VGCollect Forum
General and Gaming => Classic Video Games => Topic started by: dreama1 on August 03, 2016, 05:24:51 pm
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Do you think gaming should be defined as some kind of addiction? Or just harmless hobby.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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gaming cannot be an addiction because an addiction is something that you become physically dependent upon.
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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.
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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.
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Gaming is a passion, as are sports, books, cars, stamps.
The only thing that a passion can hurt...is your wallet :P
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Gaming is a passion, as are sports, books, cars, stamps.
The only thing that a passion can hurt...is your wallet :P
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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Just because gaming doesn't technically improve anything in that you are learning a skill or new ability, doesn't make it an addiction. That's not what the word means. If you want to argue that anti-social gaming in excess is an addiction, then that would likely be a yes, but gaming in itself is a hobby, a form of entertainment, it's no worse than watching sports or movies. I'm not even sure what you are really trying to argue here and it doesn't do yourself any favors by bringing in some tired stereotype of gamers.
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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.
Yeah, because no one ever plays video games in a bright lit room with friends, or makes connections online or in person because of games. But I guess some are more interested in certain hobbies then others; there's no need to make hasty generalizations to bolster your opinion. Your argument is just based on opinion alone, and you don't have anything to back it up.
By the way, you're excused. ;)
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defined as? no. i mean, there are people who casually game, and people who game a lot, all the time but are still perfectly functional, then there are people who take it so far (like the guy in the RoK) who end up dying.
so no
but can gaming become an addiction? yes. i mean, almost anything can be psychologically addictive. my ex was definitely addicted to cannabis... a substance that isn't chemically addictive, but take that boy's weed away from him for a week or more, and you'd watch him get more and more withdrawn, depressed, with explosive anger, he slept a lot, he didn't eat, he was miserable and a drain. almost dysfunctional. reintroduce it and suddenly, he's back to normal. (he went off it for a month at one time and he basically sunk further and further until he couldn't take it anymore)... he had literally every single symptom of psychological withdrawal. there was no room for error there, i, nor his mother, had to be a psychology major to realise he was having severe withdrawal. mind you, he argued to the point of violence that it was simply a craving, not a dependence, that he didn't 'need' it (thus me rolling my eyes and telling him if he "didn't need it" then he could quit for a month... he failed at the contest). ...everyone around him knew better.
in some ways, gaming can be similar. one stops playing, and they become demotivated, overreact to stress and rapid mood changes, depression, etc etc. i mean, it's not impossible.
the problem is, is psychological addiction is not as common.
and also, psychological withdrawal is hard to pinpoint, as many of the symptoms can also be pointed to as simply lack of relaxation. so it's really, really hard to say, and that, i think, would need an actual psychological evaluation, and most of us here wouldn't be qualified to make the call. but video games (like weed, actually) affects your dopamine receptors... you DO get a flood of dopamine when you achieve well in a game, and if there's nothing else in your life that gives you the same rush, it's really easy to see how games can become disastrously addictive to some... ie, a teenage kid in an abusive and/or neglectful household, where his accomplishments aren't acknowledged as important... or, say, an asian student in a competitive environment who is never rewarded for doing well enough in school (even tho they have near perfect marks)... which would explain why gaming psychological addiction may be more prevalent in those regions.
