Todays society is full of many different addictive substances ranging from the scariest of addictive drugs, alcohol, smoking, tobacco, caffeinated beverages, gambling, pornography, and for some, even abusing their credit cards. When you hear the word addictive, it is quite common for your first thoughts to focus on one or two of these particular subject matters because many people today struggle with their addictive nature. However, how often do you associate addiction and its effects with the gaming industry?
Gaming may not officially be classified as an addiction because the American Medical Association gets to determine when something is addictive and thus causes potential medical threat like drugs, gambling, and alcohol. Ironically, many today are seeking medical help in the form of detox for gaming addictions, in a very similar manner that happens with alcohol and drug addictions. To adequately detox from a gaming addiction, these gamers usually go to a facility and get treated, and most of the time they are required to stop gaming immediately.
It would not be surprising to witness people experiencing gaming withdrawals if they were like the couple from Reno, Nevada that neglected their children because they preferred to play Dungeons & Dragons Online for hours instead. Everyday you hear stories about addicting games and people who become obsessed with their games and they become literal zombies like the ones they play on their games. If you talk to any of the makers of these popular games, including, StarCraft, EverQuest, Call of Duty, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Worlds of Warcraft, they will tell you that these games are designed to be addictive in nature.
Just ask Jason Kapalka, the co-founder of PopCap, a popular gaming company. He will tell you that their company loves it when gamers are addicted to their games; in fact it is basically their business model. Their team created the idea behind the quick hit games, where gamers can experience a little bit of the game at first without having to commit financially right away " basically try it for free for a few days. Ask anyone who tried their games like Peggie or Bejeweled, and they will most likely tell you that during the trial period they were easily addicted and eventually purchased.
Many people from the outside probably look at these gaming companies and think they are deceptive in nature because they are making products that are addictive. However, from the designers prospective, an addictive game is a very positive thing " it means that gamers like it and want to keep playing it. Also, these companies are not sitting around the table like tobacco companies wondering how they can sell you something that is bad for your health. On the contrary, they want to make a game that is exciting to play and sometimes that means gray areas on the issue of addiction.
This gray area can cause people to question certain games, specifically those that are controversial. One in particular, World of Warcraft (you might hear it called World of WarCrack), has been questioned time and time again regarding their intentions with their game and additionally whether or not they have crossed the line when it comes to addiction. The producers of the game disagree with any claims of false intentions, saying that they do the exact same thing every other company out there does only better and they attribute their success to customer service. Despite what they say, many people today still think the game is a cause of addiction for many people.
Although many people seem to blame the designers of these games for their addictive nature, another major player in their addictive role is this socializing aspect that is involved with gaming. Because of modern day technology and the use of the Internet, thousands of gamers can be brought together at one time. In the past, when someone was playing by himself or herself, it might have been easier to get tired, bored, or uninterested and move on. Today, when you add social networking to the gaming industry, it adds another element contributing to the gaming addiction.
Many therapists who specialize in the area of Internet and computer addiction agree that gaming on the computer only further deteriorates the gaming addiction. The demographics of most of the online gamers seem to be teenagers and young men in their 20s who have a lot of time on their hands and unfortunately lack friendship and companionship. Because of this, they are often lonely and it translates into an addiction that can be hard to control.
If you participate in gaming, you might want to evaluate whether or not it has become an addiction for you. Just like with anything addictive substance, doing something just once, can easily turn into something excessive. If gaming has become addictive for you, take the necessary steps to achieve a balance in your life so you are healthier.
Gaming may not officially be classified as an addiction because the American Medical Association gets to determine when something is addictive and thus causes potential medical threat like drugs, gambling, and alcohol. Ironically, many today are seeking medical help in the form of detox for gaming addictions, in a very similar manner that happens with alcohol and drug addictions. To adequately detox from a gaming addiction, these gamers usually go to a facility and get treated, and most of the time they are required to stop gaming immediately.
It would not be surprising to witness people experiencing gaming withdrawals if they were like the couple from Reno, Nevada that neglected their children because they preferred to play Dungeons & Dragons Online for hours instead. Everyday you hear stories about addicting games and people who become obsessed with their games and they become literal zombies like the ones they play on their games. If you talk to any of the makers of these popular games, including, StarCraft, EverQuest, Call of Duty, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Worlds of Warcraft, they will tell you that these games are designed to be addictive in nature.
Just ask Jason Kapalka, the co-founder of PopCap, a popular gaming company. He will tell you that their company loves it when gamers are addicted to their games; in fact it is basically their business model. Their team created the idea behind the quick hit games, where gamers can experience a little bit of the game at first without having to commit financially right away " basically try it for free for a few days. Ask anyone who tried their games like Peggie or Bejeweled, and they will most likely tell you that during the trial period they were easily addicted and eventually purchased.
Many people from the outside probably look at these gaming companies and think they are deceptive in nature because they are making products that are addictive. However, from the designers prospective, an addictive game is a very positive thing " it means that gamers like it and want to keep playing it. Also, these companies are not sitting around the table like tobacco companies wondering how they can sell you something that is bad for your health. On the contrary, they want to make a game that is exciting to play and sometimes that means gray areas on the issue of addiction.
This gray area can cause people to question certain games, specifically those that are controversial. One in particular, World of Warcraft (you might hear it called World of WarCrack), has been questioned time and time again regarding their intentions with their game and additionally whether or not they have crossed the line when it comes to addiction. The producers of the game disagree with any claims of false intentions, saying that they do the exact same thing every other company out there does only better and they attribute their success to customer service. Despite what they say, many people today still think the game is a cause of addiction for many people.
Although many people seem to blame the designers of these games for their addictive nature, another major player in their addictive role is this socializing aspect that is involved with gaming. Because of modern day technology and the use of the Internet, thousands of gamers can be brought together at one time. In the past, when someone was playing by himself or herself, it might have been easier to get tired, bored, or uninterested and move on. Today, when you add social networking to the gaming industry, it adds another element contributing to the gaming addiction.
Many therapists who specialize in the area of Internet and computer addiction agree that gaming on the computer only further deteriorates the gaming addiction. The demographics of most of the online gamers seem to be teenagers and young men in their 20s who have a lot of time on their hands and unfortunately lack friendship and companionship. Because of this, they are often lonely and it translates into an addiction that can be hard to control.
If you participate in gaming, you might want to evaluate whether or not it has become an addiction for you. Just like with anything addictive substance, doing something just once, can easily turn into something excessive. If gaming has become addictive for you, take the necessary steps to achieve a balance in your life so you are healthier.
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