CS Video Game Addiction

Video game addiction

            ·      What is classed as addiction?

            ·      Symptoms of video game addiction.

            ·      What is the attraction towards games? How is the medium changing to cause this?

            ·      The affect it has on people, changing people’s lives.

            ·      How can developers create an experience to change the stereotype, encourage people to play in social groups rather than locked away in their rooms. Include problems and puzzles that require the player to learn certain things before being able to progress. Make integrate games into more things such as education to encourage active learning with computer games. Make people more informed to the dangers of gaming addiction.

Symptoms of game addiction

             ·      Most none working or school hours are spent playing video games.

             ·      Falling asleep at work or school.

             ·      Falling behind with assignments and projects.

             ·      Worsening grades and quality of work.

             ·      Lying about computer or video games use.

             ·      Choosing to play video games instead of socialising with friends and family.

             ·      Dropping out of social groups, school clubs etc.

             ·      Being irritable when not on the computer or playing video games.

A lot of these symptoms are also relevant to other addictions such as gambling.

Physical symptoms

·      Carpal tunnel syndrome.

·      Sleep disturbances.

·      Backaches or neck aches.

·      Headaches.

·      Dry eyes.

·      Failure to eat regularly or neglecting personal hygiene.

 People may turn to video games to escape their everyday lives, for example if a child is being bullied at school they may see their games as a place where they don’t have to have face to face confrontations with others making them feel safe and in control of the world they are playing in. People often feel powerless in their day-to-day lives whereas in games they have their own virtual world where they have power over what happens, they are put into a position of power. While this may be good for them to feel some sort of comfort it is not a solution, maybe if some games could address issues such as bulling and include stories they can relate to on social levels it may help them with the own lives and give them a positive outlook. Games could be a good way to communicate ways in which they can resolves their problems in none harmful ways.

Source information from (http://www.video-game-addiction.org/what-is-computer-internet-addiction.html) “What is computer and video game addiction?” accessed 1^st May (2012).