Gaming Addiction?

[Ladyzekke]

There are plenty of adult (over 30) addicts out there, and these addicts didn't become addicted to gaming as a child because there were no games back then (well not incase you want to count Pong LOL). I know 3 people personally, and it's pretty bad. Two of them don't have jobs. One lives off his wife and the other lives off of Unemployment. They game from the second they get up early in the morning until the wee hours of the night (MMOGs). Every day. Been doing it for 2 years now. The other one works, but still manages a good 8+ hours each workday. These people also have nothing else to talk about but their game so make very poor conversationalists!

I don't blame the games or the gaming industry though. These people are out of control because they choose to be. They know what they are doing just like I knew what I was doing when I smoked. And of course, a lot of businesses are making a lot of money from all these addictions!

How does one invest in the gaming industry anyway? [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[Nightwing]

Addiction comes from a need to self medicate for some people. They escape from life by going into the game. It actually is a real problem more for adults than kids. There are plenty of 12 step groups to help with game addiction. We have seen a huge leap ever since the MMORPG came out and became accessable. Some people are even having emotional affairs online.

[Klorox]

Zekke, I'm over 30 and had plenty of games back in the day. They were nothing like the games that are out there now though.

Nightwing, I think you're right on.

[SpiritWarrior]

In one form or another, this topic comes up every six months or so it seems.

I myself am of the opinion that an addiction to gaming is far better than an addiction to substance such as drugs or alcohol. Most people have been addicted to something in the course of their lives, be it a physical addiction or an emotional/mental one. I figure an addiction to an MMORPG for example, is far better than an addiction to TV. You are interacting with people, reading constantly, using at least some form of calculation and strategy in deciphering quests locations, clues and in PvP scenarios.

While being addicted to something is never healthy, looking at it in context, it can potentially be the lesser of many evils. TV for example is a mindless, non-interactive activity. It thinks for you and presents you images while you sit back and watch. Being addicted to TV would be worse IMO since a game at least, requires some kind of thought-process.

Just my 2.

[Ladyzekke]

Lucky you Klory, I'm 40 and all we had was pong. That's what I was talking about.

[Madman-Rogovich]

I'd argue you can't have an 'addiction' without some sort of physical dependance so I'm hesitant to give any sympathy.

I mean its not like these people who game 23 hours a day are in a situation where it hurts not to game right?

What grinds me is the 'addictive as heroin' quote, tho saying that no doubt soon the streets will be plagued by gamers trying to chib pedestrians in order to feed their MMO habit

[ 06-22-2007, 04:35 PM: Message edited by: Madman-Rogovich ]

[Firestormalpha]

Well there's two kinds of addiction, physical and mental. A Mental Addiction is perceived by the one suffering from it. They believe they need something to survive or be happy/content. Reactions to depriving them of their perceived addiction depend on the level to which they believe they need it.

Physical addiction happens when your body becomes literally dependant on a substance being in your body, such as nicotine or alcohol. You grow heavily dependent on them and if you try to drop them cold-turkey you will have violent reactions, possibly even death.

[Callum]

To misquote Chris Rock: "Games aren't a drug. There ain't nobody ever sucked dick for games."

[Yorick]

Originally posted by Firestormalpha: Well there's two kinds of addiction, physical and mental. A Mental Addiction is perceived by the one suffering from it. They believe they need something to survive or be happy/content. Reactions to depriving them of their perceived addiction depend on the level to which they believe they need it. Physical addiction happens when your body becomes literally dependant on a substance being in your body, such as nicotine or alcohol. You grow heavily dependent on them and if you try to drop them cold-turkey you will have violent reactions, possibly even death.

Very true bro. Addiction is mental, physical depndency is physical. However, the neural pathways that become diverted and then entrenched as a result of mental addiction are very much physical.

As a former workaholic and former co-dependant, I battle a gaming addiction myself. I've always had an addictive personality, and have thus avoided drugs, tobacco, gambling, porn and alcoholic addictions through caution and avoidance. For years I avoided even looking at Everquest because I knew I'd get hooked. (Based on the addictive way I'd played Baldurs Gate etc)

It took 10 minutes in front of a friends computer to get hooked on WoW. The analogy to heroin used because of the instant addiction with the first hit.

[Leonis]

Originally posted by Firestormalpha: Well there's two kinds of addiction, physical and mental. A Mental Addiction is perceived by the one suffering from it. They believe they need something to survive or be happy/content. Reactions to depriving them of their perceived addiction depend on the level to which they believe they need it. Physical addiction happens when your body becomes literally dependant on a substance being in your body, such as nicotine or alcohol. You grow heavily dependent on them and if you try to drop them cold-turkey you will have violent reactions, possibly even death.

They call they physical - "biological" addiction. The thing is, they are intertwined. Eg - smoking - you are completely biologically addicted to the drug - i.e: nicotine, yet at the same time, completely addicted to the 'mental' side of it, the habit, the social enjoyment, the fact that you are never bored when smoking... etc. So too I think 'mental' addictions have a biological element. You may be mentally addicted to playing a game, yet the physical aspect of it - sitting isolated in a dark room with amazing graphics infront of you, is equally addictive for it's own seperate reasons. I don't think there are many, if any addictions that can really be finitely seperated into biological or mental. They are addictions out and out and cross both paths simultaneously.