Video Game Addiction?!

[Kalcaman]

Now i need to see other people's opinions on this before i start getting after myself.....but what classifies as a video game addiction? You dont have to give me a wow reference, i understand that, but for a person who doesnt play mmorpgs what is enough and what is too much? Better yet, what do you do in a day, week, month, year, so on and so forth...

I guess i do about...ehh....7 hours a day, 2 for morning/noon and 4 at night after work every day

[LordLeckie]

well for one i think theres another thread about this.

but for me it depends on when ive got new games and the longetivity, normally i play the hell out of them for ages (round 10+ hours) then slow down.

too much would be say 12 hours a day or more, i love gaming but even i realise that its not a good idea to play for that long (although bioshock will be an exception)

You've just to realise that if you play it now then it will seem less fun later if ou finish it, its not going to go away so take your time to enjoy it, its like dessert you want to have it slowly so you can savour it no matter how hard your erge is to bite down on it.

[Angelica Haze]

hmmm i'd say 7 hours a day is near borderline, doesn't leave much time for anything else in your life

myself i go through stints, i'll be all about playing games as much as possible for weeks, but then i'll go weeks barely playing (i'm a woman i'm fickle) here lately i've been playing about 3 hours a day, some days i'll maybe play 5 if i'm in a ratchet and clank kinda mood, or xmen legends


a month i prolly play around 150 to 200ish hours gaming depending on if i go on a long stint playing

[Kalcaman]

well for one i think theres another thread about this.

but for me it depends on when ive got new games and the longetivity, normally i play the hell out of them for ages (round 10+ hours) then slow down.

too much would be say 12 hours a day or more, i love gaming but even i realise that its not a good idea to play for that long (although bioshock will be an exception)

You've just to realise that if you play it now then it will seem less fun later if ou finish it, its not going to go away so take your time to enjoy it, its like dessert you want to have it slowly so you can savour it no matter how hard your Urge is to bite down on it.

I agree at least about the dessert part, tho if i play over 7 hours in one sitting its like im drunk, in the sense that i cant think straight and im tired, pissed yet happy ad kindof but kinda dont want more

[LordLeckie]

You can tell how addicted you are when you are away from your game heres an experiment.

when you are away from home say camping its normal to long after your games as you are normally bored as hell.

But say you are at home with the TV, internet, books, friends etc if you could not play the games for a week or so how bad would it be? would you feel withdrawl symptoms? if you cant stand to be away from gaming then you know that you have to take a break or find some other thing to do, the net is generally the best place to go.

i sen away my 360 for two weeks for repairs and all that time while i did want to play it given that i had very little in the way of other distractions but still it wasnt some unendurable longing, so im fairly confident im not addicted.

[snEEkie Villain]

hmmm i'd say 7 hours a day is near borderline, doesn't leave much time for anything else in your life

myself i go through stints, i'll be all about playing games as much as possible for weeks, but then i'll go weeks barely playing (i'm a woman i'm fickle) here lately i've been playing about 3 hours a day, some days i'll maybe play 5 if i'm in a ratchet and clank kinda mood, or xmen legends


a month i prolly play around 150 to 200ish hours gaming depending on if i go on a long stint playing

wow, that seems like hardcore, 150 to 200ish, i play about 40ish on average i'd say, off the top of my head. :eek:

[LordLeckie]

ive recently cleaned out my library of games to get some dough so fewer games for me equals less playtime.

[Kalcaman]

Yeah i went to Japan recently and i did feel a longing but thanks to my short attention span i would forget about and it wasnt like i had this absolute need for it. Just a little twinge.

[LordLeckie]

yeah the secret is to think about other things and ignore it, besides being in another country should be enough to stop you thinking about games!.....although...it IS Japan so that might remind you.

[Angelica Haze]

wow, that seems like hardcore, 150 to 200ish, i play about 40ish on average i'd say, off the top of my head. :eek:

not really if you think about it 3 hours a day x 30/31 days in a month = 90-93 hours easy, and since there are days when i play a few hours more i just gave a larger estimate

[Amazing Larry]

Yeah i went to Japan recently and i did feel a longing but thanks to my short attention span i would forget about and it wasnt like i had this absolute need for it. Just a little twinge.

Well then don't worry about it, if you ever get to the point where you feel like you can't live without it then you have a problem.

[That_dude]

Well, I guess if you think YOU have an addiction, I probably shouldn't say anything, seeing as I am probably worse. :p

[Kalcaman]

yeah the secret is to think about other things and ignore it, besides being in another country should be enough to stop you thinking about games!.....although...it IS Japan so that might remind you.


Trust me it did....Ever heard of shinjuku? (i hope i spelled it right) It had one HUUUUUUUUGE Floor With like 3 sections, each dedicated to different systems....i got lost in the DS section so i bought one....

