Compulsive gamers "not addicts"

[personalmgt]

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read the lines in bold to go to the point quickly, im sure some of you guys don't want to read long articles.

Ninety per cent of the young people who seek treatment for compulsive computer gaming are not addicted.

So says Keith Bakker the founder and head of Europe's first and only clinic to treat gaming addicts.

The Smith & Jones Centre in Amsterdam has treated hundreds of young gamers since the clinic opened in 2006.

But the clinic is changing its treatment as it realises that compulsive gaming is a social rather than a psychological problem.

Using traditional abstinence-based treatment models the clinic has had very high success rates treating people who also show other addictive behaviours such as drug taking and excessive drinking.

But Mr Bakker believes that this kind of cross-addiction affects only 10% of gamers. For the other 90% who may spend four hours a day or more playing games such as World of Warcraft, he no longer thinks addiction counselling is the way to treat these people.

"These kids come in showing some kind of symptoms that are similar to other addictions and chemical dependencies," he says.

"But the more we work with these kids the less I believe we can call this addiction. What many of these kids need is their parents and their school teachers - this is a social problem."

In response to this realisation the clinic has changed its treatment programme for gamers to focus more on developing activity-based social and communications skills to help them rejoin society.

more here at: BBC NEWS | Technology | Compulsive gamers 'not addicts'
I guess this has to be the best study ever done regarding gaming addiction. When I was younger, my mom scolds me alot when I play too much video games. She thinks im an addict, something worse than a drug addict. But then I just can't stop playing video games because im a less social guy.

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

I agree ... GAMING is some sort of an OUTLET to the real and outside world where interacting with reality far fetch to that individual .

[spectre]

gaming is fun, but life should be balanced.

[P-Chan]

gaming is like drugs...

dili mo sulod sa classe
hurot imo kwarta
maka daot sa health

the children are the future baya.. asa man ta padong ani ron?

[grovestreet]

games is just another escapism like drugs.
i used to be an addicted gamer... now i look back and regret all those precious times wasted just for the sake of making your digital character look kick ass. Not productive at all.

[rodsky]

Computer gaming led me to finding a job and getting into a business that exists in an environment that relies on gaming technology, so I don't regret "all those precious times" gaming, because all my skills now that makes us profit in our business, was the product of those years of experience as a gamer and game "modder"...they directly led me to this enjoyable existence I have now

-RODION

[The_Child]

whoever said Gaming is bad, or addictive? Gaming becomes bad if its fuses with someone's personal issues. For me, video games have shaped my world-view. my early childhood and even now, was preoccupied with video gaming, with myself and friends. Imagination helps in developing critical thinking. And arent video gaming solution oriented? you'd be bound to find a way to finish the game, internally or externally (cheating) in the most imaginative and entertaining way as possible. you learn many things in a fun way. Hehehe.

The children is the future, let them video game as much as they should read books.

cheers!

[lecreigh]

i think you have a point!! wow.. at least naa na jud nag conduct ug study ani noh? makalagot mn gud cos just because u spend so much time playing doesnt mean adik naka, dba? and it really doesnt work that way (di sad ko adik hah) ... i think daghan ta mo agree ani....

[cottonmouth]

... For me, video games have shaped my world-view.

Define your "World View"?

[personalmgt]

gaming is like drugs...

if gaming is like drugs, what is your idea on the following pictures:


if it was in a sarcastic manner, i would say sports is equivalent to drugs too, another way of escapism. naay gasto, ang mga bata dili mo-sud kay mag-sigeg basket. maka-daot sa lawas kay magka-injury, pamaol and alike.

again, gaming is not like drugs that you have to intoxicate yourself with. no drinking involved, no smoking involved, no stealing involved, no fighting involved, no sexual activities involved, its just pure mind games. compulsive gaming is caused when children are unattended as based on the article. children become dependent on video games because children will start thinking that video games give them more fun than their guardians do because they are unattended by important people around him/her.

(i edited this lots of times just to get the right grammar. did i get that right? hahaha)