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IGN - Obsessive Gaming Not Necessarily An Addiction

by Magerette, 2008-11-26 16:27:49

IGN posts an article dealing with a new examination of obsessive gaming by Keith Bakker, founder of the Smith & Jones Centre, an Amsterdam-based clinic that treats addictions of many types. The conclusion he comes to is that the problem is a social rather than a psychological one:

"These kids come in showing some kind of symptoms that are similar to other addictions and chemical dependencies," Bakker told BBC News; however, he noted that the problem wasn't really an addiction and that the issue could be solved through positive social interactions. "The more we work with these kids the less I believe we can call this addiction. What many of these kids need is their parents and their school teachers; this is a social problem."

"This gaming problem is a result of the society we live in today," Bakker said, adding, "Eighty percent of the young people we see have been bullied at school and feel isolated. Many of the symptoms they have can be solved by going back to good old fashioned communication."

The article also examines the idea that violence in real life is tied to playing video games:

[One gamer named George]...used Call of Duty 4 as a cathartic release. "I was aware that I played too much but I didn't know what to do. But it helped me because I could be aggressive and get my anger and frustration out online."

This hostile behavior has lead many to believe that videogames also spur real-life crimes. Anti-videogame activists have linked 1999's Columbine shootings to violent videogame addiction... However, the Smith & Jones Centre says that acts of anger and aggressions often exist before the desire to play violent videogames.

Conclusion:

A solution to the problem, Bakker proposes, is for parents and caretakers to spend more time listening to what children have to say.

 

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