Video Game Addiction TedX Talk - Page 9

On November 11 2013 00:58 Voyage wrote:
The TEDx Talk to end all talks:


Reception was mostly positive:
http://www.dailydot.com/lol/comedian-troll-tedx-drexel/

http://gawker.com/comedian-gives-ted-talks-the-pranking-they-desperately-1443673155

On October 24 2013 06:53 unkkz wrote:
Video game addiction does not exist simply be cause video games is not a single thing to be addicted to. Is it the social aspect? Sense of accomplishment? The actual gameplay? The need to collect stuff? Etc. I have interviewed psychologists that treat people with video game problems and that is what they say for one.

On October 24 2013 07:28 obesechicken13 wrote:
I read this guys blog a few years back. He sounds like one of those life motivators who make money tricking people into thinking that his advice is helping them. Here it is by the way:
http://kingpinlifestyle.com/how-to-quit-playing-video-games/

His advice wasn't really any better for me. I didn't find anything I wanted to spend my time doing at home. Getting a hobby like making toothpick sculptures is just as unproductive as gaming. Not too relevant, but he looks like a scumbag the way he wears his hat, which instantly makes me not trust him.

On October 24 2013 07:28 Thorakh wrote:
You get 'addicted' to video games because you are lonely and have no friends, because you are bullied and do not like going out, because you have social anxiety, you are depressed, have no motivation, etc. Those underlying problems should be addressed, trying to quit video games is useless as fuck because the void that they filled up will still be there.

On October 24 2013 18:35 obesechicken13 wrote:

His blog post is a guide to quit playing video games forever.

He does state it's only for people who want to quit forever though.

My problem with a lot of Ted talks is how everyone is so accepting of whatever the speaker says. The applause from your peers serves to make you want to fit in so you agree with them. It almost feels like a brainwashing session. I know that attending Ted talks is voluntary, but then again so is joining a cult.

Ted isn't a cult. But I just can't shake the feeling. I feel like the people who enjoy Ted, while not "weak", had a childhood where they were bullied or at least weren't popular and had to find solace in being smart or at least different. They like hearing about research and discussing ideas. They like to think they work to improve the world and that money isn't their primary incentive.

I guess I'm not the only person who feels this way either:
http://www.newstatesman.com/martin-robbins/2012/09/trouble-ted-talks
https://www.google.ca/search?q=is ted a cult&oq=is ted a cult

The more you watch Ted, the less you're able to disagree wtih Ted because your beliefs are changed by the things that you hear regardless of whether you agree with them.



If this were a Starcraft Ted talk, you'd hear how bogus what he's saying really is. The speaker is not preaching divine truth. He's trying to turn a profit. Addiction is a serious illness and you don't beat it by picking up a guitar and saying "I'll just play guitar from now on instead of gaming" like he did in his blog. You need outside help.

More examples of Ted being like a cult.

Ironically on a Ted talk about cults.
http://www.ted.com/talks/ex_moonie_diane_benscoter_how_cults_think.html

On November 13 2013 11:49 SjPhotoGrapher wrote:
To be honest I knew that the OP was in on it for the money all a long and is trying to turn a profit......

As someone that has read a ton of books about marketing and runs two businesses applying said knowledge, public speaking is up there with getting publicized in the news when it comes to marketing and generating leads/business.

Someone with an addictive personality will just go from being addicted to video games to being addicted to DJing or playing the guitar. It's that simple.

Heck, all of the greats in our history were all addicts. Albert Einstein was addicted to science, it's only when you don't contribute to society with that "addiction" that the medical community is quick to diagnose it as a problem and make a buck on it prescribing Prozac among other things.

If someone wants to be addicted to video games....let them. At least they're enjoying something. If they want to quit their "addiction" badly enough they will let it go on their own terms. Chances are they will become addicted to something else however.

It's also noteworthy to note that most "addicts" are "addicts" because they are "bipolar" or have "ADD". The reason why I quote both of these things is that I believe that both can be corrected through meditation and diet/vitamins and are blown out by the medical industry as to who has them.

On November 14 2013 00:55 NEOtheONE wrote:


Statements like these are why people who need actual mental health help are reluctant to get the help they need. Please take the time to actually learn about how good mental health professionals do their job before making any more gross assumptions. Also, the medical community and the mental health community are two distinct entities. The medical community should not be diagnosing mental heath issues just as much as the mental health professionals should not diagnose physical issues/diseases.

On November 14 2013 05:26 SjPhotoGrapher wrote:


Too bad that the mental health/medical health community do diagnose things unrelated to their field.

Go to a MD with depression and you will be prescribed anti depressants guaranteed.

Also I don't believe in medical care when it comes to mental health or physical health, to those in the field it's all about the money, making quick diagnoses, and getting kick backs from prescribing medications.

Those that have "mental health" problems should go see a holistic healer and rely on meditation instead of medication to get themselves back on track.

On November 14 2013 08:36 KosQ wrote:

So basically you don't "believe" in science? Or why else would you put "mental health" problems in quotation marks and suggest that mental health problems should be treated with meditation instead of scientific methods. If that is the case, there is no real point in further discussion tbh.

