Too much of an obession with video games

[Evildeadmanwalking77]

Ok, so we've all been down this road before and there's probably already a thread somewhere on this but recently my wife and I had a debate over obsession w/ video games and when is it too much or too far. She emailed me the following statements from her research online:

United States:In February 2002, a Louisiana woman sued Nintendo because her son died after suffering seizures caused by playing Nintendo 64 for eight hours a day, six days a week. Nintendo denied any responsibility.[78]

In August 2004, Troy Victorino and three accomplices entered a home on Telford Lane in Deltona, FL and tortured and murdered Erin Belanger and 5 other people who were in the home at the time of the attack. Victorino's motive for the attack was to retrieve his Xbox, which Belanger had failed to return after evicting Victorino from the home prior to the attack.[79]

Press reports in November 2005 state that Gregg J. Kleinmark, 24, plead "guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter". He "left fraternal twins Drew and Bryn Kleinmark unattended in a bathtub for 30 minutes, in order to go three rooms away and play on his Game Boy Advance" while "in the mean time, the two ten-months old kids drowned".[80][81]

New Mexico woman Rebecca Colleen Christie was convicted of second degree murder and child abandonment, and sentenced to 25 years in prison, for allowing her 3 and a half-year-old daughter to die of malnutrition and dehydration while occupied with chatting and playing World of Warcraft online.[82]

Tyrone Spellman, 27, of Philadelphia, was convicted of third-degree murder for killing his 17-month old daughter in a rage over a broken Xbox.[83]
Ohio teen Daniel Petric shot his parents, killing his mother, after they took away his copy of Halo 3 in October 2007. In a sentencing hearing after the teen was found guilty of aggravated murder, the judge said, "I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea at the time he hatched this plot that if he killed his parents they would be dead forever."[84][85] On 16 June 2009, Petric was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison.[86][87]

In Jacksonville, Florida, Alexandra Tobias pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for shaking her baby to death. She told investigators that the baby boy's crying had interrupted her while she was playing a Facebook game called FarmVille. She was sentenced in December 2010.[88]

In November 2010 in South Philadelphia, Kendall Anderson, 16, killed his mother for taking away his PlayStation by hitting her 20 times with a claw hammer while she slept.[89]


Signs of Gaming Addiction in Adults
When the topic of video game addiction comes up, most people immediately picture a 13-year-old boy absorbed in his Sony PlayStation or Xbox. But gaming addiction also affects adults. From the executive to the stay-at-home mom, the compulsive use of video, computer, and Internet games causes thousands of adults to ignore important work and family obligations.
Many adults feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities. These days, it’s not hard to understand why. Adults are frequently called upon to balance demanding jobs, the needs of spouses and children, and problems with ailing parents or friends in crisis. Everyone needs time to relax, unwind, and take their minds off real life.
This is where video and computer games come in. For most adults, the occasional car chase or celebrity boxing match in a video game can relieve stress and provide an hour of light entertainment. But those who begin to play video games excessively may become so engrossed in the virtual fantasy world that they shirk their responsibilities and other interests. Here are a few red flags that may point to a bigger problem:
Lying about how much time you spend playing computer or video games
Playing computer or video games results in intense feelings of pleasure or guilt that seem uncontrollable
Spending more and more time playing video or computer games to get the same enjoyment
Withdrawing from friends, family, or your spouse to the point of disrupting family, social, or work life
Experiencing feelings of anger, depression, moodiness, anxiety, or restlessness when you’re not gaming
Spending significant sums of money for online services, computer upgrades, or gaming systems
Thinking obsessively about being on the computer or playing video games even when doing other things
In addition, adults addicted to gaming may have physical symptoms like difficulty sleeping, migraines, back and neck aches, dry eyes, or carpal tunnel syndrome. Video game addicts also may become so preoccupied with earning the high score or reaching the next level that they forget to eat, shower, shave, or take care of basic hygiene. If you are concerned that someone you know may be struggling with video or computer game addiction, the following are a few warning signs you may notice at home or at work.
At Home
One of the first people to notice compulsive computer or video game play is the addict’s spouse. Close friends and family members may be affected as well. When a video game addict spends more time playing games than playing with the kids or talking to his spouse, marital and relational problems frequently follow. In addition to ignoring friends and family, the gaming addict may neglect household responsibilities and chores in favor of “screen time,” and may lie to family members to avoid admitting he has a problem.
At Work
When a person is hooked on computer and video games, her work performance often suffers. In many cases, the gamer has stayed up all night playing games like “World of Warcraft” or “Everquest,” and is too tired to complete her daily tasks. Her boss may find her asleep on the job or failing to complete assignments on time, which could result in disciplinary action or even termination. What’s worse, some video game addicts will go so far as to play games during work hours, using company computers and equipment. Even when their lives are crumbling around them, gaming addicts put video and computer games above all else.
As an adult, you may not have parents or other authority figures monitoring your behavior. If you notice some of these red flags in your own life, it is up to you to get help. If you have noticed any of these warning signs in a friend, family member, or colleague, lend your support and share your knowledge. There are dozens of counseling and treatment options available for those dealing with compulsive behaviors like video game addiction.

While I reassured her I could never bring myself to committ any of these acts or jeapordize my health or our marriage over video games, she just wanted to proove a point and isn't actually accusing me of anything since she knows I balance it out and I actually have a life and priorities as we all do, I was just curious what you guys thought as a gaming communtiy of these news clips she found and your feelings on everything.

[AppleQueso]

I imagine all of the people who committed all of those crimes would've probably still committed them over something equally stupid had video games not existed. I find it more than a little bit insulting that your wife feels she needs to associate us with a laundry list of violent murderers to prove her point.

