WOW, the media at its worst

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I'm not surprised and it was going to happen anyway and people are dumb. (but a person is not... go figure)
 
uh, yeah, well, i didn't watch the video, but, much as i'd love to argue alongside you, i can categorically state that since i was introduced to BF1942 three or whatever years ago, i have done so little schoolwork I sometimes wonder why i'm still at college. My grades have definitely suffered, i screwed up my exams and now my current courses are being left behind - ICT deadline tomorrow, for example: of the working system and 100-odd pages required, i've done 12 and half a system (though my teacher did break it).
 
I give no quarter to anyone with any addiction. It's self-inflicted and therefore can be stopped. Just me $0.02.

Edit: Ok that was waaaaaaay off topic.

The media still sucks. :D
 
WhyYouLoveMe said:
I give no quarter to anyone with any addiction. It's self-inflicted and therefore can be stopped. Just me $0.02.
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Says the guy who's never been addicted to anything ;)

But yeah...in theory it's easy... Just stop doing it. In practice...it's much harder.

Psychological addiction is 10x worse than physical addiction IMO.
 
WorldRunner said:
Says the guy who's never been addicted to anything ;)

But yeah...in theory it's easy... Just stop doing it. In practice...it's much harder.
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I was addicted to internet porn for 7 years. I'm now addicted to BF2. I will choose to stop when it begins to adversely affect my life.
 
If Video Games are the NEW Drugs... then.. HELL YEAH!!! Drugs ROCK! seriously they do... mmmm... mj, lucy, roxanne :)
 
WhyYouLoveMe said:
I was addicted to internet porn for 7 years. I'm now addicted to BF2. I will choose to stop when it begins to adversely affect my life.
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True dat. Just need to know when to stop and do something else.

The problem with that 'news article' is that they are diagnosing the symptom, and not the problem. Does nobody know of any housewives (perhaps their parents?) 'addicted' to soaps? I worked at a library, and can tell of dozens of women QUITE addicted to those cheesy romance novels. What about guys addicted to watching sports? Heck - THOSE are weirdos...their whole LIVES revolve around it, they decorate their houses with it, etc. Heck, I'm sure we've all seen pics of 500 lb whales at football games, topless, painted in their team colors, bouncing up and down??

The difference is that all of THOSE addictions - while the exact same in every way (plenty of women watch soaps to the point where it negatively impacts their lives, and plenty of guys are SO into watching sports, they cannot keep their grades up at college) - are socially acceptable. While 'addiction' to gaming is NOT socially acceptable.

Who the hell KNOWS why?
 
WorldRunner said:
Psychological addiction is 10x worse than physical addiction IMO.
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yeah you can die from physcial addiction, but psychological addiction is just in ones head.. they THINK they need it, whereas physical addiction YOU DO need it or you will die. That is why when people have physical addictions that have to be weened slowly from the addiction.
 
Wally said:
uh, yeah, well, i didn't watch the video, but, much as i'd love to argue alongside you, i can categorically state that since i was introduced to BF1942 three or whatever years ago, i have done so little schoolwork I sometimes wonder why i'm still at college. My grades have definitely suffered, i screwed up my exams and now my current courses are being left behind - ICT deadline tomorrow, for example: of the working system and 100-odd pages required, i've done 12 and half a system (though my teacher did break it).
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Sounds like the MUD's from my college days :)
 
Tetrahedron said:
yeah you can die from physcial addiction, but psychological addiction is just in ones head.. they THINK they need it, whereas physical addiction YOU DO need it or you will die. That is why when people have physical addictions that have to be weened slowly from the addiction.
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Have you ever actually had a physical or psychological addiction to something? Obviously you don't have to get into it... Also...I'm just stating my opinion.

I can only go on personal experience....

Also... You can be physically addicted to cigarettes and just up and quit...you're not going to die. I didn't think the physical addiction to cigarettes was tough at all...it was the psychological aspect of quitting that bothered me (and everyone else I know)

Again, based on personal experience I'd rather fight a physical addiction if it had no aspects of psychological addiction than something that is truly psychologically addicting.
 
WorldRunner said:
Have you ever actually had a physical or psychological addiction to something? Obviously you don't have to get into it... Also...I'm just stating my opinion.