the internet can be addicting, as well. to a crippling degree. i can't say i'm 'diagnosed' but i can draw from myself on this one and say the internet absolutely can and it has less of the dopamine firing-off than games, so i can totally see how games would be. i'm probably absolutely addicted to the internet, to the point i've been late to work on accident as a result, forgo sleeping almost every night, have forgone food and have even forgone cigarettes to keep browsing the internet... i've tried to quit using the internet as much at different times in my life as i realised how pathetic it was, but i get sucked back in every time, no matter how much more accomplished i feel when i'm NOT using the internet as much/often as i otherwise would. it feels really shitty, but it does affect me every fucking night... half the reason i don't play games as often as i'd like is due to this, so yeah... and honestly, at this point, i think the only thing that would quit the cycle is getting professional help. pathetic as shit, and sad, but there you go. mundane shit CAN be addictive. it's almost every fucking day i use the internet and think "i should be drawing" "i should be playing vidya" "i should learn more russian" but two hours later and i'm neck deep in a reddit AMA thread about the USSR or north korea or browsing the consumerist or snopes or some other site i use to "not be on forums all night". this is really anecdotal, but i don't know of any studies about psychological addiction for the internet and video games (and other technology) to draw from... so i'll parallel gaming addiction to my own (probable) internet addiction. because i'm shameless i guess (jk, i'm actually a ball of shame, but anonymity, amirite)
psychological addiction is a kind of addiction that doesn't get a lot of time spent to it, and, just like mental health in general, isn't taken as seriously as 'physical' addictions and health (drug addiction, alcoholism, these are more physical addictions). there is a massive stigma against psychological addiction, which causes it to be seen as 'not as serious'. and because it's pretty much invisible and seems harmless on the outside, a lot of people make fun of it. even people in this thread have made light of it... with the "well that RoK guy is an exception..." but the thing is, is addiction gets much worse the longer it's left unchecked. you have to kill the addiction before it gets that bad, and saying it's only when it gets that bad that it's an addiction is... well, telling enough for how we take addiction and mental health as a non-serious issue.
play responsibly.
tl;dr: defined as addiction? no. can it be an addiction? absolutely, gaming fits almost every check for a high capacity to be psychologically addictive under the right circumstances. but for most, no.
edit: and no, just because gaming doesn't directly enhance a set of skills (other than hand-eye coordination, reaction time and maybe some other minute skills) doesn't mean it is easier diagnosed as an addiction than any other psychological addiction. someone who spends 8 hrs a day drawing and calls out of work on the regular to just "finish one more painting" and who wishes they could stop drawing to hang out with friends or family or do something else productive like learn a new language is just as addicted as the people in those everquest horror stories. that you learn a skill or not isn't part of the diagnosis, that's ridiculous, and would mean that the psychologist in question would be able to denote what is, or is not, a "worthless" activity over a "worthwhile" activity... which would cause a bias in the analyser, which is grounds for malpractice. whether something is worthwhile/worthless has no bearing on the question "is [person] exhibiting signs of psychological addiction to X?" the patient will give worth to their addiction, anyway, that's the fucking nature of addicts of ANY kind, physical or psychological.
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This entire post has gone off the rails.
Yes, anything CAN be an addiction. Addictions are situational and contextual. If anything has adverse effects, and you can't stop yourself, it could be considered an addiction.
Yes, jogging can be an addiction. If you are choosing to jog over going to work, paying bills, and overall taking care of your life, using it as a crutch to get you through your day, that is an addiction. Absolutely, reading can be an addiction. This is commonly associated with bibliophiles. Ever see the anime R.O.D. (Read or Die) TV? That's a damned good example... and anime.
Gaming in general is not considered an addiction. Drinking alcohol is not considered an addiction. Drinking too much alcohol isn't even considered an addiction (I think technically that's considered drunk?). Using alcohol as a crutch to get through your day would be considered an addiction.
Can we move this to "Off-Topic"?
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Better yet, can we close it?
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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.
Yeah, because no one ever plays video games in a bright lit room with friends, or makes connections online or in person because of games. But I guess some are more interested in certain hobbies then others; there's no need to make hasty generalizations to bolster your opinion. Your argument is just based on opinion alone, and you don't have anything to back it up.
By the way, you're excused. ;)
As I said not everyone. But i'm guessing you're talking about couch co-op? Isn't that kind of dead these days with the whole online aspect?
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Better yet, can we close it?
I was reading an article about debating if gaming addiction should be considered a general addiction.
I had to make some push back or this would be one sided. I don't think it's an addiction but I can educate other views. It's obviously a personal subject. If it's to much for you as usual you know where the door is.
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Lighten up, sunshine. I was making a joke.
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Lighten up, sunshine. I was making a joke.
^_^
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gaming no, excess of it yes.
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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.
Yeah, because no one ever plays video games in a bright lit room with friends, or makes connections online or in person because of games. But I guess some are more interested in certain hobbies then others; there's no need to make hasty generalizations to bolster your opinion. Your argument is just based on opinion alone, and you don't have anything to back it up.
By the way, you're excused. ;)
As I said not everyone. But i'm guessing you're talking about couch co-op? Isn't that kind of dead these days with the whole online aspect?
