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?

Reply to 'Gaming Addiction'

I liked the point you made about the clip that we do not understand anything about the child's background. The boy at the beginning who sets up the camera gives a brief explanation as to why his brother is angry and that is it. If you look at the other videos containing the same boy playing WoW you will never see the parents. My question is where are they? You can hear them occasionally telling him off, actually I will change that- you can hear them shouting at him. The parents are not teaching this child any time management. They are allowing him to do what he likes. When this is threatened because they feel he is spending too much time on his games they simply take it away. This doesn't teach him how to play so that there is a healthy balance of doing something he enjoys and doing everything else he needs to do.

Perhaps if children were taught how to approach games, that they are for relaxing and enjoyment and not a distraction and an escape then it might be possible that the children will grow up forming better habits. It really doesn't surprise me how some parents will be surprised that their child will just keep doing something that they really like. But lets be honest if it wasn't gaming it would just be something else. Parents need to stop blaming games and look at why the child is allowed to spend all their time on their computers. If parents set boundaries and stick to them then the child would not display problematic use of games.

Video Gaming Addiction is Beneficial

My first thoughts regarding video gaming addiction is that it is absolute nonsense. My own definition of being addicted included chemicals. Obviously games don't inject their users with drugs! So how can gamers be addicts? The more one thinks about it the more it starts to make more sense. Dopamine is known as the 'feeling good' chemical that is released in your brain when you do something you like or that you find fun. So it's all starting to make sense, there are chemicals involved.

If one was to accept that, yes there are chemicals that are released in ones brain while gaming, then obviously this would mean that, going back to my own definition, playing games creates chemicals in the brain therefore it can be something one can become addicted to. If I am to accept this, then shouldn't anything that produces dopamine in the brain be classed as a possible addiction? How about exercising, having sex, driving cars, watching television, going to the cinema, board games...and the list goes on. Why would we not ban anything that could cause its users to become addicted due to the dopamine levels created in ones brain? Once the arguement is seen in a bigger picture it all starts to look rather silly.

So the argument that video games are addictive due to their ability to increase dopamine levels in the brain has pretty much become void. Thinking about all the things that can cause dopamine levels to increase (basically anything fun), sounds like video games are being perceived as addicting because they are not being displayed in media as beneficial to society. But what if video games were beneficial to society?

Earlier on in my blogs I mentioned a video about how video gaming can make a better world (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE1DuBesGYM). What if we started to see all the possibilities that being 'addicted' to video games could provide. Imagine how eager one would be to learn if ones course work was to get a high score on a video game. What if video games could be made that would allow someone to be able to do their work in a fun way. Video gaming could solve some pretty big problems. Take a look at the link and let me know what you think.

When I start to think of the possibilities that video games hold, is it really that important that people really enjoy playing them that they don't want to stop? Perhaps consoles and PCs could have an internal regulation system that shuts out the user for a specific amount of time to ensure they maintain health and well being. I propose that in order to stop or prevent harmful play that a game be created that requires the player to come up with a solution to over playing.Perhaps then we can overcome the problems with being addicted to video games and delve into their immense possibilities.