Electronic Game Addiction? Part 3 of 4

[mega5layer090]

i play to get out of the real life and take stress from me and because i can get houses and money and put myself as my character and just do whatever i want and get cool items and feel joy from completing quests and tasks and all that stuff

[PhiberOptics]

Yeah she speaks the truth about MMO games FPS games I can't get get hooked into like MMO's

[purpleleach1]

I agree, I've been hooked on Runescape for 4 years so far, I'm hooked on it for every reason u've said and competition. if u're not on alot, then u're rank will go down. U won't be as good as u were before compared to others.

[gamerchronicles]

@purpleleach1 Thanks for your comment.

[Verrie77]

she is very eerm...eerrmm...errm in this episode compared to 1 and 2

[aRMEd8uLL]

Heh, bored of MMO's now, I need something a little more fast game...

[weedtaz]

she is so right.

[luthinen]

i can familiarise all this. so werry true

[baerabas]

When looking at MMOs from the outside, it's so true that they have amazing "reinforcement systems". Very interesting aspect to analyze...

On my end the problem I had with MMOs is that I could not cope with the peer pressure to play more than I could "afford". The goal of many MMOs is to play some part of the games in large groups, and this requires a lot of time dedicated to that group and in the preparation, with soooo little chance of reward (much like playing the lottery)... ugh. Hated it.

[vampyress79]

Does she have anything that has been published? I would be very interesting to see what testing she has tried to find out how to categorize. A very logical video. I have been a video game addict since I was 9. I'm 31 now. I'm female and refuse to play mmo because I know what type of addict I would become. I kind of already knew most of this information but the first/secondary life styles. If there is ever any type of group/singular testing sign me up!

[BodofLegend]

the only mmo games are on PC.. that is another reason why pc games are bad.. they keep you at that computer damaging the eyes because all computer monitore just flood light into the eyes and people just never take their eyes off of the monitor and either not eat and be lazy and get skinny or eat and be lazy and get fat...unhealthy either way then they get pissed when they get an insult, but then they talk shit online when they don't look at themselfs for how they are

[TheSandman628]

the reason why I play is because im jus anti social straight up even before i started playing WOW i hated people lol sorry i dont want to visit insanity again.

[JacobBoddington]

im not addicted to a mmo.. ive never ever played an mmo. im addicted to modern warefare lol

[Slashloo]

Yeah expansion packs really keep people playing. The only reason I would pay much everyday because I have to pay for my Xbox, for the Xbox Live. Once something comes out you buy it, and it sucks you really feel like an idiot who got sucked in. Considering Im not old enough to work, it becomes a pretty big blow.

[gamerchronicles]

@Slashloo I think most of us who have gotten sucked in with the expansion pack gimmick end up feeling like idiots at some point. Thanks for your comment!

[Jarbas214]

To some people there that were arguing whether "gaming addiction" is a disease or not, let me give some rough measure on what would be considered a dependency, when regarding drugs:

_Desire/compulsion to get it

_Dificulty in choosing different behaviors other than using

_Abstinence symptons

_Tolerance

_Lost in please for other things

_Persistance in use, regardless of malefices.

Why I make this comparison: Drugs cause a neural adaptation, and the neuro transmissors... (continue on next post)

[Jarbas214]

@Jarbas214

become unballanced and then require the constant use of the drug to maintain the new balance and avoid the abstinence symptons. Of course, drugs are far more deadly in that this neural adaptation can be really fast and it is physiologically induced by the drugs. Games can also trigger the release of neuro chemicals that induce the rewarding system of the brain, though most likely at a much much lesser rate. It depends on many variables, and each case would have to be seen

[Jarbas214]

individually considering through a psychological perspective to understand what is it exactly that the gamer gets from playing the game. There is a lot of allure from the reward systems commented on the video (which, yes, are evident with anyone with a background on psychology), but there can also be many personnal things that are being sought, and not necessarilly found while playing.

