gaming - passion or addiction?

[Deleted]

I have gamed since I was like 4 years old (WC2!), now I am soon 18. I prioritize school, and have nothing against doing other things than gaming, for me it's a passion, not an addiction.

[Elenion]

Addiction in gaming = You can't stop yourself or does not care to the point where you indefinitely put other more important things on hold.

Passion in gaming = You would spend every minutes of your free time playing/thinking about it but you won't neglect higher priority stuff.

[Libram]

I love gaming. I been gaming ever since I was a kid and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. But my family looks at it like it's an addiction and you are grown up why you still playing blah blah. They don't realise what gaming is now days and how people feel about it. Yes, I have tried explaining this to them but my folks are the type that don't believe in what they don't know.

So what do you guys think? What do you gamers see yourself as? Does your family and friends understand this?

Ehh it's become more of a substitue to prevent boredom. Already growing tired of video games so the addictiveness of it is slowing dissolving away too.
My family and friends don't really care.

[Ceece]

It's a hobby - nothing more. People are passionate about what they're into, that would make them addicted to it. However, not always true.

[Hyve]

Passion. I could drop gaming right now and not get worked up over it. I play games because I find them fun, engaging and enjoyable. There have been times where I've been showing signs that an addicted person would, to aspects or parts of a game such as spending a whole night up to play at the launch of an Expansion. But, I could also just have gone to bed if I wanted, but i'd rather stay up and enjoy myself with my friends.

The issue is the difference between the two depends on the person. Many people might look at me and assume I am addicted, but I could easily walk away without any issues, but it would be rude to my guild of course. Someone who is addicted would refuse to walk away, and once forced would try to return.

[Lilija]

Passion. I could drop gaming right now and not get worked up over it. I play games because I find them fun, engaging and enjoyable. There have been times where I've been showing signs that an addicted person would, to aspects or parts of a game such as spending a whole night up to play at the launch of an Expansion. But, I could also just have gone to bed if I wanted, but i'd rather stay up and enjoy myself with my friends.

The issue is the difference between the two depends on the person. Many people might look at me and assume I am addicted, but I could easily walk away without any issues, but it would be rude to my guild of course. Someone who is addicted would refuse to walk away, and once forced would try to return.

I would rather say that addiction would happen when the person is not able to control the need to do/get what they are addicted to. If you refuse to walk away from something and try to return doesn't determine addiction on it's own. People can still do that on their own, concious choise. The problem is, it's extremly hard to say if someone's decission to do something is their concious decission or their addiction forces them to do that. I don't believe it can happen when it comes to gaming due to the nature of the activity.

[Orangetai420]

For me it's a hobby, nothing more. I do it to kill time and shoot the shit with friends.

[Retributed]

I'll admit I was addicted to games, MMOs more than others, back around the BC era of WoW. It was a new type of game for me, with far more things to do in a day than I could manage. And that became the problem. I have a highly addictive personality, so when I get into something I put a ton of effort and focus into it. Which if left uncontrolled can be bad for a game like WoW.

Was like that fir about 18 months. Finally realized it myself and slowed down(though Blizzard did help with choices done in game I wasnt fond of :P).

Now, gaming is one of few passions. Outside being a dad and husband now, I have a love of guitar and golf. So my balance of everything is a lot healthier than it used to be. I raid casually with friends, so I'm still seeing most heroic content per tier, just not on the hardcore, realm top 3 guilds type of player anymore.

[Deleted]

Addicted being on my computer...passioned by gaming.

[Veyne]

I love gaming. I been gaming ever since I was a kid and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. But my family looks at it like it's an addiction and you are grown up why you still playing blah blah. They don't realise what gaming is now days and how people feel about it. Yes, I have tried explaining this to them but my folks are the type that don't believe in what they don't know.

So what do you guys think? What do you gamers see yourself as? Does your family and friends understand this?

Does your family watch TV? Do they watch movies? Do they read books? It's a form of entertainment.

Anyone can become addicted to anything.

[corebit]

If you do gaming at the cost of your social life, family, friends, work, and your own health, then it's an addiction plain and simple.

[CookieMonster55]

For gamers its passion, for non-gamers its addiction like my korean friends they are really serious in playing ArcheAge, they spend alot of money time and effort for that game..

[Evil Inside]

I love gaming. I been gaming ever since I was a kid and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. But my family looks at it like it's an addiction and you are grown up why you still playing blah blah. They don't realise what gaming is now days and how people feel about it. Yes, I have tried explaining this to them but my folks are the type that don't believe in what they don't know.

So what do you guys think? What do you gamers see yourself as? Does your family and friends understand this?

My parents think the same. They're stuck in the old-way of thinking and dont really understand what gaming has become today.

[Lilija]

If you do gaming at the cost of your social life, family, friends, work, and your own health, then it's an addiction plain and simple.

I love all those "psycholigists" on the internet with their set in stone diagniosis - this is how stupid stereotypes are made. Bottom line is that IT'S NOT THAT PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

[NotValidAnymore]

I love all those "psycholigists" on the internet with their set in stone diagniosis - this is how stupid stereotypes are made. Bottom line is that IT'S NOT THAT PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

Oh, okay then.

[Taurenburger]

Hmm, gaming is for me a "passion" (guess a hobby). As I like it, but can go without it for weeks/months aswell.

[muto]

passion = hobby

addiction = allowing something to waste away your life; putting more important things such as work, school, etc.. on the back burner.

[Woebegone]

As far as the ridiculous debate regarding the 'definition' of addiction goes, I'd just like to point out that for hundreds of years the word literally meant being devoted to a pastime activity. Before that it meant a reward. Then the scientific community adopted the word and slapped their own, narrow, well defined meaning to it. Now the media and general public have started reverting the meaning back towards it's older meaning. See how silly it is to argue about a word? For all intents and purposes, the scientist who decided addiction means a substance addiction, was wrong.

So going by what is now generally considered an addiction, yes, gaming can be an addiction. I don't care what word you use for it, but when gaming controls you instead of the other way around, you've got a problem. You can still be passionate about games without being addicted though.

[Deleted]

Neither i think. I play all kinds of games and tend to treat it the same way as watching a movie... pure entertainment because i do not have anything better to do at the time.

[pkm]

If it helps,

I'm not a very social person
I don't have friends
I don't know anything or anyone
I grew up lonely and only thing there for me were games


So yeah my life is fucked. But the thing is, people are quick to think that gaming ruined my life. No one stops to think, hey, there are many other things going on here. I wish I had friends I could go out with and a gf, who doesn't.

I am not social though and that's just how I grew up. Changing something you grew up as/with is NOT easy. Just like asking my family gaming is normal now days they don't believe it. If I'm told to go out and socialise it's not gonna be done just like that.

At this point, addiction or not i don't care. When ever I'm playing I feel at ease and all the stress flows away and well, gaming is pretty much all I have.