Do you think gaming should be defined as an addiction?

[dreama1]

Do you think gaming should be defined as some kind of addiction? Or just harmless hobby.

[thewelshman]

Anything to the point of over excessive could be considered addiction. Look at the South Korean man who died of cardiac arrest in an internet cafe after a 3-day gaming binge. I think if you're unable to function, or your gaming lifestyle gets in the way of everything else in your life, then yeah, its an addiction. If you lose your job, your marriage falls apart, and you isolate yourself from loved ones, then you need to seek professional help. When gaming comes first before all else, it is addiction.

Now, if you're like me, and like the better part of the gaming community, I feel its a great hobby. Gaming is a way for me to wind down after a long day of work, and it allows me to get away from the stress of the world. I can turn on the A/C, some music, and play as a hero for awhile, or play some hockey with my son. You just have to break away and enjoy life here and there.

[dreama1]

Anything to the point of over excessive could be considered addiction. Look at the South Korean man who died of cardiac arrest in an internet cafe after a 3-day gaming binge. I think if you're unable to function, or your gaming lifestyle gets in the way of everything else in your life, then yeah, its an addiction. If you lose your job, your marriage falls apart, and you isolate yourself from loved ones, then you need to seek professional help. When gaming comes first before all else, it is addiction.

Where is the line drawn then?

[kamikazekeeg]

There's no reason to define gaming as an addiction, because if you do that, then anything can be considered an addiction.  Do you buy and watch too many movies? Addiction.  Are you obsessed with watching sports and going to sporting events all the time? Addiction. 

[dreama1]

There's no reason to define gaming as an addiction, because if you do that, then anything can be considered an addiction.  Do you buy and watch too many movies? Addiction.  Are you obsessed with watching sports and going to sporting events all the time? Addiction.

Maybe they are addictions.

[kamikazekeeg]

Scratch what I said, wrote it out wrong.  If gaming is an addiction, then anything can be considered an addiction.  Reading books would be an addiction, watching television is an addiction, going on walks is an addiction.  An addiction has a specific meaning to it, so gaming simply can't be defined as an addiction.

[rayne315]

gaming cannot be an addiction because an addiction is something that you become physically dependent upon.

[dreama1]

Scratch what I said, wrote it out wrong.  If gaming can be an addiction, then anything can be considered an addiction.  Reading books would be an addiction, watching television is an addiction, going on walks is an addiction.  An addiction has a specific meaning to it, so gaming simply can't be defined as an addiction.

Cost and benefit. You're improving your vocab and language comprehension reading books. Walking your improving your skin complexion and purifying the lungs of toxins, as well as excerise.

[kamikazekeeg]

Scratch what I said, wrote it out wrong.  If gaming can be an addiction, then anything can be considered an addiction.  Reading books would be an addiction, watching television is an addiction, going on walks is an addiction.  An addiction has a specific meaning to it, so gaming simply can't be defined as an addiction.

Cost and benefit. You're improving your vocab and language comprehension reading books. Walking your improving your skin complexion and purifying the lungs of toxins, as well as excerise.

But if you do nothing but read books, spending all your money on books, and your life suffers from reading books, then whatever improvements you are getting are meaningless.  You aren't talking about an addiction, you are simply talking the value of gaming in terms of a hobby, not addiction, unless your definition for addiction is vastly different than what it actually is.

[Link]

Gaming is a passion, as are sports, books, cars, stamps.
The only thing that a passion can hurt...is your wallet

[kamikazekeeg]

Gaming is a passion, as are sports, books, cars, stamps.
The only thing that a passion can hurt...is your wallet

Yup, it's no different than anything else.  By definition, gaming itself can't be considered addiction.

"Addiction is a medical condition characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, despite adverse consequences".  The adverse consequences is the big factor.  Gaming was an addiction to the South Korean who killed himself on a multi-day binge, but gaming itself isn't an addiction to most people who just generally buy games for entertainment value every so often.  It's just a hobby.

[indenton]

If you're having a hard time putting down a video game, it's eating into your, well... eating, sleeping, social life, you know the basics of staying alive or mentally sane.  Then at that point you may have an addiction, I briefly got addicted to Animal Crossing: Wild World (That was pirated, so I deserved to lose that 3 months of my life). 

I've heard horror stories about EverQuest

[doctorlaudanum]

I certainly think it can be. Just because the majority of players have a healthy interest in the hobby doesn't stop the horror stories from existing. The repercussions of a gaming addiction might not be as readily apparent as an addiction to something like heroin, but if it's getting to the point where you're neglecting your health or the health of those around you, you have a problem. There are people who will use anything as an emotional crutch. Even normally positive things like exercise or work can be an addiction for some people. Endorphins aren't picky. People with addictive personalities can latch onto anything that brings them pleasure.

[maximo310]

Anything consumed in excess can become an addition; therefore, gaming by itself is not an addiction.

This is a pretty silly topic anyways; according to the topic creator only certain kind of activities are defined as "addiction" by his standards.

[dreama1]

Anything consumed in excess can become an addition; therefore, gaming by itself is not an addiction.

This is a pretty silly topic anyways; according to the topic creator only certain kind of activities are defined as "addiction" by his standards.

Excuse me. I made the argument of something totally useless, is not the same as something useful. You can't compare playing a guitar, learning a skill, or self improvement to sitting in a dark basement playing video games alone. You're improving yourself by doing those activities, and they don't have deadly side effects for some. I defined it the way I saw, instead of semantics. You can define it whatever way you want.