So, to consider it an addiction or not, one could use those parameters used for drug dependancies.

[Jarbas214]

To a lesser degree than drugs, some people can actually reach such a level of absorption, and expenditure of time playing, that they might fill all! I don't know if it would be safe to call it "disease", as there is no true pathological agent on play, other than the adaptation that person is making of his/her reality. There might be (and probably there is) a physiological response to it, that could make it harder to get someone who plays a lot to stop, but it's probalby not researched on.

[Jarbas214]

And on my defense I hadn't watched the 4th part of the video before posting all that =D I guess the chain of thought was similar... But just to reinforce one point: Some people can play and be able to control it easily, some may play and have to play 8 hours a day, just like some people smoke all their life and die at age 100. Not of old age, mind you, but by a falling ship that crashes on their homes.

[crepplin179]

Hey guys mabey you saw my other comment but I was adicted to the Call of duty series and when I wasn't playing I was thinking of classes, killstreaks etc. I just realized that there is SO MUCH more to do in life than to sit around playing games. I also had problems socially, I had really bad acne and didn't like my looks so I used the games to enjoy life away from people but I realized that you can't hide in life or behind video games in a make believe world. So I encourage you ALL to just QUIT!

[masoiaXL]

@crepplin179

Hey can you tell us what you do now as a hobby?

I sometimes play too many games as well, I realise this after I played them, and I always wonder what I could have done instead of gaming.

[daLiLman1]

virtual game world lol she jus cant say level can she ? (cough cough) im sick i got video game symdrome

[J0baka]

I play WoW from 5-12 hours a day, but I do not have any problems with it. I'm doing great in school and I'm not getting obese or something else like that :)

[P3gasos]

I think I would call for help if I noticed anything strange about my behaviour. I play WoW, from time to time. But when I do it's mostly hardcore style, lalz.

[junhua123]

its not about you play this or that... its about how many "hours" thats where all the problems starts

i play games for 8 years how about you?

[galeitiaa]

lol i play wow about 2-3 hours a day. sometimes only an hour or two. school in a way has actually helped me because im not home enough bcuz im in sports so i dont even have time to play cuz i always have math homework and such.

[Altaranalt]

She really knows what she's talking about. I like that. I'd still say you can be addicted to MMO's, I've left wow about 6 months ago. Simply because my brother told me: You're not enjoying the game, you're enjoying the community and you can be social outside of the game.

I gave the game a break, but lately I've been having this terrible urge to return. Christmas is coming, and for the past 4 years I've always spend that online.

[phantomzassassin]

KoutetsuTenshin nice name XD

but i got you beat while i was off from collage im 18 i could and did play games for 17-20 hours a day sometimes i even played for 48 hours straight lol but that happens when you aint got money to go out . not much of an excuse but hey i dont care i love games and tbh i prefer them over RL but im not gonna be all like "im falcore a lvl 22 mage from the town of blarg and primarly use frost spells to prepel the deamons" lol

[nvm0]

Video Game addiction is a disease. Luckily I have no problems with that. I wonder why but as I got older,I stopped playing pc games-it started to bore me. My time playing pc games has been replaced by playing on my electric guitar,much better hobby-it"s fun,I can train my fingers and evolve my talent.

[phantomzassassin]

video game addiction is not a disease it a problem many suffer from but the problem like most addictions in order for someone to be help they must whant to be helped im a video game addict and am proud of that fact. this may seem stupid to you ad you may think its cus i dont have a life altho i do but the thing is in RL (real life) im just a normal person in a boring world where as in a game i can be whatever i want(no not a roleplayer)

[dudegms]

yea it seems to me as I grew up games didn't appeal to me, and with all that extra free time I picked up other hobbies that are more socially acceptable

[Curristoo]

A disease? You're funny.

[gatewaynoble]

A person's life does not have to be that terrible in order for them to get sucked in to the virtual world.

