I feel it IS a problem, but not a serious one. Reason being, it's a problem to people who are completely obsessive about a game, such as people who all they can talk about is a certain game. Some people play a game to enjoy themselves and that's just fine. But when you play a game every hour of every day and the only thing you can think about is that game, then yes, it's a problem. To the people who enjoy the game, play it for a while and think "okay, that's enough," they are fine.
Question of the Day, May 26, 2010
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
- Start date
Gaming as a form of entertainment is never dangerous. As a means of escapism however, it can be dangerous if it becomes an obsession, but it is never a condition, it is a symptom that can be caused by a number of reasons and is no different than any other other form of obsession. When I was a teen, my daily routine was quite depressing, because there were only three male students in my class, which were not very good people, and the girls wanted nothing to do with me. In order to deal with my loneliness I became obsessed with books, to the point where I would be reading for up to 12 hours a day. Nobody saw anything wrong with that though and my parents adored me for it. That wouldn't have been the case if I had been playing videogames instead. Why?
In my opinion it's time to get rid of the stigma of gaming and start thinking more like responsible adults for once rather than paranoid headless chickens. Parents should do their best to be aware of their children's problems, get to the roots of their behavior and help them deal with the harsh and sometimes bleak reality of their everyday lives, because that is what usually leads to obsessive escapism. People like this psychologist with their big words, useless comparisons and hysteria aren't helping anyone apart from their pockets.
In my opinion it's time to get rid of the stigma of gaming and start thinking more like responsible adults for once rather than paranoid headless chickens. Parents should do their best to be aware of their children's problems, get to the roots of their behavior and help them deal with the harsh and sometimes bleak reality of their everyday lives, because that is what usually leads to obsessive escapism. People like this psychologist with their big words, useless comparisons and hysteria aren't helping anyone apart from their pockets.
All addictions are a serious problem. That being said, Steve Pope is talking out of his arse. If someone gets withdrawal symptoms from no gaming, then it's their problem, not the game's. People who blame video games for everything might as well blame Cludo for murders.
So for the question, yes an addiction to video games is a serious issue. People who claim that a couple of hours on a game equates to a serious drug problem either need to seriously psychoanalyse their patients, as I think they might just have some undisclosed issues that are unrelated to gaming, or they should stop with the anti-gaming vendetta.
So for the question, yes an addiction to video games is a serious issue. People who claim that a couple of hours on a game equates to a serious drug problem either need to seriously psychoanalyse their patients, as I think they might just have some undisclosed issues that are unrelated to gaming, or they should stop with the anti-gaming vendetta.
God this is stupid...anyone who gets addicted to a game badly enough to let it ruin their life is a moron.
There are naturally extreme cases but I refuse to believe that videogames=drugs. Sorry but you haven't sold me on this idea Mr. Pope.
I remember losing my house and having to sexually pleasure strangers to afford Modern Warfare 2's stimulus package...
So, based on what this therapist is saying, I should have gone into a severe withdrawal because I wasn't able to play video games for 4 months when I first came to Costa Rica. But, I never had a withdrawal. In fact, I managed just fine without video games.
Now, video games can become an addiction. We've all had those moments where we wanted to get to the next stage, finish just one more mission, and it ends up with us playing for hours without even realizing it. But most of us have the self-control to save the game, turn off the console and stop playing. Unfortunately, some people don't have that self-control. But to throw all the blame on video games doesn't really make a lot of sense. There is almost always an underlying reason for the addiction.
On top of that, the notion that it creates a high at the same level of cocaine is kinda out there, to me at least.
Now, video games can become an addiction. We've all had those moments where we wanted to get to the next stage, finish just one more mission, and it ends up with us playing for hours without even realizing it. But most of us have the self-control to save the game, turn off the console and stop playing. Unfortunately, some people don't have that self-control. But to throw all the blame on video games doesn't really make a lot of sense. There is almost always an underlying reason for the addiction.
On top of that, the notion that it creates a high at the same level of cocaine is kinda out there, to me at least.
a line of cocaine the equivalent of a line? bollocks. in that case i have OD'd so many times since the age of 6...and i'm still here
