Gaming "Addiction"... lots of words... prepare your eyes.

JerzeyLegend

JerzeyLegend

Well-Known Member
I was giving my Facebook newsfeed a look over when I ran into this: http://www.video-game-addiction.org/physical-consequences.html#.U8SQhYbnAfw.facebook

It seems to be a site on video game addiction, with this page in particular being about the physical consequences. I wanted to know what the community thought about these "symptoms".

I posted a response to the post with this, this is my opinion, and I hope you you can read over it all before replying:


This is garbage. In order to get all the things listed in this article, you would literally have to do NOTHING but game 24 hours a day.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
While that is a possibility, game controllers are designed to be ergonomic and easy to hold. I've been gaming for years and I don't have it. I've never heard of ANY gamer complaining about CTS.

Migraines:
It says migraines may be due to increased strain? Actually when you're playing a videogame, your eyes are looking all over, seeing small details in the back, it is medically proven to improve eyesight and response time.

Sleep disturbances:
I could see losing sleep because you want to play games, but sleep apnea and narcolepsy? Give me a break.

Backaches:
This can happen with anything in life, sit in something ergonomical. Also you should take frequent breaks and stretch if you're going to game for a long time. This is something video games actually ask you to do in their documentations.

Eating Irregularities:
I'm starting to feel like this entire article was based on the South Park episode "Make Love not Warcraft". Where Stan and friends did nothing but play Warcraft. Gamers get hungry, our minds and bodies stimulated by our games. Poor eating choices are a factor before the "addiction". Don't blames games for bad eating choices.

Poor personal hygiene:
While video games may be a source of some bad body odor, because you want to finish this 20-man raid rather than take a shower, I don't think it is so much as a health issue as it is more of a personal issue/preference.

All of the examples presented in the article are extremes, severe extremes, and it even seems to go as far as fear-mongering to keep people from playing video games.

As with all things, you must use moderation and responsibility. That's just life. I'm addicted to games, yet I don't suffer from any of those problems. I love games, computers, technology, etc. I exercise self control. That's what the article should be about, teaching people who are "addicted" to make sure they still do what they need to do, not lower their self confidence and make them feel like they committed a crime.




What do you think? Was my response justified or was it just baseless garbage? As I said in the article, this all seems like someone in EXTREME condition, and while it may exist, I have never witnessed it, and I feel like it would be rare enough to not consider these things as video game addiction. As a person who loves games, I can consider myself addicted. Maybe not as severe, but it just seems as someone who enjoys them, that I am seen as someone who is suffering from any one of those problems... when I'm not. Maybe it just hit a nerve, I don't know.

Maybe someone more level headed than me can share some insight.
 
JerzeyLegend said:
I was giving my Facebook newsfeed a look over when I ran into this: http://www.video-game-addiction.org/physical-consequences.html#.U8SQhYbnAfw.facebook

It seems to be a site on video game addiction, with this page in particular being about the physical consequences. I wanted to know what the community thought about these "symptoms".

I posted a response to the post with this, this is my opinion, and I hope you you can read over it all before replying:


This is garbage. In order to get all the things listed in this article, you would literally have to do NOTHING but game 24 hours a day.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
While that is a possibility, game controllers are designed to be ergonomic and easy to hold. I've been gaming for years and I don't have it. I've never heard of ANY gamer complaining about CTS.

Migraines:
It says migraines may be due to increased strain? Actually when you're playing a videogame, your eyes are looking all over, seeing small details in the back, it is medically proven to improve eyesight and response time.

Sleep disturbances:
I could see losing sleep because you want to play games, but sleep apnea and narcolepsy? Give me a break.

Backaches:
This can happen with anything in life, sit in something ergonomical. Also you should take frequent breaks and stretch if you're going to game for a long time. This is something video games actually ask you to do in their documentations.

Eating Irregularities:
I'm starting to feel like this entire article was based on the South Park episode "Make Love not Warcraft". Where Stan and friends did nothing but play Warcraft. Gamers get hungry, our minds and bodies stimulated by our games. Poor eating choices are a factor before the "addiction". Don't blames games for bad eating choices.

Poor personal hygiene:
While video games may be a source of some bad body odor, because you want to finish this 20-man raid rather than take a shower, I don't think it so much as a personal issue as it is a health issue.