[LordLeckie]

impulse buying FTW!

not really i spent two years in commerce having the message of anti-impulse buying hammered into my skull.

[Kalcaman]

impulse buying FTW!


lol....i couldnt help it...i mean...i had 130 dollars to burn, what else was i supposed to do....pay off bills and help the needy???

[snEEkie Villain]

not really if you think about it 3 hours a day x 30/31 days in a month = 90-93 hours easy, and since there are days when i play a few hours more i just gave a larger estimate

i guess i've just never seen it in numbers form..:confused:

[Kalcaman]

i guess i've just never seen it in numbers form..:confused:

it looks different when you do....7 hours can be over 280 hours for me...Yikes! i feel my life slipping away even as i write this!

[Kalcaman]

it looks different when you do....7 hours can be over 280 hours for me...Yikes! i feel my life slipping away even as i write this!

Shoosh its late im tired and i need more coffee plz...

[snEEkie Villain]

it looks different when you do....7 hours can be over 280 hours for me...Yikes! i feel my life slipping away even as i write this!

it's not a video game addiction if no MMORPG's are involved.

[Kalcaman]

it's not a video game addiction if no MMORPG's are involved.

Haha true...i played wow for a month then dropped it, its like they say...its crack. What made me drop it was that i didnt feel like paying to play a fun game...because im a cheap person.

[lurchibald]

it's not a video game addiction if no MMORPG's are involved.

yes it can be (actually the medical association hasnt recognised it as an addiction as of yet so its all really moot anyway)

[Kalcaman]

yes it can be (actually the medical association hasnt recognised it as an addiction as of yet so its all really moot anyway)

All i know is that in my GFW magazine there is always an ad saying "the government thinks that video games are as dangerous as guns, drugs, and something rather" and then vote for video games to stay legal

[LordLeckie]

yes it can be (actually the medical association hasnt recognised it as an addiction as of yet so its all really moot anyway)

yeah that particular investigation irked me.

[snEEkie Villain]

yes it can be (actually the medical association hasnt recognised it as an addiction as of yet so its all really moot anyway)

i was joking but it's sort of true, when you hear VG addiction you think MMORPG's, or at least i do.

[That_dude]

i was joking but it's sort of true, when you hear VG addiction you think MMORPG's, or at least i do.

Hey, you're not one of those concerned mothers, are you? :p

[Kalcaman]

Basically, thats what it really is that can get you, because they are NEVER ENDING in the sense...

[Kalcaman]

Basically, thats what it really is that can get you, because they are NEVER ENDING in the sense...

response to sneeky's post

[Kalcaman]

Well on the topic of addictions and quitting...this is me quitting my forum addiction....Good...eh Night??(or morning?) idk.....good(insert greeting here)!

[Veridiac]

Video games aren't any more addictive than any other fun activity.

If you spend so much time playing games that your health or work are affected, you have a problem - your stupid, or lazy, or have no concept of time management, or some similar problem, but its not an addiction. Video games didn't make you do it. The devil didn't make you do it. You did it. Take responsibility for your own actions and admit this.

If you are getting enough exercise and doing well at work or school, then by all means play video games all you like. People spend massive amounts of time doing other things that have no real productive value, but just because it doesn't have a certain "stigma" no one claims they're addicts. You only have so much time in life, and the best way to spend that time (short of, say, working to save the world) is having fun.

For video games to be addictive, they would have to be somehow more fun than any other source of entertainment in history. If you do believe, or know someone who believes that video games are addictive, ask them what proof they have of this. If this is not true, and video games are simply one more source of entertainment, then how can special rules for addiction apply to them?

Note : in some sense this is a case of definitions and word use - for example addictive gameplay is a GOOD thing, and something I'm sure bioshock has :D, I'm talking of addiction in the sense the media likes to sensationalize sometimes, along with the type of addiction caused by drugs.

Also as gamers its our responsibility to NOT buy into the media bs hype and start talking about video games like they were some form crack that could get you hooked and ruin your life!

[Yabbering Yeti]

Ah, addiction. now this is something i know a lot about. My mother worked with addicts of all natures and ive had long conversations with dozens of addicts. It doesnt matter what the substance was, they all had the say key behavural symptoms... "make way life, addiction coming through!" is basicly it in a nutshell. you know if your an addict if you fit your life around your habbit rather than the other way around.

you dont look at how many hours you play to see whether your a addict or not. though its directly related, it not conclusive. What you look at is your behavior. If your addicted to anything, experiencing it takes precedence over other things. If you find yourself impulsively pushing important things aside without thinking to get more gaming time in your probably an addict.

time is precious = If you look forward to free time thats days to come to spend it gaming. If your significant others want to spend time with you but your mind comes up with excuses why not to - makes more room for gaming.

If youve got a gaming itch you cant scratch = you want to play even when you are completely bored with your games (hence gaming addicts collect or rent loads of games).

etc etc, you get the idea.

