Scientists say computer games addiction is nonsense

ReBjorn · Jan 13, 2009

I stumbled across this article and figured I'd share it with you. I've translated it to english as best as I could and I hope it's readable. I'm not sharing this for you to use it as an excuse for playing, but if this is correct in your case or in a friend's case then perhaps after reading this you now know to call your or a friend of yours situation by its right name.

Norwegian Media Authority presented new research results from the Netherlands, determining that children and young people don't get addicted by computer games.

The scientists conclusion is that the term 'computer game addict', can be deleted from our language. The research shows that what has so far been called 'computer game addiction', in eight of ten incidents is really caused by social problems.

- What they're saying, is that when it comes to computer games addiction, we should throw the term in the garbage. We're not doing the youths any favours by using that term, senior advisor Stian Linbøl in the Norwegian Media Authority says to P4 (radio station).

The research has been conducted by Europes foremost treatment institution for computer playing, Smith & Jones in Amsterdam. Among the findings is that the worlds most popular role playing game, 'World of Warcraft', with its 11 million subscribers, don't make addicts of the players. On the contrary, many bullying victims, people who have fallen out socially and in school, and those who don't master certain things in real life, seeks out computer games and spend a lot of time on it.

- They enter an online community, experience that they master the game so well technically, that they become good at it, and that they're doing a good job together with other people in a team. This gives you the very positive feedback that you're good at it and are doing well, Lindbøl says.

Lindbøl encourages teachers and parents to find out why some plays so much, so that children and youths may have backup to experience mastering things in real life.

Source: Norwegian newspaper Dabladet

peanutbutter12 · Jan 14, 2009

Heh, they haven't met some of the people I've met then.

For every study done, there is 10 to discredit it, but on this topic, I'm willing to bet they are wrong.

DavinMochrie · Jan 14, 2009

Yeah I've met plenty of people who are leading dysfunctional lives and living in the computer game world.

DarkCoffeeJazz · Jan 20, 2009

I agree that there is no such thing as a computer game addict.
I will delete that from my vocabulary, ahah.
Those who say tehy are addicts and can't help but play games are just using an excuse.
And this is coming from someone who has social problems in the real world, but relates to people VERY WELL online.

So there's truth to it.

* kittie * · Jan 21, 2009

Addiction is addiction. They make games, specifically MMOs, to be addicting...and it is.

DarkCoffeeJazz · Jan 21, 2009

* kittie * said:
Addiction is addiction. They make games, specifically MMOs, to be addicting...and it is.

Addiction is only addiction if you allow it to be addicting, as far as games go.
And it also depends on the "type" of addiction.

Computer games only have as much power as you give them. They don't force your body into withdrawals if you stay away from them too long. They don't create a physical need for more.

Computer games =/= Addiction

peanutbutter12 · Jan 21, 2009

DarkCoffeeJazz said:
Addiction is only addiction if you allow it to be addicting, as far as games go.
And it also depends on the "type" of addiction.

Computer games only have as much power as you give them. They don't force your body into withdrawals if you stay away from them too long. They don't create a physical need for more.

Computer games =/= Addiction

You need to look at the definition of addiction:

1. Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.
2. An instance of this: a person with multiple chemical addictions.
3. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
4. An instance of this: had an addiction for fast cars.
1. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
2. An instance of this: had an addiction for fast cars.

JCFantasy23 · Jan 21, 2009

Yep, they should see me when I'm in the mood to play Pizza Palace on webkinz and cannot - like now!

GoodNewsJournalist · Jan 25, 2009

Addiction, according to my knowledge, scientifically, and medically, it is state in which the body relies on a substance for normal functioning and develops physical dependence, as in drug addiction. When the drug or substance on which someone is dependent is suddenly removed, it will cause withdrawal, a characteristic set of signs and symptoms. Addiction is generally associated with increased drug tolerance. In physiological terms, addiction is not necessarily associated with substance abuse since this form of addiction can result from using medication as prescribed by a doctor.

I will always take the scientific term in this.

I use to spend 10+ hours a day playing video games between the age of 15-19. I stopped playing video games so much when I decided to go back to high school and actually make something of my life.

I didn't feel withdrawal symptoms.

Therefore it is not an addiction.

