game-addiction
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China declares victory over online game addiction
China's General Administration of Press and Publication claims that the government's anti-game-addiction program is proving successful, as evidenced by new statistics released by the China Youth Social Service Center this week.According to the CYSSC, the proportion of people under the age of 18 playing online games has dropped 7 percent, to 15 percent of the total online gaming population in China. Fewer kids playing online games apparently translates to less game addiction.The program requires online game producers to discourage online play for more than three hours by reducing game credits by half after that period. In addition, players are required to register with their real names in order to verify their age. [Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Chinese game addicts seek help in progressive Internet addiction centers
As the Chinese race ahead to catch up with the West, they do so with the intent of creating better lives for themselves. The past several years have been characterized by rapid progression, but all those perks of modernization come with a price, which some of China's citizens are beginning to pay. As incomes rise, so does the prevalence of the various maladies of modernization we've come to know well -- not limited to obesity, substance abuse, and addiction. While an addiction to a substance has a physiological aspect to it and is rarely disputed as a true addiction, non-material addictions to work, sex, and even shopping are on the rise in China. Such issues have been difficult to officially label as actual mental illnesses in the country. Others, like Internet addiction, have only recently been classified as such in China.
Game addiction rehab now available in Vietnam
Video game addiction is a serious problem. Well, its not, but let's pretend it is. This crippling addiction apparently has such a hold on the children of Vietnam, that a clinic to help kids kick the habit has just opened there. There are currently around 50 patients there, all between the ages of 13 and 18 and all being taught to divert their interest to more fruitful pursuits like music and art.At the top of this post, you'll find the very first result from the "Vietnamese music" search on YouTube. Watch it and see if you can blame those poor kids for wanting to get their Zerg rush on.
Today's Dr. Phil tackles the 'virtual chaos' of game addiction
Today's episode of Dr. Phil (check your local listings) will deal with game addiction. GamePolitics notes that guests on the show will include Liz Woolley, founder of Online Gamers Anonymous, whose son killed himself playing Everquest; Wendy Kaye, wife of SOCOM's lead designer; and several others.Some of the people covered in today's show include a husband who ignores his whole family and a guy who is $24,000 in debt due to his addiction. Check out some clips of the show at the Dr. Phil website.[Via GamePolitics]
Porn addiction more accepted than WoW?
Would you say that in a normal conversation, if you were to bring up the fact that you're addicted to porn, that would be more acceptable than if you were to say that you're addicted to World of Warcraft? In a recent interview with Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist who specializes in internet addictions, he says that his clients are usually more shameful about a World of Warcraft addiction than a porn addiction. Block says, "As a society we understand that porn is something people do, and you can see a psychiatrist and get treated for it. But gaming is hard to describe to anyone else. So these people can't explain their situation to friends. In fact, it's hard to give you an example of what my clients talk about, because gaming is enormously complicated."One of the major problems that Block feels he can tackle better than other therapists is the fact that most therapists have no idea what a guild is or what it means to hit max level. For this reason, many times the players who feel they need professional help end up turning to the wrong resources such as online support groups rather than seeking true mental health professionals.[Via CVG]
Breakfast Topic: Shame
I am not ashamed to be a World of Warcraft player. I spend on average about two hours a day playing the game. That takes into account the weekends when I overindulge and the weekdays when I may log in for a few arenas, if at all. I have accomplishments in-game that I'm proud of, and I find it really thrilling to share my thoughts and experiences with the readers of WoW Insider. I proudly wear geeky, WoW-oriented shirts, and proclaim myself as a gamer. Every once in a while I think to myself that I should do something different with my time. But then I remember that it's some good clean (not to mention cheap) fun that I can share with my friends and family. On top of that, I really enjoy my play time. For an extra-added benefit, I can't remember the last time I was actually bored, with the game or anything else. An interesting news article hit my inbox today. Dr. Jerald Block is a psychiatrist who specializes in treating pathological computer use. His most stunning statement was that many of his clients were more ashamed of their World of Warcraft addictions than obsessions with internet porn. I can't quite wrap my brain around that. Dr. Block also believes that previous studies of gaming addiction have been focused on the wrong group. He claims that adults, rather than teens, obsess over online gaming. He is probably right on both accounts. This may lead to a paradigm shift in gaming research. Do you ever find yourself ashamed of playing WoW? [Via Boston.com]
Doctor clarifies MMO addiction study
We've all heard the warnings before: If you keep playing those MMOs, you'll become addicted, or WoW players live in their parents' basement, never to see the light of day, or you'll shoot your eye out, or you'll grow hair on your palms. Many people proclaim to know what's best for everyone else, but recently a study by Dr. John Carlton of England's University of Bolton declared a similarity between MMO players (playing Asheron's Call) and traits common among people with Asperger's syndrome. In many media interpretations of this research, Dr Carlton's true findings were misconstrued.So in a recent article at GameSpot, Dr. Carlton set the record straight. He explained that there are different levels of gaming "interest". There's a fine line though between the highly engaged and the addicted gamer. He goes on to clarify certain issues that were overlooked in previous news stories on this topic, including the fact that of the 391 people tested for this study, none were actually classified as having Asperger's syndrome. It seems the bottom line in his clarification is that more research would be needed to specifically say one way or another if MMOs actually cause addiction.
