Addiction: a clarification

[chunkeymonke]

I often see people throwing around terms like "addicted to video games" and "addicted to the internet" and it really bothers me. so a quick clarification
You can NOT be addicted to, T.V, Videogames, The Internet, Computers, Cocaine (it's mental not physical), Food, Sweets, so on so forth

 

[Eldarion]

You do know its a figure of speech most of the time it is said right?

 

[Eklyx]

It's a pet peeve of mine when people mention that something is "habit forming" and totally not addictive. If something looks like addiction and smells like addiction then I really don't see the difference.

 

[DefunctTheory]

There's physical addiction and habitual addiction.

Most of what your talking about is habitual (Mental).

 

[Ghaleon640]

I feel to an extent it can be. Just like people can be addicted to facebook or checking their email every four seconds, as a person thats grown up on games, I can find it hard sometimes to dedicatedly do my work if I haven't played something in the last week or so, and if I intend to only play for a while, I lose track of time or start ignoring my duties.

Yes, I know this is simply a lack of self restraint, and I can go for a few weeks without games if the situation is right, say I'm seeing family or something, but if I'm in a room with them right there the whole time, I can't say that I'm not drawn to them every once in a while when maybe I shouldn't be.

All I mean is that it may not be as serious as drugs or smoking or whatnot, but to some sense, I feel that there is a little bit of addiction that would make it difficult to drop our games one day and not look back.

 

[WolfThomas]

I'm currently on a psychiatry rotation at the moment. We get taught that there is abuse and dependency, we try to avoid the word addiction because of the vague-ness.

Abuse - to use something inappropriately with negative effects to one-self
Withdrawl - the above but with symptoms of withdrawal and increased tolerance.

Okay so I swerved a little off topic, but my point is addiction is a vague description.

 

[HapexIndustries]

What the fuck are you talking about, of COURSE you can be addicted to all those things. Especially cocaine.



ESPECIALLY cocaine.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I often see people throwing around terms like "addicted to video games" and "addicted to the internet" and it really bothers me. so a quick clarification
You can NOT be addicted to, T.V, Videogames, The Internet, Computers, Cocaine (it's mental not physical), Food, Sweets, so on so forth

First of all, figure of speech. Second of all, yes you can. Look up the actual definition next time.
Edit: No offense intended. I sound pretty aggressive in that post. Sorry if I came off like a douche.

 

[Ultrajoe]

I'm addicted to punching people who replace the word 'Addictive' with 'Addicting' in the face.

 

[The Code]

What the fuck are you talking about, of COURSE you can be addicted to all those things.

Agreed. The difference between drugs and video games is, respectively, physical and psychological. What bothers me the most is that so many young people these days show serious signs of being 'addicted' to online games like WoW, like the kid on YouTube that tried shoving a remote up his bunghole in a fit of spastic rage because his mom cancelled his WoW subscription. Y'all know who I'm talking about.

 

[Toriver]

What the fuck are you talking about, of COURSE you can be addicted to all those things.

Agreed. The difference between drugs and video games is, respectively, physical and psychological. What bothers me the most is that so many young people these days show serious signs of being 'addicted' to online games like WoW, like the kid on YouTube that tried shoving a remote up his bunghole in a fit of spastic rage because his mom cancelled his WoW subscription. Y'all know who I'm talking about.

The video was an admitted fake, they do a whole series of them.

But on the OP's point, I have to agree with you, Code. Whether or not you want to call dependence on those things an "addiction", such a dependence causes problems for the person with the dependency and those around him. These problems can be physical, mental, social and also inhibit learning from someoe who skips school to do these things. There is such a thing as an unhealthy level of gaming, and we can't sit there and defend that level of gaming while we watch ourselves, our family and/or our friends fall into the trap. Gaming is fun, but gaming for longer than a couple hours at a time can be harmful, just like any other dependency. It's one of those things that we gamers need to be aware of and admit if we ever want to improve our standing in mainstream society.

 

[Garrsus]

i know this will sound stupid but, minecraft. i honestly can have withdrawal symptoms of seeing blocks in my sleep in a bad way but im not sure how.