Question of the Day, May 26, 2010

[The Escapist Staff]

Question of the Day, May 26, 2010



In an interview, therapist Steve Pope stated that "spending two hours on a game station is equivalent to taking a line of cocaine in the high it produces." He went on to say that videogame addiction is both mentally and physically affecting young people. We know that videogame addiction is a growing concern, but is it really on par with a drug addiction? Discuss!

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[uppitycracker]

There should have been a "hahahahahahahahahaha what a joke" option. Seriously, if you can claim video game addiction exists, you might as well say you can be addicted to tying yer shoes. There's a difference between addiction and willpower, as well as many other conditions that could be fed by a lack of self control. If anything, it's a symptom of something bigger, not a condition.

 

[crotalidian]

We can sit here and argue about how little this guy knows and how much of an idiot he is but the problem is:

Some parents will panic and try and stop their kids playing computer games forever

other parents will just continue to use this as an excuse for their bad parenting

I went and looked for a comment page on their website but no luck. maybe after the big editorial I can actaully give an opinion on this drivel

 

[dududf]

Yeah, I think that people with low self control, could be easily addicted to video games. However, I don't think video games are like an easily addictable drug that effects all. It varies from person to person.

So in short, yes they are addicting, but only for people that are easily addicted to things.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Pushing aside the idiot therapist trolling for business, yes, it can be very serious.

Addiction to anything can be life destroying, it really doesn't matter what a person gets addicted to, it matters that they are dependant on it to (and beyond) the point of self destruction.

So yes, of course it's serious.

 

[Tartarga]

Obviously that so called "therapist" has never played a video game in his life because he clearly has no idea what the fuck he is talking about. But maybe he's right, i've never done cocaine and have no idea what it feels like. I all I know is that after two hours of gaming I feel exactly the same as when I started.

 

[JEBWrench]

Well, if you're talking about psychological dependency, then yes.

Because any psychological dependency is a serious condition.

 

[Firehopper]

No but there are times where people have self control issues. But that's their own problem if they can't control something so....simple, poor parenting is also to blame but I won't go there.

 

[Moromillas]

No, no it isn't.

Alcohol addiction is much more serious, comes with very self destructive behavior, very difficult to treat, and always subject to relapse. Video game addiction pales in comparison to alcohol addiction, therefore I don't think its very serious.

 

[Proteus214]

There are 2 really simple ways to get your kids addicted to video games:
-never let them play video games at all so they never learn moderation
-never give them any limits, the "eventually they'll get bored" argument is BS

And yes, it is a serious problem.

 

[Jandau]

Yes, any addiction is a serious condition, be it a chemical addiction or a psychological addiction.

Gaming can be addictive, but that's not something that's inherent to gaming alone. Almost any pleasureable (and many non-pleasureable) activity can form an addiction and the person can come to be overly focused on it. Games are no better or worse...

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

Yes, but not what the therapist in this article was referring to. That's just bad parenting, and I think he could have picked a much better example.

I do, however, think that videgames can be addictive, with their rewards and their sense of other lives, ones which are more exciting, more rewarding and more controllable than real life. I can totally understand someone becoming engrossed in them to the point that it was addictive.

I hope people with a dependance on videogames are able to find some help, not condemnation, because usually there are underlying factors for it, (such as low self esteem, learning problems, communication issues, loneliness etc.).

 

[sunburst]

People derive pleasure from video games. Any pleasurable activity can become a psychological addiction. It may not have a high rate of addiction and the effects may be weaker than those of other addictions, but it's still entirely possible.

I fully expect this thread to be full of people calling the Pope an idiot and blaming the parents and so on, but that's really the wrong way to approach this. If we gamers as a culture refuse to accept even the idea of gaming addiction, it will make us look like blind defenders who refuse to listen to reason. We should accept that gaming addiction is a thing and embrace the teaching of responsible gaming. It would make us look more mature and responsible in the long run while gaining exposure to gaming as a legitimate activity with both ups and downs.

 

[Hithlain]

I'm sure it would be bad for someone who has a trigger for video game addiction. Otherwise, most people wouldn't have a problem. I would say that like 95% of people can get up and walk away from a videogame when they felt like it.

 

[Sneaklemming]

I did a 3 hour exam on middle east politics today. It was just like a line of cocaine. I swear.

 

[The Last Nomad]

Yes its a serious condition...
But only if your seriuosly addicted...
Any knid of addiction is serious if it goes too far, even video games...

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

I'd say yes, but it isn't the videogames fault. It is entirely a person's addictive personality if they get hooked to a game and play for ridiculously long periods of time.

 

[ZephrC]

Wait, aside from all the other obvious bits of stupidity that countless other people will mention, since when has feeling high been a bad thing? Sure, chemically induced highs come with all sorts of dangers and blah blah blah, but if you can feel awesome from doing something perfectly safe, why the hell wouldn't you?