All of the examples presented in the article are extremes, severe extremes, and it even seems to go as far as fear-mongering to keep people from playing video games.

As with all things, you must use moderation and responsibility. That's just life. I'm addicted to games, yet I don't suffer from any of those problems. I love games, computers, technology, etc. I exercise self control. That's what the article should be about, teaching people who are "addicted" to make sure they still do what they need to do, not lower their self confidence and make them feel like they committed a crime.




What do you think? Was my response justified or was it just baseless garbage? As I said in the article, this all seems like someone in EXTREME condition, and while it may exist, I have never witnessed it, and I feel like it would be rare enough to not consider these things as video game addiction. As a person who loves games, I can consider myself addicted, maybe not as severe, but it just seems as someone who enjoys them that I am seen as someone who is suffering from anyone of those problems... when I'm not. Maybe it just hit a nerve, I don't know.

Maybe someone more level headed than me can share some insight.
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Thank you for this.

I have never touched any illegal substance, including tobacco and alcohol, and I do decently in school. (my recent nonchalance has made my grades drop to a high B average, but I still pass everything easily)

And yet my parents thing it's such a cancer that I'm on here a lot.

I understand that me being on here almost 24/7 isn't a great thing, and it's not positive by any means, but while most people my age are getting stoned, drunk, committing crimes, or knocking someone up, I think my internet dependency pales in comparison.

Heck, I don't even swear.

The media has made video gaming much more than it actually is, going to the point of emphasizing that the Sandy Hook murder frequently played Call of Duty.

Obviously so much relation there.

I don't know, this whole thing just annoys me.

The fear of progression and technology in general combined with ignorance is what fuels these things, IMO.
 
Kris19642 said:
And yet my parents thing it's such a cancer that I'm on here a lot.

I understand that me being on here almost 24/7 isn't a great thing, and it's not positive by any means

The fear of progression and technology in general combined with ignorance is what fuels these things, IMO.
Click to expand...
So all the video game hate stems from conservatives and old people? :D
 
As someone who has pushed most of these to their extremes through playing runescape a vigorous amount of hours in certain instances I can say some are bs and other have their validity.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Biggest load of asinine. To estimate how much I have clicked, It takes over 200k "actions" to make it from level 1-99 in the skill magic, each action can result in 5+ separate clicks or more depending on how much you are just spamming click. I did this twice over in 2 separate versions of the game and in some instances for 10+ hour sessions at a time, not to mention all the clicking in between. *pushes up glasses* *snort* I have never experience any carpal tunnel or symptoms in any relation to. If anything its almost a joke to express how much clicking is done in the game.

Sleep disturbances:
Majorly. Addictive habits resulting in the alure of success or goals or pure enjoyment rather then completely stopping for needed sleep are major attributes. I myself have experience greatly irregular or bad sleeping habits due to video games/runescape.

Backaches:
Meh, like you said this can happen with anything in life. My back has a slight arc in it but its never hurt yet my brother spends no time on the computer and has major back problems at age 16 from sports.

All these are like you said EXTREME instances that these would ever occur (or in some cases not at all). Yes you are very justified in your response.
 
Kris19642 said:
Thank you for this.

I have never touched any illegal substance, including tobacco and alcohol, and I do decently in school. (my recent nonchalance has made my grades drop to a high B average, but I still pass everything easily)

And yet my parents thing it's such a cancer that I'm on here a lot.

I understand that me being on here almost 24/7 isn't a great thing, and it's not positive by any means, but while most people my age are getting stoned, drunk, committing crimes, or knocking someone up, I think my internet dependency pales in comparison.

Heck, I don't even swear.

The media has made video gaming much more than it actually is, going to the point of emphasizing that the Sandy Hook murder frequently played Call of Duty.

Obviously so much relation there.

I don't know, this whole thing just annoys me.

The fear of progression and technology in general combined with ignorance is what fuels these things, IMO.
Click to expand...

It's easy to blame games.

There are far more things people could be doing. As you said, doing drugs, drinking unsafe amounts of alcohol, beating my wife.
 
rsmv2you said:
As someone who has pushed most of these to their extremes through playing runescape a vigorous amount of hours in certain instances I can say some are bs and other have their validity.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Biggest load of asinine. To estimate how much I have clicked, It takes over 200k "actions" to make it from level 1-99 in the skill magic, each action can result in 5+ separate clicks or more depending on how much you are just spamming click. I did this twice over in 2 separate versions of the game and in some instances for 10+ hour sessions at a time, not to mention all the clicking in between. *pushes up glasses* *snort* I have never experience any carpal tunnel or symptoms in any relation to. If anything its almost a joke to express how much clicking is done in the game.

