I must be addicted!

[Trump]

http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/08/08/world_of_warcraft_players_addicted/

Damn you blizzard!!!!! My life!! Ruined... ARGH!!!!

Seriously, how much crack do you think this lady was smoking (or do you agree with her?)

[Kwiz]

What, you somehow think gaming addiction isn't a social problem?

RW: What about the games themselves? What do you think should be done there?

Dr. Orzack: I think there needs to be warning labels on MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, similar to warning labels on cigarettes. People should know that these games are potentially harmful. I'm sure the game industry will be up in arms over it, but that's what I'd like to see happen. I don't think we have a right to make Blizzard or other game companies change their products, but that may be what this comes to, down the road.

Warning labels barely help at all. If anything, declaring that "this game may be highly addictive" could actually entice more players into joining up. Game dependance shares one fundamental quality with drugs: escapism.

Being mentally healthy involves liking who you are. The more displeased you are with your own reality, the more likely you'll be to slip into an alternative - and the alternatives to reality always suck.

[Candyvan Stan]

Gaming addiction is a problem. Not more so than television addiction or any other addiction, but many 'hardcore' gamers simply don't want to admit that gaming can indeed grow to to be a problem. I used to not be able to. I have been addicted to games at least twice; Diablo 2 and Star Wars Galaxies. I've been able to tone it down to normal healthy levels about two years ago, and now I'm addicted to Taekwon-do as it gives me the same sense of progression multiplayer RPGs give me. However, this is a way healthier addiction. It can sometimes be a "grind" though. ;)

[Kwiz]

Michael is right in saying that gaming addictions are more physically healthy than their substance abuse counterparts, but becoming overly reclusive and escaping from reality can do terrible mental damage. You need a healthy body and a healthy mind in order to do well.

[Alphonse v.2]

There is no such thing as game addiction. It's like saying you have a cheese addiction. You like eating cheese, heck, you eat a lot of cheese daily, and then someone comes along and says that you eat too much cheese. It's bad for you. You enjoy games because you have nothing more productive to do at the time, and are therefore briefly entertained. The better the game, the more it offers you, the more you will play it. I think someone shouldn't be pryed away from a game that they hold dear and near. Because gaming is like any other hobby, you like spending time on it.

[anver]

So you're telling me that when a guy doesn't go to school and instead gets up at two pm, plays WoW till four am, then rinses and repeats, it's a hobby and nobody should offer him help? And I'm not talking in theory, either. I know somebody like that.

[ZaichikArky]

There is no such thing as game addiction. It's like saying you have a cheese addiction. You like eating cheese, heck, you eat a lot of cheese daily, and then someone comes along and says that you eat too much cheese. It's bad for you. You enjoy games because you have nothing more productive to do at the time, and are therefore briefly entertained. The better the game, the more it offers you, the more you will play it. I think someone shouldn't be pryed away from a game that they hold dear and near. Because gaming is like any other hobby, you like spending time on it.

Nooo. Denying game addiction is like denying cigarette addiction. This really affects peoples lives and health so much that there are therapy centers set up in China for teens suffering from gaming addiction. It's a serious matter. It has been proven that with some people, gaming too much seriously affects their well-being. I mean, there are some teens(and adults to a lesser extent) who do nothing but sit on the computer for up to 20 hours a day doing nothing but playing games. Is this not a serious problem? They never come out of their room and barely eat and sleep. They face serious hermitism and they don't want to talk to anyone. I agree with the woman in the article. I think that games such as WOW should definitely come with a warning label listing symptoms of game addiction so that parents can notice it in their children before it gets too late. At least game addiction is becoming more publicized lately.

[haterllnation]

MMORPG. How about this....STOP the monthly paying. If I have to pay a fee a month to play a game, damn right I am going to play it often. To the other games. I think it is an addiction for people who LET it be one. Those are the kids who hate sunlight, haven't friends, or are avoiding parents and siblings. I play games pretty often. During school and life activities it's a backburner thing. I mean it's always going to be there. Besides I play FPS and people who hack or just simply own every round frustrate me, so it keeps me in check anyway. I wonder if this will become a "disease". I hope she doesn't want The Prize that bad enough to call it one later.

