I believe it's real. I've seen it happen. When somebody refuses to shower, see anyone, or even eat because they can't bear to leave their computer there's a serious problem.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/fr...00/9254946.stm
Panorama reporter Raphael Rowe meets a mother who cut off her internet connection at home because she was worried about the amount of time her 19-year-old son was spending playing computer games.
In this case, the game was the popular World of Warcraft. Blizzard Entertainment, the makers of the game, told Panorama in a statement: "Our games are designed to be fun… but like all forms of entertainment… day-to-day life should always take precedence. World of Warcraft contains practical tools that assist players and parents in monitoring playing time."
Now I don't know a lot about addiction, but I wouldn't call anything an addiction before you cannot stop doing it anymore. Or you get really sick when you try, atleast. So far no one, as far as I know, has been physically sick - the same way you do if you stop smoking - by unsubscribing WoW for a month, it hasn't happened, it's not an addiction.
People play a lot, people play too much, people want to play more, but they really aren't addicted to it.
If this is my biggest addiction I will keep it imo, why my alternatives are much more expensive :P
im addicted to wow, not in the cold turkey shakes way (it actually cant do that as it doesnt release any chemical playin the game) but its definetly there... meh its cheaper than drugs. Unless your like me, then u will have an azaming weed habit as well as a game addiction
You can be addicted to allmost everything.. what matters is if you are a user or an abuser..
idaf if u gaf
>~.~> You really need to be more constructive with your posts. ~Raven
(Unlucky Dal, beat you to it =])
Last edited by Renagade Raven; 2010-12-06 at 05:28 PM.
<Not Bad> of Illidan
If you've got something to run from in real life, you'll find something to run to sooner or later.
It can be alcohol, drugs, games or whores, doesn't matter, really.
WoW is cheap, legal and provides a painkiller for the one of the most common pains: loneliness. It may be full of arseholes, but you'll never be alone. Plus, the mass media made it "cool": look, there are Cata commercials on TV, it's totally mainstream now, and the cool kids (read: celebrities) are doing it!
So it's rather easy to get hooked. But if there was no WoW, those who are truly hooked on it would instead be abusing something else.
The root of every addiction is not in the drug, it is in the addict.
"The Patient? Well... maybe... the mental kind..."
I don't think it is an addiction. Many addictions.....aren't. Many are just a person's inability to control themselves. Tiger Woods wasn't a sex addict, he just liked nookie and refused to exert any self control. If he was a sex addict he would have just stayed at home nailing his wife all the time instead of going out and looking for it. Just my opinion. It's the same with games. I wouldn't like to not have them and would be kinda sad without them, but I don't have a physical dependency on them.
it exists, i have it
not a specific game, just gaming in general
goes hand in hand with laziness
then again i cbf'ed doing anything else and i'd more than likely drop it the second something better comes along, so yea
so maybe its a temporary addiction? i know i can better my life if i wanted to but.....Meh cbf'ed
@Malkhor
Nevermind, i dont have anywhere near that
Last edited by Rogabr; 2010-12-06 at 06:36 PM. Reason: Hypercondriact
There is a BBC Panorama program on this very subject later tonight you can probaly catch it on BBC iplayer or find a torrent somewhere if you're interested in the subject.
If your chosing gaming over sleep isn't that technically an addiction?
Any time your putting anything above your own well being thats kind've a problem.
Last edited by Baalazar; 2010-12-06 at 06:40 PM. Reason: punctuation error
But for some people, by no means all WoW players, it goes beyond a hobby, and is really an addiction.
It's not as addictive as some drugs and stuff, and the effects aren't as bad if you don't play, but when all someone does from morning till night, every day is play WoW, it is pretty much addiction.
A theoretical term coined in 2006 that is still not proven but is often used to diagnose people with compulsive behaviour.
(Quoting a theory by a Psychologist doesn't make it fact you know).
Like John Bain said, these people could just have easily become addicted to stamp collecting (or sex or gambling) because they just have that personality.
I have often thought of whether or not I'm addicted to wow. I play a good 20-40 hours a week and have 10 80s. On the flipside, I keep a steady job, there is nothing better to do that will not drain my bank account, and the second a friend comes into town or wants to do something I'm gone. I don't know if that classifies as addictions or time sink... Now books...I'm not allowed to buy those anymore only get them as gifts...or one at a time... I can finish off 2 a day...gets really expensive...this is cheaper.
Yes,Online gaming is a very real addiction.
If you play much more then your freetime allows then you may be addicted.
All video games can become addictions. They may not be directly detrimental to your health, but video games make people lose jobs,relationship,fail school,etc. There is a point where, when you start playing into times where you should be doing other activities, that you need to draw a line. I have seen this happen to my brother who has a very addiction prone personality.
Think about how many people are taking off WORK for a GAME!
A guy on my server says himself all he cares about is WoW, he never goes to see his family or friends (well i guess he doesn't have any anymore :X) so yeah gaming addiction is obviously real. I did research about it for school a few months ago and in the netherlands (or germany can't remember) theres even a clinic for it. People often don't see it but that guy who's online at every random hour you log in, always there to help, always there to raid etc he's not a hardcore gamer he's an addict. Probably QQ inc from ppl who don't agree with me but w/e >.<
WoW or any video game can become an addiction in the form of an obsessive and habitual activity which becomes more important than other facets of life such as friends, family, health, finances, etc. People can use these games a a venue to escape from their regular lives in order to aovid confronting the realities of life, people who fall in to this behavior pattern often have underlining health/mental/personality/psychological issues such as depression, low self esteem, intense chronic stress, to name just a few.
Video games such as WoW are onyl an enabling activity though. Becoming obsessive and habitual in an activity to the point that it is more important than all other facets of life is not an unique thing for this media. It is no different than the person who retreats to their garage to work on a project car for every waking moment, watches sports or ESPN nearly 24/7, sits in a sewing room, gambles, or reads novels constantly to avoid the rest of their life. These activity in moderation for enjoyment are just fine and can be rewarding parts of life for an individual but when taken too far do become a sort of behavioral addiction that is being used to cope with other issues. With these cases the only way to recover from the behavior is to determine and alleviate the underlying issue. Removing the focus of the obsessive behavior will do nothing as the individual will only move on and find a new activity.
WTB Ability to have a picture for my SIG!