Addicted: When gamers become gamblers

A new study suggests that video games are highly addictive, with game addicts showing more than half of the same traits as those addicted to gambling.

Researchers at Iowa State University and the National Institute on Media and the Family studied 1,178 American children and teenagers, aged 8 to 18, and found that addicted gamers played video games 24 hours a week, twice as much as casual gamers.

Some gamers have shown similar symptoms to those suffering from gambling addiction, including:

• Lying to family and friends about how much they play games
• Using the games to escape their problems
• Becoming restless or irritable when they stop playing

On a positive note, if kids 8 to 18 are spending so much time playing games, then there are big opportunities to make games more educational, or to make educational games more interesting.

One thing that is becoming very clear is that video games are the new TV.

[d0nkey]

This was an uninformative article. It offered nothing to anyone.

[Nighteye199]

Just as you just offered nothing by you comment. So, I guess that makes you just as worthless.

[urmomgoestocollege69]

I love how it says "A new study suggests that video games are highly addictive"
haha, that just cracks me up
I mean, why would video games ever be addictive? lol

[lennythespider]

Maybe if us adults weren't so busy F*cking up the world, kids would be trying so hard to escape it.

[renagade89]

So true, its either play video games or watch crap like Desperate Housewives, or news on wars across the world.

[Renegade Knight]

You adultswere once the kids who held all the promise. Get off your duff.

[pithenumber]

kids escape the world by gaming
look on the positive side, at least they don't escape the world via suicide

[coheeed2113]

if they do make more educational games the so called "addicted"gamers wont be playing them.They know what a good game is and they play so much because of online gaming so unless they make COD or Halo or WOW more educational there is really no point in trying to make more of those educational games.

[happyslappy13]

very true
who the hell wants to play an educational game
imagine this - you die in halo but before you respawn you have to know what the square root of 16 is, only then will you be let back in the game!

[lakkus]

it's 4 ;)

[play7]

This sound very much like the online sex game and gambling called "SecondLive" Where people max out their credit cards to play fixed games hoping to win it big.....Said pat its the kids that get in deep problems because the game like secondlife promotos the game as "YOU CAN MAKE MONEY".sad sad indeed

[brmiloscia]

READ YOUR DSM IV Book, *******. First of all, gaming is not addictive... in order for it to be addictive there has to be evidence that an increased level of gaming is required because your body's tolerance levels for gaming increase. Since kids don't require more gaming chemically to feed an increased level of tolerance, there IS NO ADDICTION. The authors of the study quoted in this artice didn't read their DSM IV books. This is cheap psuedo-science. In addition, they make no real empirical statements about withdrawal symptons other than nebulous term of irratability. Sorry, can't have an addition without withdrawal symptoms. Of course a kid is gonna be irratated if you shut off his X box mid game, idiot..so would I!

Read Grand Theft Childhood, and learn some facts about video games, addiction, and violent behaviors associated with gaming..NAMELY THAT THEY ARE MYTHS.

[williast06]

Actually studies have shown that chemicals are released during game play. Do you really think that because it is not DSM IV official, that it is not a real disorder? Its like saying that if its not in a book it doesn't exist!

[cpopken]

The DSM is a scam. They invent disorders so psychiatrists can hold people hostage with meds and ongoing visits to line their own pockets with insurance money.

[markb1967]

If I don't check CNET everyday I get upset and start running into walls.

[coheeed2113]

one of the top ten signs your addicted to CNET.

[zlguocius]

This title is misleading in a way that suggests author ignorance. Gambling is one kind of addiction among many. People can be addicted to many things, for example alcohol, yet "When gamers become alcoholics" would have been a ridiculous title. "When gamers become gamblers" is equally ridiculous. A more informed title would have been "When gamers become addicts", yet of course then it's slightly more obvious that this post isn't saying anything we didn't all suspect already.

[W1gglesnarf]

Common fact most studies are biased! Anything can be addictive depending on the person,so sadly all i see is a bunch of words describing someones opinion neglecting the fact I stated above to push thier point onto the public. So i personally dont see anything new in this article i have not read since the original nintendo.

[cpopken]

People get addicted to all kind of things. It is a problem with their own self control rather that a problem with their brain. 24 hours a week is a hell of a lot of time to be sitting playing a game. That is over 3 hours a day, I know some kids who when they are not playing a game, they are thinking about playing. This is a problem that is only going to get worse. I would say parents need to take more responsibility for their kids though, instead of just to blame it on the game industry. Parents are the only ones who can intervene in their childrens lives.

[Iocane]

You know, three hours of gameplay a day isn't THAT excessive. It's the amount of time you need to make some progress in a story campaign. Supposing a kid finishes school at three, it's totally reasonable he's doing his homework, spending time with friends, and getting three hours into a game all before nine. Three hours is just the amount of time it takes to really get into a game.

I've committed DAYS to gaming marathons and I'm able to not play games. I think this is more of a case of parents failing to understand why their children - and "young people" - would want to play "senseless games" for hours at a time.

[Iocane]

I bet if kids were reading books 24 hours a week to escape their problems no one would be freaked out.

[jeffosoft]

Why do people keep picking on video games, Ive seen this same situation of many hobbies.

For example Football, someone eat sleep and breath football to the extreame and ive never seen an artricle about this.... If Football was on 24/7 on demand like a video game is it would be the same thing, in fact in football season it is!

this could be said like I said for any hobby or pass time.

[streamline35]

I love playing video games - over a week, it's probably an average of ~2 hours a day or so (assuming it's a more relaxed week), but man, when I get my hands on a good book, now that is an addiction. I can easily spend 5+ hours at a time reading (or more) and many times end up staying up until 5am reading it (even if I have class at 8 the next morning). Certainly interferes with my normal functioning alot more than video games, but hey, no one cares because it's a book.

My overall point is the same that many other posters have made - you can be addicted to just about anything, gaming is just being singled out. Also, keep in mind that something cannot be labeled a disorder unless it interferes with a person's normal functioning (so if someone can play 5+ hours a day and still lead a regular life, then it's not a disorder). Also, without tolerance, withdrawal, and cravings, it's not an addiction.

[play7]

"by cpopken April 21, 2009 3:07 PM PDT
People get addicted to all kind of things. It is a problem with their own self control rather that a problem with their brain. 24 hours a week is a hell of a lot of time to be sitting playing a game. That is over 3 hours a day, I know some kids who when they are not playing a game, they are thinking about playing. This is a problem that is only going to get worse. I would say parents need to take more responsibility for their kids though, instead of just to blame it on the game industry. Parents are the only ones who can intervene in their childrens lives."



Um,...your not a parent are you........

[Brie_Mason]

I think that all of these new "addictions" are really ridiculous.

I think that by saying that one has an "addiction," it's taking the easy way out. It's much easer to say that you have a medical/mental "problem" than to simply admit that you spend too much time doing something.

I suppose I believe in chemical/substance addictions, but I don't believe in shopping, gambling, gaming, internet, etc. addictions. I believe that some people just have obsessive personalities and focus on certain things a little too much, but that can be easily fixed if they just try.