Now, that one Asian dude who died playing games. He was addicted and probably mentally unstable.

[Kwiz]

I think that games such as WOW should definitely come with a warning label listing symptoms of game addiction so that parents can notice it in their children before it gets too late.

That's not the solution. Gaming addicts start their destructive behavior because their personal lives become unbearable - because they feel a need to escape from that. Until such addicts really have something outside of the game to live for, the problem will persist.

[ZaichikArky]

That's not the solution. Gaming addicts start their destructive behavior because their personal lives become unbearable - because they feel a need to escape from that. Until such addicts really have something outside of the game to live for, the problem will persist.


That is not the only reason people become addicts. Anyone can, really, even if their personal lives are normal. Teens can start playing and it can just escalate if they enjoy it. The thrill of playing the game will overtake normal activities to the point of their health declining. I think puting warning labels on games will help parents when they buy their kids the games, since the parents ultimately should have control over these matters.

[haterllnation]

Really? I mean look how well the game rating system for gaming violence has turned out. No one will look at it. Don't get me wrong, it's an idea, but I don't think it's an idea that will drastically change anything but the cost of more print on a game box.

[japanat]

Whatever happened to the words "self-determination"? Why is it that any and all problems suffered by Americans are addictions, and therefore not their fault?
I'm sorry, but you CAN turn off the computer w/o having the DTs, heart palpitations, etc.

[Kwiz]

I'm sorry, but you CAN turn off the computer w/o having the DTs, heart palpitations, etc.

Yes, but the kind of addicts we're talking about instead suffer from mental withdrawal symptoms upon trying to return to interpersonal reality - which force them back into the comfort of the game.

[haterllnation]

These are some of the same people who consider alcoholism a disease even though one doesn't choose to have cancer, but one chooses to down a keg. I just hope people don't try to milk it like they do the ritalin craze.

[h2orowe]

I'm addicted to the internet in general. I don't think game/internet addiction is that bad unless you actually cancel plans premade, or quit your job because of it. I have a bad home life, not terrible, but enough to make me sleep all day if I'm not on the computer, so the computer has given me a release. I just like talking to people, but.. noone in this city wants to hang out with me too much, and after I moved I started having some trouble making friends, so I use the computer as my safety blanket... meh.. I like being addicted. >_>; At least now I don't have to talk to my mom's boyfriend.

[Alphonse v.2]

Im a strong believer in evolution. Not the "Evolution" christianity labels as devil worship, but more or less my own interpretation. If you have a problem, it is your responsibility to get over it. If not, you have been delt a bad hand and it is also your responsibility to try to make the best of it. And I seriously hate when others impose their life views on others; live and let live. If you leave a game addict that plays for 20 hours out of the day alone, he will soon realise that if he doesn't start living outside his game world, nothing good can happen. And if he doesn't, then who are you to say that you wouldn't want to die doing something you loved?

[Rear Admiral Grapefruit]

The thing with gaming is that it's cheap and easy and provides hours and hours of entertainment, for recreation, gaming is a highly viable option for many because the alternatives just aren't that good or are just too expensive. The cost to maintain a highly active social life with friends is far in excess of the cost to simply play a few video games, online or offline, and often with mmorpgs the MAIN thing that keeps people playing these games is the friends they make along the way, you game with people for a long time and you do begin to know these people and it encourages you to continue playing these games, because it's still social interaction and these are real people, you don't need to be right next to the person to enjoy their company.

I personally i have played games since an early age, around 11yrs old i started getting into games alot more strongly with my first mmorpg, and the games get boring after a while, but these games hold the connection to people you've met along the way and people don't like to lose contact with friends, whether from RL or game. For some, the games are also a good way to get away from reality, i personaly liked the whole aspect of not having to deal with the average everyday moron, it makes things alot simpler. One benefit from these games is though, they ARE often educational, believe it or not, i have learned many things from different games about many different time periods and mythologies and the such, it's quite nice to play a game you enjoy and take a little insight into something from it.

