Videogame Lobbyists Join Scientists To Fight 'Gaming Disorder' Classification (vice.com) 72
Remember when the World Health Organization moved to define a new disease called "gaming disorder"? An anonymous reader quotes Motherboard:
Multiple video game lobbying groups from around the world have banded together to push back against the classification, and 36 academics, scientists, doctors, and researchers have drafted a paper that called the WHO's methodology and motives into question. The professionals will publish the paper, titled "Weak Basis for Gaming Disorder," in an upcoming issue of Journal of Behavioral Addictions. The article is a collection of well reasoned arguments against classifying "gaming disorder" as a disease, complete with references to extant research...
"We agree that there are some people whose play of video games is related to life problems," said the article's abstract. "However, moving from research construct to formal disorder requires a much stronger evidence base than we currently have"... To be clear, the article doesn't argue that something isn't going on and that gaming addiction isn't real and isn't a problem. It just thinks that rushing to define it and put it in the the ICD is a bad idea.
"We agree that there are some people whose play of video games is related to life problems," said the article's abstract. "However, moving from research construct to formal disorder requires a much stronger evidence base than we currently have"... To be clear, the article doesn't argue that something isn't going on and that gaming addiction isn't real and isn't a problem. It just thinks that rushing to define it and put it in the the ICD is a bad idea.
Game addiction (Score:2)
I've known people who have been pretty savagely hooked on WoW or other MMOs, but I strongly suspect video game addiction isnt a disease, its a symptom of something deeper like social anxieties (Easier to grind dungeons than make IRL friends), poor executive cognitive function (Ie being garbage at making life priorities and staying on task) or depression.
But a stand-alone mental disorder? How do you even define that, whats the cut off point and why. Seems spurious to me.
Escape (Score:2)
It should more accurately be called escape disorder syndrome. Where the individuals find so much difficulty in interacting with often delusional and disorderly beliefs within society, that they prefer to escape to comic books, paper bank novels, binge watching TV series, surfing the internet and computer games, no necessarily exclusively but often a combination.
That there are individuals, especially minors that want to lose themselves in video games, the video game is not the driver, what they are trying t
Re: (Score:1)
That's not why people are addicted to games like WoW, though. These games use psychological tricks (e.g. specifically tuned loot drop algorithms, systems that bring people back to the game through social pressure from peers they play with) to create something that's very close to, if not actual addiction. That's entirely different from somebody who just likes to play Uncharted to feel like a powerful badass.
Re: (Score:2)
These games are designed by psychologists to trap addicts. It certainly is malicious. The timing and visual display of rewards is all calculated to take maximum advantage of inherent human weaknesses.
Re: (Score:2)
Any propensity the population had to "escapism" is being maximized.
The debate is if "something should be done" about it, and I say screw that. Presuming an eventual post-scarcity society at some point, escapism is all there will be. Stop pestering people.
Re: (Score:2)
NO, we are better meant to plan things. Wont healthy happier societies, then you have to create the social infrastructure to support it. Much like drug addiction, it has been proven, provide healthy more stable social environments where the addict is more content and that social environment eliminates the need for self medication ie escape with drugs.
Same for the gaming addiction, reduce the social pressures and create more psychologically healthy social environments and you will eliminate the need for esc
Re: (Score:2)
And there is nothing peculiarly American or peculiarly modern about it. There have always been obsessions and escapes, and they exist everywhere. If you think that getting away from the mechanized complexity of an industrial society will insulate you from the problem, just try keeping New Zealanders away from their rugby.
Re: (Score:2)
Your post started well, then degenerated in a criticism of capitalism.
Today's society certainly has its flaws, but putting capitalism as the main reason behind escapism is a bit too much.
It capitalism really is the cause for escapism, then that would be a success rather than a flaw. The reason: it is now possible to live in fantasy-land and survive. Put all these game addicts in a situation where they need to go out in order to survive, and 99% of them will go out, survival instinct is strong.
There are alwa
Re: (Score:2)
It should more accurately be called escape disorder syndrome. Where the individuals find so much difficulty in interacting with often delusional and disorderly beliefs within society, that they prefer to escape to comic books, paper bank novels, binge watching TV series, surfing the internet and computer games, no necessarily exclusively but often a combination.
