Video Game Addictions

Can someone really be addicted to videogames? How are they dangerous enough to lead teenagers into committing suicide- like acts, such as jumping out of a buildings and stating the reason for their doing was because of “hallucinations”, or even excessive amount of game playing to spend 18 hours a day like the 31 year old Aaron Hazell – a software designer and former game addict- ?

From the lecture today, Kevin explained about the term “addiction” and how it has been mis- appropriately used in context with gamers and that we should consider the wider social context before labeling people as “addicts”.  From my past game experience with games, I know how easy it is to play a game and have become so absorbed (or diegetically immersed) into the game, (i.e. BEJEWELLED BLITZ, FINAL FANTASY/RPG games) that a couple of hours has passed before I have realized it. It is when a person loses this ability to realize and regulate their gaming behavior so that as a consequence problems negatively impacting on one’s life occur. The lack of self control is called “problematic gaming” and the term theorist Keith Bakker suggests to use to describe this situation, rather than the term “addiction”.

The social factors of addictions are primarily psychological. Compulsions, like gambling, shopping and working excessively. It is questionable whether the biological reasoning for game addiction is due to dopamine – the neurohormone when released carry signals between the cells in the brain when a person experiences pleasurable events.  As players achieve rewards by completing certain challenges in the games, their feelings of self worth are based upon their success with videogames and so they devote more and more time to mastering the virtual game world. The games stimulate dopamine and this is addictive.

Videogame addiction still remains to be a significant problem in our society. To combat this problematic use of videogames – theorist Keith Bakker suggests we get more involved! J Gamers who have “problematic gaming” should also be educated on the warning signs of addiction and improve their social skills. Though the virtual game world is filled with fantastic and grand realistic imagery and has more to offer than the real world, the game world is still only a representation, an illusion.  One must realize this – after all looking back, who wants to be recognized for a life filled with virtual memories of splendor and achievements, but no genuine ones?