Quote #5

The quote "America's addiction to video games is leading the way to a brand-new advertising platform with astounding click-through rates, play times, and peer-to-peer potential" made me think about how video games are affecting us as a culture. It say that video games are growing form something that has been enjoyed by a select few to something mainstream and widely enjoyed. This is relevant to online video game addiction because the more widely used it is, the more the group of people it can have negative effects on. I don't think the numbers will be that much higher but there is always a possibility. I also think that the more mainstream it gets the more people will become knowledgeable and there will be fewer misconceptions. I feel the video game addiction is like any other addiction. Many people may use the product but it’s only a few that end up having a problem controlling their use of it.

Quote #4

I found the quote "Kids and adults will stay glued to video games this holiday season because the fun of playing actually is rooted in fulfilling their basic psychological needs" to be insightful. It made me think about the types of games that I play and why I play them. Two types of games that I like to play are FPSs and RPGs. A FPS or First Person Shooter is a game that involves the player going against either the computer or other players. In an RPG or Role Playing Game the players usually takes control of many characters or a party and fights against monsters, with the goal usually of saving the world. In a FPS many think it’s about killing, but I think of it differently. I think of it as survival, you against the world. Being the most important person in the world and the center of attention. With RPGs it tends to focus more on customization and using what you think works best for you. You manage various characters and their stats, equipment, and skills. Usually you are trying to save the world from some disaster. These types of games I have found to be more attuned to my mindset.

Quote #3

The quote "It is important that people realize that playing a lot is not the same thing as pathological play. For something to be an addiction, it has to mean more than you do it a lot. It has to mean that you do it in such a way that it damages your life" appeared to have an important to message to me. I had always heard that playing online games a lot and being addicted to them were pretty much the same thing. What this in mind it has let me think about addiction differently than before. What I've come to understand is that with addiction it's not so much how you are doing it; it's what you are not doing instead. This is important because it helps to separate out those who just play a lot with those that have a genuine problem and might need to seek help. I also know that some online games are designed to be played for long stretches at a time. They favor those who put in many hours to get real results from the game. Of course people can just little bits at a time, but some games are not designed with that play style in mind. Then again just about any game can be played for a long amount of time if the player is enjoying themselves. When it comes to addiction I think that a person's personality and what is happening in their life plays a major role

Quote #2

When I read the quote "In South Korea, the nation that experts describe as home to the world's most extreme gamer culture, authorities are alarmed by what many here are calling an epidemic of electronic game addiction" I thought it could be helpful in my research. My friends and I had always made jokes about how all they did in South Korea was play video games. We had always heard that the type of games that they preferred were the kind that could be played for long hours. When this quote told of how it was becoming a problem it made me wonder about the type of culture they had. In our culture it seemed that in the past online gaming was something the relatively small group and not mainstream. Although in recent years games like World of Warcraft have changed that. In South Korea their culture appears that this sort of behavior seemed to be the mainstream thing. This made me think that addiction might not only target people with certain personalities, but also societies. Of course this doesn't mean that that everyone in South Korea that plays online games has a problem, or that they play games at all. It’s just that they used to word epidemic, and they would not have used it if they did not believe that they had a problem.

Quote #1

The quote "As Young puts it, an intelligent child who is unpopular at school can “become dominant in the game.” The virtual life becomes more appealing than real life" seems to be an important quote to me. I have friends like this quote describes and it hits very close to home. The ability to become another person or remake yourself in the eyes of others can draw someone in. Imagine being someone in school is the unpopular and not good at sports playing a hulking barbarian or a powerful wizard. The sense of empowerment that they might not be able to in real life might be desirable to them. Many online games require players to team up or group together in order to accomplish a goal. For someone who might not get invited for athletic or social events being relied on would make them feel good about themselves. When applied to gaming addiction this is relevant because the more a person feels needed or empowered, the more likely they might feel the need to stay longer and longer online. They could be using online games as an escape from problems in real life or a distraction from them. In this sense it makes online gaming addiction like any other addiction. This quote seemed to help me understand a component to a cause of online gaming addiction.

Detox for Video Game Addiction?

This article was written by Amy S Clark. She writes about an addiction treatment center in Amsterdam in the Netherlands that treats kids for video game addiction. She goes on the discuss how detox for video games sounds a little far out at first but that experts say it makes sense. People often wonder if video games can truly be addicting and experts say it's a clinical impulse control disorder, an addiction similar to compulsive gambling. She explain how one expert, Michael Brody, MD, set the criteria for recognizing addictive behaviors. It's as follows:
1. The person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep him going.
2. If the person does not get more of the substance or behavior, he becomes irritable and miserable.
Experts say that compulsive gaming meets these criteria. They say some addicts they have seen "become angry, violent, or depressed. If parents take away the computer, their child sits in the corner and cries, refuses to eat, sleep, or do anything at all." Compared to drugs, video games may seem relatively harmless. Children who play four or five hours a day have no time for socializing, doing homework, or playing sports. Warning signs for video game addiction including:
1. Playing for increasing amounts of time
2. Thinking about gaming during other activities
3. Gaming to escape from real-life problems, anxiety, or depression
4. Lying to friends and family to conceal gaming
5. Feeling irritable when trying to cut down on gaming
In addition, video game addicts can become isolated, drop out of their social networks and give up other hobbies.

Introduction

I chose to write on the topic of Video Game Addiction because I play a ton of games. I probably spend around 20-30 hours a week playing games alone. I'm sure most people would think that I'm addicted to video games but I would disagree. I don't let gaming interfere with my social life, school, or work. If I have something to do I get that done before I play games. I want to research this subject more to see how gaming so much effects peoples lives. I want to know why some games are more addicting than others and why certain people are more susceptible to being addicted to games.