I disagree that it is a syndrome. I believe it is a kind of addiction that happens in different level to different people. Some could be addicted to gaming far worse than others. I have experienced myself including my older brother. However, I grew out of it. And back then when I was addicted to gaming, there was no MMORPG for us but only Arcade/Atari/Nintendo, and Internet was not available to most people/countries back then (early to mid 80s).
It is an urge to make you drop your responsibilities just to be
Re: (Score:2)
Well they are working with legislation. So it means they are trying to find a boogie man to blame all their problems on.
Comic Books, TV, Cell phones, video games. All often when abused are symptoms of a bigger problem that we do not want to face or admit.
The problem is that we treat other people like crap, and actively work to disempower them.
We are not taking people who show promise and putting them under our wings to help them grow and prosper, we are taking their skills and exploiting them until they a
Re: (Score:2)
I basically log into WoW to meet people I know there. I also have no problems finding enough time for work and other personal interests besides gaming. Yet I log into WoW almost every day. Am I doing this "addiction" thing wrong?
Re: Game addiction (Score:2)
Yes, you are.
Re: (Score:2)
Damn, another failure. Here I though I finally managed to be in the mainstream...
Re: (Score:2)
I basically log into WoW to meet people I know there. I also have no problems finding enough time for work and other personal interests besides gaming. Yet I log into WoW almost every day. Am I doing this "addiction" thing wrong?
I guess we have to look at who is doing the complaining.
I do some gaming in the evenings as a way of relaxing before turning in for the evening.I'm married and financially solvent. So I probably don't fit the mold.
But this is not who is being chased. There are a lot of young men who's main interest in life is gaming. They run a spectrum from the single guy who works but focuses on gaming, to the stereotyped guy that lives in his mom's basement.
But while it is not a mental disorder, it is a symptom
Re: (Score:2)
The distinction between symptom and disorder is exceedingly fine. Every disorder has the potential to become a symptom if our understanding of the causes improves.
Re: (Score:2)
The distinction between symptom and disorder is exceedingly fine. Every disorder has the potential to become a symptom if our understanding of the causes improves.
The issue of course, is where the line lies. There are some folks who believe disorders start at a low level, like those who drink alcohol alone being an alcoholic. I almost always drink alone. But I might only have 2 mixed drinks a year. Weird definitions, and quite up to the person rendering judgement.
Porn addiction. Is a person who uses porn as a masturbatory aid at all addicted? I think a person might be considered addicted if they end up with calluses on their peen, but what of the person who regula
Re: (Score:2)
Well this here kind of indicates that since its not impairing you, then probably not.
But it also highlights one of the friction lines that philosophers have made (particularly the phenomenologists) regarding psychiatry that a lot of what are called "mental illnesses" dont seem to re
Re: (Score:2)
I basically log into WoW to meet people I know there.
Isn't 37 GB kind of bloated for a chat program, nice though the graphics are?
Re: Game addiction (Score:2)
'Cause' and 'effect' are often intertwined. Weaken one (any one) and you weaken the other.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree it is a symptom rather than a cause. I wouldn't say I have a gaming problem but I certainly do use them as a form of escapism.
Re: (Score:2)
I've known people who have been pretty savagely hooked on WoW or other MMOs, but I strongly suspect video game addiction isnt a disease, its a symptom of something deeper like social anxieties (Easier to grind dungeons than make IRL friends), poor executive cognitive function (Ie being garbage at making life priorities and staying on task) or depression.
Well if you draw a parallel to alcoholism then escapism, depression, anxiety etc. are common causes to start drinking too much, but once you have problems to stop I'd say that's its own condition not merely a symptom.
But a stand-alone mental disorder? How do you even define that, whats the cut off point and why. Seems spurious to me.
Not any harder than any other addiction, looking for an exact cut-off point is like trying to find the one beer that makes you an alcoholic. The TL;DR version is "Are you throwing away your life to satisfy an addiction?"
The question is more whether this is a unique form of addiction and has som
Re: (Score:2)
I think it is different than other addictions. I know many guys whose lives were in the toilet because of WoW, but just one day quit cold turkey and never looked back. I've known a few alcoholics who quit, but they needed a ton of support and still do years later.
