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Categories: Commentary
Tags: addiction
1. Most parents are unaware of the risks associated with video game play. Studies indicate that over twenty percent of adolescent children are addicted - with boys much more likely to become hooked than girls.
2. Video games have some kind of addictive allure that means any number of hours is not enough. It is always possible to play again — to rise to that “next level” which somehow acquires near-mystical importance. They are the crack cocaine of the electronic world.
3. [Dr. William R.] Van Osdol, considered an expert in the field of child psychology, said the addictive quality of video games is no different than “cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.” “I, personally, would not touch one because they are far too tempting.”
Three quotes. The first is pulled from VideoGameTrouble.org. The second from Canada’s The National Post (12.13.2007). The third from The Daily Oklahoman, 11.12.1982.
The National Post article was written by Father Raymond J. De Souza and it’s titled, “The crack cocaine of the electronic world.” Father De Souza wrote it for a series The National Post is running called “Lessons Learned,” where columnists impart the one lesson they wish they’d learned before “setting out in life.” De Souza centered his lesson around his personal struggle with video game addiction. Hooked on Tetris, De Souza did poorly his second year at Queen’s University until he wiped it from his system.
“Since that hard-disk-deleting day back in 1991, I have never played another video game. It’s too dangerous. Video games take what is most precious — time and thought,” writes De Souza.
Last night my friends and I took turns reading from Playstation Nation (written by the VideoGameTrouble people) and it occured to me that there are two perennial arguments against video gaming: video games are too violent and too addictive. I’ll leave violence for later.
The article in The Daily Oklahoman centered around the danger that was Space Invaders: “There does appear to be an extreme addictive quality to many of the video games that are popular among teen-agers,” Van Osdol said. “I’ve actually witnessed players holding a baby in one arm while they fight it out with Space Invaders with the other.”
Throughout the history of video games, you can find articles warning about video game addiction. For instance, “If it’s 2 in the morning, this must be Zork. Not even Ted Koppel can keep the nation up so late…,” The Washington Post, 12.22.1983). The problem I see is two-fold. First off, these articles don’t address the fact that what some people are seeing as an addiction, is more likely an indicator of another problem– be it a general addictive personality, a behavioral disorder, or good old-fashioned avoidance– you can’t tell me Father De Souza wasn’t a little hooked on not doing homework.
Here’s a pretty standard anecdote from The Wall Street Journal (1.4.2008): “A parent down the street confided to us that his 12-year-old son was so obsessed with video games that he wouldn’t take even a three-minute break from gaming to go to the bathroom–with unfortunate results.” Seriously, your twelve-year-old is wetting his pants and you’re going to blame a video game? You don’t think there’s another issue? Our nation has been video gaming for 25 years now, why haven’t we turned into a nation of pants wetters?
But there’s no response to that. Just like on the violence front, we aren’t a nation of GTA-emulating thugs. And why don’t you ever read about people emulating other popular games? 12-year-old Sim City player, Keisha Jones went on a re-zoning spree this weekend, redistricting three residential areas and building a road to the new arena.
The other complaint I have about the addiction literature is that it exhibits a bias against new media. Repeatedly video games are called time-wasters. Playstation Nation offers an option of other things kids could do with their time: playing board games, collectible card games, etc. I can see how if you don’t understand video games, you could move the argument in this direction, but the result is an argument that says I don’t understand what you’re doing so I don’t value what you are doing.
So here’s what I ask of these nay-sayers: talk to your kids and play with your kids. If video games were addictive in and of themselves, our country world would grind to a standstill. There’s no nicotine in video games. If your kids are playing them to their own detriment, then there’s something else going on in their lives.
And play with your kids. Become part of their lives. If the thought of them sitting for hours in front of a monitor chills you, sit down and talk to them. Ask them what they are doing. Play with them. See what it’s all about. I assure you, video games are not evil.
On January 8th, 2008 at 8:06 am, Anthony wrote:
Riiight…How are board games or collectible card games any less “time-wasters” than video games?