Sleep disturbances:
Majorly. Addictive habits resulting in the alure of success or goals or pure enjoyment rather then completely stopping for needed sleep are major attributes. I myself have experience greatly irregular or bad sleeping habits due to video games/runescape.

Backaches:
Meh, like you said this can happen with anything in life. My back has a slight arc in it but its never hurt yet my brother spends no time on the computer and has major back problems at age 16 from sports.

All these are like you said EXTREME instances that these would ever occur (or in some cases not at all). Yes you are very justified in your response.
Click to expand...

Very true.
 
rsmv2you said:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Biggest load of asinine. To estimate how much I have clicked, It takes over 200k "actions" to make it from level 1-99 in the skill magic, each action can result in 5+ separate clicks or more depending on how much you are just spamming click. I did this twice over in 2 separate versions of the game and in some instances for 10+ hour sessions at a time, not to mention all the clicking in between. *pushes up glasses* *snort* I have never experience any carpal tunnel or symptoms in any relation to. If anything its almost a joke to express how much clicking is done in the game.
Click to expand...
I play Osu, one of if not the most physically dangerous/demanding video game, as people have been injuried frequently (even top players) for playing it incorrectly.

However, I'm a noob by comparison, and I have never actually had any problems(although a lot of pain), and I probably have well over 2,000,000 clicks.

And Osu has never given anyone carpel tunnel (that has played it correctly), it has only given people other types of RSIs, and etc, most of which go away over time.

TL;DR: Gaming does not give you CTS, unless you really don't know how to use your hands... Regardless of amount of time spent gaming.
 
In terms of addictive behavior, let me put it this way:

Video games would be the symptom, not the sickness.
 
The only kind of severe sickness from playing Video games I can think of is too much stress from playing MOBA ranked matches.....
 
Though I tend to agree that video game addiction, as described in the link, isn't entirely accurate, I do think there can be a developed dependency on video games for some. It's simple psychology: You're playing a game, and you level up, earn a new item, beat a level, whatever. The pleasure you get from that reward releases endorphins, which is a chemical substance tied to pleasure. People do become addicted to this, either through drugs, sex, alcohol, bungee jumping. Granted, you're going to have to have a certain set of parameters (biology, personal life, etc.) to become dependent on the pleasure of gaming, so many people may not ever get hooked to gaming in that way.

The symptoms you listed, Jerzey, are seemingly bunk since most people's daily lives would lead to half of those issues whether they're gaming or not. The other half are just personal choice (mostly the hygiene issues stated), like you said.

I don't like how there are groups of people out there who are just looking for something to blame for either their own problems, or problems of someone they know, rather than taking ownership of their situation and taking the blame for it.
 
moondoggy23 said:
Though I tend to agree that video game addiction, as described in the link, isn't entirely accurate, I do think there can be a developed dependency on video games for some. It's simple psychology: You're playing a game, and you level up, earn a new item, beat a level, whatever. The pleasure you get from that reward releases endorphins, which is a chemical substance tied to pleasure. People do become addicted to this, either through drugs, sex, alcohol, bungee jumping. Granted, you're going to have to have a certain set of parameters (biology, personal life, etc.) to become dependent on the pleasure of gaming, so many people may not ever get hooked to gaming in that way.

The symptoms you listed, Jerzey, are seemingly bunk since most people's daily lives would lead to half of those issues whether they're gaming or not. The other half are just personal choice (mostly the hygiene issues stated), like you said.

I don't like how there are groups of people out there who are just looking for something to blame for either their own problems, or problems of someone they know, rather than taking ownership of their situation and taking the blame for it.
Click to expand...

Well said. That last bit was a home run out of the park.
 
As someone who has played way too many games over the course of ones life I must say your valid in arguments that it is EXTREME gaming that may have issues arise. The only issue I've ever had with moderate/extreme gaming was an eyesight issue with 'lazy eye' due to playing without proper lighting at night, course this was back in the old days of CRT monitors and playing on the Analog TVs NES games... That was my own negligence that led to that issue, but it seems to have been corrected over the years when I used to wear glasses.

