EPThttp://www.teamliquid.net/forum/search.php?q=addicts
There is this topic, but it comes with the notion that games may or may not be an addiction rather than placing the quality on the person: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=173743
So today I went on my e-mail or my community's e-mail, my community being here at Concordia University (we're a Starcraft Club/Community supported and funded by our student council) and I got an e-mail today from a student in journalism as it reads the following:
Good morning!
I'm a journalism student from UQAM doing a video project about video games addictions. I was wondering if you knew anyone who would be an addict or an ex-addict. Our video is a school project and therefore won't be aired.
Please let me know if you know anyone or not. Thank you!
His/Her Name
His/Her Number
I'm a journalism student from UQAM doing a video project about video games addictions. I was wondering if you knew anyone who would be an addict or an ex-addict. Our video is a school project and therefore won't be aired.
Please let me know if you know anyone or not. Thank you!
His/Her Name
His/Her Number
I immediately felt defensive, but strangely, I was unsure of whether what I was feeling was just a defense mechanism, so I inquired: + Show Spoiler +
Addict is a very strong and potentially misused word. You will have to define it and not via examples. Video-gamers are sometimes misconstrued as addicts or those without the ability to restrain themselves. We're all passionate video-gamers and thus the word "addict" is a word we tend to avoid because of its social stigma and misunderstanding.
Please be specific, though I don't believe we have any addicts, just passionate people who enjoy video-games over other social outlets.
Cheers,
Concordia Startcraft
Please be specific, though I don't believe we have any addicts, just passionate people who enjoy video-games over other social outlets.
Cheers,
Concordia Startcraft
Her response was more or less not what I wanted to hear and I construed that in a civil way, but perhaps I was too harsh in my response. But this exchange of e-mails had me wondering: What exactly defines an addictive gamer. Here are the follow-up responses and will finish out with an open-ended question: His/Her Reply
+ Show Spoiler +
Good afternoon!
We do not want to miscontrue passionate video gamers; I am myself an adept of online gaming, and although I can spend a few hours a day playing games, I wouldn't like to be called an addict. By addict we mean people who don't do much else than playing at video games, and do not have any other social interests. I just thought of asking your group if you didn't know anyone in this position, because my team and I are struggling with finding some addict-gamers (I'm not sure of the term I should use anymore. Maybe it varies from French to English).
Thank you anyway for your quick answer! Best regards,
His/Her Name
We do not want to miscontrue passionate video gamers; I am myself an adept of online gaming, and although I can spend a few hours a day playing games, I wouldn't like to be called an addict. By addict we mean people who don't do much else than playing at video games, and do not have any other social interests. I just thought of asking your group if you didn't know anyone in this position, because my team and I are struggling with finding some addict-gamers (I'm not sure of the term I should use anymore. Maybe it varies from French to English).
Thank you anyway for your quick answer! Best regards,
His/Her Name
My reply
+ Show Spoiler +
I think the main issue is trying to define addicts in general. You won't find anyone who will say he/she is a serious addict and if he was previously, who's to say his views of addiction are not distorted by the conventional views of society and socialization?
When it comes to video games, the distinction becomes even harder because of the social interaction of online games now (thus assumption of the seclusion and anti-social behavior of gamers is voided) and especially with casual games giving the illusion that simplicity equates to non-addicted level of knowledge (think of Zygna games/Facebook games). Additionally those who spend a lot of time in games could simply be experience a field of work they would enjoy, which makes the topic vastly more diverse and difficult than addictive smokers and drug addicts.
Unfortunately we don't have any "addicts" in our group because we feel that the parameters of "time spent playing video games" or "people who don't do much else than playing at video games, and do not have any other social interests" is not a very accurate or sufficient parameter to define an addict, especially when related to video-games or the convenience of the online socialization (Facebook is an easy indicator). Additionally, we are a group of collaborate individuals who want to remove the stigma or poor views of video-games and all its aspects, including ones that create a distance between a passion of gaming (thus spending numerous hours playing with others as well as alone) and a passion of another occupation, pastime or interest.
To conclude, in my opinion, you might want to alter your topic to the addictive nature of games or perhaps the quality of games that ensue addictive behavior and get some psychological and sociological experts' views and opinions or to reverse your problem: find out what the general population views as an addicted gamer. We'd be more than likely to help you with those endeavors or journalistic topics.
I'm sorry we couldn't be more help,
Concordia Starcraft [Michael Cohen]
When it comes to video games, the distinction becomes even harder because of the social interaction of online games now (thus assumption of the seclusion and anti-social behavior of gamers is voided) and especially with casual games giving the illusion that simplicity equates to non-addicted level of knowledge (think of Zygna games/Facebook games). Additionally those who spend a lot of time in games could simply be experience a field of work they would enjoy, which makes the topic vastly more diverse and difficult than addictive smokers and drug addicts.
Unfortunately we don't have any "addicts" in our group because we feel that the parameters of "time spent playing video games" or "people who don't do much else than playing at video games, and do not have any other social interests" is not a very accurate or sufficient parameter to define an addict, especially when related to video-games or the convenience of the online socialization (Facebook is an easy indicator). Additionally, we are a group of collaborate individuals who want to remove the stigma or poor views of video-games and all its aspects, including ones that create a distance between a passion of gaming (thus spending numerous hours playing with others as well as alone) and a passion of another occupation, pastime or interest.
To conclude, in my opinion, you might want to alter your topic to the addictive nature of games or perhaps the quality of games that ensue addictive behavior and get some psychological and sociological experts' views and opinions or to reverse your problem: find out what the general population views as an addicted gamer. We'd be more than likely to help you with those endeavors or journalistic topics.
I'm sorry we couldn't be more help,
Concordia Starcraft [Michael Cohen]
I will admit that my response is perhaps too impartial or bias towards my view of things or even mistaken or misunderstanding of her intentions. I will admit to many things and perhaps I am just entirely wrong and I'll admit to that.
But what I want to know is how everyone else defines an addictive gamer without examples. It's very easy to say that an addictive gamer is some WoW Nerd who doesn't get laid and spends all his time alone in his room with the lights off ignoring the basic human necessities of eating and bathing, but that's perhaps just an extreme example and doesn't really set a general line for others to base their definitions off of.
So to conclude or (tl:dr); how do you define an addictive gamer, one who is different from say those who are just generally interest, passionate and contributory to the gaming world, industry and society? Do you use a measurement of time to underline one's addictive behavior towards games? Amount of games played, etc.? Are those addicted to games no different than those who are addicted to cigarettes or drugs? Are video-games a safer or much healthier emotional outlet than some other forms of adi
I'd love to hear equally-valued opinions.
Thanks!
Torte de Lini
