Video Games: Addictiveness,Violence, and Resources For Support

• Buffer
• Tweet

Are Computer Games Addictive?

The advent of computer games and their increasing popularity among the young and old has brought about a new phenomenon akin to any other type of addiction. As a matter of fact, computer game addiction, more widely referred to as computer game overuse is recognized as an activity that often and inevitably, if carried to an extreme, interferes with the daily activities of millions of individuals in all walks of life.

The compulsion to entrench oneself at a computer screen, isolating a person from social contacts, is increasingly being noted as a possible mental disorder to be included in the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Excess use of computer games may become as debilitating and dangerous as compulsive gambling which has long been classified as an impulse control disorder.

However, in 2007, the American Psychological Association still had not yet determined whether to classify computer game addiction as an actual disorder as there had not been enough studies to determine the veracity of those claiming this particular malady.

Studies conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine, in regards to computer game play, found evidence that there do exist distinctive characteristics in this endeavor. As a matter of fact, an MRI study revealed that the area of the brain associated with generating feelings of reward and/or accomplishment is activated more in men than in women while playing computer games.

An online poll in 2007 noted that, out of 1,187 American children between the ages of eight and 18, 81% of them played these games at least once a week and the average time spent playing went from eight to 14 hours per week with teenage girls at the low end of the spectrum. Boys from eight to 12 years of age averaged 13 hours a week, and girls averaged 10 hours. The poll concluded that 8.5% of American teens could be classified as pathologically or clinically addicted to playing computer games.

Symptoms of Computer Game Addiction

Symptoms of computer game addiction are similar to other types of obsessive or reclusive behavior patterns.
Social isolation
Loss of sleep
Loss of appetite
Gaining and/or losing weight without the usual causation
Avoidance of phone calls, friends
Avoidance of family interaction and frequent lying to cover absences from school or other physical activities.

As the expanding effects of this condition have become more apparent, treatments have been developed for it similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, and treatment centers have also arisen.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a 27-year old man was convicted of killing his 17-month old daughter when he went ballistic over a broken XBox. A 24-year-old father was found guilty of manslaughter when his twin 10-month old sons drowned in a bathtub while he was in another room playing on his Game Boy Advance.

This seemingly innocuous pastime also has had its deadly side. There have been deaths reported due to physical complications that affect compulsive types of behavior. Cases have been reported in countries like China and South Korea, where at an internet cafe in the city of Taegu a young man died of a heart attack after playing video games without letup for 50 hours. In 2007, in the city of Guangzhou, a thirty year old man died after sitting at his computer and playing computer games continuously for three days.

Computer game addiction has been shown to be as dangerous as illegal substance abuse and as habitually debilitating as any compulsive behavior that subverts individuals from caring for themselves and their environment. It may lead to disastrous social isolation or worse, physical illness and death.

Resources about Video Game Addiction

Brynmayr.edu Video Game Addiction: Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous?

Berkeley.edu Computer Game Addiction: Advice, discussions, and reviews from the Parents of Teens weekly email newsletter.

Flagler.edu article: Video game addiction not only for boys anymore

Do Computer Games Promote Violence?

There are computer games that run the entire gamut from seemingly innocent games about farm animals and counting puppies to those which are far more lethal and dangerous. The more controversial games might involve the abuse of animals, the glorification of murder and death, and racial or ethnic overtones that facilitate stereotypes or even promote hatred, bigotry, and violence.

As the vast majority of those who seem to spend an inordinate and sometimes obsessive amount of time using these computer games are youth they are the population that are mostly affected by the violence that is often exhibited in these games. Even cartoons that appear benign at first might be perverted by a manufacturer to perform activities that are counter to what should be expected.

The Internet has become so pervasive that anonymity is endemic and a child might not even be aware that the other person on the end of the chatroom or playing the computer game with him might be an adult with intentions that are not of an innocent motive.

Most computer games have an educational motif and are used for the purposes of study or harmless fun. Those that deal with obvious fantasy cannot, in any way, be discerned as having any malevolent intent. However, there are many popular games that involve nefarious objectives as their play and might even exhibit cruelty in the goriest fashion.

Subjects might include the killing of people and animals, the use of illegal drugs, flouting of the law and authority, sexual exploitation of women and children, racism, stereotyping and what might be construed as foul language or obscene gestures.

Clearly much good can come from playing computer games. Hand and eye coordination can be improved as are learning skills, such as attention to detail and perseverance. But like anything positive, these computer games have the ability to desensitize children to violence and even promote violent behavior as a means to solve their problems or to escape into a world where violence is the only solution and totally acceptable behavior.

Studies that have been done of children who play these violent computer games have found that they soon become immune to actual violent activity. They might imitate the violence they see on their computers without realizing that it is fantasy. Some children lose all sight of rationality in the face of a problem and immediately employ violent means to rectify situations without the capability of recognizing alternatives to this type of behavior.

Spending large amounts of time on computer games can lead to poor social skills which in turn can be manifested by bullying of peers, resorting to physical confrontations with others instead of talking problems out, defying parental authority, misbehaving in the classroom and mistreatment of animals like pets, even causing injury and death. The worst manifestation of insensitivity to violence could possibly involve human pain and suffering.

Parents must be hypervigilant and closely monitor their children’s computer activities. They must select games which are age-appropriate and play the computer games with their children to ensure that the computer games are what they say they are. Parents have to warn their children of the potential dangers of all Internet contacts and block certain websites and chatrooms which they feel are unsuitable for their children’s access.

If parents become concerned over the amount of time their children spend on the computer or if they notice the violent content of what is being displayed, they have the authority and the duty to remove such materials and if they discern negative behavioral changes among their children, they should act with alacrity. Children need to be encouraged to participate in alternate activities such as sports, exercise or athletic competition. Ground rules for homework and household chores should be implemented and parents must always monitor what their child is doing on the computer.

Resources about The Violence of Video Games

Nih.gov Violence in Teen-Rated Video Games by Kevin Haninger, M. Seamus Ryan, and Kimberly M Thompson, MS, ScD

On February 11, 2003, Congressman Baca introduced H.R. 669, the Protect Children from Video Game Sex and Violence Act of 2003. The bill imposes penalties on those who sell or rent to minors video games that depict nudity, sexual conduct, or other content harmful to minors.

NCSU Overview of Video Game Violence Controversy, Psychological Studies, Media Responses to School Violence, and information about Ratings System for Computer Games

Illinois.edu No strong link seen between violent video games and aggression

Resource by T.Price

I am a mom of 2 boys who loves to spend time with them doing fun things outdoors. In my spare time I have my own things I enjoy doing such as gardening, reading old books, and being a closet history buff.

Related Research For Teachers, Students, and Kids