[gamerchronicles]

I agree with you.

[gamerchronicles]

Definitely

[Mageekhands]

One day one of them told me "I play to kill Thing I can't do in real life. The conversation with this person was always childish, never a real adult conversation, or interesting...and with this addiction there are other addictions, pot, food, drink, etc

[Mageekhands]

I think the people game too much do not want a real relationship with others. Must of the clients I see in the office with this problem is borderline or ezquizoide.

[dorfenkeke01]

i dissagree, in most games you can get to the top lvl all alone, not very fun, but possible.

[SirBanon]

i love extreme gaming xD i eat healthier, i exercise more regularily, i feel more energetic and more ambitious. but gaming works for me. but maybe it's not for everyone

[ImageoftheMench]

On school days, I play online games for 1 or so hours a day. Weekends, three hours. On winter break, I couldn't go outside because we were snowbound. So I played like 5-7 hours a day. My parents had me convinced that I was an addict, but 10-15 HOURS?!?!?! Geez.

[KoutetsuTenshin]

10-15 hours is easy

[kohakx]

As an animal real life is more important, we need to progress, that is the only real meaning to life we have. Virtual life as she puts it, is a lot easier to gauge our progress, and offers better rewards. Virtual life fools you into spending your ability to progress in an ultimately meaningless environment. It satisfies your ambition, but in the end nothing is really gained from it.

[randall642]

I'd like to know which game developer said "mmm yea maybe they do" use psychological consultants to design the structure of the game?

[fjaoaoaoao]

Not really. She even address that issue in this part of the documentary -- she doesn't want to make value judgments.

Many therapists though understand that most people who are "addicted" are being escapist and hiding from their "real life", and that most of these people would rather have a better first life but become so involved in their second lives that they essentially superficially lie to themselves that they do not care about their first lives anymore.

[Daemon000Prince]

i like shes not being negative about MMOs shes just telling the truth about what it does

[dave997]

What she says is 100% correct. I've been totally addicted to online games for 10 years now and i have noticed I have a hard time in social situations as far as knowing how to act and how to treat people in certain situations. I used to be really outgoing (before i was 16 and started my addiction). In my 20's i had no social life except for the friends i had in MMO's via ventrilo. I can definatly see the damage it has done to me as a person.

[KidProper]

@dave997 Old posting here, but i would still like to comment. You have said it best brother

[spiky7]

she's right =s

[MafiaM0bster]

I think alot of people need to see this... I used to play Runescape alot and I swear... everybody I hung around was completely hooked to that game. I myself was hooked at one point...

[boj141]

Looks like your advertising EQ and WOW

[Colyers]

Thank You.

I feel a little ridiculous saying this but the points you discuss hit so close to home that I get teary eyed. My parents and I have have really come to an understanding of what game addiction is. Your videos were a great tool.

Thank you again.

[2Alexander92]

Interesting, I personally believe that Video Game Overuse is a real addiction. I was addicted to WoW for a long time, when I realised what it done to my life ( grades dropping, etc) it made me realise that it was worth nothing... Unfortunatly many many people are still addicted to games such as WoW, hopefully it isn't too late for them.

[acidic2007]

she's actually pretty good

[Jolt459]

As she was talking about how you get seemless rewards and how you level up, it just made me want to play more WoW.

[boykha2]

shes totaly rite man...

[gamergirll]

yeah they are addictive

[29XXX]

Seems like choose your addiction

==============================­==

I surprised she can't see the many similarities between the MMO video games and the "real" world.

...its just choosing one addiction over another...

Or how much time will I spend on the "real" world addiction vs the game world addiction.

[gamergirll]

shes saying they ARE the same, but one will get you a college degree or a job and one gets you a pile of virtual crap basically. just whatever you want to do with your time.

[SHFUTS]

er a job in the real world will give you money to buy food and have shelter and running water so i recomend spending a certain amount of time in the real world