Diagnosis: Video Game Addict

Super Mario Brothers, Zelda, Halo, and World of Warcraft are familiar names to nearly all of us. They are all best selling games of major video game consoles. Over 19 billion dollars were spent on video games in the United States during 2009 alone (http://vgsales.wikia.com). Video game consoles are present in 65 percent of homes in the United States (http://www.geeksaresexy.net)! With the increasing amount of time that people are spending on video games, one is left to wonder, is possible to become addicted to video games? Do we need video game addiction to be an official diagnosis? Yes, because if it is its own separate diagnosis there will be more focused treatment.

Anyone old enough to remember Video Arcades will probably remember when video games cost a single quarter to play. Yet there were always those who managed to spend entire days playing with only a few dollars. Even in the early days of video games there was evidence that people were becoming hooked. Whether video game addiction is an official diagnosis is disputable. Certainly there are people who play a great deal, but the question revolves around whether the players suffer. Compulsions, cravings, and withdrawals are all associated with the word addict. Addiction has been defined as "being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming" (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu). With the use of the less technical definition of addiction, pathological use that is damaging, then video games are certainly addictive. Here are some of the symptoms associated with Video game addiction.

Psychological Symptoms

Feelings of anger and frustration when not allowed access to the video game

Loss of interest in p...

... middle of paper ...

...s there can be more focused treatment, and with an official diagnosis more people would be aware of the problem at hand. Those addicted could finally get the proper treatment they need.

Bibliography

(n.d.). Retrieved 01 26, 2011, from http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/NPD_2009_sales_figures

(n.d.). Retrieved 02 2, 2011, from http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2010/01/16/videogame-statistics/

(n.d.). Retrieved 02 5, 2011, from http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=addiction

(n.d.). Retrieved 02 11, 2011, from http://www.techaddiction.ca/symptoms_of_video_game_addiction.html

(n.d.). Retrieved 02 11, 2011 from http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/poll/technology/

(n.d.). Retrieved 02 18, 2011, from http://www.video-game-addiction.org/

(n.d.). Retrieved 02 18, 2011, from http://www.gkmen.com/entertainment/news/video-game-addiction-statistics-are-alarming180110