Addiction and Video Games

Addiction is medically classified as a psychological and physiological need for a substance or action that interrupts normal function. It also includes withdrawal symptoms when the substance or action is removed. Video game addiction can be considered an impulse control disorder because of the patients substantive need for short term gain which can have long term negative effects. It has only been recognized recently, it’s not yet in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), but it is becoming a growing concern. Impulse control disorders, such as pyromania and kleptomania, usually experience an onset between the ages of 7 and 15, during which ages it has been studied that excessive video game use also experiences an onset. Most internet gamers only deal with video game overuse, currently described as less than 2 hours per day of gaming. That limit may seem a little low, but remember that the usage has to have a drastic effect on an adult’s normal functioning. Psychologists are trying to define video game addiction as usage of more than 2 hours per day, and have recognized that MMORPG’s are more addictive than many other forms of online gaming. Addiction to video games has also resulted in death, both suicide and homicide, in the US and abroad. Examples of these would be the teen who shot his mother after she took away his game of Halo 3, or the young man China who died from exhaustion after gaming for three days straight.

It has been hypothesized that the addiction stems from the built-in reward system within the game itself and the connection with other players. The ability to take a character from the lowest level and participate as that character develops and achieves solely due to that gamers influence creates a heady experience. And to see an improvement in their own skills when playing against other people and receiving positive recognition for that improvement makes for positive reinforcement in the act of gaming. Most gamers generally consider themselves to be socially inadequate, but connecting with other people online or through games is less challenging than attempting to create face-to-face connections. Skills are judged instead of appearance and a person who has the time and attention to improve those skills becomes more popular among their peers and becomes someone that their peers can aspire to become or defeat.

The use of gamer names, or handles, may also be attributed to excessive gaming or ‘net usage. Initially, a handle is used online to separate oneself from any negativity which may be associated with using the internet or from gaming; i.e., flaming or identity theft. The initial name is chosen so that the actions taken online can be kept separate from the identity of the person behind the screen. This can also be attributed to other forms of addiction. Adult film star Mary Carey does not use her given name when performing on screen in an attempt to keep herself separated from the action taken place. Or a newbie gamer may choose a handle like SirKillzALot when starting a new game so he can keep himself disconnected and may not become emotionally involved when someone screams at him, “FUCK Killz, you SUCK at shooting,” or “Why don’t you sell your Xbox for spare parts.” By having that extra level of protection, the gamer can rationalize, “That person wasn’t insulting me, they were yelling at SirKillzALot.” The issue with net handles is when the gamer no longer receives negative feedback from the name and begins to identify himself with that name and solely that name, such as the case with Mary Carey. Mary no longer refers to herself by her given name and identified solely with the film star name, when this happened she was susceptible to addiction (both substance and action). A ‘net handle is needed for personal protection when traveling online, but if a person begins to identify with that name outside of the Internet, and solely that name, then a problem may be occurring.

Recognizing addiction is tough, especially in yourself. The best way to determine if an addiction exists is to attempt to elicit withdrawal symptoms in yourself. Many online gamers will separate themselves from the offending stimuli (be it Internet use, or gaming) to determine if withdrawal symptoms do occur. Withdrawal symptoms for an addiction to an action, such as gambling or gaming, is not the same as the symptoms for substance abuse withdrawal. If a person can abstain from gaming for an extended period of time, it can be reasonably understood that an addiction does not exist. If a person becomes agitated when they cannot play or loses sleep or misses meals to play then treatment may need to be considered. Because the research on video game addiction is still new, not many treatment facilities exist for treating the addiction. Until more research can be obtained it cannot be considered for entrance in the DSM and a standard treatment of therapy, psychopharmacology, and 12 step addiction programs are the best choice of action for anyone concerned with video game addiction.