I can only go on personal experience....

Also... You can be physically addicted to cigarettes and just up and quit...you're not going to die. I didn't think the physical addiction to cigarettes was tough at all...it was the psychological aspect of quitting that bothered me (and everyone else I know)

Again, based on personal experience I'd rather fight a physical addiction if it had no aspects of psychological addiction than something that is truly psychologically addicting.
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oh i understand that cigs are both and that the psychological factor is higher with nicotine addiction.. for I am addicted to those evil cancer sticks


but have you ever been addicted to Heroin? I havent but know people who were.. its not a pretty site.. the physical addiction will kill them if they dont get there fix.


video games DO NOT have a physical addiction whatsoever.. while hte psychological may be strong to fight and overcome... it will not kill you as i stated before :)

have a nice day!
 
I just like stories like this

Dr. Grady said the results suggest that the brains of today's youth might grow up differently.

"Young people using all of these gadgets all of the time, at the same time, it may actually make a difference when they're old, like bilingualism does," she said. "We know that practice changes the brain, as with playing an instrument, a motor task -- it makes physical changes in the brain. Maybe those kids who play video games and who are also bilingual will be the best of older adults at filtering out distractions."

Neuroscientist Shitij Kapur, chief of research at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said "it would be quite reasonable to expect that these teens are good at multitasking, because they grow up in a world that demands it."
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I think if you get down to it the piece made some good points. In the end they came to right conclusion, however they made too much of a deal about "ITS THE END OF THE WORLD VIDEO GAMES WILL TURN YOU INTO A CRACK ADDICT!"

In the end the point they made was that parents need to take an active role in monitoring their children. It is the responsibility of the parent to watch what their kids are doing and make sure they grow up learning the correct skills and time management to be able to succeed on their own. Video games aren't the problem, lackluster parenting is. There are many parents who would rather hand their child over to a PS2 than to actually interact with them.

It is not the job of the government to censor video games to protect children. It is not the job of the game developers to tone down their own content to make the games the less addicting. It is the job of the parent to make sure that their kids are raised on an even keel. The blame here should be placed on the parents, not the video games. If it isn't video games it will be something else that the kids get absorbed in, it may be something physically hazardous to their health too.
 
Tetrahedron said:
oh i understand that cigs are both and that the psychological factor is higher with nicotine addiction.. for I am addicted to those evil cancer sticks


but have you ever been addicted to Heroin? I havent but know people who were.. its not a pretty site.. the physical addiction will kill them if they dont get there fix.


video games DO NOT have a physical addiction whatsoever.. while hte psychological may be strong to fight and overcome... it will not kill you as i stated before :)

have a nice day!
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Where are you getting this "you'll die without it" stuff? I would say the psychological addiction makes you think you'll die w/ out it but people quit all the time....and walk away. Years later they're still psychologically addicted to it.

The lack of a drug while physically addicted is not going to kill you.... Junkies go to jail all the time (go figure) and have no dope... Do they all die?
 
My wife would agree with that video. But troublingly, if I sit blithely watching TV for exactly the same amount of time she seems fine. No accusations of addiction. No sidelong looks of disgust. It's a perception thing. Only seems to have a problem with games or porn. If I took to digging holes in the backyard for hours on end......................not a word. Might even offer me an iced tea.
I would rather spend a few hours playing COD2 or CS or even just surfing or running 3dmark06 for the thousandth time before I would sit in front of a TV being non-interactive. It's way more entertaining and engaging to me. Things evolve. We sat in front of the TV in years past because we wanted entertainment and thats all there was. Before that it was the newspaper. Not the case anymore. Once I get home from work, and I've fed the dogs, done the dishes, thrown in a load of clothes, or whatever else I can think to do so my wife won't accuse me of not being "involved" or "never helping out around the house", I think to myself, self....what would you like to do now that theres nothing to do. Would you like to go sit in front of the TV?........hmmmmm.......no........well then what would you like to do? Self (i says to myself) I want to be entertained, I know that.............Ah hah!! I'll go fire up some CS. Yea.....that will pass the time.
Theres always gonna be hangeroners to the old ways, fearful of the new. The harbingers of the status quo.............this too will pass.
The game industry now rivals Hollywood in revenue.
 
