Do any of you here plan on curing your video game addiction?

[zaza]

Most if not all people who refer to themselves as "gamers" or "hardcore gamers" are suffering from an impulse control disorder, it's an addiction like that to drugs, alcohol, and porn.
http://www.psychguides.com/guides/video-game-addiction-treatment-program-options/

I've noticed the results of video game addiction on an individual tend be the following: Emotional instability, irritability, lowering IQ, deteriorating social skills, etc. It slowly turns an adult into a man-child with the sensitivities, behavior, and reasoning of a schoolyard kid.
Like porn, it is a selfish unproductive activity that causes an individual to become a burden on society.

Obviously this applies much more to PC and Console gamers than it does to mobile gamers, as mobile gamers tend to play at most for 10 minutes in a waiting room or on a bus and can easily put down the game once they have something important to do.

So what do you think? Do any of you "Hardcore Gamers" plan on turning your lives around?

Note: It's not as hard as you think. Unlike drugs, video game addiction doesn't result in withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop it, in fact if you just put down that mouse/keyboard/or controller, look away from any monitor, and just look out the window at the sky, you will feel refreshed and liberated. You will notice your old mind coming back to you. Try it. Start today.

 

[xantub]

As far as vices go, I think it's much better than drugs, gambling or alcohol. What if you 'cure' your gaming addiction and fall into drugs? If you're the type with an addictive personality, I would think getting into gaming is one of the better options.

 

[pathos]

Most if not all people who refer to themselves as "gamers" or "hardcore gamers" are suffering from an impulse control disorder, it's an addiction like that to drugs, alcohol, and porn.
http://www.psychguides.com/guides/video-game-addiction-treatment-program-options/

Thats a rather broad brush to be painting a picture with, don't you think? I don't think I"ll bother clicking that link to see if it's just some crackpot, or actual science or not. Especially considering I don't really consider myself a gamer anymore. Just some one who games on occasion.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I predict an epic thread

 

[sandorski]

Fake.

 

[Blue_Max]

Just a bait thread for anti-gamergate type folks. It's right there in the first sentence...

"suffering from an impulse control disorder"

then later with:

"It slowly turns an adult into a man-child with the sensitivities, behavior, and reasoning of a schoolyard kid.
Like porn, it is a selfish unproductive activity that causes an individual to become a burden on society."

 

[Gryz]

I plan to change from playing games for 2-4 hours per night, to only watching TV for 6 hours per day. I heard watching TV is very good for you.

 

[JTDSR]

OP is looking for a fight, not worth it.

EDIT: I see now how wrong I was, I missed the sarcasm behind it.

 

[CPA]

Nope, and why should I? I have four things I like to do and I spend money on all of them - sports watching, working out, DIY and gaming. Why is it I'm not hearing about impulse control disorder on the other three things?

edit: just detected OP's sarcasm. That said, the article he linked is stupid.

 

[zaza]

Nope, and why should I? I have four things I like to do and I spend money on all of them - sports watching, working out, DIY and gaming. Why is it I'm not hearing about impulse control disorder on the other three things?

edit: just detected OP's sarcasm. That said, the article he linked is stupid.

It's not sarcasm, sorry.
And those other things don't nearly have the same effects of gaming (which I listed in the OP)

 

[Mai72]

I was actually thinking about posting a topic on something similar. I was going to ask people how they balance video games and life, because it's currently a huge issue for me.

I usually go thru stages:

1. Desire to play video games
2. Look at Let's Play videos on You Tube
3. Download Steam and 1-2 games from my library.
4. Play games for hours on end.
5. Get depressed that I'm wasting my life.
6. Watch a few personal development videos that confirms that I should be doing better things with my life.
7. Depression intensifies.
8. Delete Steam/video games from my computer.
9. Feel relieved that I'm bettering myself.
10. The need to play video games comes back.
11. Tell myself that I can do both! Play video games and lead a productive life.
12. Download Steam/video games again...

The cycle continues.

I've probably downloaded and deleted Steam 100 times so far. I get so upset with myself, because I get this feeling that video games are a waste of time. That I should be this ultra productive person whose making a dent in this world.

I just downloaded Steam for the last time. I'm going to try to put my game playing on my day to day calendar. Maybe if I can pencil in my gaming time for the day that I can enjoy gaming without feeling that it's a waste of time. We need down time. I don't care if you work 80 hours a week. You need time to enjoy your hobbies. The problem comes when your hobbies start to infect other aspects of your life. Then you will have life issues.

 

[BFG10K]

Obviously this applies much more to PC and Console gamers than it does to mobile gamers, as mobile gamers tend to play at most for 10 minutes in a waiting room or on a bus and can easily put down the game once they have something important to do.

LOL, wut? If this isn't a troll then you're seriously out of touch with the real word. Do you get out much?

Have you seen the average smart phone user? These people use their devices while sitting on the toilet and standing in the shower. They sleep with them under their pillows at night.

They kill themselves walking off cliffs, they climb dangerous heights, and allow themselves to get sun burnt on purpose, all to "share".

