Friday, June 15th 2007

Video Game Addiction Possibly a Mental Disorder

According to a 10 page report released by an American Medical Association committee, excessive video game playing leads to social dysfunction. As a result the committee is recommending it to become a formal disorder in the upcoming revision of the 'Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV.' In the report a heavy video game user plays for more than two hours per day. This in turn leads to negative actions such as aggressive thoughts and aggressive behaviors. The report also compares video game addiction with that of pathological gambling.
Source: 1UP
Add your own comment

76 Comments on Video Game Addiction Possibly a Mental Disorder

#26
a111087
they don't know what is the real game addiction... those guys who play WOW sometimes play 24hours straight and they are still fine...
Posted on Reply
#27
russianboy
This entire thing is bullshit.

One day my steam acc. was hacked, and I absolutely LOVED the games I played, yet the only thing I experience the next day was boredom. Addictive? I think not!

I honestly think that games such as CS:S may actually be beneficial, after I play 20 min of some high paced FPS and go play dodgeball, I have uber reflexes and cannot get hit.

Yes, sometimes we do get absorbed in games and we don't notice whats going around us. But so what? Books and movies do that as well, and do they make you mental? No they don't.

I swear, in the US there is going to be a Moms against videogames club.

But why should I care? I got nothing to do, so why not play a few rounds of BF2?



I see little negatives w/ playing video games, I think the people who have problems after playing these games have metal disorder history in their families. I am mostly a calm collected guy, usually I get aggressive while debating (I love debates) but unless my buttons are really pushed, I don't get very angry.

BTW, Why aren't these people focusing on more important things, alzheimer's, downs, autism, etc. instead of wasting American tax dollars to prove how crazy and demented video games will make you? No one gives a shit except mothers w/ nothing better to do.

This reminds me of the polarized public from the Vietnam war, the war on drugs, the war in Iraq, and so many others.

If even one politician says they want to restrict or censor games, I will consider America a dictatorship
Posted on Reply
#28
Darkrealms
Wait, wait . . . I'm seeing a pattern
Music caused the worlds problems (didn't pan out)
TV caused the worlds problems (didn't pan out)
ITS VIDEO GAMES IT HAS TO BE!!

Because I play FPS, WoW, Strategy, and other MMOs I now have :
Road rage (err.. wait thats stupid drivers)
Gotten into fights (err.. no that was the alcohol they had. . .)
Etc . . .
Etc . . .

Of course they found people that were addicted and needed help, there are people that are addicted to everything (drugs, alcohol, shopping, killing, gaming, tv, etc). If I wanted to find aspirin addictive I’d look for people that were addicted to it because of some mental issue.

Ripper3, yes there is a clinic in Sweden. It was in the news about a month ago I believe.
Posted on Reply
#29
Darkrealms
a111087they don't know what is the real game addiction... those guys who play WOW sometimes play 24hours straight and they are still fine...
{TWITCH}{TWITCH} I'm fine {TWITCH} Really!

NOW WHERE IS MY SC II BETA!! err . . . yeah
Posted on Reply
#30
GSG-9
Well, since games require teamplay to effectivly play, and you use microphones in most games now... who is up for a little bombing run on wherever the hq is for these doctors? :cool:


stereotype (Lets go kill them) aside That is a ridiculous claim, 5 years ago? possibly looking into it would make since but today games are no longer liner single player time wasting events. They require strategy, team play and cooperation. Go to cal and then tell me you don't need team play to win seriously, and last I checked, team play promotes social activity, or should we also have kids stop playing basketball and soccer? As for the content, only the extremely weak minded and impressionable could be effected to act on a game, thats why 5 year olds don't (should not) play M rated games.

Do you realize I have made $70 playing CSS for tournament.com, and im not even that good. Games can be profitable, and even educational. Sometimes I think (know) people are doing something for reasons not brought to the publics attention (ahhm, funding)
Posted on Reply
#32
Casheti
I am going to admit I'm far more angry when I play video games than when I'm not. Regularly I'm kind of an angry person anyways, but video games make me take it to the max :ohwell:
WarEagleAUI dont know how many times my TV was bitch slapped with my SNES controller.
:laugh:
Posted on Reply
#33
Casheti
InfDamarvelI guess this would only effect kids who have been hardcore gaming since the age of 7.
Hiiiiiiiii :D
Posted on Reply
#34
GSG-9
InfDamarvelI guess this would only effect kids who have been hardcore gaming since the age of 7.
CashetiHiiiiiiiii :D
Ya I second that, I was playing Wolfinstin 3d as a child on my dads work computer (386) because we did not yet have a ness/sness/sega etc. and I (think) I turned out fine, Im a little to eccentric but that can hardly be blamed on killing Nazis and Demons as a child. Next there going to tell me playing video games gave me diabetes, or my overeating (I weighed 95lb in 3rd grade when I got it. :laugh:)
Posted on Reply
#35
DRDNA
Hmmmm I feel an itch on my arm and i feel silly in my mind , oh no whats wrong with me? Do I need medication can I collect disability.....ridiculous:roll::roll::banghead:
Posted on Reply
#36
Nemesis881
I wonder what kind of medication someone would prescribe for a video game addiction...?