WorldRunner said:
The lack of a drug while physically addicted is not going to kill you.... Junkies go to jail all the time (go figure) and have no dope... Do they all die?
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NO! They dont die, because if you are geeked out on drugs they dont throw in the slammer, they put you in detox and if it is serious condition they send the person to a medical facility and is always on medical watch .. then there sentence will be served with time served as well.

You must not understand how the judical system works they dont just arrest, have the trial and convict all in the matter of a couple of hours and throw you in the slammer.. usually by the time the trial starts the accused is already off drugs since its been several weeks.


from http://www.solutions4recovery.com/heroin_addiction.htm

Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health is occasionally fatal, although heroin withdrawal is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal.

from http://www.opiates.org/heroin-addiction.htm

Traditional methods of treatment for Heroin addiction—talk therapy along with medicinal treatment to lessen the pain of withdrawal—often have low success rates (less than 10% after the first year) due to Heroine’s powerful, physically addictive properties.

from http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/assess/streetdrugs.htm

Alcohol
Toxicology Detection: Very quickly, generally within 24 hours
Psychological Effects: Poor judgment, loss of memory, decreased alertness, lack of inhibitions, and blackouts
Chronic use: Hallucinations, permanent neurological impairment due to destruction of brain cells and alteration of brain metabolism
Physical Effects: Loss of motor control and coordination, slurred speech, double vision, low blood pressure, decreased and shallow respiration, coma and death
Chronic use: a host of liver, heart, and other organ diseases; high blood pressure and possible stroke or heart attack
Withdrawal Symptoms: Tremors, sweating, loss of appetite, nausea, high blood pressure, possible hallucinations, convulsions and death. Withdrawal is life-threatening.


Barbiturates
Street Names: Amytal, Downers, Nembutal, Phenobarbital, Reds, Red birds, Red devils, Seconal, Tuninal, Yellowjackets
Toxicology Detection: Slowly, about half is metabolized within 48 hours
Phenobarbital may be detected 4 weeks later
Psychological Effects: Like alcohol inebriation, but with greater euphoria and disinhibition. Higher doses can lead to memory loss, greater impairment in judgment, paranoia and suicidal ideation
Physical Effects: Sleepiness, slurred speech, decreased respiration, and can lead to death. Tolerance develops quickly, and danger of an overdose, especially when taken with another drug, is significant
Withdrawal Symptoms: Same as those of alcohol. Withdrawal is life-threatening.
 
Tetrahedron said:
NO! They dont die, because if you are geeked out on drugs they dont throw in the slammer, they put you in detox and if it is serious condition they send the person to a medical facility and is always on medical watch .. then there sentence will be served with time served as well.

You must not understand how the judical system works they dont just arrest, have the trial and convict all in the matter of a couple of hours and throw you in the slammer.. usually by the time the trial starts the accused is already off drugs since its been several weeks.


from http://www.solutions4recovery.com/heroin_addiction.htm

Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health is occasionally fatal, although heroin withdrawal is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal.

from http://www.opiates.org/heroin-addiction.htm

Traditional methods of treatment for Heroin addiction—talk therapy along with medicinal treatment to lessen the pain of withdrawal—often have low success rates (less than 10% after the first year) due to Heroine’s powerful, physically addictive properties.

from http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/assess/streetdrugs.htm

Alcohol
Toxicology Detection: Very quickly, generally within 24 hours
Psychological Effects: Poor judgment, loss of memory, decreased alertness, lack of inhibitions, and blackouts
Chronic use: Hallucinations, permanent neurological impairment due to destruction of brain cells and alteration of brain metabolism
Physical Effects: Loss of motor control and coordination, slurred speech, double vision, low blood pressure, decreased and shallow respiration, coma and death
Chronic use: a host of liver, heart, and other organ diseases; high blood pressure and possible stroke or heart attack
Withdrawal Symptoms: Tremors, sweating, loss of appetite, nausea, high blood pressure, possible hallucinations, convulsions and death. Withdrawal is life-threatening.


