Gaming addiction in 2024...still a scourge?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Way back in the beginning of the internet, (and probably before, I just wasn’t exposed to it then) gaming, especially first-person shooter and role-play type games focused on violent interaction and “leveling up” were of course wildly popular, but often to the life-destroying detriment of those engaged in it.

Whether it ever really rated as a genuine addiction was a debate and may still be a debate, but I saw up close and personal how incredibly destructive it could be and how incredibly difficult it could be to stop or control. (And yes, I am aware that it has become, for a select few, analogous to real sports in terms of fans and money, which totally blows my mind)

In my own case, I am grateful that my experiences with hard-to-control gaming were tightly limited to just a few specific games. The first one was Tele Arena… Anyone else familiar? Text-based WoW, if you can imagine that. I probably wouldn’t have gotten as hooked as I did if it weren’t for the people who were so hooked, they were able to add you to their group and fly through the game so fast that it was almost impossible to see what was happening. Otherwise, it was a bit of a slog.

For a long time after that, the only thing I couldn’t tear myself away from with much success was LucasArts Pipedream (what I wouldn’t give to play that again…Even though I would see it when I wasn’t anywhere near my computer, especially when reading, that was disturbing.) Far and away the very best pipe-type game ever created. I keep downloading them from the App Store in high hopes but nothing comes close.

Then Apeiron, an adaptation of Centipede, (which was actually my first video game addiction, but I could only play it standing up at the local liquor store, a built-in limitation.) another one I would love to play right now. Being able to play it on my Mac allowed me to get good in a way standing at the liquor store didn’t.

The only real roleplay/fight games I ever got caught up in were Diablo and World of Warcraft. Both Blizzard, both incredibly accessible to the average butthead like myself. The hard-core stuff was way beyond me, thankfully.

So did they ever develop good strategies for avoiding destroying your life sitting in front of a video game or is that still a problem for some people?

(As long as we’re on the topic, if anybody knows where I can get a good adaptation of Pipedream or Centipede or the card game part of Heaven and Earth, I’d be much obliged)

2

Addictive personalities can be become addicted to any number of different things. Gaming is definitely one of those things, and I personally believe that consistent, violent gaming can have an effect on the minds of those so engaged on an addicted level. On the other hand, addiction to heavy drugs, alcohol, and gambling can be far worse, so it’s not like gaming addiction is “the” problem of our times. Also, I game, and I have friends who game, and we all seem to be just fine in real life.

3

One thing that my umpteen years of internet gaming has taught me is that stuff that feels like it’ll last forever usually comes to an abrupt end instead. You’re spending ten hours a day in some game until you’ve burned through all the content and a couple buddies move on and nightly games stop being a thing. Or you get distracted by a new game, or something else non-gaming, and quickly break your streak in your old game. I’ve a number of games that played an outsized role in my life (though not to detriment of job or family) and felt in the moment like a forever thing until they didn’t.

So I think gaming, for most people, is more habit than addiction. You do it because you’ve found an enjoyable and comfortable niche that fulfills some mixture of social interaction and accomplishment and relaxation but it doesn’t ping me the same as legitimate addiction. Don’t really think of addiction as dropping off that capriciously.

4

I hesitate to use the term addiction but certainly video gaming can be a compulsive behavior for some people, just as social media and eating ultra processed food can be compulsive behavior in others. But the issue I think, same with the other habits I mention, is that those behaviors are replacing behaviors that are instrumental to human flourishing, such as face to face interaction, gainful employment, going outside, healthy movement, spiritual practices, or whatever else might make a person’s life enjoyable and well-balanced. This is when the compulsive behavior becomes destructive to mental health.

There was a recent meta-analysis however showing that for most adults, gaming does not appear to be correlated with mental health. That is true whether the adult games for one or five hours a day. I’ll try to look up the article. But the gist was, “adults are pretty good at budgeting their gaming time to fit in with other responsibilities.”

Can’t say if it would be the same for teens.