Re: (Score:2)
This is my biggest fear about the classification.
I have severe depression, going on 10 years now. I've resigned myself to the idea that it will never be cured, at best I can block it for short time periods. Over time all of my hobbies, pleasures, and interests dulled and disappeared; the only one that hung around with any sort of gravitas was playing video games (and even is more of a simple distraction than a pleasure.) Video games also make for goo
Re: (Score:1)
Gambling, not Games (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
That's kind of a dumb argument. "These things are using classic addiction mechanisms to encourage users become habitual users. We need a new name for this!"
Re: (Score:2)
Meanwhile, videogame publishers are filling their games with gambling mechanics, eventually validating WHO's classification.
Good job, guys. Good job.
I'd argue that many of the most popular games have an element of chance/gambling in the mechanics [long before the obvious random loot boxes people argue about today]. Many many great or popular games have an element of chance built into them, and much of the player skill involves strategies to exert some control, predict, or adapt to the chance elements of the game, just like a professional gambler would do. For example, many FPS games, like Counter-strike, have randomized elements and while good players h
Re: (Score:2)
I forgot it was unusable and was surprised again every time. This must either mean I do not have that addiction or I have a memory disorder in addition.
Gaming disorder (Score:2)
That is when you suck at gaming, right? Anything else would not make much sense, because otherwise a lot of the human race would have a "TV disorder".
Re: (Score:2)
That is when you suck at gaming, right? Anything else would not make much sense, because otherwise a lot of the human race would have a "TV disorder".
I ain't the brightest LED in the room, but even I know insightful when I see it.
Its time, and what we do with ours
Some people watch a hellava lot of Television. AHA! Television addiction. I spend many hours a day in front of a computer, some work, some play - Oh noes, computer addiction. I like to ride my motorcycle - a lot. I'm nearing 100K miles on my Shadow Spirit 1000 - Damn motorcycling addicts anyhow!
And yeah, there's time for video games, so I guess I'm an unholy mess of a multi level addict
Where's your Ferrari? (Score:2)
This reminds me of a joke I read last year on facebook about smoking and its associated costs.
GF: You know if you've never smoked in that 15 years you would have enough money to buy a Ferrari?
BF: Do you smoke?
GF: No!
BF: Where's your Ferrari?
I spent way more time than I should on playing games. I know it. But I can't help but wonder what kind of life I would have achieved if I never gamed. Probably the exact same life because I know more people who don't game and just as mediocre as me. We just have diff
Re: (Score:2)
But I can't help but wonder what kind of life I would have achieved if I never gamed
Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter unless you personally think it matters. Eventually the sun will go supernova and after that there will be the eventual heat death of the universe. No matter how you slice it, the human race and all its achievements will cease to be. So if you think it matters what your contribution to society is, don't sweat it. Just do you. There is no evidence for God. No evidence of an afterlife much less a hell. There won't be anyone to judge you because you played too man
Re: (Score:2)
I don't smoke and all I've got to show for it is a stinkin' Porsche!
it is basically a disorder or some sort (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You can't even imagine whet the last couple of days suffering withdrawal symptoms was like.
Prescription (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You play too much video game.. here your prozac...
Both funny and insightful.
Re: (Score:2)
You play too much video game.. here your prozac...
Big pharma... CHA-CHING!
Ah misdirection... (Score:2)
A friend of a friend walked into a gun shop the other day to buy a pistol for target shooting and defense. Walked out with a $500 "assault" rifle and a bunch of ammo and accessories. If he had 7 days to contemplate that purchase he'd have cancelled the order. That's what the gun debate's about in nut shell.
Alphabet Soup (Score:2)
Includes This Symptom. (Score:2)
SWATing other players and getting people killed....over a damn game.
Re: (Score:2)
SWATing other players and getting people killed....over a damn game.
I was playing Armored Warfare yesterday and some guy was cussing out some kid for running into him so I said some little thing to him and the guy went off. So I called him "son" because he was acting like a child and he says "I was born in 66". Holy fucking shit, dude. Over fifty years old and still cussing people out in video games. I just wanted him to hush because the messages are distracting :/