Obviously though, there ARE extreme cases where people push themselves too far with games and can do themselves some harm, but i'd say that is a rather small minority of the gaming community, if the whole gaming thing is such an issue then to resolve it, people need access to cheap viable alternatives that can provide the benefits of gaming without the downsides, it's fine to say sports could be viable, but not everyone can have access to these, or even enjoys participating sports, there's often the whole gym class issue (last picked idea) which deters people or there's physical difficulties etc.

In my honest oppinion, right now, the only way to deal with people excessively playing video games is purely to elimate them as a factor in peoples lives and thus they'd be forced into finding alternatives, not a fair idea i believe.

[Kwiz]

In my honest oppinion, right now, the only way to deal with people excessively playing video games is purely to elimate them as a factor in peoples lives and thus they'd be forced into finding alternatives, not a fair idea i believe.

I imagine it could be far more difficult than you think. How do you propose to get a 20-hour-a-day World of Warcraft addict back into a healthy social life?

[Rear Admiral Grapefruit]

my brother is pretty much like that now, maybe not 20hrs... but still close enough, he doesn't seem to realise it enough, seems he isn't aware of it, but whatever, my post was purely to put some gamers perspective on this, i was saying, the only way you could get them to stop is IF they simply couldn't play these games essentialy, perhaps i didn't word that the best way, but as i said, without some kind of alternative to this, it is difficult to get them to stop. Adapting back into a normal social life isn't something you jump right into, it's obviously a gradiual process, you simply start off with the most basic things involving going into public areas and work up gently towards more active social places, perhaps initialy quiet stroll in the park, then eventualy going to pubs/clubs concerts random events etc where you can meet people, essentialy it's just putting people in places where they can interact with other people, while not necessarily having to. But also, work, school, college, uni etc all places to build on an inactive social life. Essentially though, the question you're asking is, how do you make friends when you play 20hrs a day, the basic answer is you stop playing 20hrs a day and do something, anything else, social interaction occurs at some point (unless you're asleep for that 20hrs instead) and that's essentially the foundation to any level of social life, basic interaction with your peers.

[Kwiz]

You're right: any recovery from such a state has to be gradual. I might add that another very important step is to never make biting comments to the recovering addict. Saying things out of frustration like "what, reality wasn't good enough for you?" are the surest possible way to push that person back into escapism.

[haterllnation]

I imagine it could be far more difficult than you think. How do you propose to get a 20-hour-a-day World of Warcraft addict back into a healthy social life?

The Renaissance Fair :) Put them in the heat of a real battle. Make them make their own armor and have a team and fight another group. Okay, that might be more GW PvP and no huge dragon, but I think it would heighten and give them something to strive for. Yeh, it's a pretty big reach to tell a person to actually pick up a heavy battle axe instead of sit down and play, but it would be worth a shot.

[Kwiz]

My god.. that sudden surge of activity would probably kill them all by adrenaline poisoning.

[haterllnation]

You know, I remember seeing them practice in the park one day. I thought it was pretty cool. I guess they would have to ease into it. I think the actual rush and cheering one would do after a real victory would be better than the silent glee they do behind the computer. A Ventrillo/Teamspeak team cheer or a real live one? ....Yeh, you are probably right.

[setrict]

MMORPGs can be addictive, I know that first hand. I was addicted for several years, playing because I felt I had to rather than enjoying it like I did in the beginning. It can be a destructive lifestlye, but is it really any worse that being a bar-fly or a couch potato? I didn't think so back when I was addicted, and I still don't think so now. I had a lot of fun. I also wasted a ridiculous amount of time with very little to show for it. In retrospect I can clearly see if was destructive behavior.

People have to master themselves if their life is going to be worth much, and that includes learning to control their own addiction whether it be drinking, gambling, or mindlessly killing pixelated bad guys for virtual weath. I don't think it's the responsibility of the game manufacturer, or worse government to keep you from doing yourself harm. If we let society coddle the weak-willed we are doing them a disservice.

