Question of the Day, May 26, 2010
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
- Start date
NO, video games are not being "singled-out." People have been talking for centuries about the negative effects of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and coffee, because those things existed for centuries. Video games exist for what, 30 years now? It's their turn now on the dissection table. Their effects need to be measured, and the dangers they pose need to be addressed. If any.Shepard said:
You can't victimize gaming just because someone decided to take a look at it's ugly head.
Wahh Wahh games are evil and you should never play them because they rot your brain *sniffle*
please can some one change the record, iv heard this too many times and its boring
im not addicted to games, i dont crave games like i crave a fag
if anything games are beneficial to my development.
please can some one change the record, iv heard this too many times and its boring
im not addicted to games, i dont crave games like i crave a fag
if anything games are beneficial to my development.
I clicked no because I disagree with his definition of addiction, when people pass out and die at there computer playing WoW, thats addiction, when people play COD:MW until 1900 and realise they forgot to eat thats a little crazy but acceptable, when people play a game for 2 hours? thats a quick game of supreme commander.
I think its reasonable to regard any addiction to any thing to the point where ur life is dependent on it as a serious condition. Though how you go about fixing certainly does not mean you should start a crusade against the element itself but instead ppl shud just focus on rooting out the addiction/dependency.
As they say, a video speaks a thousand words.
[sub][sub]Or was that the right quote.[/sub][/sub]
[sub][sub]Or was that the right quote.[/sub][/sub]
To all those who say there is no such thing as video game addiction
The therapist blew it way out of proportion, but from people I've seen - their marriages and jobs destroyed by WoW and Runescape - it's a very real thing. Children who neglected by their parents playing games have died or been horribly damaged.
Just because you play and you don't get addicted, that doesn't mean anything.
The therapist blew it way out of proportion, but from people I've seen - their marriages and jobs destroyed by WoW and Runescape - it's a very real thing. Children who neglected by their parents playing games have died or been horribly damaged.
Just because you play and you don't get addicted, that doesn't mean anything.
I think you can be addicted to video games just like you can be addicted to? well, just about anything. I think it's fairly rare for someone to have a serious addiction to video games but it can happen.
Any professional in that industry should know that this type of behavior is not an "addiction". Addictions are physical like alcohol and drugs. Doing too much gaming or gambling or sex is a compulsion. Very different. Huge numbers of people can become addicted to drugs because its a physical reaction to your body being used to having the drug. Very few people are psychologically compelled (i.e. have little or no choice) to game. Many people may feel like they need to do it and make poor decisions in order to do it but only people with a serious psychological compulsive disorder actually can't help themselves.The Escapist Staff said:
Yes, they are. The fact that your putting video games in the same category as alcohol and drugs is absurd.DuX1112 said:
As far as the last sentence is concerned, it has already been mentioned ANYTHING can be addictive.
No, they're not being singled out. It's just research. And no, bananas CAN'T be addictive. Water can't be addictive. Air can't be addictive. Milk can't be addictive. Chocolate can be addictive, coffee can be addictive, nicotine can be addictive as well as alcohol and drugs, and video games CAN be addictive, along with porn, TV, movies, etc (I've experienced the first two, the others are also addictive, to a somewhat lesser extent).Shepard said:
True, there are two types of addiction: chemical and psychological. Drugs and alcohol tie in the human system first via chemicals, and then produce the effect of psychological addiction. Some drugs don't produce chemical addiction at all (but nearly every drug produces psychological addiction, which starts as a habit, because this is all relative to the consumer's willpower). Nearly all addiction is a blend of psychological and chemical factors.
Now, kids don't do drugs and alcohol. At least, the vast majority of them don't. BUT, kids play video games. AND they can (and DO) become addicted by the pleasure gaming brings them (they'd do the same if they could use drugs or drink alcohol). First, it's sheer awesomeness, then it becomes a Pavlov-reflex habit of trigger and pleasure. And yes, if this becomes so necessary for them (not just for kids but for adults too), this can turn into a problem and is hence, an ADDICTION. Psychological addiction, if you must. But it surely isn't without any natural chemical backup, be sure of that. (To understand the concept of psychological addiction better, think "obsession").
It's not absurd for me (or scientists, for that matter) to put gaming in the same category of alcohol, drugs, porn and gambling, because all of those CAN and DO cause addiction. Of course, a consumer might not become addicted by any of those (as long as he knows what he's getting into), but since there is a whole range of activities and products that are NOT addictive, it is worthy (and healthy) to highlight the activities and products that can actually CAUSE addiction.
Video-games are among these too, whether gamers liked it or not.