What really bugs me is the constant association of violent games with violent crimes, if a child can't distinguish reality from what's on the computer/tv screen then the field should be broaden to violent news articles, violent movies, violent cartoons, violent books, etc. Course those would all be associated as 'triggers' to the problem and not the root that causes these kids to do such travesties. Just parents need to be more involved with their kids and recognize troubling issues such as bullying. And learn to read the damn parental ratings on games before you buy your 5 yr old GTA games.......Idiots......

Anyways, PAX East 2013 intro put it best by saying that compare the violence at the gaming convention compared to how violent people are at football games or basketball games and you'll get a real idea of what we are a part of and how amazing the gaming community really is compared to all the other associations that kids could be a part of.

~Bored
 
You understand you're part of the problem right? These bullshit scientific claims are only made because they sell money not because they actually have any proof. In order to not start a huge shitstorm by mentioning any (however feel free to ask me privately if you want to know what "scientific claims" are false) I will not list any. Look you can get any sellout guy with a PHD to go on TV and make some random accusation in a field they have no experience in because the media wants to play you for a fool and use your money and ad revenue to become rich. Allow me to tell you a story my father told me (A Nuclear Physicist):
In the 1970s the media was all up in arms about Vietnam and Global Freezing. It was thought that the earth would freeze over by 2000. And look what happened: nothing.
If you want news go somewhere that every single opinion is heard (4chan.org/pol/ is a very good source). When every racist, liberal, conservative, Altruist, Anarchist and Libertarian is talking in the same room you can pick out the facts and make your own opinion instead of listening to Bill Nye make claims he has no authority to make. We live in a media echo chamber and it is dangerous to our mentality by keeping ourselves safe from the truth.
 
To be fair, the only people that would believe and take this rubbish article seriously are either the severely misinformed, or absolute idiots. Unfortunately, people do take this crap seriously, and as a consequence it eventually evolves Into a media circle-jerk.

So yes, you were justified in your response.
 
I feel like alot of these physical consequences result from the PERSON, not the game. I've been playing at least 4-5 hours of Guild Wars 2 for the past weeks and I have none of these. I feel like alot of the carpal tunnel, sleeping diprivity, etc. comes from the player lacking the self control to get off the chair for a second and take a breather.
 
I think the problem starts at the people who aren't even intrested what their kids do just so that they can have a rest from them.
If someone's kid is playing for hours in the same posture, then they will of course have backaches, because they don't observe themselves enough and it would be the parents job to do so. The same goes for the games they play. If the parents don't want their children to get violent from games, then they should have intrest in what their children are doing and not keeping them in their rooms all day alone.

Personal example: My parents were the ones who originally gave me the consoles to play. Around highschool they didn't pay attention to anything I was doing. And around the age of 17 they discovered I was playing shooters out of nowhere after 5 years of doing so. I'm a psychotic addict if I play a shooter, but noone cares at all when I play Mario Kart for 10 hours.

The problem with the poeple who are against video games is, that they don't have any gaming experience of their own and just connect one thing with another out of their stupidity and will believe whatever some "expert" may state in media.

Real addicts don't have enough self-awareness when they start playing, so they get addicted.
I didn't ever have, in my 17 years of gaming, any of the issues listed in the article. Though gaming may led me to bad habbits, these aren't any I wouldn't get rid of by myself in an instant. I may have eating irregularities, but not because of gaming. I go and get something to eat when I'm hungry, and that not at regular times. Also I take my time to eat, even if it's unhelathy.

A lot of people seem to see gaming addicts everywhere, though they are just a small fraction of extremes in the overall mass. A lot of things may apply to a lot of people because it's their main intrest, but that doesn't make them addicts to begin with. The same concept goes for a lot things.


I can't think of myself to never play videogames ever again in my life from tomorrow on or at any given time. For that I simply like it too much. But neither would I say I couldn't live without it, or that I cannot imagine not to do so for a long time.

