General: NJ Paper Runs Game Addiction Article

Stradden · June 2007

The Star Ledger, a newspaper out of New Jersey ran an article today on Gaming addiction. The article tells the story of a 13 year old EverQuest player who, when he had his computer taken away, smashed the window of the locked room his mother had placed the computer in.

The short article goes on to talk about a report from the American Medical Association on the subject.

The American Medical Association has called for research to determine whether the obsession with such games could be considered a new condition -- video game addiction.

The request, adopted by the association yesterday, was not as aggressive as an original AMA report asking that such a disorder be included in future issues of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, used by all psychiatrists.

The final decision will be up to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the manual and will review all research before rendering a decision. The next version of the manual is scheduled to be published in 2012.

Read the story here.

spankybus · June 2007

I was gonna read this....but I can't.....stop.....playing...........games.....(die's from Malnutrition)

Lumindeas · June 2007

"When you have to stay up all night, can't work, go to school or study, when your entire social life is built around gaming, what else can you call it but addiction?" said Thomas Allen, a Maryland psychiatrist.

So persons whose entire social lives are built around work, who only talk to people who they work with, only hang out with people that they work with, that's not an addiction? What about persons whose social lives are built around a particular sport they play? And people who only have a social life within their families? These are not considered addictions?

The AMA is reaching here. Some of these psychiatrists are only looking to make a name for themselves and find new ways to have people come in and give their money to them. While I do agree that some out there may take their gameplaying a bit too far, to simply state it is games, and only games, that causes this behaviour, well, that's ludacrous. I tend to go the way of this next quote:

Michael Brody, chairman of the television and media committee of the academy, who is not a fan of video games, said it could be considered an addiction, but he opposed creating a specific disorder. Preoccupation with video games also might mask fundamental disorders such as depression, he added.
"I'd prefer the category of addiction behavior disorder. We don't have to medicalize everything. What's going to happen, are kids going to get extra time on the SATs because they have video game addiction? Then some drug company will come out with something," he said. "This is reaching."

Why is it that people have to blame something else for their own shortcomings? Instead of looking at what might be the root cause for self-destructive behaviour, they look to place the blame on the most convenient thing around them at that time in their life. Most parents don't even know how to parent, and instead of wanting to admit that to themselves, they say the gaming industry has caused it, or Hollywood, or the current crop of rock or hip-hop bands. People need to wake up and start taking the blame upon themselves and quit trying to blame everyone and everything else.

Dreneth · June 2007

Apparently the fact that this was picked up on an international scale is less important than a New Jersey newspaper?

http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&ncl=1117635195&scoring=n

Jarlo · June 2007

Just like gambling, alcohol, and sex there are some people who allow video games to take over their life. When it starts to interfere with other domains of your life.. namely work and family.. then you have to really think about how much you are playing. The same is true of booze. Most people can have booze every now and then with no problem, but some people start drinking to the detriment of their health and job. That is when it becomes classified as an addicition.

SonofSeth · June 2007

Meh, here we go again. It's very simple to blame the symptoms so we do it, but to cure the cause is much more vague so instead of preventing it, we cure it. Comon practice with every "disease" (addiction). It's not the addiction that causes anti-social and self destructive behaviour, it's the other way around and the addiction is the "end game", the product of whatever leads to it.

So yeah, we could say that gaming addiction exists, but blaiming games won't cure anything, because if you take one addiction from a person with addiction gusto, he will quickly find another one, or God, I just don't know what's worse.

Damitman · June 2007

Originally posted by SonofSeth

Meh, here we go again. It's very simple to blame the symptoms so we do it, but to cure the cause is much more vague so instead of preventing it, we cure it. Comon practice with every "disease" (addiction). It's not the addiction that causes anti-social and self destructive behaviour, it's the other way around and the addiction is the "end game", the product of whatever leads to it.
So yeah, we could say that gaming addiction exists, but blaiming games won't cure anything, because if you take one addiction from a person with addiction gusto, he will quickly find another one, or God, I just don't know what's worse.

I agree with SonofSeth

This is the part they don't want to talk about. It's to easy to put it off on the games!

spankybus · June 2007

People get addicted to games because their life sucks....so basically they avoid it by hiding a game where they can have be 'special', accomplished, and associate with people of similar thinking. LOL ass far as the dude who compared teh descriptino of game addition with work...working earns you cash, takes care of your family by putting food on the table, and allows you to save cash for your golden years...it is not an addition, but a requirement of life. You get NOTHING from playing a game, but immediate gratification, which is what its supposed to do. Comparing one to the other is just daft.

darkman · June 2007

Hmm Star Ledger, that would be the paper I subscribe too. Better go pick it up and check out the article. Oh wait, it's sitting in the middle of pouring rain on my driveway, oh well.