Couch co-op is not really supported on XB1/ PS4 because both companies realized that w/ online, you don't have to worry about optimizing framerate for multiplayer, and consumers have to pay to play online. You can also play online with friends, even when you're right next to each other as well.
Edit: Thanks for correcting me; its the dev decision for this, not Sony/Microsoft ignition!
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I don't think it's an addiction but I can educate other views. It's obviously a personal subject. If it's to much for you as usual you know where the door is.
If you can't handle someone disagreeing with you, then perhaps opening a "debate" thread wasn't the best idea.
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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.
Yeah, because no one ever plays video games in a bright lit room with friends, or makes connections online or in person because of games. But I guess some are more interested in certain hobbies then others; there's no need to make hasty generalizations to bolster your opinion. Your argument is just based on opinion alone, and you don't have anything to back it up.
By the way, you're excused. ;)
As I said not everyone. But i'm guessing you're talking about couch co-op? Isn't that kind of dead these days with the whole online aspect?
Couch co-op is not really supported on XB1/ PS4 because both companies realized that w/ online, you don't have to worry about optimizing framerate for multiplayer, and consumers have to pay to play online. You can also play online with friends, even when you're right next to each other as well.
That's not really a Microsoft/Sony decision, that's a developer decision.
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More like collecting :D
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I don't think it's an addiction but I can educate other views. It's obviously a personal subject. If it's to much for you as usual you know where the door is.
If you can't handle someone disagreeing with you, then perhaps opening a "debate" thread wasn't the best idea.
Wrong. It's called push back, so it doesn't turn into a monologue. Please don't get emotional again.
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^Who's getting emotional? I think you've made some decent points here, but telling people to leave once they say something you disagree with is just bad forum etiquette, especially over something so trivial. Both sides of the discussion have been represented equally here, yet you're only targeting one side. That's not push back. That's you opening a thread to push your own opinion on people. Again, I'm not saying this because I disagree with you or think this isn't the place for a healthy debate. I just have to wonder if you started this thread with a motive in mind.
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Yes playing games can be addictive depending on the game. But more curiously I wonder if game collecting can be an addiction? I think it's more of a compulsive thing.
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Better yet, can we close it?
I was reading an article about debating if gaming addiction should be considered a general addiction.
I had to make some push back or this would be one sided. I don't think it's an addiction but I can educate other views. It's obviously a personal subject. If it's to much for you as usual you know where the door is.
If you wanted to create a discussion thread about gaming addiction, then just do so. You weren't doing anyone any favors by pointlessly bringing in stereotypes and strawmen. That's not how you play devils advocate, especially when your question didn't make alot of sense to begin with.
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Yes playing games can be addictive depending on the game. But more curiously I wonder if game collecting can be an addiction? I think it's more of a compulsive thing.
addictions come with compulsions heh.
idk how collecting would be so much addiction, other than psychological, unless it's kinda like gambling? sure, you might NEVER PLAY THE GAME you just bought, but if you blind buy primarily, instead of looking at reviews, then it's kinda a gamble. "did i just waste my cash on a crap shoot or did i uncover a gem" is a fun game to play, could be considered a gamble.
but i don't think so haha. other than any other thing which can be psychologically addicting, but then, i think it depends on the methods on how someone buys it, then you would sort it in a 'type' of addiction, rather than simply 'collecting'
or we're (orderly) hoarders!
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TL;DR of the thread: OP creates topic; posts are an entirely one sided argument. He accuses people of being emotional after making emotionally driven statements when others make better arguments against his position.
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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.
That is very opinionated and subjective though. And biased. Video games improve your hand eye coordination, your peripheral vision, you have to read in most RPGs thus helping your vocabulary, your finger dexterity to a certain extent. they help you to meet new friends online. Some games help you get exercise. Streaming on twitch or YouTube can make you money, pay bills, you can make millions off of gaming if you become big enough. Sure its a rarity but so is becoming a guitarist for a popular band. Guitar doesn't improve anything. What does guitar do? It gets people to watch you and like you and In very rare cases can make you money but really learning to play guitar doesn't do anything to benefit you mentally other than maybe the thrill factor or pleasure you get from it like video game. It doesn't educate you. You wont use it in most work settings. You perceive that as a skill but cant anything be considered a skill?
