First U.S. Internet and Gaming Addiction Center Opens

[Voltano]

Well...The definition from Wiktionary says on addiction:

"A habit or practice that damages, jeopardizes or shortens one's life but when ceased causes trauma." --Quoted from Wiktionary [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/addiction]

Which could fit in some regards to anything someone likes...But this still seems extremely biased against a specific group. Seriously, if we applied this term to anything else anyone likes, then wouldn't we have 'sport addiction facilities' or 'movie addiction facilities'?

Oh yeah, and that price tag is ludricous. So maybe some people who play MMORPGs are depressed, but wouldn't it just be cheaper to disconnect the internet?

 

[Bat Vader]

I know I am "addicted" to video games. I admit and I don't want to be cured.

 

[Amnestic]

This video was on their blog


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YersIyzsOpc

Really now?

It's reassuring to know that the people trying to 'heal' those who can't tell the difference between reality and fiction suffer from exactly the same problem.

 

[Jacobistheshiz]

I got an idea on how to cure your addiction to games and the internet that will save you money. Unplugg all your electronics. Or if you feel really dramatic cut your electric cable to your house.

 

[Doclector]

Yes, I do lie about gaming to others.

I haven't actually completed GH3 on expert.

 

[londelen]

oh god this is making me rage so hard.

 

[ShadowKirby]

So what is supposed to be the end result of this program? A cured patient goes to live with the Amish?

Those barns won't raise themselves.

 

[Fire Daemon]

So I pay people $15000 to take away my computer? If this works it must be the smartest business venture ever. Soon you'll be paying people to take away everything you own lest you become addicted. Then the people that take your stuff sell it to other people who in turn become addicted and then sell it back.

Genius.

 

[OmegaTron]

If you ask me, we probably wouldn't have this establishment if parents actually got involved with their children about said problems.

 

[Sigenrecht]

"Now Hiring: Sperg Containment Unit. Must have prior combat training and a tolerance for shrill voices."

 

[RelexCryo]

Wow. We've really fallen as not only a society, but as a species, when we're spending money to help people with an "addiction" to video games. There's much worse things people get hooked on, like say drugs and Miley Cyrus, and we're worried about a bunch of socially repressed neckbeards sitting in their basements not bothering the rest of the world?

This is what we're pumping the little bit of money we have left into? We should be spending money to get Dante Stallworth thrown in jail for the rest of his life with a note on his cell wall that says "Just because you play in the NFL, doesn't mean to get to kill someone and fucking get away with it".

If someone wants to waste their lives away in their mom's basement playing Halo then let them, they aren't hurting the rest of the world. Hell, they're feeding the economy by paying $60+ for this shit every time it comes out.

Fucking hell our society has gone all looney.

You know, all of that could be applied to, well, drugs. "Seriously? There are much worse things to get addicted to than marijuana, like Miley Cyrus or snack cakes. If someone wants to waste their lives away in their mom's basement smoking a joint then let them, they aren't hurting the rest of the world."

While this "camp" is probably just some stupid cash in, I'm not denying that possibility, an addiction is an addiction regardless of the source. Most likely this "camp" is just useless, but, hey, there's money to be had, eh?

Canada legalized Marijuana. They have less crime.

Making liqour illegal increased crime in the U.S (the infamous prohibition era).

It's quite possible that legalizing marijuana would actually decrease crime here, since the people selling it wouldn't be crooks who shoot people to maintain monopolies.

 

[Jumplion]

Canada legalized Marijuana. They have less crime.

Making liqour illegal increased crime in the U.S (the infamous prohibition era).

It's quite possible that legalizing marijuana would actually decrease crime here, since the people selling it wouldn't be crooks who shoot people to maintain monopolies.

Yes, yes, yes, I know that, I wasn't trying to center around Marijuana, It's just that it's an illegal drug here and I was just choosing it from a random amount of it, blah blah blah, I don't care if it's legalized or not it was just an example. I'll edit it up to prevent more confusion.

 

[rs2000]

Idiots & there money are soon parted!

 

[Phenakist]

$15,000 for "treatment" or get someone to "accidentally" spill something all over your computer for free hmm... I wonder.

 

[WickedArtist]

Anything can be addictive, even if not physically so. People can get addicted to drugs physically, referring to the physical craving of the body, but it can work psychologically for quite a lot of things.

The thing about psychological conditions is that people who don't suffer from them may never be able to understand that is even possible to suffer from them or what it is like, they are so estranged to it. All the same, people that do suffer from them might never be able to understand that there is another way to live and feel and think, they are so estranged to that.

I don't think we should mock the idea of internet or gaming addiction. Speaking from personal experience, I do not doubt that they exist. Do we have to be so narrow minded as to define addiction as a purely physical thing? Psychological bonds might be just as strong as physical ones. Furthermore, I see no fault with the idea of helping people out of their addictions, should they want (and I cannot emphasize that enough) that help. However, there is a lot of fault to be found in bogus "institutions" that claim to offer help, or any kind of help that is born of bias or ignorance, and particularly the kind of help that is forced on others. This is particularly the case when the "addiction" is not only legal, but also harmless to anyone but the addict.

Heck, if people want to ruin their own lives, by all means: let them. The best one can do is attempt to enlighten them about their situation, and if they're too dumb to accept help then that's their problem.

Things like this may only help to blow matters out of proportion, and in the case of internet, video games, and general computer usage, I think that public opinion is already out of proportion enough as it is.

 

[MaxFan]

Do you know how many video games you can buy with $15000

Umm, lots!?

If you ask me, we probably wouldn't have this establishment if parents actually got involved with their children about said problems.

Or any problem, or acknowledging that someone other than the government (like maybe said parents) has any responsibility for raising children...

 

[Amnestic]

Do you know how many video games you can buy with $15000

$15000 is approximately £9100. New game releases are generally in the £35-£40 area, going as low as £30 if you find the right deal/sale, so we'll approximate it at £35 per game.

With £9100 ($15000) you could buy approximately 260 video games.

Napkin maths, they are for the win.

 

[pirateninj4]

HA! I fucking said it, and I was right! Tried in China, opened in America. Fucking win.

On topic. Internet addiction is nothing more than the falling back of peoples ability to socially interact with people in person. This is another symptom of the "Treat the Symptom not the Cause" system that is prevalent in developing countries.

 

[walls of cetepedes]

Hey... their site has a contact feature...
Who says we hate on them?