I think same goes for you, and I think we could say we are "addicted" to games, but aren't real addicts at all.
 
babybacon said:
You understand you're part of the problem right? These bullshit scientific claims are only made because they sell money not because they actually have any proof. In order to not start a huge shitstorm by mentioning any (however feel free to ask me privately if you want to know what "scientific claims" are false) I will not list any. Look you can get any sellout guy with a PHD to go on TV and make some random accusation in a field they have no experience in because the media wants to play you for a fool and use your money and ad revenue to become rich. Allow me to tell you a story my father told me (A Nuclear Physicist):
In the 1970s the media was all up in arms about Vietnam and Global Freezing. It was thought that the earth would freeze over by 2000. And look what happened: nothing.
If you want news go somewhere that every single opinion is heard (4chan.org/pol/ is a very good source). When every racist, liberal, conservative, Altruist, Anarchist and Libertarian is talking in the same room you can pick out the facts and make your own opinion instead of listening to Bill Nye make claims he has no authority to make. We live in a media echo chamber and it is dangerous to our mentality by keeping ourselves safe from the truth.
Click to expand...

Using your logic, why then would I be inclined to listen to your father (a Nuclear Physicist) about Vietnam and Global Freezing?

It's not always about WHO makes the claims or fights for the idea, but how many and how prevalent it is. The whole anti-vaccine claim is big right now because famous people who have a larger pulpit from which to speak are making those crazy claims. Bill Nye is pushing for reforms to help curb climate change. He has more clout because of name recognition, not because he is the definitive authority in climatology, meteorology or any other science that would have any relatability to climate change.

We can pick and choose whatever source we want to gather our information. It's within our right, and not all of it is correct (4chan.org/pol/ for example). We should always be ready to question what we read/hear. When we don't question things is when we are in trouble. Saying Jerzey is part of the problem because he's trying to start a conversation about something he read and questions is silly. You might as well blame Wooty for making this website that hosts these forums with this thread.
 
moondoggy23 said:
Using your logic, why then would I be inclined to listen to your father (a Nuclear Physicist) about Vietnam and Global Freezing?

It's not always about WHO makes the claims or fights for the idea, but how many and how prevalent it is. The whole anti-vaccine claim is big right now because famous people who have a larger pulpit from which to speak are making those crazy claims. Bill Nye is pushing for reforms to help curb climate change. He has more clout because of name recognition, not because he is the definitive authority in climatology, meteorology or any other science that would have any relatability to climate change.

We can pick and choose whatever source we want to gather our information. It's within our right, and not all of it is correct (4chan.org/pol/ for example). We should always be ready to question what we read/hear. When we don't question things is when we are in trouble. Saying Jerzey is part of the problem because he's trying to start a conversation about something he read and questions is silly. You might as well blame Wooty for making this website that hosts these forums with this thread.
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I see where your argument lies however it is not who is fighting for the cause that I have the issue with it is the person who is finding the data. Bill Nye is a chemist not a meteorologist or a climatologist and (Although he can teach those fields to middle schoolers) thus has no authority in those fields to be relaying the data. Now if a meteorologist was to argue and was relaying hte data that is perfectly acceptable but a chemist doing so makes no sense. My father was a teenager in the 1970s and has authority to say that in the 1970s Global Freezing was an idea. If he was to argue in some field he has no credentials in then it would make no sense. Wooty making a forum is just allowing for discussion on various topics he is not relaying the scientific proof of any of the claims.
Likewise it is fine to pick and chose what you wish to read like it is fine to shove rusty nails into your anus: Do them as you will but understand it may be harmful and allowing it to become popular only hurts others more. And reacting too it still generates the ad revenue so that is also part of the problem.
If I (A Highschool Junior) was to make the claim that the world was going to be hit by an asteroid that would end life as we know it I would have no authority to do so because I have no proof or training in those fields. If an astro physicist (like say Neil Degras Tyson) was to make that claim and I advocated with him to find a way to stop this asteroid that would make sense.
The problem is the media likes to take random scientists like Bill Nye and use them to justify any hypothesis that will generate money. And once you hear this and continue to hear it over and over you start to defend it despite it being true or not. You make a nice echo chamber for yourself and advocate for false scientific hypothesizes that have yet to be properly tested. Not to say that the changes you advocate won't help in some way (I think most of the changes to combat global warming whether it is true or not are helpful to mankind). However, lying to yourself instead of paying attention to the facts can cause negative outcomes as well (like vaccines being banned because someone thinks it causes autism and 1000s of children are dead because you were too stupid to trust a half baked scientist with no credentials on the news once).
 
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