This whole thread is filled with vague terms that have loose meanings. Words like "Skill" or "addiction" are subjective. Anything can be a skill and anything can be an addiction. Depends what you consider to be a threshold for skill and addiction. Wrapping a sandwich in plastic wrap could be a skill. Petting a dog could be an addiction if done excessively in variations of 9 hours a day hurting the dog or your hand. In general its best not to put these labels on things. As said before video game is a hobby more or less but it can be addictive to some. :)
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^Who's getting emotional? I think you've made some decent points here, but telling people to leave once they say something you disagree with is just bad forum etiquette, especially over something so trivial. Both sides of the discussion have been represented equally here, yet you're only targeting one side. That's not push back. That's you opening a thread to push your own opinion on people. Again, I'm not saying this because I disagree with you or think this isn't the place for a healthy debate. I just have to wonder if you started this thread with a motive in mind.
Read it again. You mean asking to shut down the discussion board? Doesn't encourage anything from anyone or me. Is why I said that. Anyway the person was joking why are you bringing it up again, and targeting me out as the villain as usual? Let it rest and stay on topic.
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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.
That is very opinionated and subjective though. And biased. Video games improve your hand eye coordination, your peripheral vision, you have to read in most RPGs thus helping your vocabulary, your finger dexterity to a certain extent. they help you to meet new friends online. Some games help you get exercise. Streaming on twitch or YouTube can make you money, pay bills, you can make millions off of gaming if you become big enough. Sure its a rarity but so is becoming a guitarist for a popular band. Guitar doesn't improve anything. What does guitar do? It gets people to watch you and like you and In very rare cases can make you money but really learning to play guitar doesn't do anything to benefit you mentally other than maybe the thrill factor or pleasure you get from it like video game. It doesn't educate you. You wont use it in most work settings. You perceive that as a skill but cant anything be considered a skill?
This whole thread is filled with vague terms that have loose meanings. Words like "Skill" or "addiction" are subjective. Anything can be a skill and anything can be an addiction. Depends what you consider to be a threshold for skill and addiction. Wrapping a sandwich in plastic wrap could be a skill. Petting a dog could be an addiction if done excessively in variations of 9 hours a day hurting the dog or your hand. In general its best not to put these labels on things. As said before video game is a hobby more or less but it can be addictive to some. :)
I think petting a dog to much would be a compulsive disorder, than an addiction. The brain has a mental disorder, not an actual addiction.
Hmm.. maybe you're right. They weren't actually my values as you can see i'm also a gamer. But i'll say this gaming has had more tragedies than success stories at the end of the day. You don't learn anything playing video games (Except maybe the seasoned jrpg gamer), nor gain skills in the real world that will help you succeed socially or emotionally. Gaming as a hobby was an escape it always was.
I've made no conclusions btw.
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addiction does not classify a whole category; I can use cocaine, but not be addicted it.
Video games, like almost anything can become addictive. Anything that has a positive association has the potential to become an addiction. With that said, I think there are people out there who are genuinely addicted to video games, whether it is playing them, collecting them, or buying them. I've personally know few people that I would classify as addicted to gaming in one way or another. Recently, even in my own attempts to slow down on the amount of games I buy, I have noticed how hard it is. I don't believe I am addicted, but the positive association of finding a new game for my collection has definitely sunk its hooks in me over these years and I can see that I did seek it out.
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Yes playing games can be addictive depending on the game. But more curiously I wonder if game collecting can be an addiction? I think it's more of a compulsive thing.
addictions come with compulsions heh.
idk how collecting would be so much addiction, other than psychological, unless it's kinda like gambling? sure, you might NEVER PLAY THE GAME you just bought, but if you blind buy primarily, instead of looking at reviews, then it's kinda a gamble. "did i just waste my cash on a crap shoot or did i uncover a gem" is a fun game to play, could be considered a gamble.
but i don't think so haha. other than any other thing which can be psychologically addicting, but then, i think it depends on the methods on how someone buys it, then you would sort it in a 'type' of addiction, rather than simply 'collecting'
or we're (orderly) hoarders!
Pretty much.