And parents, if your kid is playing a game 20 hours a day he doesn't have an addition problem - you have a parenting problem.

[Beer Pope]

These are some of the same people who consider alcoholism a disease even though one doesn't choose to have cancer, but one chooses to down a keg. I just hope people don't try to milk it like they do the ritalin craze.

Disease: A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.

Addictions of all kinds are ligitimate disorders (physical and psychological), and therefore are diseases.

[haterllnation]

Okay, someone hit up a dictionary.com. However, I still disagree with that. I don't see society whipping up a Alcoholics Research Fund. Like i said, you can choose to pick up a beer, you cannot choose to get cancer. It's not for sale at the store. A lack of will power can be "called" that, but it's just lack of will power. I can agree that alcoholism can lead to a disease of the liver in the long run. I will not agree that opening a can of beer is the disease itself, but rather the path to one.

[Ichisan]

How about a more optimistic take on things? I read about this book in Time magazine:

"Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter" by Steven Johnson

His theory is that these games are giving you skills that are increasingly valuable in the real world.

Or a pessimistic view: I'm addicted to message boards, let alone games. I shouldn't be wasting my time on here. :-(

[Urban~Ninja]

Let me lay down the middle ground, i play video games but i also have a very active social life.

I play xbox games alot but i do it with friends multiplayer style, i played WoW for awhile i can see whats so addictive, but i dont get addicted to things easily.

For instance, i played Rugby 2006 for about 1 hour yesterday but then i went out to my friend birthday party and danced and sang and just had a grand ol'time for about 8 hours, and i think thats what gamers need, they need to find other gamers and even if they have a party and talk about games rather then play them they will have a better time.

Sure partying can be harmful when Beer etc is there, but if gamers get a taste of other amazingly fun things out there rather then games they may get unhooked.

[Candyvan Stan]

For instance, i played Rugby 2006 for about 1 hour yesterday but then i went out to my friend birthday party and danced and sang and just had a grand ol'time for about 8 hours, and i think thats what gamers need, they need to find other gamers and even if they have a party and talk about games rather then play them they will have a better time.

Sure partying can be harmful when Beer etc is there, but if gamers get a taste of other amazingly fun things out there rather then games they may get unhooked.


But some people, including me, think 'partying', 'singing' and 'dancing' the night away is extremely boring. I'm not addicted to gaming and haven't been for two years now, but I'd much more like to play a game alone or with somebody else than attending a party. Especially if you don't drink.

[Urban~Ninja]

But some people, including me, think 'partying', 'singing' and 'dancing' the night away is extremely boring. I'm not addicted to gaming and haven't been for two years now, but I'd much more like to play a game alone or with somebody else than attending a party. Especially if you don't drink.


If by
A) you mean YOU as in a person dont enjoy drinking, then i guess its probably understandable if everyone is drinking/already drunk around you, you feel kinda out of place.

or

B) The lack of drinking, when you only attend parties with said drinking. In that case, then you must understand...all parties in Australia involves Liquor.

[PopCulturePooka]

B) The lack of drinking, when you only attend parties with said drinking. In that case, then you must understand...all parties in Australia involves Liquor.
And he means ALL!...

You should see the nonsense that happens at 5th birthday parties.

[Urban~Ninja]

And he means ALL!...

You should see the nonsense that happens at 5th birthday parties.

and im Half Irish, do you understand how plastered me and the gang were back at my 3rd Birthday!

[PopCulturePooka]

and im Half Irish, do you understand how plastered me and the gang were back at my 3rd Birthday!
I passed out in my 4th birthday cake.

Oh yeah, and WoW can be stupidly addictive. For 4 weeks I was obsessed with the PvP honor grind.

[Radiance]

So you're telling me that when a guy doesn't go to school and instead gets up at two pm, plays WoW till four am, then rinses and repeats, it's a hobby and nobody should offer him help? And I'm not talking in theory, either. I know somebody like that.