5

I’ve never gamed much
Oh I played Pac-Man occasionally.
Had a game console in the house. You couldn’t get addicted. Just too many of us taking turns. My brother had Gameboy. I played with it occasionally.
My kids had all the crap that played games. They were particularly in love with DS games.

But …of late, on the recommendation of someone, I took up a game on my laptop. It’s more of a world building game. And then side events and quests.
As I’m more homebound it keeps me company. Keeps my head working.

They can be a good thing.

6

This Scoundrel should be boiled in oil! :fire:

7

Here’s an article that references that study.

Gaming does not appear harmful to mental health, unless the gamer can't stop - Oxford study | University of Oxford.

8

I seriously doubt it happened “often”. Or more often than people destroying their lives by means of any other hobby, like spending too much time reading instead of socializing, for example.

Video gaming was just novel, and thus more visible to the sorts of people who like to disapprove of social changes.

As the decades passed, the cohort that sees gaming as novel and worthy of special disapproval has aged out of relevance. That is all.

9

Coincidentally, I had the week of World of Warcraft Classic’s release off. A friend had a group that was going to try to raid on one of the servers. I had issues with WoW in the past, but figured it’s been more than a couple years and I’m a responsible adult so why not try it. I think I played 100 hours that week. It didn’t cause any hardships for me, but that certainly wasn’t a good sign.

I’m not convinced I can play WoW in a responsible way so I don’t play WoW. I don’t think that makes me an addict, but I’m not too sure how far away that is either.

10

If anything, gaming addiction is a bigger problem now that game makers have learned how to monetize gambling mechanics in games that require real money for in-game purchases.

11

I’m reminded of the time my junior high school science teacher tried to reassure us that “…masturbation was perfectly ok. Now, if you’re doing it multiple times a day…”

I’m sure everyone could see me blushing.

But now I’m retired. After I take a long walk in nature first thing in the morning and do a few chores, I might spend the rest of the day utterly absorbed in a video game and I might do that every day for a week if I’m not hanging out with grandchildren.

I do wonder sometimes if we could figure out a way to channel some of the millions of person-hours of brainpower that goes down the “engaged entertainment” drain towards some greater good, but so far I haven’t come up with the brilliant plan.

12

One big change is that gaming is now far more likely to be a social behavior. Kids sitting at home all day are still hangingvout wirh friends.

13

Well, there’s this:

14

Bingo! Right on target, thanks! From the article:

“My dream is that more and more games integrate citizen science into their projects, and that the collective skill and creativity of the billions of videogame players around the world can be pressed into the service of helping our species overcome some real-world scientific hurdles we are facing on the cutting edge of medicine, physics, engineering, climate, space exploration, and many other critical areas of focus," Pitchford said.

15

I think there’s always been a social element to gaming. When I was growing up, we would go to an arcade with other kids or play console games at each other’s homes.

My son (age 9) is a bit shy and doesn’t really make friends in school. He’s very much into Fortnite and he’s actually interacting with other kids and has regular online friends he’s made.

But the big downside to gaming is that it is still a sedentary activity. You are also sitting in your home all day instead of going outside and doing stuff. And it’s a time suck. Time spent gaming is time not spent doing homework, reading, exercising, or learning new real world skills.

16

I have an addictive personality (probably due to my Asperger’s Syndrome.)
I find it relatively easy to concentrate on games with clear rules, especially if there is little or no social aspect to them.
However I have avoided failing at work, missing meals or neglecting hygiene. :grinning:

I’ve played in international chess tournaments where one game could last over 6 hours - but afterwards my friends and I went out for a scrumptious meal.
I really enjoy the Civilisation games and Lord of the Rings Online - but I set myself times to play and always manage to stop.

There’s a splendid episode of the Big Bang Theory where Penny gets addicted to an online computer game. :sunglasses:

“The Big Bang Theory” The Barbarian Sublimation (TV Episode 2008) - IMDb