Psychological addictions are a serious issue, but they aren't at all exclusive to video games.

[lisalover1]

I've been having Extra Credits do a lot of my talking lately...

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/ga ... ction-pt.1
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/ga ... ction-pt.2

[Jmustang1968]

Some of those news clips only have a vague association to gaming...

[Gnashvar]

I'm crazy about games and I don't think I've ever played 8 hours straight. I think those people had other issues to begin with.

[Evildeadmanwalking77]

I imagine all of the people who committed all of those crimes would've probably still committed them over something equally stupid had video games not existed. I find it more than a little bit insulting that your wife feels she needs to associate us with a laundry list of violent murderers to prove her point.

Psychological addictions are a serious issue, but they aren't at all exclusive to video games.

Exactly and I was also VERY insulted myself. This is part of my research by getting the communities opinions on this. Thanks guys! Keep it coming!

[Korpi]

It pains me a bit to see a friend playing World of Warcraft all day long. He drinks energy drinks like no tomorrow and I believe often sleeps at the computer. He barely goes outside. It's sad, it's even sadder having myself played MMORPG's too much before so I can see myself in him, and I know it'd be good for him to let go of that game.

Obviously those incidents you listed are extreme, and it's the type of stuff I can imagine being showed on Fox News all the time. Gaming addicts are only harmful to themselves, and only on mental and social level to their possible close ones.

[CFFJR]

May I ask how this subject came up between you and your wife?

You said she wasn't accusing you of having an addiction, so I'm curious how this came about, considering the rather extreme examples we're seeing here.

[J T]

The news stories are sensationalism based on cultural biases against videogames. None of these big violent crimes can directly be linked to videogames. While it is true that we do see a modicum of increased aggressiveness following violent videogames, the research also shows the same for TV, movies, and books. As I discuss in a thread in the "Games as Culture" forum, there are methodological problems in many of these studies because they confound video game violence with competition. When you parse those things out, competitiveness contributes much more to aggression than does violence. While video games are particularly good at fostering competition, they aren't any different from sports or other challenges that similarly spur on competition and should not theoretically show any exaggerated increase in aggression beyond what is seen in those more socially approved of activities.

I've posted empirical articles before that review the research for and against video games' links to aggression. If you want me to dig those up and repost them, I can. I think we have to own up to the fact that there are negative aspects to videogames, but we also need to keep in mind that there is negative cultural bias against them as well. Videogames are associated with nerds and thought to be children's toys. That perception has started to change as games have become more mainstream, but there is still a negative slant against adults that play them. People assume we are unproductive or violent or socially inept or just plain freaky. However, most gamers will be just as well adjusted as their peers of similar characteristics that don't play games.

As for the gaming addiction stuff, that information is much more accurate and not based on the sensationalism of news headlines that lack any scientific rigor whatsoever in the causal conclusions they draw. Certain parts of the addiction warning signs are left pretty subjective though, such as what is considered "spending significant sums of money" on games. That is going to differ depending on the income of the individual and whether they are spending within their budget or creating problems for themselves. As with any psychological disorder, the line between what is normal and what is dysfunctional is almost always drawn at the point that the behavior in question begins to hinder the person's everyday functioning in their job and personal relationships. That's true whether the activity is playing games, drinking, frequent handwashing, perfectiionism, or whatever.

Also, excessive videogame playing is not always because of the addictive properties of games. While I certainly think games can be addictive (though maybe not in the most technical sense of the word, which includes chemical dependency), I also think that excessive gameplay can actually be due to other problems and not a result of the gaming itself. For example, if someone is having marital problems, they might retreat into their hobbies and spend less time with their husband/wife. If that hobby is videogames, people often tend to jump to the conclusion that the games are the problem and try to work out a plan to ween the person off of videogames. In that sort of scenario though, that would be the inappropriate way to handle the issue because it's the marital problems that need to be worked out. While the spouse will have to reduce game time because it is an avoidant behavior, the real crux of the work will be in healing the marital relationship.

Again, I just want to reiterate that video games can have negative effects on us, but one needs to be careful that games are not being used as a scapegoat for larger problems that are better dealt with directly. Excessive gaming is often the symptom, not the disease. That being said, games are designed now with the goal of getting you to play them for extended periods of time (see Zynga, WoW), so they can be the disease too (disease meaning addiction to gaming in this instance). Just make sure you're clear about what's going on.

I'll also add that playing games can be healthy. There are a number of benefits to playing games as a hobby, and I could give you research about that too. However, that's usually stuff about how games have some positive side benefit such as increased hand-eye coordination, attentional control, etc. That stuff isn't the main benefit though. In my opinion, the primary benefit of games is the most obvious- they are enjoyable and add to your quality of life. This is no small point. It is often overlooked by people that do not like games though. Having hobbies is healthy.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I've been having Extra Credits do a lot of my talking lately...

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/ga ... ction-pt.1
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/ga ... ction-pt.2

Beat me to it.

Also, I'll admit it, I struggle with compulsive gaming. Just look at my sig. I regularly put in 20 or so hours a week on the PC alone. I probably put at least 4-8 on top of that on consoles.

Luckily I've learned to recognize it, and step away when I need to do something else (school etc). There are times when it's very hard to do that though.

I don't think gaming itself is addictive, but certain environmental, social, and mental pressures can cause you to use it as an escape. It's no different than many forms of entertainment.

Also, these deaths are certainly from mental or parenting issues. Suing Nintendo because your child was playing games 8 hours a day 6 days a week? Seriously how fucked up are these parents. Take some god damn responsibility.