Jenneroflok · June 2007

Michael Brody, chairman of the television and media committee of the academy, who is not a fan of video games, said it could be considered an addiction, but he opposed creating a specific disorder. Preoccupation with video games also might mask fundamental disorders such as depression, he added.

"I'd prefer the category of addiction behavior disorder. We don't have to medicalize everything. What's going to happen, are kids going to get extra time on the SATs because they have video game addiction? Then some drug company will come out with something," he said. "This is reaching."

Why is it that people have to blame something else for their own shortcomings? Instead of looking at what might be the root cause for self-destructive behaviour, they look to place the blame on the most convenient thing around them at that time in their life. Most parents don't even know how to parent, and instead of wanting to admit that to themselves, they say the gaming industry has caused it, or Hollywood, or the current crop of rock or hip-hop bands. People need to wake up and start taking the blame upon themselves and quit trying to blame everyone and everything else.

I believe Michael is not a fan of video games because it takes away the viewing audience of television. Some people rather interact with people online then worry about what is going to happen to Jericho next (Yes I do watch that show and enjoy it, but you get my point)

F'lar · June 2007

I'm not at all surprised that this artical shows up now, Discovery Times channel did a 2 part documentery called " Gamer Generation" were they looked at the impact that video games have had on the world. they showed both views ( they even had a small segment with Jack Thompson) and one of the things they pointed out is that this is big news mainly because it IS an election year here in the US. And haveing a "villian" during this time helps the politictions deflect the real issues they should be discussing.

Neverknow · June 2007

Originally posted by F'lar

I'm not at all surprised that this artical shows up now, Discovery Times channel did a 2 part documentery called " Gamer Generation" were they looked at the impact that video games have had on the world. they showed both views ( they even had a small segment with Jack Thompson) and one of the things they pointed out is that this is big news mainly because it IS an election year here in the US. And haveing a "villian" during this time helps the politictions deflect the real issues they should be discussing.

Agreed, plus it gives the media more sensational fodder to feed the masses.

Alij777 · June 2007

If a game interferes with your life in a significant way i consider it an addiction. Just like excessive booze or drugs would. It's a time sink. If you let a time sink take over your life it will become a black hole :P. Before you know it you'll be trapped.

Had a buddy who went thru a 2 year period of this. He became a hermit. Failing grades, school made him take a year off. He was one of best in his guild. Told me it was the 2 most depressing years of his life. Finally he snapped out of it thru real life friends and a healthy addiction to exercise.

Luckily im not easily addicted. I have life ADD ;P.

Razorteets · June 2007

I will agree that some people could (easily) be put into a category "Addicted to Video Games", however, there isn't a damn thing wrong with having your "social life" revolve around video games. Seriously, not everyone is an "In Person" person. Not everyone likes people. Not everyone likes sports. And unfortunately, not everyone has a sex drive, or a need for companionship with people of the opposite sex.

Personally, I love to play ultimate frisbee, snowboard, and play paintball. I have a fiance. I have a job (I work at a gaming center =D ). I attend school. In my free time (and while I work), I play video games. I have a friend, however, who, when not at work, does nothing but play video games at his house. He has a couple of real-life friends, but we really only head over there when we are going to play video games with him. Does that mean he is addicted to video games? Maybe. Is it actually hurting him? No. He doesn't smash windows. He showers regularly. He even goes on dates with womenfolk.

My point is that there is nothing wrong with video games being your thing, even if it's your only thing.

Originally posted by Alij777

If a game interferes with your life in a significant way i consider it an addiction. Just like excessive booze or drugs would.

Are you serious right now? Don't even put something like video games in the same category as drugs and alcohol. I went and visited my good friend Mr. Google and searched for alcohol and drug related deaths, and came up with right around 100,000 in the year 2000 in the United States alone. Guess what the results of typing in "video game related deaths per year" was? Zero.

DrowNoble · June 2007

I read a lot of books. I hang around people who read a lot of books. I buy a lot of books. I go to the library and check out a lot of books.

ZOMG I'm addicted to READING!

Seriously though, video games are just the current scapegoat for the world's problems. My son Billy was such a good boy it must of been that Video Game that made him axe-murder 20 people and then kill himself. Uh, no pops your son had some serious issues before he started playing with his Wii.

Add to the fact Hillary Clinton wants video games to be treated like cigarettes and liquor. So the age limit enforced, game is taxed, the clerk fined $$ if he sells God of War 2 to a 15 year old. Riiiiight, way to keep priorities in line Miss Clueless Senator.

