Games Addiction in Context
Games Addiction in Context Don’t let it spoil your fun.
Problem or Not? We take a responsible look at Computer Game Addiction
There are many potential benefits to be derived from Computer gaming, as we have seen in Parts 1 and 2 of this article and there is every reason to go so far as to encourage gaming for the many instances described earlier where good will be achieved. Nevertheless, caution cannot simply be cast aside and you should always take a responsible approach not only for yourself but also others for whom you are responsible..
Some hard facts follow although we do finish on a positive and optimistic note.
Social tragedies associated with computer gaming addiction are becoming more common and there is much anecdotal and reported evidence of family splits, job losses, marriage break-ups and even death
Many of you will have heard of the headline case of 2005 when Lee Seung Seop visited an Internet cafe in the city of Taegu in South Korea and played StarCraft almost continuously for fifty hours. He suffered a cardiac arrest, was taken to a local hospital where he later died. The man had not slept properly and had eaten very little during his marathon session, said police. They added that it was not known whether he suffered from any previous health conditions and mentioned that the man had been fired from his job for repeated tardiness and missing work to indulge in his computer gaming addiction.
An acquaintance of Lee is quoted as saying “…he was a game addict. We all knew about it. He couldn’t stop himself.”
Interestingly given the circumstances of the case, a huge 30 per cent of the South Korean population; that is more than 15million people, are registered for online gaming It is no surprise that it is a South Korean corporation that operates the World Cyber Games annual event, backed by high profile names including Samsung and Microsoft.
Whilst death is perhaps an extreme consequence of Computer Game Addiction, but some of you may recognize in yourselves some parallels with Lee’s case
What conclusion can we draw from the Computer Gaming Addiction issue?
See if you might be suffering from Computer Gaming Addiction by answering the following questions:
# Are you finding you need to play increasing amount of time in order to achieve the desired amount of excitement?
# Are you preoccupied with gaming, thinking about it when offline, anticipating your next gaming session?
# Did you ever lie to family and friends rather than admit to them the true amount of time you spend on computer gaming?
# Does attempting to cut down on your computer gaming tend to make you tetchy or restless?
# Have you previously been unsuccessful in trying to cut back, control or give up computer gaming?
# Are you aware of ever having used gaming to escape personal issues or to ease feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression?
# Have you ever endangered or broken an important relationship, or even jeopardized your marriage because of your computer gaming?
# Have you ever risked or lost a job, missed an educational opportunity or a career move because of your computer gaming?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you may be addicted to computer gaming. You can see for yourself the indications that you may have lost control. It is best not to ignore the signs before seeking help, even self-help to deal with it.
For most people, it will be clear without the need for the tests, if they are spending too much time gaming. Home-based video games are less likely to become addictive compared to MMORPGs and online gaming according to research on the subject. Occasionally, rather than going online to compete, think about playing home-based video games with your friends and family.
Above all, variety rather than hard-core gaming of any type could well be one of the answers.
This concise article is one of three on Computer Gaming Addiction. Presented by a website dealing only with Video and Online Gaming and endeavour to put a sensible perspective on this important issue.
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