Barbiturates
Street Names: Amytal, Downers, Nembutal, Phenobarbital, Reds, Red birds, Red devils, Seconal, Tuninal, Yellowjackets
Toxicology Detection: Slowly, about half is metabolized within 48 hours
Phenobarbital may be detected 4 weeks later
Psychological Effects: Like alcohol inebriation, but with greater euphoria and disinhibition. Higher doses can lead to memory loss, greater impairment in judgment, paranoia and suicidal ideation
Physical Effects: Sleepiness, slurred speech, decreased respiration, and can lead to death. Tolerance develops quickly, and danger of an overdose, especially when taken with another drug, is significant
Withdrawal Symptoms: Same as those of alcohol. Withdrawal is life-threatening.
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Yeah...I'm not going to get into a heavy discussion about drugs here...

Occasionally fatal and "physical addiction will kill you if you stop" is not one and the same. Also...We're talking about ALL Addictions here. There are always exceptions to each rule. You chose heroin...that's fine...your point is fair... It doesn't however change how I feel that in general a psychological addiction is usually harder to fight than a physical addiction. Sometimes psychological addictions last well after you've stopped doing the drug.

And...all of your experience is second hand.... And yes I understand and already knew most of what you just posted. We'll just have to agree to disagree perhaps.
 
WorldRunner said:
Yeah...I'm not going to get into a heavy discussion about drugs here...

Occasionally fatal and "physical addiction will kill you if you stop" is not one and the same. Also...We're talking about ALL Addictions here. There are always exceptions to each rule. You chose heroin...that's fine...your point is fair... It doesn't however change how I feel that in general a psychological addiction is usually harder to fight than a physical addiction. Sometimes psychological addictions last well after you've stopped doing the drug.

And...all of your experience is second hand.... And yes I understand and already knew most of what you just posted. We'll just have to agree to disagree perhaps.
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and like i said in my first response to you, i agreed that the psychological addiction was greater, especially for nicotine.. I AM NOT disagreeing with you.. you just called me out that people dont die from physical addiction, but they do ok.

Also, I do have first hand experience I have done every drug cept for meth and crack, this includes Heroin, though I never became addicted.. because I also believe that in the whole MIND OVER BODY theory.. I choose not the be addicted to that drug.. plus drugs effect each individual differently at some degree.

so now I am done with the whole drug debate.. ok! :) Have a nice day!

and yet it is still in effect, that video game addiction will not kill you, it may ruin your life if you let it, but that is a symptom of a weak mind and not of video game addiction.
 
Video games are a gateway drug? Please. The video pissed me off by saying that gamers turn into antisocial nerds with no life. Most of the gaming I do nowadays is with friends.
 
spydermonkey said:
Video games are a gateway drug? Please. The video pissed me off by saying that gamers turn into antisocial nerds with no life. Most of the gaming I do nowadays is with friends.
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true true.. plus playing video games is passive, it doesnt hurt anyone, its not like out doing drugs, robbing, thuggin or doing other criminal activities.. its just video games, it allows people to be social in a nice comfotable environment free of crime.
 
Excuse me for quoting but...

"it's a stimulant. it's highly addictive. it's causing kids to forget about their friends, ignore their school work, and become impulsive and hot-tempered."

what? football?
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Bullseye!



Ya know. Ten years ago, football fans would match the description they're giving off here. Maybe it's a conspiracy coz games are taking audiences away from their broadcast channels?

When i started getting into games. My play time (free time i spend for myself) didn't really change, but it did get to the point i stopped watching TV shows altogether. If this was a common thing and with the rising number of gamers, their audience ratings must have plummeted.
 
Sly,

I think you have a very valid point. Gaming is in direct competition with the TV/Hollywood industry for your time. The more time you spend gaming, the less watching TV. Enough people game, and they stop selling the advertisements that get blasted all over the the networks. I also have pretty much stopped watching TV, although this could be parttly because the shows have sucked for the past 5-6 years.

and Wrangler,


I couldn't agree with you more. If is spend time with my wife watching Law and Order reruns I am a great husband. Play a game and "ignore" her, and I am an @$$hole. Granted, with a 1 year old, my game time has greatly reduced. But I still get to. And it is a perception thing also. My cousin and his wife game, mainly MMORPG's and some FPS's and our whole family just rails on how they are wasting their live with "games". Yet when you ask them what they did last night it is always, "Well we watched TV till 10:00pm and went to bed". Which is worse? I would say the TV, and least my cousing and his wife are doing something together.
 
