Signs you might be addicted to online video games
Written by Dan Zuccarelli   
Friday, 25 May 2007 05:30
drug-addiction.jpgFirst things first, this list is VERY REAL.... at least to the "expert" who runs the Online Gamers Anonymous website. You remember her, she's the one that went on television and blamed Everquest for her son's problems.

So putting aside the inherit irony of creating an online website to battle online addiction, I went to check it out simply out of morbid curiousity. And what I found was a list of what she's decided are the signs of gaming addiction. The OLGA website says 3 is a problem, 5 is an addiction.... how many apply to you?

1. Unable to predict time spent gaming.

2. Can't control gaming for an extended period of time.

3. Sense of Euphoria while playing.

4. Craving more game time.

5. Neglecting family and friends.

6. Restless, irritable or discontent when not gaming.

7. Lying about your gaming.

8. Experiencing problems with school or job performance.

9. Feeling guilt, shame, anxiety or depression resulting from gaming.

10. Changing sleep patterns.

11. Health issues: Carpel tunnel, eye strain, weight change, back ache, sore neck, arms

12. Denying, rationalizing and minimizing bad consequences of gaming.

13. Withdrawing from real life hobbies.

14. Eating more and more meals at the computer while gaming.

15. Increased free time surfing game-related websites

16. Constant conversation with uninterested friends/family/partner about the game.

17. Attempts to get friends/family/partner to play

18. Purchasing in-game items for real life money

19. Feeling the need to "stand up for gamers" and proclaim that your life is perfect by listing all of your life's achievements, and yet you still game for 4-6 hours per day.

Now while just about everything on this list is laughable, to point out the idiocy involved one only needs to check out #5 (Neglecting family and friends) and #17 (Attempts to get friends/family/partner to play). By that rationale I'm addicted if I push people away and addicted if I try to bring them closer. Kind of a lose/lose don'cha think?


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Comments (22)Add Comment
...
written by gnome, May 25, 2007
Phew, I'm not... That was close... The euphoria is gone smilies/sad.gif

Great post Dan!
...
written by Kevin Alexander, May 25, 2007
If I remember from the video, isn't the woman who runs the sight overweight?

Doesn't she spend all her time on that web site?

How much TV does she watch?

How many times a day does she go for a walk or exercise?

I remember seeing her son in some sort of sports jersey in one of the pictures, he must have been at least somewhat interested in something besides gaming.

He was obviously interested in guns too.
...
written by rdaneel72, May 25, 2007
#13 Withdrawing from real life hobbies?

Stamp collecting and model rocketry are fine and healthy. But gaming isn't a hobby. It's an addiction.

I have symptoms:
3
4
6
10
12
13
15
16
17
19

I'm an addict! Where's my Pokemon, dammit?!?!?!?!?
...
written by Dan Zuccarelli, May 25, 2007
for the record... I answered yes to:

1 (holy shit it's X time already?)
3
4
6
15
16
17
19
...
written by Katana, May 25, 2007
Well since I have these "symptoms":
1
2
3
4
5
10
12
13
14
15
17
18
19

I guess I'm fucked and better go kill myself.
[/Sarcasm]
...
written by Kat, May 26, 2007
Anonymous... anonymous...
...
written by Baszie, May 30, 2007
I never comment to any story on this blog but I had to comment on this one.
I think the list applies to kids, no one else. When I was younger (I'm 17 now), it was a lot easier to get addicted to gaming, what kid doesn't like pretending to be a hero? I had a lot of those symptoms.

Now I have:
4, 8 and 10 (occasionally). Which is pretty bad I think..
...
written by ArowsVorb, December 17, 2007
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:
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written by anne, June 17, 2008
Yes everquest is responsible 110% they make everquest addicting on purpose you morons if you havnt figured that out already then you are obviously stupid. They make it as addicting as possible so that they can draw in and keep people playing their game. I am completely and totally disgusted that everquest did not take responsibility for that poor kid's death from depression of online gaming.
...
written by Dan Zuccarelli, June 17, 2008
ZOMG you're totally right! People shouldn't take any responsibility for themselves, it's totally the game's fault!
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written by swiftwulf, June 17, 2008
Don't feed the trolls smilies/tongue.gif
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written by Xerxes3rd, June 17, 2008
@anne: I'm sure you blame the school systems for many of the problems with today's youth, too.