[snEEkie Villain]

Hey, you're not one of those concerned mothers, are you? :p

i hate those people, their stupid, anything can be turned into something bad with their illogical logic, before you know it their going after paper because theyll argue you can cut yourself with it and thus its a weapon. idiiots.

[LordLeckie]

i hate those people, their stupid, anything can be turned into something bad with their illogical logic, before you know it their going after paper because theyll argue you can cut yourself with it and thus its a weapon. idiiots.

yeah i know current affair shows really blow things over the top and idiots like that dont help at all (not to mention the traitors that willingly participate)

[Yabbering Yeti]

(add)

Gaming addiction is a behavioral addiction, as opposed to a substance.

its not as if gaming is addictive, its not.

Certain people are more prone to behavioral addictions. They can be more easily addicted to repeatable tasks that cause possitive reactions in the brain. If someone who were prone starts playing games a lot chances are they will form some kind of dependancy with it. A different person could walk in to the same scenario and have no addiction problems at all.

Someone whos prone to behavioral addictions (addictive personality) is probably going to get addicted to something, substance or other, throughout their life time anyway.

Just because some of these people pick up games as their addiction, gaming gets labled as a medicaly addictive form of entertainment by some. Its not!

so the short of it: Gaming isnt addictive... kinda! :D

[solidwolf52]

i play about 7 or more hours a day but thats because it's summer vacation and i don't really have anything better to do.

[Kalcaman]

(add)

Gaming addiction is a behavioral addiction, as opposed to a substance.

its not as if gaming is addictive, its not.

Certain people are more prone to behavioral addictions. They can be more easily addicted to repeatable tasks that cause possitive reactions in the brain. If someone who were prone starts playing games a lot chances are they will form some kind of dependancy with it. A different person could walk in to the same scenario and have no addiction problems at all.

Someone whos prone to behavioral addictions (addictive personality) is probably going to get addicted to something, substance or other, throughout their life time anyway.

Just because some of these people pick up games as their addiction, gaming gets labled as a medicaly addictive form of entertainment by some. Its not!

so the short of it: Gaming isnt addictive... kinda! :D

Still you have to agree that Over "x" hours being a bit much, im not one to judge but if a friend is doing 10 hours in one sitting then im gunna butt in and tell him to chill....unless its a hardcore lan or something....thats different...

[BioShockWins]

My mom likes to think that over one hour of anyform of entertainment is too much... what the hell? Of course she had a stupid arse childhood of perfect obedience and grades and all that stuff.


dunno if this helps here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction

I havn't been reading the conversation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_addiction

My mom works with computers, does that work anything like alchaholism lol

also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_addiction


These are 9 points of addiction. I'm going to attempt to point out the lack of relevance to video games. Why? Because I'm addicted to arguing!

1) Persistent thoughts of the activity or performance of the activity.(Preoccupation)

Hmm... does this sound familiar to anybody? But seriously, its a hobby, not and addiction. People like entertainment, a hobby is a specilisation of a specific form of entertainment.

2) Use of activity to escape problems or relieve bad mood.(Preoccupation)

Call me crazy... but isn't this the point of entertainment? To relax and forget your troubles. Oh shnap, I'm addicted to paid vacations!

3 )Need for increased time spent on the activity to achieve satisfaction or
diminished reward for the same amount of time spent on the activity.(Tolerance)

Urgh... Okay?

4)Inability to control, stop or diminish the behavior.(Loss of control)

I dunno why you would want to stop having fun. Although that might be different that not being able to, even if you want to. It shouldn't take very much self control, since it seems like a minor mental vice.

5) Restlessness or irritability when prevented from partaking in the activity.(Withdrawal)

Yeah... it's called being bored.

6) Lying to friends or family about extent of involvement with activity.(Continuance despite adverse consequences)

Hmm... I actually did this once. Except she wasn't really a friend... and the party sounded dumb... and no one I knew was gonna be there. Dunno if that is justifiable. Other than something like that, that would be something... double-plus-un-good.

7)Committing illegal acts to sustain activity.(Continuance despite adverse consequences)

PS3 release FTW! Actually, that was more about hype, I think. I never new a lot about video games at that time... except at that point I was led to belive that fanboyism was a good thing... I won't go into that.

8)Jeopardizing or losing relationships, career or educational opportunities to pursue activity.(Continuance despite adverse consequences)

This is a bit too similar to #6 if you ask me. Scraping the bottom of the barrel? Ok, back on topic and not changing the subject, it depends on what is more important to the person. Someone planning to get married soon is obviously not going to severly let down their fiancey. *can't spell worth crap* But, maybe we're talking about an eleven year old that spends all his free time, and cuts into time he needs to be doing chores, and should be asleep (pulling all nighters? I do this, but I sleep during the day... I'm screwed when school comes 'round. But I'm attempting to correct my sleeping clock. Hell, it might even have to do with genetics, my dad used to do tons of night shift stuff.)

