Gaming Addiction
- How does gaming make you addicted?
- What games are the most addicting?
- Who are the people that are addicted to gaming?
- Can gaming addiction be cured?
- Are there any effects in gaming addiction?
As with any addiction, video game or "gaming" addiction is usually a multi-faceted issue. For starters, video games are designed to be addictive. Not "addictive" in the clinical sense of the word, but game designers are always looking for ways to make their games more interesting and increase the amount of time people will spend playing them. games are designed to be just difficult enough to be truly challenging, while allowing players to achieve small accomplishments that compel them to keep playing. In that respect, the design of video games is similar to the design of gambling casinos, which will allow players to have small "wins" that keep them playing. There are several "hooks" that are built into games with the intent of making them "addictive".
There's another popular type of multiplayer game that is played online through a game console like PlayStation or XBOX. Lovers of "Halo 3," released late last year, refer to their addiction as "Halodiction." Bloggers have boasted, or bemoaned, 19-hour stretches of Halo play. Halo lovers point to the high-level graphics and sound, saying it's like starring in your own movie. What differentiates this type of console game from the others is that there is an end to the game. At some point, after many, many hours of play, the gamer does reach a final level. But in the multiplayer, online mode, the variations are endless and many go back again and again to blow up the bad guys.
In what is described as the first nationally representative study in the United States on the subject, researcher Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University found that 8.5 percent of American youths ages 8 to 18 who play video games show multiple signs of behavioral addiction.
Some of the harmful effects of video game addiction include:
There's another popular type of multiplayer game that is played online through a game console like PlayStation or XBOX. Lovers of "Halo 3," released late last year, refer to their addiction as "Halodiction." Bloggers have boasted, or bemoaned, 19-hour stretches of Halo play. Halo lovers point to the high-level graphics and sound, saying it's like starring in your own movie. What differentiates this type of console game from the others is that there is an end to the game. At some point, after many, many hours of play, the gamer does reach a final level. But in the multiplayer, online mode, the variations are endless and many go back again and again to blow up the bad guys.
In what is described as the first nationally representative study in the United States on the subject, researcher Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University found that 8.5 percent of American youths ages 8 to 18 who play video games show multiple signs of behavioral addiction.
Treatment for video game addiction is similar to that for other addictions. Counseling and behavior modification are the primary means of treating addicted gamers. Together, individual and family counseling are powerful treatment tools. Some treatment facilities incorporate medication in their programs. However, unlike drugs or alcohol, video games are tied to computers, which are a key part of life for most people. In that way, the addiction is similar to a food addiction. As a result, some treatment centers explore controlled use rather than abstinence. No overall cure for video game addiction exists. As with alcoholism and drug addiction, the key is to enter treatment and to stay aware of triggers while continuing to participate in recovery groups, such as Online Gamers Anonymous.
Some of the harmful effects of video game addiction include:
- Increased risk of ADD or ADHD due to the highly interactivity of video games
- Learning disabilities that result from slowed responses versus the intense video games
- Increased risk of light-induced seizures from video games
- Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities from sitting for prolonged periods of time or from only using the upper body (extremity muscles)
- Increased weight gain as a result of not exercising
- Lowered metabolism
- Aggressive thoughts and behaviors especially present in children who excessively play video games when they are under 10 years old
- Poor social interaction
- Poor cooperative interaction (everything has to be about winning)
Websites:
1. http://www.video-game-addiction.org/what-makes-games-addictive.html
2. http://www.video-game-addiction.org/most-addictive-video-games.html
2. http://www.video-game-addiction.org/most-addictive-video-games.html
3.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/19/AR2009041902350.html
4. http://www.psychguides.com/guides/video-game-addiction-treatment-program-options/
5. http://www.addictions.com/video-games/
4. http://www.psychguides.com/guides/video-game-addiction-treatment-program-options/
5. http://www.addictions.com/video-games/
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Survey
Do you know anyone who is addicted to video-games?
- 29 out of 50 students said they do know someone who is addicted to video-games.
- 21 students said they don't.
- The most games they said they played where Call of Duty and Halo.
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