They may as well have their fingers glued to the screen because the device never leaves their side.

So if anything is an addictive epidemic to society that's making people stupider by the second, it's smart phones, selfies, and likes on facebook. It's so pervasive you see stupidity everywhere.

True gaming addicts in contrast are a drop in the bucket in comparison.

 

[Majes]

Prioritize...
I play a heck of a lot of video games. But only when I have no one to play sports with, and only when my other work is done.

I learned more from playing Civ2 as a kid than I learned from nearly all of my classes in school. :-/

 

[Mai72]

LOL, wut? If this isn't a troll then you're seriously out of touch with the real word. Do you get out much?

Have you seen the average smart phone user? These people use their devices while sitting on the toilet and standing in the shower. They sleep with them under their pillows at night.

They kill themselves walking off cliffs, they climb dangerous heights, and allow themselves to get sun burnt on purpose, all to "share".

They may as well have their fingers glued to the screen because the device never leaves their side.

So if anything is an addictive epidemic to society that's making people stupider by the second, it's smart phones, selfies, and likes on facebook. It's so pervasive you see stupidity everywhere.

True gaming addicts in contrast are a drop in the bucket in comparison.

lol, that's me...

I take my smartphone wherever I go. To the toilet. Gym. When I'm eating. It never leaves my side. When I was in South Korea and Thailand I noticed smartphone addiction as well. My Korean friend who has a 7 year old will give her an ipad and an iphone when they are eating. The kid is juggling both. I think it's crazy. That kid is going to be seriously over stimulated and messed up in the future.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Nope. Not sure ~10-15 hours a week qualifies as an addiction though. Sometimes I go weeks without gaming if there's nothing new out I want to play. Aside from exercise it is the only serious hobby I have though. I should probably find some other stuff to do if only to vary my experiences.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I would like to offer the flip side of the coin.

My addiction to games saves lives. I've tried to stop cold turkey multiple times, but there simply aren't enough body bags at my local grocier and my back yard was beginning to look like one of those monster truck dirt hill courses.

Many studies that I have done have shown that killing people in video games is just as rewarding as killing people in real life, only much much less messy.
In games like Hatred and Wolfenstein, I can satiate my need to murder people in cold blood, and Nazis...I hate Nazis.

 

[moonbogg]

I recently forced myself to play Far Cry 4. I find I am liking it actually, but I can't stop analyzing hardware performance. I have a hardware performance analytical brain bug.

 

[BxgJ]

Most if not all people who refer to themselves as "gamers" or "hardcore gamers" are suffering from an impulse control disorder, it's an addiction like that to drugs, alcohol, and porn.
http://www.psychguides.com/guides/video-game-addiction-treatment-program-options/

I've noticed the results of video game addiction on an individual tend be the following: Emotional instability, irritability, lowering IQ, deteriorating social skills, etc. It slowly turns an adult into a man-child with the sensitivities, behavior, and reasoning of a schoolyard kid.
Like porn, it is a selfish unproductive activity that causes an individual to become a burden on society.

Obviously this applies much more to PC and Console gamers than it does to mobile gamers, as mobile gamers tend to play at most for 10 minutes in a waiting room or on a bus and can easily put down the game once they have something important to do.

So what do you think? Do any of you "Hardcore Gamers" plan on turning your lives around?

Note: It's not as hard as you think. Unlike drugs, video game addiction doesn't result in withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop it, in fact if you just put down that mouse/keyboard/or controller, look away from any monitor, and just look out the window at the sky, you will feel refreshed and liberated. You will notice your old mind coming back to you. Try it. Start today.

Seems like the people you are actually referring to here are the anti video game crusaders. But to answer your question -

No.

 

[Sabrewings]

Yes, building and flying rockets with little green men makes me selfish and unstable.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I recently forced myself to play Far Cry 4. I find I am liking it actually, but I can't stop analyzing hardware performance. I have a hardware performance analytical brain bug.

Same with fallout 4. It kills me that 90% of the time I can max out everything and get 60fps, but in town that drops to like 20fps. Had to turn the shadow distance down to medium to fix it, and I effing hate it. AMD needs to release some optimized drivers or something, but at this rate I'll have finished the game before they do.

 

[Exophase]

Yes, building and flying rockets with little green men makes me selfish and unstable.

Don't forget stupid. Your IQ is actually lowering!

 

[sweenish]

LOL, wut? If this isn't a troll then you're seriously out of touch with the real word. Do you get out much?

Try OP's post history, notably topics they've started. They are out of touch.

 

[SharpHawk]

http://www.psychguides.com

Sounds legit.

Also, from the poster that brought you this gem:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2450822

 

[Sabrewings]

Don't forget stupid. Your IQ is actually lowering!

You're right! That must be why NASA partnered with that game. To make the rest of the world dumber so they look better.

 

[CPA]

It's not sarcasm, sorry.
And those other things don't nearly have the same effects of gaming (which I listed in the OP)

Are those things you listed supported by actual testing or just your own perceived notions?