GamingAddiction
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The WHO officially puts gaming on its list of addictions
The World Health Organization was putting its finishing touches on the eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) when it released a draft back in December. The early version of the document, which medical professionals will use like its predecessors as a baseline for classifying and defining diseases, included a condition for the first time in the ICD's history: Video game addiction. Today, the WHO finalized ICD-11 and left the gaming disorder in, enshrining it in the medical reference standard.
South Korea seeks to impose gaming curfew, makes computers 'edgy' and 'cool' in the process
Seems like China and the UK aren't the only countries worried about their kid's computing habits. According to the BBC, the South Korean government is currently mulling over plans to regulate just how much time -- and at what time -- kids play video games. It seems that a number of services are ready to follow through with suggestions made by the country's Ministry of Culture, including: Maple Story, Mabinogi (no access granted to school-age gamers between midnight and 8 am) and Dungeon and Fighter (slowing down user's connection after they've been logged in for a certain period of time). Nineteen games are said to be included in total, which is a significant portion of the country's online gaming market. This will inevitably force kids to build their own underground games on disused servers, like Chia and her friends did in William Gibson's Idoru. They'll need to do something with those 1Gbps connections, right?
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
Phonogram to brainwash addiction out of Korean gamers?
Young gamers in Korea have turned from national phenomena to national concern -- some have actually managed to "game" themselves to death, while blank stares and friendlessness are more common occurrences among the obsessed. Attempting to flip the switch on this unfortunate outcome of pwning, Venture start-up Xtive proposes to subliminally convince these kids to kick the habit by exposing them to an inaudible repetitive message. "We incorporated messages into an acoustic sound wave telling gamers to stop playing. The messages are told 10,000 to 20,000 times per second," explains Yun Yun-hae, president of Xtive. (Isn't that a little, um, fast?) The company has applied for a domestic patent and plans to commercialize the phonogram in cahoots with the government and game companies, which he hopes will incorporate triggers for the phonograms after games are played for a certain amount of time. Xtive also hopes to move beyond this application, applying their technology to other areas; Yun creepily tops it all off by adding, "We can easily change the messages. In this sense, the potential for this technology is exponential." You want to talk about video game zombies? Here we go.[Via Joystiq]
Tyra Banks downs level 60 baby neglecter
What makes for greater sensationalist media? Wii Sports accidents or World of Warcraft addiction? In the case of Autumn and Shawn, the latter takes the cake with the addition of a child into the mix. Seeking help from model turned talk show host, Tyra Banks (and Dr. Garry from Breaking Bonaduce!), Autumn comes forth with video evidence of her fiance, Shawn, turning a blind eye to their crying baby all in the name of doing battle in Azeroth. While the situation is as serious as it gets, Tyra doesn't seem to help matters, practically insinuating that Shawn is having physical relations with his computer.That is one demanding raid leader.This isn't a one-sided attack, however, as Shawn comes on stage to confront his wife and Tyra about his addiction. What does he have to say for himself? You'll never guess as to what his excuse is in part two after the break.
Yet Another Article on Gaming Addiction
Because I just can't get enough of this subject, the Dallas Morning News has an article online today about the by-now-familiar subject of online gaming addiction. Remember the article we linked to a few weeks back about the Amsterdam Clinic that had opened a program for gaming addicts? Well, they're not the only mental health professionals who are addressing the problem. This article contains quotes from several other workers in the field who claim that the number of instances of 'technology addiction' (the catch-all umbrella that gaming addiction apparently falls under) is on the rise, with no end in sight. Dr. John O'Neil of Houston sums things up with a telling quote:"In a way, the Internet is like Las Vegas," he said. It offers anything you want; it seems like the perfect place to cut loose for anonymous fun; and it's open 24 hours a day."My opinion on the subject is the same as it's always been: anything can be harmful if one becomes too deeply involved in it, and there are many other factets of the internet that can be just as all-consuming to the easily-addicted: chat rooms, online gambling, and, of course our old friend pornography are all things that can cause disruption in one's life if they are indulged in to excess. Of course, people have been addicted to sex & gambling for centuries; this whole video game thing is still pretty much uncharted territory. Maybe that's why I find this stuff so fascinating...or maybe I just like to read about people who make me look less addicted...