Razorteets · June 2007

Originally posted by DrowNoble

Add to the fact Hillary Clinton wants video games to be treated like cigarettes and liquor. So the age limit enforced, game is taxed, the clerk fined $$ if he sells God of War 2 to a 15 year old. Riiiiight, way to keep priorities in line Miss Clueless Senator.

I will agree with you 100% that video games are not nearly as harmful to a 15 year old as cigarettes and booze. But, ask me if I think 15 year olds should be playing God of War 2, and I will say no. Now ask me if I think that the clerk that sold God of War 2 to that 15 year old without asking him for an ID when he is legally required to do so, due to the M rating, failed to do so. Abso-fucking-lutely.

Keelmackay · June 2007

This has been covered in lots of places and what I've seen has seemed pretty well balanced, unlike some of the articles blaming violence on video games.

It's an important issue given that some people apparently do exhibit addiction-like behavior associated with video games and need professional help as a result. That help can be expensive without a generally accepted medical diagnosis to convince an insurance company to pay up.

Personally, I wonder whether some of the addictive behavior associated with MMO's might be a form of gambling addiction. Obsessively running raids for that last bit of epic gear sounds a lot like dumping quarters in slot machines hoping for the big payoff. Most people who play slots can walk away, but some become trapped.

Faelan · June 2007

Ah, here we go again. Let's just blame computer games for all our missery, I'm sure things will be much better. Heck, after 9-11 some people even blamed Microsoft Flightsimulator as a terrorist training tool until they found out that wasn't the case

All I see this article screaming is bad parenting, bad parenting, bad parenting

But nah... it's easier to just blame the computer games and then treat the addiction.

Or is it?

One thing is for sure, if that kid in the article had been my kid, we would be sitting together right now playing WoW... because everybody knows that EQ is teh sux and WoW rul3z

No, seriously - did the parents ever consider that computer games can be a great excuse to spend time with the kids?

Oh well...

Back to the virtual world... must.... gain... another... level... pass... me... the... bedpan... please.... oh crap, I died again

Faelan · June 2007

Originally posted by DrowNoble

Add to the fact Hillary Clinton wants video games to be treated like cigarettes and liquor. So the age limit enforced, game is taxed, the clerk fined $$ if he sells God of War 2 to a 15 year old. Riiiiight, way to keep priorities in line Miss Clueless Senator.

Clueless? Nah. Just a good politician. Whatever it takes to get the votes from the uneducated masses

kjemper · June 2007

Computer games in general, including the addiction claims, are no more than the new scape goat for those wishing to blame the poor behavior of children somewhere other than on the parents where it belongs. I've played video games obsessively my whole life. I even have baby pictures of my pushing buttons on a keyboard playing an educational ABCs game on a commodore64. It is my hobby, not an addiction.

Yet, even after playing video games for more than 15 hours a week nearly my whole life and almost my sole means of entertainment (I learned to hate TV and never watch it) I have yet to get into a physical confrontation with someone, my grades in school have never dropped (including college), I have sustained a healthy social life, and I have been married happily for 5 years.

I agree with the others who say such claims come from the uneducated.

(Below is a snipet from the article)

"[...]when your entire social life is built around gaming, what else can you call it but addiction?" said Thomas Allen, a Maryland psychiatrist.

I think they fail to realize how many hobbies fall into this category. Take a look at golf enthusiasts. They only socialize with others in their clubs usually and spend alot of their time out on the courses. It is a lifestyle of it's own for many. Car enthusiasts? The same applies to them. Many hobbies are this way.

Alij777 · June 2007

Razorteets you are correct. Went too far on that booze / drug comparison :P.

It's really up to a person to live their life how they want. If it be playing games all day thats fine. Just dont let it interfere with your loved ones or real friends. Choosing a fictional game over them is warning enough that its becoming an addiction. My friend who went thru that 2 year ordeal went that path. Wed ask him to come out and he 'd always say no. He told me after that it was a huge obsession.

Games are just easy to get addicted too. Pop it in, sit down, and click / type away. Anyone that is going thru a depressive state in their life can get sucked in very quickly .

RainStar · June 2007

Some types of people can become addicted to anything. Instead of blaming it on the games those involved should look into taking care of the person instead.

DrowNoble · June 2007

Well the issue of whether or not a 15 yr old plays God of War is not really up to the M-rating, it's up to the parent. Problem is many parents are getting lazy and don't want to DO any parenting so when things go wrong it's not THEIR fault it must but that game their kid been playing. Some try to say they just "don't have the time" and I say Bulls**t, it's your kid so you MAKE time. If your job has more priority than your child you shouldn't of had him in the 1st place and you need to rethink your priorities.