Sorry Anver, that is called a bumb, and those exist without games and MMOs. That is a person that needs a kick in the head and to be forced out to get a job or put in more hours at school. Reprioritization on a extreme level. As was said previously, it is a hobby and hobby always comes after the physical world.

Personally, I play WoW. I raid in WoW for about three hours a night four nights a week. Sure, that is a lot of time to waste on a game and i've got 80 days played on one character and about 20 on another which has taken almost two years at this point to accumulate. Why do I play so much? (Granted that isn't as much as the fellow you're talking about) Because it is cheaper than the gas it would take me to go somewhere with my friends. So for $15/month I can play with all of my RL/School/Work friends instead of paying three bucks a gallon plus the cost of activities.

So MMOs are not always a form of escapism, at times they are an RL inclusion. I've met new friends through MMOs that later moved to my city to go to school and we're some of the best of friends. So don't jump the gun being so judgemental about them. I will agree, people with an unhealthy obcession that use it as an escape need help, but those folks are few and far between and usually it isn't the game that is at fault, but other underlying issues. Alcoholism, Disfunctional Home life, Lack of motivation/self esteem/prioritization. Rarely is it the game's fault.

P.S. For the record, despite how much I play I still work out every day for atleast an hour, work near 55-65 hours a week, go out with my friends atleast once a week, always self educating myself/reading for enjoyment, do all of my own car repairs and modifications..... anyhow, I think you get the picture. :O

[Radiance]

Whatever happened to the words "self-determination"? Why is it that any and all problems suffered by Americans are addictions, and therefore not their fault?
I'm sorry, but you CAN turn off the computer w/o having the DTs, heart palpitations, etc.

It isn't just a computer/game problem. Personal responsibility has gone -completely- out the window in society these days. Its everyone elses's fault. The MMO, The Media, The food they eat, The car manufacturer. They are addicted because the game is addicting, They are desensitized because of the media, they are overweight because the food is unhealthy, they drive carelessly because the car can go fast!

We obviously can't trust a person to choose moderation over excess. Nor can we trust a person to know when they should step away from the television and the violent images. Nor can we trust them to actually cook, feed, and balance their own meals as part of a healthy diet. Nor can we expect personal restraint, because if they can do something they must do something! Such as speeding... etc.

Also, a large number of the people in places like china where said WoW addiction centers arn't playing because they enjoy it... they're playing because they are chinese gold farmers and that is their job. It is an easy job where you don't have to work hard, you just have to put in long hours of farming gold to sell to americans that are too lazy to do it themselves. So when you put it in that kind of context, look at business men that work 80-100 hours a week how unhealthy are their lives? Alcoholism is rampant, they are an increasing danger on the road because of how sleep deprived they are, their home lives degrade and they search for an escape, which might account for part of our high suicide rates.

Anyhow... In conclusion... h8. Also, i'm hungry so i'm going to put some burgers on the grill. DELICIOUS! :O

[Trump]

I think the good (bad?) doctor is full of herself. She is trying WAY to hard to justify her "research" and make some money.

40% is just an absurd number to start with. That's basically saying every other person who plays the game is going to ruin their lives because of it. To even consider that is to admit you are crazy. I know dozens of people who play these games, and not one of them has this type of problem. They play because it is fun and when they have other things they need or want to do, they do them. It is quite a novel concept.

Furthermore, she blames Blizzard for making an addictive game? The doctor is so high now I think when she crashes she is going to die. Blizzard made a game plain and simple. If it wasn't fun to play people wouldn't play it. But to say it is addictive is about as absurd as saying football (either type) is addictive. People have fun doing something and all of the sudden it becomes addictive?

I think the only reason people play these games so much is because of the Internet, not because of the game. It is just as addictive as message boards, porn, IRC/chat, etc. It provides a social or competive environment when and where you want it. Why leave for another activity that offers the same things when you already have it? That is the problem, not the game, company, or "addiction" as she puts it.