And, I drink alcohol but I'm not addicted to it. I play games, but I'm not addicted to them (last time I checked). I know people who've used heroin and cocaine, and have willfully stayed clear of the possibility of addiction. It can happen to everyone of us. There are kids and people who desolate and isolate themselves from society (not that they must necessarily be an active part of it), but they sometimes do it because they need to ignore the problems life presents them with (hence, escapism). It can happen to everyone. Let us not turn a blind eye to it, shall we? It doesn't matter if it's alcohol, drugs, gambling, porn, or video games.
First, I'm going to stick with the anything can be addictive, mainly because anything can be; try to think of it as an obsession, if you will.DuX1112 said:
The second paragraph I mostly agree with. I don't fully agree with it, but I can't put into words my disagreement with it; its one of those moments when it makes sense in my head but I can't put it into words...
Obsession and addiction are not the same thing though. With an addiction, your dependent on something, like drugs. Sure they can both be unhealthy but you are never dependent on something with an obsession. Drugs are an addiction. Why? Because you hear stories about people over dosing on drugs, and their are countless rehab facilities to help break your dependency on them. Video games are, at worst, an obsession. Why? Because you hear stories about people who miss school, work, appointments etc., because they are playing games.
Yes, it is absurd. Instead of retyping my third paragraph I'll ask you reread it starting at "Drugs are an addiction." Done? Good. Now let us go through your list: Alcohol and drugs can kill you, Porn and gambling can consume all of your money in a very short period of time. Video games do not have the same negatives that those things do.
No they're not, whether you like it or not.
Now then, to sum up, I respect your opinions on this topic, but I disagree with them.
Of course, I respect your opinions too.Shepard said:
But, tell me, what is the difference between "feeling you depend on something" (psychological addiction) and "depending on something" (chemical addiction)? The final effect is the same: the addicted person does what the addiction compels him to do (via feelings, urges, needs), regardless of the initial cause of the addiction.
To simplify: drugs change the way the neural system works, and when in lack of drugs, the system sends messages to the brain, which the person interprets them as "feelings". Longing, yearning, a need to have one more dose. Now, the same case applies to porn, gambling, or videogames, with the sole difference that there are no chemicals initially involved. BUT - the chemicals ARE being produced in the body, as a result of repeated stimuli.
Repeat the reward/pleasure cycle enough times, and what you get yourself into is a very similar situation to chemical addictions (of course, without the physical period of painful crisis after a period of abstinence): the habit of doing something over and over again, and achieving pleasurable results, can grow to an emotional bonding, a Pavlov-like reflex that compels you to play "one more round" (I need that one more turn!), gamble "one more time" (you never know!), or see "one more f*ck" (feels so good!).
The problem with these types of behavior isn't that playing games, watching porn or gambling is inherently wrong (it isn't) - what's wrong is the partially unconscious decision-making that a psychologically addicted person becomes subordinate to. From a thought, it becomes an unconscious urge. And acting without thinking, depending on urges alone, isn't a good thing, I would think. The point is in self-control - and losing it. When an urge compels you to do stuff (repeatedly), that's a good sign you've created an addictive pattern in your behavior and psyche. Which I can't see as being a healthy or a good thing.
If you still have problems believing this is true (or can be true), then either you're in denial, or you've never experienced anything like it yourself - or you've never seen a person getting addictive over these things.
Addiction is not obsession (although they are similar because the share certain characteristics). And even if it was, as you probably know, obsession isn't healthy either. I was just trying to help people understand what a psychological addiction is like (since they often deny any kind of addiction if there are not chemicals involved. Heck, some of them even defend chemical addictions). The brain, the mind, the psyche - they are not static. The brain has plasticity - it is modifiable in the way it works, it rearranges itself, and along with it, it rearranges our thoughts and feelings. This can be a good thing, but can also be a bad thing, if one is not appropriately mindful of his own self and actions. Videogames are just a drop in the sea of stuff that affects the experiences that shape us into the persons we eventually become. Gaming should not be singled out, but it shouldn't be left unchecked. I AM a huge defender of gaming - 'cause I'm a gamer. But I don't underestimate its effects (both positive and negative).
Sure, it's fine if we agree to disagree. But my point was not to underestimate the addictiveness of video-games, along with other things, like porn or gambling. You are, of course, also free to claim the harmlessness of videogames.
(Gambling can kill you too, and gaming CAN suck all of your money and ruin your life. Then again, drugs don't have to necessarily kill you if you don't overdo it - to sum it up, people's choices are what matters. And people's choices can be heavily affected by addictive chemicals or addictive behavior. Same sh*t - different package).
To conclude, I think it's dead wrong and naive to deny any harmful effects that gaming can have. Sure, it all depends on the person, but hell, just because I have friends who virtually can't get really drunk no matter how much they drink doesn't mean that alcohol is harmless. The addictiveness stays a fact, and not all are immune of it.
I was just voicing my opinion on why I voted "Yes." It remains a "Yes."
All the best,
Dushan