On November 14 2013 09:14 BurningSera wrote:
It's been discussed to death about video game addiction - there is no such thing as that. Some guys are 'addicted' to playing basketball, parents encourage them to play as much as possible. Some girl is addicted/obsessed to some guy, people call it 'love'. Someone 'addicted' to drawing/playing music, society call that creativity.

Playing video game is unproductive but it is just like 99% of all the hobbies out there, 99% of the people are not going to be a NBA player or famous soccer. We are just living in a different era/generation, just that some people see that playing video game differently. A hobby is a hobby, excessive use of anything can be bad. As soon as one knows how to manage his time to do his work/study, i don't see any problem in anyone doing anything.

On November 14 2013 09:12 SjPhotoGrapher wrote:


Science is a man made concept, just an understanding of what the universe, God, or whatever entity outside of the universe out of this reality set in place to get everything moving along sort of like how a game is just a programmed construct with rules set in place.

Also, I put quotation marks around mental health because most of the mental "diseases" out there are truly not disease and are just ways for big pharma to make more money.

I don't even watch TV but big pharma already owns the commercials on National Television. The last time that I checked they have a new "disorder" called late shift syndrome or some BS like that and they have prescription pills for those with this so called condition.

I was also diagnosed as having ADHD at the age of 8 and my mom refused to let them put me on Ritalin thank God.

Like I said, if you do not follow the social standard of wanting to be a robot and asleep like most people working a 9-5 "they" will find a diagnosis for you and will put you on pills to make money and get you back on the road to making more money for the system......that's just the way things work.

If you play video games too much because you enjoy them most doctors will prescribe you an SSRI or ADD medication (or both) and say that it's a sign of depression, anxiety, or ADHD, bipolar, etc etc.

I also hate to say it but modern science is also bullshit. Science has been abused and most modern science is bullshit and a far cry from what it was like prior to the 21st century.

On November 14 2013 18:39 KosQ wrote:

After hearing that you were diagnosed with ADHD, I can actually see where your opinion is coming from. I won't disagree with the statement, that there are many people out there just for the money - as in most other areas. Do you happen to live in the USA? I have never seen commercials that want to sell anything other than headache medicine where I live.

My problem though is that you seem to be linking the misbehaviour and greediness of the medical industry which, ultimately, wants to make a profit for their shareholders/themselves to the scientific method of solving problems. I agree that in many fields, especially in medicine and the treatment of mental disorders, it is far from complete. But, and I think this is important, it is best way to achieve real solutions or at least an understandment of the topic. It uses, e.g. in the field of medicine, large groups of people to verify or disprove the effect of an agent and is always open for new input and criticism.

I think it comes down to: Science only finds solutions to problems (e.g. if you can't concentrate, x and y are proven to achieve the best results with our understanding so far), how and in what cases you use this knowledge is a seperate field and, especially in the cases you are describing, have much to do with society/social standards and what type of doctor you come to.

On November 14 2013 18:39 KosQ wrote:

After hearing that you were diagnosed with ADHD, I can actually see where your opinion is coming from. I won't disagree with the statement, that there are many people out there just for the money - as in most other areas. Do you happen to live in the USA? I have never seen commercials that want to sell anything other than headache medicine where I live.

My problem though is that you seem to be linking the misbehaviour and greediness of the medical industry which, ultimately, wants to make a profit for their shareholders/themselves to the scientific method of solving problems. I agree that in many fields, especially in medicine and the treatment of mental disorders, it is far from complete. But, and I think this is important, it is best way to achieve real solutions or at least an understandment of the topic. It uses, e.g. in the field of medicine, large groups of people to verify or disprove the effect of an agent and is always open for new input and criticism.

I think it comes down to: Science only finds solutions to problems (e.g. if you can't concentrate, x and y are proven to achieve the best results with our understanding so far), how and in what cases you use this knowledge is a seperate field and, especially in the cases you are describing, have much to do with society/social standards and what type of doctor you come to.

On November 15 2013 04:44 Maasked wrote:

@Photographer
I'd just like to say that I was diagnosed with ADHD aswell. It wasnt because I like playing video games, my doctor even said that video games dont cause my symptoms
Im basically just trying to say that not all doctors believe that. My doctors diagnosis was because I couldnt sit still for more than 20 minutes, and I was incredibly easily distracted (to the point that it was hard to do my job)
I have also been suffering from major depressive disorder (related to break-ups and I was predisposed)
My doctor has always argued that video games were a way to relieve stress, and if they became stressful, then it was a problem

Just my 2cents

On November 14 2013 09:14 BurningSera wrote:
It's been discussed to death about video game addiction - there is no such thing as that. Some guys are 'addicted' to playing basketball, parents encourage them to play as much as possible. Some girl is addicted/obsessed to some guy, people call it 'love'. Someone 'addicted' to drawing/playing music, society call that creativity.

Playing video game is unproductive but it is just like 99% of all the hobbies out there, 99% of the people are not going to be a NBA player or famous soccer. We are just living in a different era/generation, just that some people see that playing video game differently. A hobby is a hobby, excessive use of anything can be bad. As soon as one knows how to manage his time to do his work/study, i don't see any problem in anyone doing anything.