"[. . .]they make everquest addicting on purpose you morons if you havnt figured that out already then you are obviously stupid."

Who said EverQuest wasn't addicting?

Also, you should investigate the purpose and usage of the comma. I'd steer clear of semicolons, however, as they might be a little complex.
...
written by anne, July 11, 2008
Whatever.. You know what i am talking about. Do you really think these games make it addicting on accident??? Of course not. They want to keep their customers. Its rediculous. This is a huge underground epedemic that alot of people do not know about.
...
written by anne, July 11, 2008
and i am sorry if i affended anyone. Its just what i think about it.
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written by anne, July 11, 2008
and you guys need to remember that OLGA is just trying to help people. you have got to respect that.
...
written by Dan Zuccarelli, July 11, 2008
No, actually I don't. She's not looking to help people... she gives people someone to blame besides themselves for their problems.

epidemic? Please.
...
written by anne, July 11, 2008
Well i think you are being a bit harsh. i mean she lost her son becasue he got depressed becasue of that game. and she is trying to help people to stop obbsessive online gamers going into the same kind of terrible stuff her son went through becasue he wanted to get further in a stupid game that means absolutely nothing in real life. She would hav not made that website if she didnt care about other peoples gaming problems. think about it. i mean really.
...
written by anne, July 11, 2008
if you think she didnt make it to help people, then why dont u tell me why she did, she just felt like it? you are being ignorant
...
written by hailea, July 11, 2008
She did it to place blame on anyone but her fuckwit of a son. After all, if it was his fault and she raised him, then it's really her fault, and nobody wants to deal with that.
...
written by Jim Squires, July 11, 2008
hailea = me. forgot to sign out of my wifes comments. smilies/tongue.gif
...
written by anne, July 13, 2008
i agree and i disagree. i am seeing where you are coming from. but i think she really is trying to help people with her program. obvisously all of you are probabley addicted to online games yourselves(no offense) so i can see why you are so fixed on the game being right and her being wrong. You guys should really see the special on the E network(online nightmares i think its called) about it and im sure you will see the whole situation(they have her and her son's story up there)
...
written by Jim Squires, July 13, 2008
Anne -- I'm not trying to be a douche here, but here's what it comes down to. Comic books and rock music aren't evil (1950's), Judas Priest doesn't get you to kill yourself (1980's) and video games don't make people commit violent crimes to themselves or others (today). People who do fucked up things are fucked up to begin with. Addiction is a physical thing. You can be addicted to drugs. You can be addicted to alcohol. You can't be addicted to video games. You can, on the other hand, use them as a crutch to fill a void in your life. People with serious problems and a total lack of social skills often turn to video games as an outlet for their frustration. Can't make friends in real life? Why not try Warcraft? The point is, with addiction the product is as much a problem as a consumer. With a crutch, it's all the consumer. Damaged people lead damaged lives, and video games are a part of our surroundings. The previous generation (which, no offense, I get the feeling you belong to) doesn't really understand gaming culture in the way it's meant to be understood, and thanks to media fear-mongering the only connection you ever hear is "DC SNIPER WAS INFLUENCED BY HALO!! SCHOOL SHOOTER PLAYED POSTAL/DOOM/QUAKE/INSERT RANDOM DECADE OLD IRRELEVANT GAME HERE!! WARCRAFT PLAYER KILLS SELF OVER GAME!!" None of it's true. News isn't news anymore -- it's newsertainment. What used to be supermarket tabloid fodder is now daily news. They create epidemics that don't exist so that they have something to report on. "Video Games as a plague on the nation" are one of these fake epidemics. Want to get upset about something? Try handguns, health care, or drunk driving. Let the rest of us play games about them.

And again Anne, no offense, but I don't get my information from lifetime movies. I get it from actual studies on the effects of video games conducted by reputable institutions.

We can continue this discussion, but here's the promise I'm going to make to you. Sometime in the next month or so, once all of my other obligations are met, I'm going to put together a comprehensive piece explaining the other side of things for you. That way you can really weigh your decision with some cold hard truths.

Take care, get gaming.
- Jim Squires

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