Can there be video game addictions and can they be serious? Absolutely. I know several people who dropped out of college because they spent too much time playing WoW. I know many others who have lost their friends because they spent all of their time playing games and never even talked to their friends. Anything can be addicting and video games are no exception. It can be just as detrimental to your relationships, health, and career as drinking, drugs, or any other potential addiction.
But playing two hours of video games in one sitting isn't an addiction any more than having more than two alcoholic drinks on an occasion is alcoholism (seriously, our local health region defines it that way). If that were the case, everyone who had ever had an orgasm at some point would be a sex addict.
Addictions are terribly difficult to measure. How does one determine if a person is in control of their choices? From the outside, there is no possible way to tell the difference: if I say I'm choosing this, you have no way to prove otherwise. From the inside, I could easily fool myself into thinking that I've made the choice, even though I couldn't stop myself from doing so.
I prefer this definition for an addiction: any habit which interferes with the rest of your life. If you have trouble waking up in the morning, or focusing at work, or keeping up relationships, because something you do is interfering, then that thing is an addiction. It could be drinking alcohol, playing video games, watching porn, or counting holes in the ceiling tiles.
Rainboq said:
Guys, no offense, but you need to do your homework on this. They have done studies using MRIs and CAT scans of people playing video games and found that it produces the same effects on your brain as doing drugs. For instance, when you beat a particularly hard challenge, you may not feel it but your brain's reward centers produce massive amounts of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, the exact same things Methamphetamines cause you to produce.
You are right, there is definitely a reaction, but comparing it only to drugs makes it sound worse than it really is (and we should ban dihydrogen monoxide). One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of things cause this reaction and they aren't all addictions. Doing well on a math exam, solving a Sudoku puzzle, having an orgasm, or eating a piece of chocolate will all trigger this response, and the level of the effect can vary considerably depending on the trigger. Video games trigger our pleasure centers just like any other learning process. The major difference with many video games is that they are tuned to hit this center for us as often and fully as possible (just look at Peggle) and they can be used over and over again. Like the mouse hitting the bar, this direct ability to trigger our pleasure centers can be addicting.
But it doesn't have to be. We're conscious beings and most of us are capable of deciding when it's okay to have some fun and when we have to do other things. I think the only thing more dangerous than denying the possibility of games being addicting is to label them as addictive and deny them to the world, which is something that a vocal minority really wants to do. Some people are easily addicted and will become addicted to anything which lends itself available. The rest of us can enjoy a bit of fun every now and then without automatically becoming addicts.
So in total, video games, just like any other pleasurable experience, can be addicting. It's important to be aware of this and to consider it when you play games. Don't let your play time get in the way of the rest of your life, and if you see somebody in that state, don't pass them by -- they need help just as much as any other addict. Enjoy video games responsibly.