I've collected games for about 8 years and I still don't really see it as being addictive. Despite creating a lot of cool memories while in the hunt, it's really not the game hunting that I enjoy so much. More so it's the idea that I didn't have this item, and now I do. Or maybe I might not be able to have this item, and now I do have it. I'm a bit frugal and penny pinching by nature, so actually the process of game collecting is somewhat psychologically painful to me. I spend a lot of time researching and looking into the information about games that are out there. Mostly I enjoy the discovery aspect of game collecting, and then the procurement.
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Yes playing games can be addictive depending on the game. But more curiously I wonder if game collecting can be an addiction? I think it's more of a compulsive thing.
addictions come with compulsions heh.
idk how collecting would be so much addiction, other than psychological, unless it's kinda like gambling? sure, you might NEVER PLAY THE GAME you just bought, but if you blind buy primarily, instead of looking at reviews, then it's kinda a gamble. "did i just waste my cash on a crap shoot or did i uncover a gem" is a fun game to play, could be considered a gamble.
but i don't think so haha. other than any other thing which can be psychologically addicting, but then, i think it depends on the methods on how someone buys it, then you would sort it in a 'type' of addiction, rather than simply 'collecting'
or we're (orderly) hoarders!
Pretty much.
I've collected games for about 8 years and I still don't really see it as being addictive. Despite creating a lot of cool memories while in the hunt, it's really not the game hunting that I enjoy so much. More so it's the idea that I didn't have this item, and now I do. Or maybe I might not be able to have this item, and now I do have it. I'm a bit frugal and penny pinching by nature, so actually the process of game collecting is somewhat psychologically painful to me. I spend a lot of time researching and looking into the information about games that are out there. Mostly I enjoy the discovery aspect of game collecting, and then the procurement.
i love the hunt, but it gets me out of the house when otherwise, i probably would close myself in other than for work. it's much more relaxing to drive around to thrift stores and pawn shops, than, say, grocery shopping as well. so there's definitely a positive benefit to me being a collector. otherwise, i would literally never have outside contact with people other than customers and coworkers, and that's pretty dangerous. sure, i doubt gamestop employees care about their chats with me that much, but there again, i did make a friend through that, and employment. so -shrug- who knows.
the discovery is an added bonus. the "aha" moment, like when my eyes glanced over a black-label copy of sonic generations, that "FUCKIN FINALLY!" moment... i only ever see it GH, so i was pretty excited to FINALLY get to own (and play!) the game. it's pretty good (dare say act 1 has the same problem as the genesis sonics tho... too fast, while being zoomed in too much, but i might just be sitting too close to a 48" tv, that might be my issue, lmao)
i know it's not an addiction for me, tho, because i have addictions. i'm addicted to cigarettes (there was a time where i wasn't, those days are long gone), i'm addicted to the internet, i have an eating disorder that comes with compulsions and weird actions/habits that consume my mind even when i'm supposed to be, say, working. eating disorders are also addictions... psychologists are working on what makes an ED, and all they can draw is "restrictive eating disorders derive from reward/punishment sections of the brain"... there's a TED talk about it, it's fascinating, and unnerving to hear my thought process displayed 'to the public'.
but when i see a game i really want, but don't have the cash for (without cutting into my rent and other bills) i don't just fucking buy it anyway. i curse its existence at that moment, i get upset, but i can walk away. i've never been late because "just one more pawn shop...", none of that. of course, i think someone could be addicted (they work, only because it means more games, they fall into shoplifting games when they CAN'T afford it, etc etc) but i think it'd be relatively rare. i DO blind-buy however (it's way more fun than looking over reviews... i look at reviews later, usually after playing), but that's a matter of personal tastes. being spoiled on games ruined gaming for me, so i just stopped. i enjoy games in all flavours a lot more without it, but i'm really susceptible to peer pressure, so that's why.
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.
That is very opinionated and subjective though. And biased. Video games improve your hand eye coordination, your peripheral vision, you have to read in most RPGs thus helping your vocabulary, your finger dexterity to a certain extent. they help you to meet new friends online. Some games help you get exercise. Streaming on twitch or YouTube can make you money, pay bills, you can make millions off of gaming if you become big enough. Sure its a rarity but so is becoming a guitarist for a popular band. Guitar doesn't improve anything. What does guitar do? It gets people to watch you and like you and In very rare cases can make you money but really learning to play guitar doesn't do anything to benefit you mentally other than maybe the thrill factor or pleasure you get from it like video game. It doesn't educate you. You wont use it in most work settings. You perceive that as a skill but cant anything be considered a skill?
