Video Game/ Internet Addictions

Video Game Addictions:

Although addictions to video games is not
recognized as a diagnosable disorder by the American
Medical Association, there are people who play video games
incessantly. Just like gambling and other compulsive
behaviours, people (Mostly teenagers and pre-teens)
become captivated by fantasy worlds which can eventually
result in things such as neglecting their families, friends,
work and responsibilities.
A Few Statistics
The Internet
According to internetworldstats.com in
2010, 29% of the worlds population use
the internet equivalent to 1,966,514,816
people
Video Games
The Entertainment Software
Association (ESA) received information from a
study that was preformed by American Life
Project found, that information revealed that 53
percent of all Americans over the age of 18 play
video games, as do a full 97 percent of teens. As
these statistics show, todays video game players
include students, employees, military troops,
seniors, mothers and fathers. According to video-
game-addiction.org and the CRC health group
Studies estimate that 10 percent to 15 percent of
gamers exhibit signs that meet the World Health
Organizations criteria for addiction.
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/
http://www.theesa.com/gamesindailylife
http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
How to recognize an Addiction
Here are some symptoms of game addiction - the more of these symptoms one can identify, the
greater the need to get help:

Most non-school hours are spent on the computer or playing video games
Falling asleep in school
Falling behind with assignments
Worsening grades
Lying about computer or video game use
Choosing to use the computer or play video games, rather than see friends
Dropping out of other social groups (clubs or sports)
Being irritable when not playing a video game or being on the computer

There also are physical symptoms that may point to addiction:

Carpal tunnel syndrome
Sleep disturbances
Backaches or neck aches
Headaches
Dry eyes
Failure to eat regularly or neglecting personal hygiene

World of Warcraft
This is a video that was recorded by a news
team over seas, which features a young man
who has an addiction to one of the most
infamous addictive video game known as World
of Warcraft.
About the game:
World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW,
is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying
game(MMORPG) set in the Warcraft universe.
As of 2010, World of Warcraft has more than 12
million monthly subscribers, and currently
holds the Guinness World Record for the
world's largest and most popular MMORPG. As
with other MMORPGs, players control a
character avatar within a game world in third-
or first-person view, exploring the landscape,
fighting various monsters, completing quests,
and interacting with other players.
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/
How Are Games Addictive?
Just like with any other addiction, having a "gaming" addiction is
usually a multi-faceted issue. For starters, video games are designed
to be addictive. Not "addictive" in a physical sense such as nicotine
or hard drugs, but game designers are always looking for ways to
make their games more interesting and increase the amount of time
people will spend playing them. The reason video games are so
addictive is because the people who create the game intended for
them to be addictive, so that people play them more and purchase
their products. Video games allow the player to escape from their
reality, to a place where they can live vicariously through their
avatar(s).
Social Aspects of Gaming
The social aspect of games, applies to games that are
played online, that are played by multiple people at
the same time, primarily role-playing games. These
types of games allow people to build relationships with
other players. For some people, this online community
becomes the place where they're most accepted, which
draws them back to the game and re-enforces their
addiction. The gamers will establish friendships and
bond with the people in the games community, hence
people who are easily bored, have poor relationships
with family members, feel like outcasts at school, or
tend toward sensation-seeking are more easily drawn
into video game addiction because it fills a void and
satisfies needs that aren't met elsewhere.
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/what-makes-games-addictive.html
Physiological of the Addictions
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/what-makes-games-addictive.html
http://www.nrc-iol.org/cores/mialab/fijc/Files/2002/120402_Koepp_Nature_1998.pdf
Its widely accepted that gambling can become a psychological
addiction, but most people still argue that constantly playing
video games is a choice rather than a disorder. But it is
becoming belief that there may be a physiological elements to
addictive game playing. Researchers at Hammersmith Hospital
in London conducted a study in 2005 which found that
dopamine levels in players' brains doubled while they were
playing. Dopamine is a mood-regulating hormone associated
with feelings of pleasure. The findings of this study indicate that
gaming could actually be chemically addictive.
Violence in Video games
One of the primary concerns with violence in video games
is that gaming is not passive. In order to play and win, the
player has to be the aggressor. Rather than watching
violence, as he might do on television, he's committing the
violent acts. Most researchers acknowledge that this kind
of active participation affects a person's thought patterns,
at least in the short term.
.
Another factor that concerns both researchers and
parents is that violence in video games is often
rewarded rather than punished. In army and sniper
games, players "level up" based in part on how
many people they kill. If played frequently enough,
games like this can skew a young person's
perception of violence and its consequences.
The question if often raised about whether violence
in video games directly leads to violent or criminal
acts in real life, and many argue that is does, but
currently there is no way to prove this theory
http://www.media-
awareness.ca/english/parents/video_games/concerns/violence_videogames.cfm
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/violence.html
Stories from Addicts
The following statements were posted at WoWdetox.com, a Web site for people who are trying to
overcome their addiction to World of Warcraft, the biggest of online role-playing games. The
creator of the Web site, Gary Haran, started it up after quitting Warcraft himself. He said that
many of his online friends confided that they, too, wanted to quit but didn't have an outlet for
expressing those feelings. "So I created wowdetox.com so that anyone could anonymously write
their reasons for quitting the game," wrote Haran. "The first day I had about 20 posts. The second
I had 400. The third I had over 900." The site was up to 20,000 posts by the time he sold it several
months later. That's a lot of people with a serious problem.
I just uninstalled wow. and I must say that I'm
really sad, mostly cause of the people in leave
behind. Got email of my two best wow
friends though :)