Note: i've been sitting here for 10 minutes trying to think of a funny drug name, kudos to anyone who thinks of something.
Posted on Reply
#37
Redshift
LOL


i guess im socially dysfunctional :(

all those frat parties, interviews, and lay backs... man i never knew i sucked at being around people cause i play company of heroes... my my


the worst is faggots like jack thompson are gonna use this a source of credibility
Posted on Reply
#38
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
BretI play around 2 hours each day, and this is on an FX 5200 and the 4 games that it can actually run (although of course, not very well). When I get my 8800 GTX I will play at least 4 hours a day (mostly because it will be summer, but still).
The FX5200 would certainly give me a few disorders.

Oh and i game less now that i have a GTX, lol.

Oh noes, 4 hours a day is bad! God, look at what people do in their jobs - is a mechanic spending 3-4 hours a day tuning his shiny car an addiction? what about accountants being stingy? bimbos like paris hilton and their clothes/makeup?

Oh and i'm a quiet type too, gaming is my vent where i become all competitive and yell at people (i'm the best gamer at the local lan events too, especially with RTS)
Of course - i'm nothing like those counterstrike people who go nuts every time they die, we've all seen those clips on youtube.
audiemurphee87Generally, i have been so desensitized by other things, such as movies, music, and graphic literature novels that I laugh at everything so video games are not the only problem desensitizing the world. It is a technological world and knowledge is more readily available.

Video games are not the problem; it is the sociological factors that determine the kind of human being you are; such as parents, religion, school, politics etc
Yeah, my parents let me watch alien/aliens when i was like 5, and the most enjoyment of my day is playing games like CnC3/COH and watching my real-world friends go up in really pretty explosions.
rampagei have always wonderd where the voices in my head come from.............
Probably from when i beat you up as a child, one too many times... cant blame gaming for that one, you used the PC more than me in those days!
Posted on Reply
#39
nora.e
I don't agree with their opinion at all. Gaming is an ecsape to some. I've deffenitly got both an adictive pearsonality And some pretty hard core anger issues, but that's from dealing with both the Iraqi Republican Gaurd, and the cheap worthless two bit sifalys infected cum burping gutterslut hore bag bitch I use to be maried to! Oh by the way I'm no longer bitter.
Besides the more time I spend casting lightning bolt at slime mold with my staff of serious intent, the less time I'm spending in public venting on people that suck! They may like to re evaluate their thoughts and consider my 5-10 hours a day gaming a good thing.
Posted on Reply
#40
Conti027
Darkrealms{TWITCH}{TWITCH} I'm fine {TWITCH} Really!

NOW WHERE IS MY SC II BETA!! err . . . yeah
YEA!!!
Posted on Reply
#41
Casheti
nora.eBesides the more time I spend casting lightning bolt at slime mold with my staff of serious intent, the less time I'm spending in public venting on people that suck!.
lol :laugh: Agreed :toast:
Posted on Reply
#42
Demon_82
I should be actually killing people or thinking I'm some in-game character by now, according by that. I had periods of 6-7 or more hours a day plyaing... and others of weeks without touching a game. There are people wich actually have it's own menthal troubles, and they may appear publicly because of some video game, but that troubles where there previously. Most of the people will jsut get angry at the game/system from tiem to time, as anybody will get with anything that fails/doesn't end as one wishes, nothing more.
Posted on Reply
#43
Fuse-Wire
Easy RhinoAccording to a 10 page report released by an American Medical Association committee, excessive video game playing leads to social dysfunction. As a result the committee is recommending it to become a formal disorder in the upcoming revision of the 'Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV.' In the report a heavy video game user plays for more than two hours per day. This in turn leads to negative actions such as aggressive thoughts and aggressive behaviors. The report also compares video game addiction with that of pathological gambling.

