime I come onto GitP forums you guys make me smile.

Also other stuffs.
Also : When I'm not doing fantasy things, celtic stuff or on my pc for a long amount I'l show signs of ilness. Including accidents starting to happen around me and my body not feeling well.

I just love you all and my video games....*hugs*

[Xefas]

I don't think I'm addicted to Video Games, but I do think I probably have an unhealthy attachment to the internet.

I recall one time in which the cable line thingy that feeds internet into my house got fried during a heavy lightning storm. The mechanical fixy people couldn't come out to replace it for over a week. On the third day, I found myself sitting in my computer chair with the Google page open, complete with the Error message about not being able to access it, refreshing it over and over again for about 25 minutes.

One of my friends got worried about me and bought me Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3, which I then played continuously for the next 5ish days until the internet came back on. Ironically, my character ended up spending a lot of his time playing Innocent Sin Online, an MMO that exists within the game.

I'll never forget that week. It was only under such duress that I was able to force myself into watching the remainder of Haruhi Suzumiya, the fansubs of which still existed on my hardrive. I'll never forgive my service provider for driving me to do such a thing.

On the upside, over the first 3 days, before I got Persona, I read through 5 books I was meaning to get to. His Majesty's Dragon, Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, Empire of Ivory, and Small Gods.

[TheBoneSplitter]

I probably am by "social standards", but I'm not weak willed enough to say that I couldn't be doing anything else or to say that "I can't live without my fix" with a straight face. Even then, I've got thousands of other hobbies I can fixate on without the usage of video games... but between full-time work and home life it's all I can really give myself time for, and I enjoy this hobby and am happy enough in my life at this point just enough to call myself a gamer. :smallbiggrin:

[Inhuman Bot]

I'am in warcraft withdrawl, because I can't play WC with Bnet somehow inaccesable. :smallconfused: That or because it's rainy, I just finished my novel, my best freinds out of town, I finished painting my warhammer lizardmen.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Hmm.. I am not addicted to "a" video game..

I might say I am addicted to video games, but I think it would be slightly off the point.

I think I always need to focus my attention on something. I always am reading in the subway, in the cars, playing video games, listening radio, reading RPG books, etc...

Video game is just one other way to focus my mind on something. I need that feeling to know that I am actively thinking (or making my mind work). Video game is just... an easy way to do it. Sometimes I might do too much of it.

And I have to confess I always like the idea of trying new games, I always want to try the next one.. I guess you can understand the feeling

[SerenityKry]

Bah, I hate the connection of the word addiction and the hobby that is gaming.

My friends, fiance, co-workers constantly throw that phrase out "You're addicted to video games". Nooo... I just happen to have a hobby that I enjoy and just so happens to be portable. >.<

Yes I own most consoles, yes I own more games then I want to think about, yes I play whenever I get a free moment aside from working, spending time with other humans or doing various other hobbies I have.

I think the closest link to video games and addiction would be MMO's. When I was wee lass I played Everequest. It turned into 5 years of play with much argueing with my brother for time to play since he also played. I think it was mainly the social aspect that drew me in and probably draws others in. That and you're hidden behind a character that you probably want to be.

Video games in general an addiction. Nah. They're just a nice way to escape.

[Eakin]

Well, on one hand games and especially MMOs are basically designed to be Skinner boxes and train people to keep on playing them . And I don't deny that people can seriously screw up their life and destroy friendships, careers, and their own health by playing to the exclusion of all other things. But I don't think it's an addiction. You aren't going to go into withdrawal if you stop playing WoW for a couple of weeks. Sure, you might wish you were playing it, but I've never heard of it producing the same kind of physical symptoms as withdrawal from much "harder" drugs, like heroin, morphine, or caffeine.

[Destro_Yersul]

They tell me I am, but I don't believe them for a second. I mean, it's not like I spend every waking hour I have playing video games.

I have to work and eat for at least seven of them.

[Mr. Scaly]

The way I see it is that there are many people out there who have addictive personalities who just latch on to things, like video games for example. Video games aren't physically compelling them to play but they are 'needed' to them. It's kind of sad actually...

Personally I'm not addicted. But I LOVE a good story, whether it's a paperback novel, a webcomic, or a massive rpg that spans an entire world. :smallwink: I start 'reading' and can't stop.

[Muz]

I'd respond to this, but I have to finish my 2nd run-through of Deus Ex this week. :smallwink:

(The video in that article torqued me off, though. Sheesh, woman. Did you try to, you know, tell your son to take a break? At ALL? Little kids would be "addicted" to eating candy and playing with their friends all the time if they didn't have anyone telling them otherwise. It's called parenting and SETTING LIMITS! Maybe it's the reporter's fault for not mentioning anything she'd tried to do in the story, but if not...sheesh, lady, did you try anything at all before you called the freaking media?)

[Joran]

It really depends on the definition of the term "addicted". For some in the scientific community, addiction requires a substance that affects the body chemically such that the body gains tolerance to it and experiences withdrawl symptoms if the chemical is removed. Others think more of the layman's term of "addiction" which is an unhealthy attachment to anything without the requirement of it affecting the body or mind chemically.

Am I? I have played WoW up to the point of it having a negative impact on my work and relationships (but not major impacts). However, no, not at the moment, I'm clean ;)

[SmartAlec]

Ah, addiction.. the illusion of achievement that games can give you is a heady brew, no doubt about that.

[shadow_archmagi]

I don"t know.

On one hand, I normally play 2-3 hours a day. On the other hand, I'm currently on a trip. The only game I've played in the last two days was dwarf fortress, while typing this, for an hour.

I wish I had my own computer back right now, so I could play Spore, and Eternal Silence, and Zombie Master, and all my other favorite Sourcemods.

On the other hand, I don't have anything else to do.

[Archonic Energy]

i'm not addicted, i can give up any time i want to...

...just one more turn at Alpha Centauri...
*looks out the window to see daylight*
well, i didn't need to sleep anyway! and there's 2 Hrs before i need to get to work... just a couple more turns.