I'm glad i stopped the subscription and
stopped playing. What a time sink it is.. and
its endless.. always the need for new gear,
exp, rep, professions.. or a new alt and it
starts allover.

Lately i've come to realise how much time it
takes and how badly im neglecting the things
that are important: school, friends, activities
that i love, my boyfriend and myself.

I'm relieved now that i uninstalled it, but i
also feel uneasy, and a bit scared of the effect
it might have on me.

Good luck to all who want to stop. Its an
addiction, and the game will never end. Its
and endless chain of repetitive things and
once you got somewhere theres a new goal.

I'm looking for things to replace my addiction,
meaningful things
#52034
I've been thinking the past few days... I spent
almost 4 years playing WoW... and what has that
gotten me? A level 85 protection warrior with an
item level of 350... I mean... what the hell does
that mean to anyone in the real world? What
does that mean to someone who isn't afraid of
living their lives and escaping into a fantasy?

I started playing WoW because I was into
Warcraft II when I was younger and I guess just
wanted to see how the story has developed.
When I started out I only played it an hour at
most a day or every couple of days. I also was
seeing a girl who I cheated on a week after we
started dating. I told her after a 3 months and
boy... did things go downhill. She was already
insecure but now Pandora's box was opened. For
2 years I did everything I could but the insecurity,
jealousy and anger were too great. I really
thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life
with her if I could make it work cause deep down
she was sweetheart... well in my head at least.
#52019
Theres a big void in my life now that i dont
know what to do with. I've been wow free for 6
months or so maybe 7 playing other games
(anything with a pause button) But i just dont
know what to do with myself. The memories...
the sense of adventure and making friends in
this alternative world where none of my
problems existed besides presssing buttons in
the right order. Idk what to do with myself.
Cata blows, my wow world is gone forever. The
world i leveled up in is gone. Its almost as if i
lived an entire life playing wow for the 3-4odd
years that i did, and when i quit i died. Its like
im in limbo. idk
Stories from Addicts
#52011
It's mid January 2011 and I haven't played WoW in over a
year. I honestly do find myself wanting to play more and
more, hell this morning I even dreamed about it. The worst
part is,I never considered myself addicted, if we measure
addiction by consequence. I did not have any appreciable
consequences during the time I played. Sure I could be
using the time on something more worthwhile, working
out, catching up on work, reading, just being with my wife
or friends...no argument there. But for at least a few hours
a day I'm still playing video games or doing something
similarly meaningless, just passing time, unwinding. I'm as
successful now as I was while I played, even at my most. At
the end of the day what made me put the game down was
the other people. Because of a peculiar setup in my
professional/personal life I can be logged in nearly all day
but can't dedicate more than an hour or so where I might
not be interrupted. I could pursue solo endeavors but not
so much where I had to be relied on by someone else.
Anyone who has played before knows that's really the only
way to experience the game fully, and get the most
content. My play level was always mediocre to good, even
very good, but even that on some occasions isn't good
enough. I couldn't take the trolls, the complainers, the
drama. I couldn't stand when people were mean to each
other. Goodhearted razzing is one thing, but too many
people were too serious about it. During pug pvp bg's I