This whole thread is filled with vague terms that have loose meanings. Words like "Skill" or "addiction" are subjective. Anything can be a skill and anything can be an addiction. Depends what you consider to be a threshold for skill and addiction. Wrapping a sandwich in plastic wrap could be a skill. Petting a dog could be an addiction if done excessively in variations of 9 hours a day hurting the dog or your hand. In general its best not to put these labels on things. As said before video game is a hobby more or less but it can be addictive to some. :)
I think petting a dog to much would be a compulsive disorder, than an addiction. The brain has a mental disorder, not an actual addiction.
Hmm.. maybe you're right. They weren't actually my values as you can see i'm also a gamer. But i'll say this gaming has had more tragedies than success stories at the end of the day. You don't learn anything playing video games (Except maybe the seasoned jrpg gamer), nor gain skills in the real world that will help you succeed socially or emotionally. Gaming as a hobby was an escape it always was.
I've made no conclusions btw.
i would argue against the idea gaming doesn't... teach you anything. like i just said above, had it not been for gaming (and collecting by extension) i wouldn't ever really socialise offline. i go to gamestop, and if it's a dead hour, i can have a nice chat with the people behind the counter about games they play and whatnot. i can bond with people who also game, by mutual hobby. finding, say, other people who draw, in the wild, is not as easy as finding gamers. i may not divulge my preferences (weeb jrpgs) but i can hold a convo with someone else's interests over mine, so it works. it's whatever.
yes, it's an escape, but as are film... any art form, that's the point. books are also an escape, the classic escape. that's why fantasy books are almost always first on the chopping block of totalitarian regimes that are fond of book burning... well, after anti-authoritarian novels and dystopian sci-fis and religious texts. but when it comes to fiction exclusively, they come high in the tiers of "shit to be banned".
and also, gaming definitely fucking helped me. i learnt to read SOLELY to be able to read pokemon blue... i was lost and confused, so i buckled up and took to reading... i was 7.
i was playing final fantasy 13 last night... i last played it when i was 17, and now i am far better at playing it... not a hard game, but back then, the paradigm shifts and such were extremely hard for me to grasp. again, certified learning disorder here, low IQ. strategy games in general have done nothing but help my critical thinking skills. playing pokemon competitively, when i was 14, got me to get back on track in maths. it might be 'basic maths', but the calculation that goes into pokemon metagame isn't the easiest thing. (animal crossing taught me how to type, as well, oddly enough. WAY better than those shitty typing games on school computers could ever do... and was way, way more rewarding, too, in-game)
and arguably, playing games with other languages (japanese, russian) has sparked my interest in learning other languages, as well. which isn't the smoothest of sailing, but then, i'm trying to learn one of the harder languages in the world to learn (russian... i mean, go look up grammar rules of russian, it'll put your ass on the floor lmao).
the worth of gaming, to you, may be very little. and that means you're fortunate. but how many people have been inspired by gaming, and gaming alone, to go learn programming languages? to take up art? to take up reading, or learning another language (primarily, i imagine, japanese)? are those not worthwhile skills? maybe drawing, not so much, but learning another language (programming or human)? that's incredibly useful. how many people took up repairing hardware and building hardware thanks to YLOD/RROD, or NES 72-pin failures, or simply to build a gaming PC... that's fucking worthwhile shit.
and minecraft is a creativity-building tool, for sure. even some schools use minecraft now, to help teach.
i've also heard of people getting jobs in management due to their ability to lead guilds in games like world of warcraft.
if it wasn't for games, i doubt i'd be reading at the level i do now, my critical thinking and strategic planning would be in a deficit, quick wits and making fast decisions would be a wreck... and then the socialisation aspects, too.