9)Relying on others to finance activity.(Continuance despite adverse consequences)

Uhh... more of an adult like thing. Children are supposed to be sponsored by their parents for their 'needs'. We got food, shelter, water, oxygen, and I would thing entertainment. That is indeed a requirement of human nature. Of course, my parents don't pay for poo for me (seriously... who buys fecies? jk) and I try to do it by myself. I feel bad when I ask for something that isn't related to my birthday or Christmas, more than once. (E.g. My parents are helping me *gasp* buy new PC parts, because I impressed them with my l33t financial skills/planning/research. I'm not going to ask them to buy me anything until... probably next year ignoring food related stuff. I want to get a job ASAP next summer. If I can I'll go for Christmas/holiday season if I have to.) I wen't on a bit long on that, sorry.

Honestly, I think the fault isn't with the children, or maybe even the adult 'addicts' (if this relates to childhood, etc.). If little johny is showing any of these simptoms repetativley (It's not a one time thing, first sign isn't necesarily the right sign, could be a bad dah), constantly, profusley, whatever, than maybe mommie should take away the lunch box* for a while?

*My generic nickname for all consoles, although I think it is usually used the last gen-consoles, more specifically Xbox (box etemoligy) and Game Cube (etemology and shape/size).

[Mr.Bubblez]

I havent had much time to bing game in a while. Right now I play maybe 1-2 hours a day on average. I wont be able to bing game for a while with school starting again in less than two weeks....

funny thing is, if i were super rich i think id play about 40 hours a week.

[Mr.Bubblez]

realized spelling errors :o

[Kalcaman]

The thing that makes me play games for hours on end is the fact that i have like 10 games on me that i have not beaten and i just play one for 2 hours, another for 1 so on and so forth, and that can last for a good 7 hours because I dont get bored of "one game". Thats what is was like for me when Ocorana of time came out (i hope i spelled it right) i had so many games (like Gex) that i never fully beat that game.

[SweetTooth]

as someone who actually studies addiction and works with it, the best answer of when something is an addiction is when it starts to interfere with the rest of your life. the moment gaming cause any problems in your life then you need to take a step back for a second and evaluate what all is going on with your life.

[Kalcaman]

as someone who actually studies addiction and works with it, the best answer of when something is an addiction is when it starts to interfere with the rest of your life. the moment gaming cause any problems in your life then you need to take a step back for a second and evaluate what all is going on with your life.

If you would please, could you elaborate on these problems? Like violence problems? Or seclusion or what? I mean i get what you are going on but i just like details :p

[BioShockWins]

I havn't read much of the thread, but I think the over all response has something to do with the theory of 'video game addictiong' being a bit over dramatised.

[Danderman]

I have been a gaming junkie scince I was very young, I remember my first experience on a SNES when I was 5, I was hooked for life, since then I have never looked back, and I need at least 5 hours of gameplay every day or i tend to get very nervous, more than 7 hours without gameplay and i become agressive, and i have very rarely gone over 10 hors without playing some kind of videogame. I normally have 10 hours of gameplay every day, even if the game I am playinf I find is boring, its hypnotic and i cant stop untill i get so tired that i have to sleep. It drives my wife and friends nuts but i need my games to survive. I know its a problem but i have lived with it for so long i just have gotten used to it.

[Danderman]

God, please put the idea into 2K Elizabeth's head to give us back the edit button, it would give us so much pleasure to undo our spelling errors and not look like total fools.

[coolumar335]

pfshhh...
I'm glad everone over here hasnt experienced the same kind of non-gaming time as me. I got my ps2 taken away in summer last year. i didnt play any games at all for 10 months.
Then recently, seeing my good grades (4.0 baby!), my mom got me a 360. Soon, i'll be getting bioshock. Thing is, i got my games taken away because i used to play more than 5 hours at a time.
Now, i have self control over myself, so im all happy.

[37inf.div.]

im not adicted to video games but bioshock adiction
it's like im not adicted to meat im adicted to steak

[Kalcaman]

im not adicted to video games but bioshock adiction
it's like im not adicted to meat im adicted to steak

I hear you steak and bio shock sound like the best combination...mmm steak/bioshock...mmm

As for getting back on topic. I also think that to break an addiction is to at least give your self a break every 2 or 3 hours, go outside and play with your dog/cat/little brother, read a good book *cough* harry potter *cough* or do something like post a comment about addiction in a forum.

[pimptastic_21]

ha wow i consider myself a hardcore gamer and i dont play hardly as much as you guys lol. i think at most in a day ill play 2 hours? anymore it just hurts my eyes and head so i go outside or sumthin. sum days im just too lazy to play my xbox at all lol