Yes, you may get some endorphines when you play a video game, because you beat a hard boss, or you finished the game, ect, ect, ect.

But, guess what - you can have the same endorphines finishing a hard homework assignment, getting a promotion, going out on a date, having fun with friends, skiing and thousands of other things in this world!

Just don't let video games get before you and God.

JCFantasy23 · Jan 25, 2009

That is a good definition of a physical addiction. I believe there are mental addictions too, though, and games can be one of them for some people. There have been those who started missing work to play something like World of Warcraft, for example. That sums up addictive behavior when you throw off everything else in life, spend less time with friends, etc., because you are so consumed by a game.

angrySCORCH620 · Jan 26, 2009

I spend most of my free time playing games, however I don't feel addicted because I have nothing better to do. I'm not a good social person, so i do enjoy games. If I had something else to do (Other than Church, Bible reading, homework and college).

* kittie * · Jan 28, 2009

The definition of addiction, at least a medical one, does not always include physical withdrawal. Some drugs don't even have dependence...but are still said to be addictive due to some other psychological reasons. If you stripped the definition down to pure physical ones...then you're right, games are not addicting. But as you can see...there are plenty of things (for example gambling) that can be as addicting, so much so that people began to do it compulsively or forget their real lives. The same is with some people and games.

Not all gamers can just stop to "make something out of their lives". When gaming becomes so much a problem that they begin to neglect their real lives...then it's an addiction. Prior to that, it's simply classified as abuse.

From a drugs and addiction class. Although gaming isn't a drug like heroin, the definitions of addiction still remain the same.

PSYC 181 - Drugs and Behavior

Drug Addiction
Not the same thing as drug abuse
A behavioral pattern of drug use, characterized by overwhelming involvement with the use of a drug (compulsive), the securing of its supply (compulsive drug-seeking), and a high tendency to relapse after withdrawal

This definition does not necessarily imply that addiction = dependence (many addictive drugs do not produce much dependence)

PSYC 179 - Drugs, Addictions, and Mental Disorders

Definitions of Addiction
Physical dependence - An adaptive state that manifests itself by intense physical disturbances when the administration of a drug is suspended…these disturbances, I.e. the withdrawal or abstinence syndromes, are made of specific arrays of symptoms and signs of psychic and physical nature that are characteristic for each drug type.
Psychological dependence - A condition in which a drug produces a feeling of satisfaction and a psychic drive that requires periodic or continuous administration of the drug to produce pleasure or to avoid discomfort.
Abuse - Comes first. A maladaptive pattern of substance abuse (APA). A pattern of use that is damaging to the overall health (ICD).
Dependence - A loss of control over intake and emergence of a negative emotional state upon cessation of chronic drug use.
The manifestation of a withdrawal syndrome. You can have abstinence syndrome without addiction.

XatuGravelz · Jan 28, 2009

......We needed scientists to tell us this?

Good God, what is happening to the world?

147 · Jan 28, 2009

lol, i call shenanigans on this report. if they believe there is no such thing as a computer gaming addiction, then they can rule out gambling addictions, or any other addictions that don't take the form of a chemical dependancy.

so what do they have to say of the koreans who are dying from exhaustion from playing computer games 72 hours straight?

this "scientific research" is pure garbage.

147 · Jan 28, 2009

GoodNewsJournalist said:
snip

I agree with this though, to an extent. I come from a similar road, but mine was poker, and not video games (although I do play video games quite a bit).

While you can get the same rush of endorphines from other things, most link that with the thing that gave them the biggest rush. for me, it was poker. for others, it's sex. for others, it's online gaming.

2 out of 3 are now "classified" as "valid addictions," but all stem from common ground of the endorphine rush that all three of them give.

it has even taken me quite a while to get to a point where stuff that SHOULD give me a rush of endorphines actually give me even a slight amount of what dragging in a large pot, or bluffing a huge pot, did in poker. these activities can distort the chemical production in your body to where your body links the release of endorphins with only a select few things, and doesn't link it to other things that it should. i can say this because i've been there.

those scientists, obviously, have not, and therefore, their analysis holds no merit to me.

and I thoroughly agree, don't let video games, or anything, for that matter, stand between you and God.

morningstar2651 · Jan 28, 2009

I'm not addicted, I can quit anytime I want!

Scientists say computer games addiction is nonsense

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