i think you're undercutting the 'worth' of video games a lot. a lot. and also, of course you hear about the reports of all the bad shit--what's new in the world? bad shit = drama = views = money. people loooove drama. of course you only hear about the dramatic deaths. but how many success stories ACTUALLY get out in the world? probably very few. other than big shots like pewdiepie, but the other stories that may not lead to big monetary gain probably don't get out. not enough drama there. no way to spark outrage... for more views, for more money. who cares about a kid learning to read to play pokemon blue? no one. who cares about some guy in RoK dying because he played games for 3 days straight? a lot of people, because a lot of people are dramawhores and "how could someone do that?!" because we have a severe lack of education about mental health (and addiction by extension) in the first world... east or west, wherever you go.
either way, i also think you're undercutting the value of playing guitar (as you wrote above) or drawing... those skills might not develop to make money, but there's ample amounts of evidence that mastering a skill will boost self-esteem and self-worth, especially in teenagers. it is the act of creating and doing something and having something to show for your time and effort that creates self esteem. so, yeah, you're undervaluing a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense to undervalue in psychology. all to play this devil advocate game... on a premise you're really don't seem educated enough about to play DA over.
and this is coming from someone who does stand by the notion gaming -can- be addicting... to a point of debilitation, but simply isn't the case for the majority, and does think that those who are neck-deep in addiction to games (or the internet) should receive help to turn their addiction back into a hobby.
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VGBlog
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Hmm.. maybe you're right. They weren't actually my values as you can see i'm also a gamer. But i'll say this gaming has had more tragedies than success stories at the end of the day. You don't learn anything playing video games (Except maybe the seasoned jrpg gamer), nor gain skills in the real world that will help you succeed socially or emotionally. Gaming as a hobby was an escape it always was.
I've made no conclusions btw.
I'm with Necrosexual on this one, I'll fight against this ideal to the world's end. This whole 'I'm not actively being bogged down with a Maths textbook in front of my stupid face, while by being lectured by someone with the aroma of coffee and cigarettes. Therefore video games don't and won't teach us anything'.
Through my personal experience, my vocabulary has improved thanks to video games, even if it involved asking my parents what a word meant, the opportunity came up thanks to various video games.
How about something more prominant like Professor Layton, not only has it encouraged a lot of creative thinking and calculation, it's the only game I've been able to share with my Mom. Senran Kagura (Christ, quite the example) has helped me to become more comfortable with my sexuality, it actually made me more confident with myself around family and friends. It may have just been coincidental time in my life, but it played its part nonetheless
As an Artist, I wouldn't be anywhere near as developed as I am now without video games, just the same as people may be influenced by television, movies, books & music. I'd carry on, but I feel like this thread may be coming to an end
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VGBlog
uhh, I don't even
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Hmm.. maybe you're right. They weren't actually my values as you can see i'm also a gamer. But i'll say this gaming has had more tragedies than success stories at the end of the day. You don't learn anything playing video games (Except maybe the seasoned jrpg gamer), nor gain skills in the real world that will help you succeed socially or emotionally. Gaming as a hobby was an escape it always was.
I've made no conclusions btw.
I'm with Necrosexual on this one, I'll fight against this ideal to the world's end. This whole 'I'm not actively being bogged down with a Maths textbook in front of my stupid face, while by being lectured by someone with the aroma of coffee and cigarettes. Therefore video games don't and won't teach us anything'.
Through my personal experience, my vocabulary has improved thanks to video games, even if it involved asking my parents what a word meant, the opportunity came up thanks to various video games.
How about something more prominant like Professor Layton, not only has it encouraged a lot of creative thinking and calculation, it's the only game I've been able to share with my Mom. Senran Kagura (Christ, quite the example) has helped me to become more comfortable with my sexuality, it actually made me more confident with myself around family and friends. It may have just been coincidental time in my life, but it played its part nonetheless
As an Artist, I wouldn't be anywhere near as developed as I am now without video games, just the same as people may be influenced by television, movies, books & music. I'd carry on, but I feel like this thready my be coming to an end
woah hey there.
senran kagura helped me out too, to some degree. particularly, murakumo (http://"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/kagura/images/e/e0/Murakumo_EV.png/revision/latest?cb=20151005182811"). i related to her a lot. felt a lot less alone. tho i don't wear a mask, haha, just long sleeves... all year. even in summer. it's a safe guard, i suppose.
not so much my sexuality (i'm not straight) but it helps that it was one of those games in the time period when i was coming to terms with liking cute things... that said, persona 4 golden did a lot more. kanji is a fantastic character, and his story forced my hand when i was deep in depression (before coming out as transsexual). to be clear, i had used both "but i like [feminine] things" and "but i like men..." as a justification for why i wasn't able to be a trans guy... but ayy here i am, 7 months on testosterone (and taking a break because it's a controlled substance and i can't pay the medical bills to get more blood tests... i'm not pleased, to say the least). but senran kagura still has a soft place in my heart. i was playing that and p4g around that time.