often put a post it note over the chat box, its just out of
hand. That's my story and I'm sure its not a unique one.
http://wowdetox.com/
#52015
I hate this game so much!!! my BF is addicted to it and doesnt tell me what
he is doing!!! he is always hiding things!!! i hate this game so much its like
poison!!! we never do anything together anymore cos all he does is play
wow... he puts wow ahead of me now and makes up lies that he cant
spend time with me etc. never have a relationship with someone who plays
wow. it will eventually fail cause the game is their main priority. what a
horrible, despicable game. on top of this, no more relationships for me.
#52003
I just whispered my "best" in-game friend and told him i was deleting my
chars and quitting WoW.

His only response was: Can i have your gold then?

Good riddance
#52002
I ended up ill with a deep vein thrombosis in one of my legs caused,
according to the Doctors by me sitting on my backside doing instances all
night and all day
Internet Addictions
Everyone enjoys the benefits of the Internet, and for many, it is also
an indispensable tool for work, education, and
communication. While time spent on the Internet can be hugely
productive, for some people compulsive Internet use can interfere
with daily life, work and relationships. When someone feels more
comfortable with their online friends than their real ones, or they
cant stop themselves from playing games, gambling, or
compulsively surfing, even when it has negative consequences in
their life, then theyre likely using the Internet too much.
Internet Addictions
It is difficult to estimate how widespread the problem is. A nationwide study conducted by a team
from Stanford Universitys School of Medicine had estimated that nearly one in eight Americans
suffer from at least one sign of problematic Internet use. There are countless things one can do
on the internet that can become addictive. Things such as: Online gambling, playing video games
on the net, cyber-sex or pornographic websites, online shopping through sites such as Ebay.
These activities will usually start out as just a curiosity, then progress into a hobby, and for some it
eventually becomes a necessity.
http://allpsych.com/journal/internetaddiction.html
http://www.netaddiction.com/
Internet Addictions
This is a video that shows how out of hand an addiction can get, although the
people in the video are tormenting the kid in the video purposely, the kids
reaction is enough to show how far the addiction has gone.
Note: Dont have the volume too high on your computer if
youre watching this video.
Help Sources
An addiction to video games or computer games should be treated in much
the same way as any other addiction. Like other addicts, gamers often are
trying to escape problems in their lives. Video and computer games offer a
particularly appealing escape to socially maladjusted teenagers, most often
boys, who find it intoxicating to become immersed in a world completely
under their control.
As anyone who has quit smoking or been on a diet knows, it is much
harder to quit when the object of your addiction is always in your
face and when everyone you know is participating in it. Its likely that
a child addicted to computer games also has to use the computer for
schoolwork. And their friends are likely all gamers as well.

A therapist or treatment program that specializes in adolescents
would be a first place to start. For example, a summer camp or
wilderness program will get a child out of his normal environment
and into a situation where he is forced to experience reality. His time
will be filled with activities that are designed to instill confidence,
develop healthy passions, and foster social skills. As for adults the
best way to get over a video game addiction is through a support
group or through the support of family and friends.