Except the study isn't determining whether or not videogame addiction leads to depression at all. They studied the effects of intense video gaming on children and observed what happened in relation to depression. The title of the escapist article is a little misleading, but the scientific article is actually quite sound. They showed that the kids who did have social phobias and were depressed and then turned to video games became even MORE depressed and socially awkward, and that when they quit their depression became less intense.Not G. Ivingname said:
Study: Videogame Addiction Leads to Depression
- Thread starter Greg Tito
- Start date
"Officially recognised".Numb1lp said:
There's some sort of body that acknowledges these sorts of things. I mean, I'm sure you can be pretty much addicted to anything, but it obviously has to jump through some loop holes before people take you seriously on the matter.
I don't think prioritizing a hobby makes it an addiction either. If someone skipped work to go fishing, is that an addiction to fishing?
Douchebag doctors misdiagnosing people does not change the fact that actual depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain.SomethingAmazing said:
Back during my depression, I got told it was a chemical imbalance. I called bullshit, got put on medication.MiracleOfSound said:
Fast forward 8 months (after 3 years of depression that nearly finished me off) and I beat it without my medication or the help of any other chemicals, but by sitting under a tree on a hill and being content to live in the moment.
Chemical imbalance my ass. What a horrible thing to tell someone.
In all honesty, I find this study to have at least some merit, even if it isn't completely and 100 percent accurate.
I've suffered from what I believe is mild depression, nothing along the lines of suicide or crying constantly, but definitely moderate. I found that these bouts tended to flare up when I was in the process of playing games more than I did anything else.
I would rather stay at home and game than go out with friends, and my schoolwork and social life suffered because of the amount of time I spent in my dreamland, my most recent place being the Mass Effect 2 universe.
When I didn't have a game to play all the time, I felt less inclined to stay at home, and lived a more balanced life.
So I don't believe excessive gaming can directly lead to depression, but it can certainly be a contributing factor, or at the very least a sign that a child may already be depressed.
I've suffered from what I believe is mild depression, nothing along the lines of suicide or crying constantly, but definitely moderate. I found that these bouts tended to flare up when I was in the process of playing games more than I did anything else.
I would rather stay at home and game than go out with friends, and my schoolwork and social life suffered because of the amount of time I spent in my dreamland, my most recent place being the Mass Effect 2 universe.
When I didn't have a game to play all the time, I felt less inclined to stay at home, and lived a more balanced life.
So I don't believe excessive gaming can directly lead to depression, but it can certainly be a contributing factor, or at the very least a sign that a child may already be depressed.
Perhaps they were playing terrible games is the reason why they're depressed.
Sometimes, I get depressed when I read books like Twilight or 101 Wacky Computer Jokes. But that's just my two cents.
On another note, Singapore is kind of different, culturally, than America or any other western country for that matter.
Sometimes, I get depressed when I read books like Twilight or 101 Wacky Computer Jokes. But that's just my two cents.
On another note, Singapore is kind of different, culturally, than America or any other western country for that matter.
Our brains run on chemicals. Every emotion we feel is the result of chemical and electrical activity in our brain.TheXRatedDodo said:
Feel happy dancing to your favorite song? Serotonin.
Feel awesome after having sex or a fast jog? Endorphins.
Feel tired and low after missing sleep or stressing out? Lack of Serotonin.
When you feel low and depressed it is because the chemicals in your brain are not balanced right, for whatever reason.
Is medication the answer? No. Only in very extreme cases. [EDIT: In fact, I've seen friends get far worse on meds]
Sitting under the tree and relaxing obviously increased certain chemicals in your brain, making you feel better and restoring the balance in your brain.
{EDIT: And yes, I'm sure there were many other factors too, don't take that as literal - I'm not arrogant enough to assume I know anything about your particular experience)
Read post 75.SomethingAmazing said:
I'm not advocating meds at all.
I'm saying that real depression is a chemical imbalance but (usually) can be cured in a number of ways. In otherwords, we're in agreement apart for the semantics.
I seem to be the only person on this forum who doesn't place all of his faith in Science.
Yeah, SCIENTIFICALLY, it may be a chemical imbalance, but we are human beings, we are MORE than a series of chemical reactions, we are more than the sum of our parts. Regurgitate scientific facts all you like, but that isn't going to help someone get over a depression.
Edit: Just re-read that, and I realised this post my have come off as being slightly agressive in tone, apolagies if it was taken as such because it was not meant to read that way.
Yeah, SCIENTIFICALLY, it may be a chemical imbalance, but we are human beings, we are MORE than a series of chemical reactions, we are more than the sum of our parts. Regurgitate scientific facts all you like, but that isn't going to help someone get over a depression.
Edit: Just re-read that, and I realised this post my have come off as being slightly agressive in tone, apolagies if it was taken as such because it was not meant to read that way.
I so love this quote. I should print it out and stick it on a wall.Nurb said:
Games make me happy and that's pretty much all I care about. I tend not to take these studies too seriously because it's hard to make a proper study of the game addiction simply because there are too many variables involved and everyone's mental state is different.
I would simple conclude that since games are rather sedentary large amount of time spent on them will cause a drop in physical activity which is counter to depression. So yes playing too much video games could make you more depressed, so would watching too much tv, so would reading too many books or really doing anything that doesn't require a lot of movement. Everything in moderation. That is why it is called too much of something. Play games for a few hours and then go do forty push ups and I'll bet the increase in depression will go away. Gaming is not the problem lack of exercise is. I am pretty sure gaming has an answer to this already. Sony even called theirs the Move.
you have a problem you can't solve
it bothers you to the point of depression
you find something enjoyable to prolong the depression until the problem can be solved.
but it does not cure and if you can't solve the problem you will begin to fear what caused the problem.
you will go with your escape method in order to hide from the problem.
now you have an addiction.
it's the same cause for every addiction
but the escape can be differnt:
foods
drinks
drugs
social activities
money
sports
tv shows
and games
many escapes/distractions, but they do not cause depression.
they are the clueless passer-bys that got to close to a crime scene at the time of the crime and was mistaken as the criminal.
it bothers you to the point of depression
you find something enjoyable to prolong the depression until the problem can be solved.
but it does not cure and if you can't solve the problem you will begin to fear what caused the problem.
you will go with your escape method in order to hide from the problem.
now you have an addiction.
it's the same cause for every addiction
but the escape can be differnt:
foods
drinks
drugs
social activities
money
sports
tv shows
and games
many escapes/distractions, but they do not cause depression.
they are the clueless passer-bys that got to close to a crime scene at the time of the crime and was mistaken as the criminal.
Videogame addiction? Crap. Everyone, band together... we need VGA. Uh... That's "Video Gamer's Anonymous" in case that wasn't clear.
But seriously, my family's been trying to convince me I'm addicted. Just like they're addicted to TV, junk food, Bejewled (hypocrites), and other assorted things. Everyone's addicted to something. Everyone has a vice, whether it's cigarettes, gambling, street racing, adrenaline rushes, video games, TV... I could fill a thread myself by listing examples, I'm sure.
But seriously, my family's been trying to convince me I'm addicted. Just like they're addicted to TV, junk food, Bejewled (hypocrites), and other assorted things. Everyone's addicted to something. Everyone has a vice, whether it's cigarettes, gambling, street racing, adrenaline rushes, video games, TV... I could fill a thread myself by listing examples, I'm sure.