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VGBlog
uhh, I don't even
Again, I was making a joke.
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woah hey there.
senran kagura helped me out too, to some degree. particularly, murakumo (http://"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/kagura/images/e/e0/Murakumo_EV.png/revision/latest?cb=20151005182811"). i related to her a lot. felt a lot less alone. tho i don't wear a mask, haha, just long sleeves... all year. even in summer. it's a safe guard, i suppose.
not so much my sexuality (i'm not straight) but it helps that it was one of those games in the time period when i was coming to terms with liking cute things... that said, persona 4 golden did a lot more. kanji is a fantastic character, and his story forced my hand when i was deep in depression (before coming out as transsexual). to be clear, i had used both "but i like [feminine] things" and "but i like men..." as a justification for why i wasn't able to be a trans guy... but ayy here i am, 7 months on testosterone (and taking a break because it's a controlled substance and i can't pay the medical bills to get more blood tests... i'm not pleased, to say the least). but senran kagura still has a soft place in my heart. i was playing that and p4g around that time.
LOOK AT DAT CLEAVER! Mirai is my character of choice, she has several aspects about her that I can relate to. Despite being 21 years of age, I'm a measly 5 ft 4 inches tall and occasionally get judged by that height, it doesn't do much good for your self-esteem, it also makes me feel unattractive. In Mirai's case this is expressed not only through her height but, of course her breast size relative to her comrades. I also hate being ignored, I always put my best foot forward, speaking politely and showing good manners, is it some much to expect basic human acknowledgement of your mere existence. Umbrella Tommy Gun, you can't go wrong.
YES! I love derailing the thread
Again, I was making a joke.
Indeed you were, I think we're all against this thing. Now it looks like it's time to say goodbye
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woah hey there.
senran kagura helped me out too, to some degree. particularly, murakumo (http://"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/kagura/images/e/e0/Murakumo_EV.png/revision/latest?cb=20151005182811"). i related to her a lot. felt a lot less alone. tho i don't wear a mask, haha, just long sleeves... all year. even in summer. it's a safe guard, i suppose.
not so much my sexuality (i'm not straight) but it helps that it was one of those games in the time period when i was coming to terms with liking cute things... that said, persona 4 golden did a lot more. kanji is a fantastic character, and his story forced my hand when i was deep in depression (before coming out as transsexual). to be clear, i had used both "but i like [feminine] things" and "but i like men..." as a justification for why i wasn't able to be a trans guy... but ayy here i am, 7 months on testosterone (and taking a break because it's a controlled substance and i can't pay the medical bills to get more blood tests... i'm not pleased, to say the least). but senran kagura still has a soft place in my heart. i was playing that and p4g around that time.
LOOK AT DAT CLEAVER! Mirai is my character of choice, she has several aspects about her that I can relate to. Despite being 21 years of age, I'm a measly 5 ft 4 inches tall and occasionally get judged by that height, it doesn't do much good for your self-esteem, it also makes me feel unattractive. In Mirai's case this is expressed not only through her height but, of course her breast size relative to her comrades. I also hate being ignored, I always put my best foot forward, speaking politely and showing good manners, is it some much to expect basic human acknowledgement of your mere existence. Umbrella Tommy Gun, you can't go wrong.
YES! I love derailing the thread
Again, I was making a joke.
Indeed you were, I think we're all against this thing. Now it looks like it's time to say goodbye
if it helps, i'm also 5'4" but with a pathetically femme face. i get ma'amed and shit literally all the time. i want long hair, but i'm probably going to have to cut it for the 'she/her/ma'am' shit to stop. i'm 23.
i look 12.
not to make a pity party or a 'it could be worse!' out of this, but i know them feels too much.