Source: 1UP
total bull. i play games excess of two hours a day after work, and have a social life, and its not like i have an agression problem, mean i hardly walk round the streets wanting to blow everyones heads off with the SA80 i have stuffed in ma back pocket lol. these "scientists" obviously have nothing better to do with thier time and money, the idiots :p
Posted on Reply
#44
hat
Enthusiast
I play FPS games all day and I af far, FAR from agressive... I guess my brain is broken.
Posted on Reply
#45
1Strive
Just more proof that...

THE WORLD NEEDS JESUS!
Posted on Reply
#46
Dippyskoodlez
russianboyThis entire thing is bullshit.

One day my steam acc. was hacked, and I absolutely LOVED the games I played, yet the only thing I experience the next day was boredom. Addictive? I think not!

I honestly think that games such as CS:S may actually be beneficial, after I play 20 min of some high paced FPS and go play dodgeball, I have uber reflexes and cannot get hit.

Yes, sometimes we do get absorbed in games and we don't notice whats going around us. But so what? Books and movies do that as well, and do they make you mental? No they don't.

I swear, in the US there is going to be a Moms against videogames club.

But why should I care? I got nothing to do, so why not play a few rounds of BF2?



I see little negatives w/ playing video games, I think the people who have problems after playing these games have metal disorder history in their families. I am mostly a calm collected guy, usually I get aggressive while debating (I love debates) but unless my buttons are really pushed, I don't get very angry.

BTW, Why aren't these people focusing on more important things, alzheimer's, downs, autism, etc. instead of wasting American tax dollars to prove how crazy and demented video games will make you? No one gives a shit except mothers w/ nothing better to do.

This reminds me of the polarized public from the Vietnam war, the war on drugs, the war in Iraq, and so many others.

If even one politician says they want to restrict or censor games, I will consider America a dictatorship
Congratulations, you're not addicted. you aren't the target of this "disorder" classification.

An addiction would be a case where you're like the german kid in the youtube video actually harming things while playing, or neglecting things you need to do.. such as eating, exercise, etc.

Playing something 24/7 really can mess up a metabolism.
Posted on Reply
#47
XooM
i strongly disagree. as an avid gamer who has frequently spent more than 2hours a day gaming, i'm far from socially dysfunctional or agressive at ALL; indeed, i'm probably one of the most easygoing and non-confrontational people i know...
Posted on Reply
#48
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
GSG-9Ya I second that, I was playing Wolfinstin 3d as a child on my dads work computer (386) because we did not yet have a ness/sness/sega etc. and I (think) I turned out fine, Im a little to eccentric but that can hardly be blamed on killing Nazis and Demons as a child. Next there going to tell me playing video games gave me diabetes, or my overeating (I weighed 95lb in 3rd grade when I got it. :laugh:)
3rded - i was playing DOS games (the puzzle/adventure ones) by the age of 4. My god, prince of persia was HARD AS HELL when i couldnt read and/or write properly! reading the manual sucked!


(to those younger people... price of persia is OLD. the new ones are... new)


Edit: oh and during high school i was an obsessive diablo II addict. 4-8 hours a day. (For a few years... real addict)
To be honest, i have never once started obsessively hurling fireballs at demons. Nor have i become 7 feet tall dual wielding axes and slaughtering demonic cows (secret cow level ftw!) Oh sorry, fiction :D forgot that.

Oooh oooh, i also play company of heroes - suddenly, i an a nazi! i am going to lead germany to victory in WWII!
Posted on Reply
#49
Nemesis881
1StriveJust more proof that...

THE WORLD NEEDS JESUS!
not...

I've been playing violent video games all my life and I have to admit, it does make me a little aggressive, but I would never kill anyone ffs...
Posted on Reply
#50
Dippyskoodlez
Nemesis881I wonder what kind of medication someone would prescribe for a video game addiction...?

Note: i've been sitting here for 10 minutes trying to think of a funny drug name, kudos to anyone who thinks of something.
Probably something that either artifically shortens ones attention, or makes you tired. Or hyper for that matter.

If you cant sit still long enough, pay attention, or react fast enough you'll not enjoy games. Thus be enticed to not play as much.
XooMi strongly disagree. as an avid gamer who has frequently spent more than 2hours a day gaming, i'm far from socially dysfunctional or agressive at ALL; indeed, i'm probably one of the most easygoing and non-confrontational people i know...
2hours a day is not an addiction.

Some of you guys need to learn what an addiction is... :wtf:
Posted on Reply
Add your own comment
Jan 10th, 2025 17:06 EST change timezone

New Forum Posts

Popular Reviews

Controversial News Posts