MMOGology: Addiction and you
A few months back I caught a report on NPR discussing whether video game addiction was an actual addiction. The guests on the show all agreed that it was a real phenomenon. There was even a former drug addict who called in and confessed that quitting his game was harder than quitting heroin. Although no specific game or games were mentioned, it was apparent that the caller was addicted to a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG).Since gaming is a maturing form of entertainment that has only recently merged into the mainstream it seems a popular target for non-gaming journalists seeking the next sensational story. It strikes a nerve with me when the press uses the word addiction in the context of video games because it carries a sinister connotation. It darkens an already gloomy perception of a hobby I love. Games have already been blamed for shootings and desensitization to violence. Now gamers have "addict" to add to our list of perceived sins. There seems to be an element of society eager to demonize gaming for whatever reason. Regardless of mainstream media misperception, video game addiction; especially MMOG addiction, is an oft recurring topic in the gaming community. So are MMOGs really addictive? If so, what elements make them addictive? If they are addictive, what should we do about it?
University: Gaming addiction is real but over-diagnosed
Research at the U.K's University of Bolton says that gaming addiction may be over-diagnosed up to 10 percent of the time because indicators that were previously thought to relate to a gaming addiction had been borrowed from gambling addictions; what are the odds? Those markers may not translate between the two behavior patterns as well as previously thought. 10 percent doesn't sound like a major mistake -- unless you're in that group -- but the study balances some recent reports that hype and overstate the problem. (Oh Tyra, we thought you were better than the local news.) Still, the research stresses that gaming addictions are real.See also:Game addiction battled with silent soundDutch game addiction clinic is "swamped"Gamer addiction patient says he "peed in a bottle"Faux News investigates WoW addiction
For game addicts, bad games are more addictive
Prof. Dmitri Williams, one of the leading academics in the gaming space, who was an expert witness at the U.S. Senate on the constitutionality of game banning laws, held a roundtable on game addiction at GDC. Williams referenced Carnegie Mellon University A. Fleming Seay's research on addiction in an MMO context.The addiction, defined as "problematic use" by Seay, is when an entertainment product dominates and displaces other behavior,causes conflict and not playing causes anxiety. Seay found that self regulation (self monitoring, self evaluation and self consequence) was difficult for certain people. This seems obvious, but like anything in academia, if somebody hasn't done the research it isn't legitimate. The other thing Seay found was people's affinity for a game caused their problematic use -- but the interesting part was that those with "problematic use" were those who didn't like the game they were playing. They would do the same actions over and over again, didn't find pleasure in their actions and got stuck in a rut.Williams thinks now is a the time to start looking into the ideas of "gaming addiction" and "problematic use" before it gains traction. He says, "Coming up with a solution to that, is better than sitting in front of Congress in ten years."
Attention pro gamers: stop taking drugs
An interesting article on Tom's Hardware reveals that the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) is preparing to introduce drug testing at all of its gaming competitions next year. Ignoring the kneejerk observation that gaming can be a drug all on its own (we frequently test positive for Lumines), there are two ways of looking at this development. The CPL having to test for drugs sends an unfortunate message about gamers we've known for quite a while -- some of them just like to cheat. On the other hand, such serious measures imply that professional gaming (or, sigh, "eSports") is being treated in the same manner as "real" sports, with all the rules and repercussions that accompany them.The founder and president of the league, Angel Munoz, is clearly concerned about dubious drug activities in league events. "The potential for [drugs] being an issue absolutely concerns me. It should concern anybody in eSports, because as the stakes get larger, as in any sport, people will look for an edge." In case you were wondering, some of the chemical concoctions under consideration are crystal methamphetamine and Ritalin, both of which could be used to enhance mental alertness and twitch reflexes. Luckily, Munoz rules out the banning of Red Bull and the like, mostly because it would prove too difficult to regulate. He must also be astutely aware that gathering a large group of gamers (apologies -- cyberathletes) and robbing them of caffeinated beverages is an invitation to unmitigated disaster. [Via CVG]See also: LAN parties meet drug parties