[Kwiz]

40% is just an absurd number to start with. That's basically saying every other person who plays the game is going to ruin their lives because of it. To even consider that is to admit you are crazy.

Wisdom is often buried in idiotic tripe. You know someone's worth listening to occasionally if you mentally brand them as crazy.

[yogi]

I've played wow and could see why its adictive. The two guys I know who play it aren't addicted but they do play it a hell of a lot.

But the problem isnt wow or games, the problem is real life. Cause alot of the time it just plain sucks. This is not helped by the fact that modern media profits from making you feel inadequite (sp?). Til this manipulation is stopped then the problem will remain.

EDIT But i do hate the disease and condition crap. If society dosent think I'm responsible why the hell should I be.

Thou really looking at this, everyones addicted to something, TV, clubbing, internet, having babies, bitching, drinking, working, music etc. Ever since basic survival has been taken care of modern man/woman has thought, "What the fuck do I do now?"

Pick something get addicted and hopeful its socially acceptable, like sport :whoops:

[delen]

I fail to see how someone else being "addicted" to a game is detremental to me in any way. As far as addictions go I don't think excessive game playing is really that bad.

[Trump]

Excessive game playing doesn't mean you are addicted. It just means you enjoy playing games instead of doing other things.

[King Kong]

What, you somehow think gaming addiction isn't a social problem?



Warning labels barely help at all. If anything, declaring that "this game may be highly addictive" could actually entice more players into joining up. Game dependance shares one fundamental quality with drugs: escapism.

Being mentally healthy involves liking who you are. The more displeased you are with your own reality, the more likely you'll be to slip into an alternative - and the alternatives to reality always suck.

Seconded :clap:

[Jetsetlemming]

I think when it gets so bad you don't do anything else, then it's bad. But someone in that sort of situation wouldn't be any better without videogames. They'd just watch TV, or surf the internet, or do drugs, or lie in bed and do nothing but eat. Videogames aren't the cause, they're the method.

[Neon Pink Shoehorn]

Alright, I know that I can be addicted to things, I have that type of personality. I have been addicted, so I have a guarded sense around that, when I get too involved in something. I just have to choose to be self-aware.

[Trump]

I've never seen any one have symptoms of withdrawl because they couldn't play their video games. At least nothing beyond "damn, I'd rather be playing right now"

[InSo]

Only a tiny percentage of people who play video games a lot are actually addicted. The problem is, people assume just because someone is doing something excessively, they MUST be addicted. This is wrong, they do it a lot because they enjoy it. Addiction is far more serious than simply playing for a long time, it is when people only think about the game, they cant function without it.

Most of the people who are asking this man for help, are worried mothers/family members, who see their loved one playing a certain game for most of their free time, and assume that they are of course 'addicted'.

My mum would come in my room and see me playing the same game (unreal tournament 2004 :D), and start talking crap about 'oh you are addicted to that, video games rot your brains etc', so annoying it is...

And of course this stuff being highlighted in the media causes loads of ignorant and naive people to think that anyone who plays a game for more than 10 minutes a day is a compulsive addict.

[InSo]

With regards to the article in the link:

"I think there needs to be warning labels on MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, similar to warning labels on cigarettes."

"People should know that these games are potentially harmful."

They are not inherently harmful, only certain people become addicts! And they would likely become addicted to something else were the game not around.

With the cigarette label statement, and what has been said previously in the article, Orzack is implying that anyone who picks up World of Warcraft and plays it regularly will become addicted, in the same way that someone who started smoking regularly would quickly be unable to stop smoking. Now certain people, due to a number of factors, be it genetic, environment, or something else, find themselves becoming mentally addicted to particular activities such as video games. Not every single person who plays the game alot will become addicted! In fact it is a tiny, tiny percentage of excessive games players who can be considered 'addicts'. This is a very important distinction, and is why warning labels on video game boxes such as those on cigarette packets is a completely retarded idea.

[Trump]

It feels like the doctor has lost all touch with reality and now is just trying very hard to justify her research.