Originally posted by: ibex333
Originally posted by: smackguy
Did you all see this article on Yahoo today? Talk about BS.....
Please do not comment on things you know nothing about. It's very ignorant of you. These people did not express the problem in the right terms, but the main idea is very true.
Many gamers indeed become overweight, or their health suffers in some other way, especially their mental health. for many people it becomes easier to stay home and play a game than go out there and get a job or meet a girl. And the longer this continues, the less strength and willpower an addict has to get up and go out there to change something in his life. Games "enable" certain people, and certain lifestyles, they "provide the means"...
Just because you, someone else here, or someone you know doesn't have this problem, doesn't mean the problem is not there!
I know plenty of people that have been negatively affected by games, and one of these people is myself. Games made me introverted and antisocial. Games made me have horrible headaches and panic attacks. I have been suffering for 11 years, and noting and no one could help me. I probably would have died eventually if not for someone that was able to help me. By following their advice on daily basis, I was able to return to "normal" life, but I will always be scarred by many ailments games caused within me, and I will never be truly "normal"again. I do agree, that there are certain types of people who are more "predisposed" to being affected by addictions than others. It doesn't necessarily have to be games, it could have been drugs, alcohol or anything else. However, games are in fact VERY addictive for certain individuals, and they can be very destructive under right conditions.
There are a bunch of folks that say that it is me that's the problem, not games. but if that is the case, then drugs are not the problem - people are. And off course we all know it's not so.
A lot of people get fired up when games are compared to drugs. While the comparison might sound ridiculous at 1st, the addiction level can be very much the same under right conditions. Gaming addiction is a very serious problem, and sadly it is largely being ignored. Games themselves, will not cause depression, or at least by far not in everyone. (I was never depressed)
However, the lifestyle that gaming addicted person might fall into, can very much lead to panic attacks, weight gain, antisocial disorder, panic attacks and depression. and yes, games are to blame for such events. There ought to be rehab centers for gaming addicts just like there are such places for drug addicts and alcoholics.
I still play games even now. I love them. But I do it much less than I used to. No it's not because I was able to truly conquer my addiction. It's simply because I don't have time to play games even if I wanted to. After a while of not playing games, I feel like the craving substantially decreases, and I honesty don't even want to play. Many of the things I used to enjoy, like RPGs, dragons, elves, dwarfs seem like a silly and a pointless waste of time now. I "might" finally be growing out of it, and in my case, it's a good thing. There are few games that attract me now. A few exceptions would be Fallout 3 and EVE Online.