Source Article <-- link

There are those in the mental health profession seeking to add video gaming addiction to the official list of psychological / addictive disorders. When I first heard of this, my first reaction was to shrug it off as yet another in a long line of anti-gaming smear campaigns.

As I thought it over, though, I found myself agreeing with them. I've known some people who loved gaming so much that they did it for excessively long periods of time, and to the exclusion of social, work, and familial obligations. So, yes, games can become an addiction.

My concern, however, is that gaming is hardly alone in things that can hook a person. Alcohol, weed, porn... anything can be addictive to the right person. I just hope against hope that those politicians with a nasty vendetta against gaming, such as longtime proponent of governmental oversight over the gaming industry
Shrillary Clinton don't use this as fuel to add to their misguided crusade against our gaming.

I hope the government has the good sense to place the blame for addiction to gaming, and any other addictions for that matter, on the individual, and not on the industry.

Tags : addiction : hilary clinton : Jack Thompson : mmorpgs : psychology

Comments

By: Istvie On: 06:38 Jun 23rd, 2007 Offline	This is just the news my mum has always wanted to hear. The second this becomes legal I'll be carted off to a mental home there to live without computers of any kind for a couple years until I'm 'cured'. yay

By: Samuel On: 03:00 Jun 24th, 2007 Online	My family knew this was true years ago. Looking at me on the playstation, you have to think 'why does he keep playing?' Sometime's I'm there for twelve hour stretches. Once, I was ill and couldn't get to sleep, so I went downstairs at four in the morning, and completed Disc 1 of FF7 by about midday, without saving. I didn't even save then, I just turned the playstation off. All that work, for nothing, but I didn't care, becuase I was having fun.

By: Dragonfly On: 08:54 Jun 24th, 2007 Online	Am I the only one who thinks this is a good thing? I may be a gamer, but I'm not going to save my ego-flag around like the industry is so might behometh that shouldn't have to take responsibility for it's action, like it so often thinks it doesn't. Addictive gaming is a serious problem, especially in the area of online gaming. I won't admit to understanding the psychology behind it, but there is a very strong draw for many gamers to a virtual enviroment like, say, Second Life. People who might otherwise be withdrawn in real life find a (fake or otherwise) understanding from the people they interact with, opening themselves to them in the virtual world because there is no barrier of true responsiblity here and emotions are tactile. Some end up getting too immersed in this world, and when that happens, they become addicted and dangerously withdrawn from the world outside the computer. If this get diagnosed as a genuine disorder, this will help a lot more for when people feel they have a problem with internet and gaming addiction, as doctors will now have something concrete to go on.

By: dragongee On: 01:19 Jun 25th, 2007 Offline	tis true... some gamers need help...