Study: Nearly One in Ten Gamers Shows Signs of Addiction

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Study: Nearly One in Ten Gamers Shows Signs of Addiction


An Australian study has concluded that roughly eight percent of videogamers may be suffering from some form of addiction.

Conducted by the Psychological Medicine Department at Sydney's Nepean Hospital [http://www.nepean.med.usyd.edu.au/], the study looked at nearly 2000 gamers, ages 14 and up, and found that 156 of them "appeared to have a problem." MMOG players are the most likely to suffer from addiction; gamers who have lost control of their hobby are more likely to play them, have few real friends and drink more caffeine. "For a significant number, escape into virtual reality becomes a compelling experience worth sacrificing considerable periods of time as well as real-world activities and responsibilities," according to the study, which was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

Indications of a gaming addiction include playing longer than originally planned or indulging in games "despite knowing one should not do it." Interestingly, however, the stereotypical gamer - young, single males - proved to be no more susceptible to addiction than women, middle-aged and married people.

The study listed eight "problem indicators":


Recurrent thoughts and urges about playing
Restlessness and irritability when not playing
Repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut back
Studies or work negatively affected
Problems in "significant relationships"
Giving up other social activities
Sore eyes, back pain, strain injuries
Sleep loss, weight gains or losses of 5kg


The report said that less than half of so-called "problem gamers" reported financial problems arising from their gaming, but half admitted that they had tried and failed to cut back on their gaming and three-quarters said their sleep habits and work or studies had suffered because of videogames.

But Mario Wynands, CEO of New Zealand developer Sidhe Interactive [http://www.sidheinteractive.com/], said that while some gamers might have a problem, attributing it directly to games isn't fair. "Video games can be a very compelling hobby, just like going to the gym or reading," he said. "You can become engrossed in a good book and time flies by and before you know it you have spent an hour longer reading than you intended."

Noting that nobody worries about people who spend a lot of time reading, he added, "The issue was whether people were neglecting other aspects of their life. Ultimately, it comes down to the individual and their situation whether or not it is a problem. People have to weigh up the priorities in their lives and how they want to spend their time."

Source: Sydney Morning Herald [http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/nearly-one-in-10-gamers-addicted-research-20100301-pc2g.html]


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Georgie_Leech

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Nov 10, 2009
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Yeah, I'm not all that surprised. And at least these people are getting addicted to something that doesn't kill your internal organs.
 

ssgt splatter

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Oct 8, 2008
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NO. Really? You can become addicted to video games? I didn't know that. :O
And by "I didn't know that" I mean WHERE THE F*** HAVE YOU IDIOTS BEEN THE PAST 20+ YEARS!?
Did you really need to conduct a scientific expirement for that one? Using the tax payers money? Money that could've been used for finding the cure for cancer or solving world hunger I might add! I mean really, you probably could've asked an 8-year-old on that one!
...
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Whew! I needed that.
 

eels05

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Jun 11, 2009
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Take 2000 people from anywhere and a certain percentage will have 'problems",especially if they're from the foot of the Blue Mountains.
Depressed bogans dosen't mean a thing.
 

Nimbus

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Oct 22, 2008
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Wasn't the word "addiction" reclassified recently? I thought only substance-abuse type addictions were allowed to be called addictions anymore?

OT: Bullshit. Generic Rage, ect. Exact same same comment I have made every time they decide to rehash the same "games are bad" report. You get the idea.
 

Legion

Were it so easy
Oct 2, 2008
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If it wasn't gaming it'd be something else. It's not like gaming can magically induce addiction into somebody or else more people would be affected by it. These people just have addictive personalities.

Nimbus said:
Wasn't the word "addiction" reclassified recently? I thought only substance-abuse type addictions were allowed to be called addictions anymore?

OT: Bullshit. Generic Rage, ect. Exact same same comment I have made every time they decide to rehash the same "games are bad" report. You get the idea.
Admittedly it should be referred to an obsession rather than an addiction.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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That picture makes gamers look like crackheads.

Seriously, how many damn people who play games are actually like that?
 
Jan 23, 2009
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Irridium said:
That picture makes gamers look like crackheads.

Seriously, how many damn people who play games are actually like that?
Everyone knows you frag better with the lights on
 

Abedeus

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Sep 14, 2008
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Georgie_Leech said:
Yeah, I'm not all that surprised. And at least these people are getting addicted to something that doesn't kill your internal organs.
Yeah.

I'd much rather be a gaming addict than another stupid teenager getting high, drunk or going to the toilet every break to smoke two or three cigarettes. Or thinking "Oh my God, it's been 3 days since I shot up my vein, gotta get another dose!!".
 

Plurralbles

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Jan 12, 2010
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AUSTRALIAN.


Gee I wonder why that stuck out to me. hmmm...

Anyway, gamers have addictive personalities. It's not hte games, the mindset came way before tehy did.
 

Matt_LRR

Unequivocal Fan Favorite
Nov 30, 2009
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ssgt splatter said:
NO. Really? You can become addicted to video games? I didn't know that. :O
And by "I didn't know that" I mean WHERE THE F*** HAVE YOU IDIOTS BEEN THE PAST 20+ YEARS!?
Did you really need to conduct a scientific expirement for that one? Using the tax payers money? Money that could've been used for finding the cure for cancer or solving world hunger I might add! I mean really, you probably could've asked an 8-year-old on that one!
...
...
Whew! I needed that.
common sense as it may seem, we can't actually add a conclusion to our body of scientific knowledge without running it through a study.

So yes, they kinda did.

Also, (and I can't speak to the Australian system, really) but this study was conducted at a universuity hospital. Hospitals being typically private, and universities being only subsidized by government grants and largely privately funded, this study would have, itself, probably been largely privately funded.

I love the image everyone has of these teams of scientists working for the 'ministry of scientific inquiry' spending public funds on frivolous studies, just because they can.

That's not really how it works...

-m
 

Darkwolf9

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Aug 19, 2008
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The findings aren't really that surprising. In a postmodern world where everything is at our finger tips it's not surprising that one could be addicted to a virtual world. The interesting thing about games is that a majority of those addicted to it don't really have to do much to get unaddicted. Most of the time all it really takes is some real world stimulation. Often times people fall into this because they are unhappy about their real world life. I would definitely argue that its better than turning to drugs or alcohol abuse.