Tag: Addiction
FCC Commissioner brands WoW as a leading cause of college dropouts
This is something that I’ve seen evidence of first-hand. The US Federal Communications Commissioner, Deborah Taylor Tate, has seen fit to label World of Warcraft as one of the biggest enemies of the education system:
“You might find it alarming that one of the top reasons for college drop-outs in the U.S. is online gaming addiction – such as World of Warcraft – which is played by 11 million individuals worldwide”
Now it’s true that World of Warcraft, when taken to extremes, can annihilate everything else in your life. However, it’s not an addiction – the vast majority of players know how to get the work/play balance right. Don’t condemn the many for the actions of a few.
(via Kotaku)
Related posts: Swedish kid collapses after 24-hour WoW marathon | Gaming Addiction Centre Chief: “Compulsive Gaming Is Not Addiction”
Gaming Addiction Centre Chief: "Compulsive Gaming Is Not Addiction"
Keith Bakker is the founder of one of the most popular gaming addiction rehab centres in the world – the Smith & Jones Centre in Holland. They were the first facility in the world to admit patients for addiction to games, and they’ve been in the headlines lately following a few cases of people playing a little too much of the new WoW expansion.
Last year, Keith said “I believe gaming is currently the greatest threat to our society”, which is a hell of a statement. However, he’s recently made somewhat of a U-turn in his opinions. He now says that 90% of the kids he sees are actually addicts – they just need better social care, which is exactly what I said the other day.
The dangers of a full-on MMO addiction
Sit down by the fire, grandchildren, and let me explain to you why getting hooked on an MMO isn’t a good idea. Enter Hu Ange, a 22-year-old Chinese gent, who developed a rather nasty addiction to Legend – a browser-based MMO. He’s now on death row, and has just tried to claim ‘insanity’ as an excuse for his crimes.
What were those crimes? Well, it started when his parents gave him 50,000 yuan (£4.8k or so) to support his seafood business in March 07. He spent it ALL on the game, which allows you to buy virtual weapons and equipment with cash. On July 14 2007, he bought 20 packs of Tetramine, a rat poison, which he then used to poison his father…
Japanese kids are addicted to their mobiles… or are they?
A survey by the Japanese government apparently indicates that kids there are addicted to their mobile phones. I can’t help wondering if that conclusion depends on how you define ‘addiction’ though – it’s a pretty strong word, after all.
Chinese kids relearning how to go outside and ride bikes in "internet addict camp"
An estimated 2.6 million Chinese under-18s are considered internet addicts, according to newspaper China Daily.
Web addiction has got so bad out there that a new summer camp for net-crazed youths between 14 and 22 is being trialed
American doctors want further study on video game "overuse"
The American Medical Association has called for more research into the potential public health risks of prolonged use of video and Internet games. It hasn't gone as far as declaring them addictive, but instead left that decision to the American…
China to force game companies to limit teenagers' game hours
The Chinese government has set a three-month deadline for Chinese online games companies to impose limits on the amount of points teen gamers can score once they've played for three straight hours is a day. It's part of their attempt…
