luna

Video Games Are Addictive - Scientists

By Lucas van Grinsven, European Technology Correspondent

UTRECHT, Netherlands (Reuters) - Computer game fanatics should not be labeled addicts, although many players say they are hooked on a hobby that is affecting their social lives, scientists said on Tuesday.

Some evidence exists that games stimulate the same areas in the brain as alcohol and other drugs, psychologists, sociologists and others were told at the world's first interdisciplinary games conference here.

But unlike the addictive substances, there is no medicine to deal with compulsive gaming behavior, they heard.

"Is (the popular online game) Everquest addictive? Well, it's no more addictive than school or work. The time invested in those also make them addictive," said Florence Chee, a research student at Simon Fraser University in Canada.

Scientific interest in the multibillion dollar computer games industry has mushroomed in recent years, after teenagers in several countries killed themselves and others after playing violent games. Various governments have put pressure on the industry to add a health warning to games packages.

But many players actually described themselves as addicts, said Stephen Kline, a social psychology professor and media analyst at Simon Fraser University.

"Fifteen percent of Everquest players say: 'I'm addicted'. Thirty percent can be categorized as addicts," he said.

Although he used the word "addiction" in the classic Greek sense of "devotion," his survey of hundreds of heavy online games players showed half of them reported family conflict and romantic failure as a result of their hobby.

VIOLENCE SPILLS OVER

Heavy games players can play an average 17 to 26 hours a week. The online games, in which players battle with opponents online, are considered the most gripping and time-consuming.

Children from the age of 10 are now starting to play online games, he said, and families should know it is radically different from comics.

"Game entertainment is not a classic media experience. It has a potency that offers a new psychological experience," Kline said, adding he could imagine violent experiences in games to spill over in real life.

Other scientists, who like Chee have carried out scientific surveys, said heavy games players were in fact sociable and not the pathological loners they are often made out to be.

Sociology Professor Holin Lin at National Taiwan University discovered many players were members of an online 'clan' to try to become more successful against opponents in the game. She also found many had relationships with clan members in real life.

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Wolfie

What he fails to point out though is that 100 percent of these people would still have these problems even if they didn't play video games

_Ender_

Its just like all those kids\teens who get voilent and people like this ******* blame it on video games. The fact is, those kids\teens would be voilent anyway.

Revan

ya well, scientists are also designing a new killer strain of mousepox which can jump species (just a version of smallpox). WHO (world health organisation) is currenty debating this coz they want to alter the virus so it is species specific..

aparently it is to find out what bio-terrorists might be able to accomplish, well a full-of-money-terrorist will simply wait till it is finished and buy few people

in the light of that does it really matter that research is conducted on addictivness of games when it would be more profound to say that "addicted" gamers at least don't go about cooking up killer viruses ( nor do they go about killing people or being violent) for real but only while their modems are flashing with that little online button..


PS. "Despite the concerns, work on lethal new pox viruses seems likely to continue in the US. When members of the audience in Geneva questioned the need for such experiments, an American voice in the back boomed out: "Nine-eleven". There were murmurs of agreement."

well, i don't think any of them would be classed as an "addicted" game players as they wouldn't have time for that "self-perpetuating loop of violence" crap that is gnawing at the modern society..

Wolfie

The only way you can create defenses for chemical and biological weapons is to actually create test strains of them to begin with. That is why the US still has a very small chemical/biological stockpile even though the US has signed the treaty banning these weapons.

Revan

i disagree, we already have a vaccine for it, there is no need to create any more - even deadlier - strains, as if it is not bad enuff that the strain kills 60% of subjects but it needs to be 100% effective, come on, they should be working on improving the vaccine they have coz it causes slight adverse effects on people with defective immune system

i say get them "addicted" to playing online games, and i may at least be able to sleep knowing that there will be a livable world waiting for me in the morning

as for the stock pile the only reason why WHO allowed US and Russia to keep it is to at least be able to keep track of it. since we all know both would have kept them anyway.

RandomGuy

addictive <=> enjoyable

kaxman

Everytime I see something like this I think of Joey from Hackers. "No, seriously, I'm not an addict! Can I get some more coffee over here?"

NothingMore.

Yeah, Video games are addictive, Till you realize that the sun dosn't melt you, and that fresh air dosn't give you cancer, and that the sun is alot like "monitor glow" cept brighter. Then you find out there's things to do, and then you realize. "Hey, I don't need to be on the computer ALL the time". But then you get done hanging out with your friends and start the computer back up. That is why it's addictive =P. It's adictive because it's somthing to pass the time. The time when you aren't hanging out with your friends. And what leading scientists fail to realize is just that. Guys may be geniouses, but they don't have an ounce of logic =). Atleast, that's what I use my computer for, and it's games, Is to pass the time, Where I have nothing to do. And I think that's what the majority of people do. Or some times you just feel like playing a game on the computer, It's anything but an addiction for the general people I *think*.

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_Ender_

I honestly think anybody over the age of 40 just doesnt get it (Sorry Eternal :P ). Its not that we're addicted, its just that reality sucks and video games is the perfect way to ignore it.

CingularDuality

So close to the way I feel, and yet your choice of words makes me cringe...

I play computer games for the same reason I also read books, watch movies, and that some people watch TV: to temporarily escape from the mundane chores of day to day life...

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=Sarc=

I'm addicted to sleeping. I need at least 8 hours of it each night or else I don't function 100%. Withdrawl symptoms include: head bobbing in class, crankiness, bags under my eyes and other nasty things.



I hear there are drugs for this but I'm reluctant to use them constantly. :P

I don't think there's anything wrong with playing a lot of computer games. It's better than watching TV, which I used to do a lot when I was younger. TV doesn't stimulate my brain very much. I just sit there and have the life sucked out of me. TG stimulates my brain. I end up working on mods, solving missions and having fun on top of that.

There are a few extremists that can't control their gaming habits. Maybe they should be enlightened to TG. We seem to have a healthy group of gamers here that take gaming seriously but not let it control their lives.

Quarath

Think of all the young guns joining the police forces that will all ready know how to clear a room. This is just job training.

Or all the young military recruits who at least know how not to throw a grenade.

HSantal

Hey, watch it will ya......

hmmmm. Mental note. Slap _ender_ at every opportunity.

_Ender_

LOL@Santal

Dave you basically said what I said, except mine was more in a joke form.