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Mr.FoodMonster
10-02-2006, 06:28 PM
This is a nightline-ish program from over the pond that talks about gaming addiction. I think it's a very intresting watch, and suggest it to all of you.
http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/video-game-addiction-documentary

With that said, here are my thoughts....

These parents need to actually spend time with their children. It's very apparent in the case with the 6 year old that the mother just dosn't feel like parenting, by saying that just letting him play games is 'easy.' That case in particular seems to be, basically, focusing in on what happens to a child when he is improperly parented. Also, about the case where the guy killed himself and the mother blamed videogames, that's just lunacy. If his personality was changing, he didn't want to talk to anyone, including his mother, how do you know videogames had anything to do with it? It seemed like the guy was just depressed and was gaming so he could shut himself off to the world, not that he became depressed and killed himself because all he did was game.

I think in these highlighted cases, they very obviously need to cut down on the amount of gaming they do. Anyone can see that. Spending that much time dedicated to one thing other than schooling or your job or sleeping clearly has a problem, no matter what they are spending time on.

The guy they interviewed at the end of the second clip, and the start of the third, was the most level-headed of them all, and I agree with pretty much everything he said.

Also, a nice little way to throw off the statistics in this doc. is that they took 15 days, weekends or holidays off of school, as the 15 days. They were not consecutive days, but specific ones. I think that if they were to do a straight 15 day streak, the time spent wouldn't be nearly as high.

So, what are your thoughts? Do you think this documentary accurately showed an increasing problem, or do you think videogame addiction is BS?

Neil Koch
10-02-2006, 07:52 PM
I didn't watch the link, but I have seen an episode of "Intervention" on A&E where a family to rehab for gaming (he was doing stuff like playing DDR for 24 hours straight).

Gaming is like any other activity that gives people pleasure, wether it's drinking, sex, eating, shopping - so there will always be some people pre-disposed to getting addicted to them.

Push Upstairs
10-03-2006, 01:06 AM
I'd have to agree that video gaming can be just as habit forming as any other activity.

I don't really believe video games, eating, sex, shopping, or working out are the problem so much as a lack of self control.

lendelin
10-03-2006, 02:00 AM
Nonsensical babble of half-intelligent journalists with a political agenda, that's what it is.

DigitalSpace
10-03-2006, 05:00 PM
Gaming is like any other activity that gives people pleasure, wether it's drinking, sex, eating, shopping - so there will always be some people pre-disposed to getting addicted to them.


Nonsensical babble of half-intelligent journalists with a political agenda, that's what it is.

Quoted for truth.

norkusa
10-03-2006, 06:19 PM
I didn't watch the link, but I have seen an episode of "Intervention" on A&E where a family to rehab for gaming (he was doing stuff like playing DDR for 24 hours straight).

Yeah, I saw that episode. That kid was nuts. Anyone that would rather pick video games over a good looking girl that's throwing herself at you has some serious fucking issues.

jajaja
10-03-2006, 07:11 PM
Speaking of addiction, saw this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8hfK3RQs2g) clip today. Pretty scary, but some funny quotes like "its my choice to be addicted" lol.

PDorr3
10-03-2006, 07:46 PM
I watched all 3 links and found it entertaining enough, I found it funny how that 5 year old played a game for like 13 hours straight, I wonder which one it was. But his mother was like "I left him in the morning and came home at night, he was still playing", anyone else see a problem there? doesnt she realize that maybe instead of going out all day (I highly doubt she works 12 hours a day? where was she all that time?) that maybe she should spend more time at home with her kid?

With the older kids I can relate to them, I was addicted to a game (SOCOM for PS2) back when it was first released and about 4 years ago, it was during my sophmore year in high school and my god was I addicted, 10 hours a day on school days, and there was no stopping me I truly was addicted, almost failing most of my classes. Luckily I am no longer like that, as I have learned to break my addictions when need be (now that I am in my second year of college). I just recently broke my addiction to final fantasy 11 because I knew I was going back to college, and my life is so much better without playing that game for 16 hours a day (yes I played it for 12-16 hours a day over the summer, this was indeed a good habit to break).

How did I break my addcition? simply force myself to resist the urge to tuen it on, by permanently getting rid of my account for good.

Push Upstairs
10-04-2006, 12:12 AM
Yeah, I saw that episode. That kid was nuts. Anyone that would rather pick video games over a good looking girl that's throwing herself at you has some serious fucking issues.

How good looking was she?

women>video games <---The truth.



But I've always done well with having multiple hobbies, that way i can never really get totally addicted to any one of them.

Synergy
10-04-2006, 11:56 AM
Spending that much time dedicated to one thing other than schooling or your job or sleeping clearly has a problem, no matter what they are spending time on.


I'd have to agree that video gaming can be just as habit forming as any other activity.

I don't really believe video games, eating, sex, shopping, or working out are the problem so much as a lack of self control.


Anyone that would rather pick video games over a good looking girl that's throwing herself at you has some serious fucking issues.

All QFT. Yeesh, and I though I played games a lot.


...he was doing stuff like playing DDR for 24 hours straight

O_O WTF, how is that even possible? I've only played 3 games that I can remember for around 10 hours straight:

1. An Age of Empires II random map with the maximum amount of computer players purposely drawn-out because I was bored; once.

2. When Halo first launched for the PC; I spent a good 12 hours a day hopping around on the multiplayer servers for about a week.

3. World of Warcraft. Do I really have to say anything else? LOL

And even during those times I still had no problem at all going to the bathroom, eating dinner, taking showers, etc.

How about that one guy who was treated for video game addiction in the first clip Mr.FoodMonster linked who had his room rearranged so he could game 24/7?

And went to the bathroom by pissing in a milk bottle!? *shudder*

Wow. I'm starting to love my short attention span now after watching that. For reals.