Plus as other posters said, Golf could be included in the article's "definition" of addiction. They hang around other golfers, they spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on clubs, they pay to play golf on special courses, they will sneak out of the house or skip work to play golf, etc. So they are addicted to golfing and we should start Golfers Anonymous quick!

Unknown · July 2007

Originally posted by Stradden

The Star Ledger, a newspaper out of New Jersey ran an article today on Gaming addiction. The article tells the story of a 13 year old EverQuest player who, when he had his computer taken away, smashed the window of the locked room his mother had placed the computer in.
The short article goes on to talk about a report from the American Medical Association on the subject.

The American Medical Association has called for research to determine whether the obsession with such games could be considered a new condition -- video game addiction.
The request, adopted by the association yesterday, was not as aggressive as an original AMA report asking that such a disorder be included in future issues of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, used by all psychiatrists.
The final decision will be up to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the manual and will review all research before rendering a decision. The next version of the manual is scheduled to be published in 2012.

Read the story here.

Thank you for the heads up!

BTW, The Bergen Record www.bergenrecord.com/ is a much better NJ paper than the Star Ledger.

What makes NJ, USA soo special is that it's the state where the highst number of the richest, Americans live. Especially in Bergen County. (Yes, there are more rich people in this area than even Hollywood, and other areas of California, Texas, and Florida. Talking about number of rich people.)

Next, and SADLY..... it looks like the parents are TOO LAZY to parent. They are looking for something to blame for having trouble with their teen son, sooo let's find a way to diagnose him with a condition. Then put him on pills. Problem solved. TOOO many parents don't know how to parent, don't WANT TO LEARN how to parent. Instead they just want to take the "problem" kid to the doctor, have the doctor perscribe some medication, and inta-solve the problem - put the kid on perscription pills.

The kid in the article threw his grandmother down the stairs?!?

No mention of the father anywhere in the story. I'm sorry, but only a man, or male father figure, can raise a boy to be a man. A boy cannot use a woman to model himself after on the correct way to be a man. It's genetic, it's cultural, it's common sence. If that boy did have a dad, no way he'd act that way. If he had a father figure (an uncle, priest, family friend, etc....) it would be the next best thing.

In a way, this kid is acting llike the kid in this thread:

http://mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/136270/page/1

Kids are not BORN this way. That 13 year old gamer in this thread was not playing EQ inside his mother's womb, and born with a keyboard in his hand.

- BEFORE a couple get married, they need to realize boyfriend and girlfriend are DIFFERENT than husband and wife. A marriage is WORK. Yes there are rewards, but it's still work. It takes effort from both parties.

- BEFORE a couple has kids, they need to realize a kid is WORK. You don't wait until the kid becomes a problem then throw your hands up and take him to the doctor. You have to give a kid constant attention from birth until they leave home. (Age 18? Age 21?).

Before that dumb mother and grandmother purchased a PC for the kid, to use in his own room, they should have layed down the law. "IF you want a computer, it must be in the family area. It can only be used after school after you have FIRST done your homework. It can only be used for 2 hours." Or only for 3 hours. Or only used for gaming only on weekends. "If schoolgrades go down, no more computer." Do this BEFORE buying the computer. WRITE it all down, have the kid sign it. (Give him experience on reading, agreeing, and signing, contracts.)

Another idea, have the kid get a JOB. If he's 13, have him wash the family car, wash the dishes, do the laundry, vacume the rug. Pay him a weekly allowance for it. Have him save and pay half the cost of the computer. If he lags in his duties, no allowance, and no more computer.

It amazes me how clueless many parents are when it comes to raising a kid. How many parents don't UNDERSTAND that you have to watch, observe, TALK, to kids starting from birth. And do it regularly. Have 1 hour a day as family time. Go for a walk, to the park. Play cards. Everyone washing the car together. Etc....

Unknown · July 2007

I want to add, even more SADLY.... because of those dumb parents, their family situation now potientially AFFECTS THE REST OF US!!??!!

They have set in motion yet another attack on the computer industry, gaming industry. And me, everyone here at mmorpg.com, and gamers on the internet, need to yet again - come together and make sure this case does not gain momentum and negativly affect the gaming industry.

Imagine parents everywhere being empowered to take their gaming kids to the doctor, gettting a medication perscription, and putting their gamer kids on meds??!!??

Imagine parents getting new laws passed, requiring ID to buy games, And HEAVILY FINING gamestores that sell to "underage" gamers? Or passing new laws to further go after gaming companies, and stores??!!

IF the medical community gets it's way, it'll have yet another cash cow - meds for a "new illness"!!??

SWGLover · July 2007

A whiny newspaper article about poor parenting. That on-line games are involved is only a small point.

Some people should not have kids.

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