I was talking with a bunch of druggies and they were sort of upset that their addictions and lifstyles are being compared to that of the hardcore gamers. 'Said it was embarrassing and toootally different.
 
You guys DO know people that play everquest or wow, don't you? Some of them... clearly... are addicted as if on drugs. Worse, actually. As sensationalistic and inaccurate as that video is, apply it to the more addicted of the bunch, and it's not all THAT far off. Again, get to know some people that are addicted to MMORPGs and it literally is like they are on crack cocaine (hell, there wouldn't be sites dedicated to EQ or WoW addiction that look like those gambling addiction sitse if it didn't exist!)

Here's a slightly less sensationalistic article from Canada's CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/everquest/
 
steviep said:
You guys DO know people that play everquest or wow, don't you? Some of them... clearly... are addicted as if on drugs. Worse, actually. As sensationalistic and inaccurate as that video is, apply it to the more addicted of the bunch, and it's not all THAT far off. Again, get to know some people that are addicted to MMORPGs and it literally is like they are on crack cocaine (hell, there wouldn't be sites dedicated to EQ or WoW addiction that look like those gambling addiction sitse if it didn't exist!)

Here's a slightly less sensationalistic article from Canada's CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/everquest/
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That was my point about psychological addiction. It can be crippling.
 
<inappropriate paranoid rant>

Dumb.... (the claims too easily dismissed to take serious)

Why not study the link between ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and TV, especially prevalent with children under five... a commercial break ever 12 minutes? Guess what?


I blame segments of feminism (the real nasty kind...it's hate, pure and simple) who are severely under represented as writers and developers of good games. TV mostly went that way and has become unfit for dogs. When it comes to TV, normal checks and balances of capitalism fail because we don't pay for what we watch. Good storytelling and entertainment is usually supplanted with weaponized psychology in order to act as a peer influence.


Gaming is not drugs, or porn, or cigarettes, or booze; Gaming is a sport in the realm of curling, figure skating, playing cards and hockey. Gaming is accessible to young, old, physically impeded, smart and idiotic), gaming is probably the least discriminatory activity anyone of us can participate in. The people who are against gaming are going to do their best to defame us and the industry. It'll probably get worse for a while.



Dinosaur's of prohibition and Rock and Roll.

</inappropriate paranoid rant>
 
that story is partially true.. ive spent lots of time gaming where i should have done my homework, where i should have gotten the f**k out of the house and looked for a job, etc, luckily I was eventually able to find a balance between RL stuff and gaming.. so yeah getting addicted to games can be a problem for some people and it can screw your life royally, but the media loves to sensationalize things and blow shit way out of proportion, omfg sex.. drugs.. speed.. our kids are gunna dieeeeeeeee!!!!
 
Techx said:
that story is partially true.. ive spent lots of time gaming where i should have done my homework, where i should have gotten the f**k out of the house and looked for a job, etc, luckily I was eventually able to find a balance between RL stuff and gaming.. so yeah getting addicted to games can be a problem for some people and it can screw your life royally, but the media loves to sensationalize things and blow shit way out of proportion, omfg sex.. drugs.. speed.. our kids are gunna dieeeeeeeee!!!!
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But games aren't to blame. You're allowing yourself to be irresponsible...you're just choosing games as what you'd spend your time doing other than being productive. You could have just as easily blown off homework for Judge Judy.
 
But Judge Judy isn't an addictive experience... unless there's something seriously wrong with you :p
 
steviep said:
But Judge Judy isn't an addictive experience... unless there's something seriously wrong with you :p
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Opinion. Different strokes for different folks. ANYTHING can be addicting.

Ever heard of forum-posting addiction? :D
 
after watching my mom quit morphine cold (used it for years, lots of spine issues) i can honestly say its easier to not play a game than to wean yourself off a drug.

videogames are nowhere near the level of drugs.
 
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