‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization • Hacker News Board

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#181

Post by kibwen » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:08 PM UTC

Rotdhizon wrote: post #172

Posted it the other day on another thread, will post it here again so people can see it. Here is my own experience with this. As crazy as these articles have been about gaming addiction being a medical condition are, I believe it. I'm in my early 20s, ever since I was in my mid teens I was addicted to video games. All through grade school and in college now, I struggle to put the controller down. I routinely don't ge…

> As crazy as these articles have been about gaming addiction being a medical condition are

I appreciate that you're sort of equivocating here to preemptively deter the critics, but I'll take a stronger stance. Gaming is indisputably "addictive" in the layman's sense, even if people seem to get grumpy over using the term "addiction" for anything other than substance abuse. Regardless of what we call it, the detriment to daily life is similar.

I myself experience some minor form of game addiction: I played World of Warcraft about a decade ago, and even though I only played for two years and even though I was the furthest thing from a hardcore player (I never even got a character to max level, I just loved making alts), to this day I still get occasional and inexplicable cravings to play it. These episodes aren't prompted by anything I can perceive. It feels like a tugging in my heart, the same sort of ache you might feel when you watch a loved one suffering yet are powerless to help them. I've played a whole damn lot of games in my life, but that's the only one that I've ever jonesed for.

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#182

Post by Doxin » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:09 PM UTC

hiccuphippo wrote: post #153

ericdykstra wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are tens of thousands of games you could be playing, and only a fraction of single-player games have anything like this. If you don't like the small fraction that do, choose other games. I can't even think of any single-player game off the top of my head that I can't pause or save and quit progress at any time.

I think the only ones like that are the Dark Souls series. But I wonder if they'll add pause to the Switch version since it's a mobile version. Every game in the 3DS pauses when the player closes the lid. It should be the same with the Switch.

On the switch you can just go to the home screen and the game is suspended.

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#183

Post by jlelonm » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:11 PM UTC

kibwen wrote: post #181

Rotdhizon wrote: post #172

Posted it the other day on another thread, will post it here again so people can see it. Here is my own experience with this. As crazy as these articles have been about gaming addiction being a medical condition are, I believe it. I'm in my early 20s, ever since I was in my mid teens I was addicted to video games. All through grade school and in college now, I struggle to put the controller down. I routinely don't ge…

> As crazy as these articles have been about gaming addiction being a medical condition are I appreciate that you're sort of equivocating here to preemptively deter the critics, but I'll take a stronger stance. Gaming is indisputably "addictive" in the layman's sense, even if people seem to get grumpy over using the term "addiction" for anything other than substance abuse. Regardless of what we call it, the detriment…

Same. It's the strangest thing - I watched porn from around 14 years old to about 4 years ago (when I was 22), and I had intermittent cravings until about a year later (23), when they stopped completely.

When I gave up social media (although I've since relapsed and am now back on it), I didn't have cravings for it after a while.

But with WoW.... I literally have a craving every couple months, without fail, even though I only played for about 2 years from 2004 to 2006.

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#184

Post by Raidion » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:16 PM UTC

toomanybeersies wrote: post #69

mmirate wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Each addiction clearly and openly differs in the object of addiction. Whereas, with autisms, we don't yet know how to analyze symptoms well enough for there to be a bijection between set-of-symptoms and underlying-autism-variant; indeed, we can barely even separate autism's causes and effects, if at all.

Is video game addiction fundamentally different from gambling addiction? Especially when comparing video poker machines, it's just like a video game.

I don't think so, gambling is based on the risk/reward thrill, coupled with the fact that "if I just hit the big one, I can do other activity that I want to do, but can't afford". I don't feel like many people go into the casino like, "if I win it big at $5, I'm gonna go play 100 dollar a hand blackjack!"

Video games don't have that risk/reward in as nearly as a tangible sense. Though you could argue that games like EVE Online, where in game resources have a direct comparison to hard cash. Ie, you can grind up a capital ship in game, or you can theoretically purchase enough ISK (in game currency, about $11,000 USD in this case) to buy one outright.

Video games have less risk/reward, are focused internally, and have more greed and achievement. If I'm able to clear this raid, I'm able to get X, which will allow me to do Y in the same game, which will make it easier to attempt Z, etc. No one plans to play 5 dollar blackjack so they can play 100 dollar blackjack.

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#185

Post by Mirioron » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:16 PM UTC

tomnipotent wrote: post #38

Mirioron wrote: post #13

A bad parent could easily make a child fit all the criteria given by just being a bad parent. Something like this should not exist in the ICD. There should be a general addiction disorder that puts forth general criteria for showing that a person has an addiction for something. This just looks like a scapegoat to me.

> There should be a general addiction disorder Absolutely ridiculous. The entire point of identifying a disorder and defining the mechanisms for diagnosis is so that we can create treatment plans to help people overcome these issues. You don't treat gaming addiction the same way you would heroine, alcohol, or gambling.

Heroin and alcohol addiction are physical addictions. They are a completely different matter.

Gambling addiction is them same as this, and there is basically no effective treatment available. Just like there won't be one for social media addiction or gaming addiction or reading addiction or sex addiction or masturbation addiction or...

I suggest reading up on how addiction treatment for gambling goes. The person still is a problem gambler at the end of treatment and it's considered successful.

The entire model for addiction for non-substance abuse addiction seems sketchy.

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#186

Post by filleduchaos » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:26 PM UTC

bitL wrote: post #119

nostrademons wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arcades absolutely did promote addiction, they just sucked at it compared to today's games. In a classical arcade, you walk into a darkened room filled with animated CRTs and strange noises. They literally have blinders, designed to shut out your peripheral vision so the game is the only thing in your consciousness. When you die, you have 30 seconds to insert more coins and continue, otherwise you have to start all o…

> they just sucked at it compared to today's games Games these days are far far more interesting than most movies, TV shows or other forms of entertainment. With photorealistic rendering coming combined with AR they might even override the need for exploratory travels outside pure relaxation stays (i.e. if you can visit Alaska/Antarctica/Japan/Petra/whatever with photorealistic graphics, would you really want to trav…

Of course people would still want to travel. I don't know how to put this nicely but not everyone is a recluse.

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#187

Post by bitL » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:33 PM UTC

willio58 wrote: post #179

bitL wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is suddenly some fringe gamer "epidemics" treated as more important (WHO level? seriously?) than vastly more prevalent smartphone-based social addiction?

If the WHO hasn’t started looking at social networks and the like, it’s just a matter of time. Why should there be a hault in studying the effects of games just because there hasn’t been enough studies on social networks and phones?

Only by "shouting" about it and comparing it to a more benign addiction I can individually bring focus to that issue.

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#188

Post by announcerman » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:35 PM UTC

cirgue wrote: post #177

announcerman wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So in your opinion all efforts that result in the optimization or improvement of something decided as relevant by yourself are worthwhile?

All any of us have here are opinions, and yeah it’s my opinion that any time spent doing things that don’t lead to some better future state is the pastime equivalent of junk food: I eat junk food and enjoy it from time to time, but I also don’t ever make the mistake of confusing it with nourishment or trying to justify why it’s good for me.

I do not mind your opinion or way of life, but if I consider other things to be relevant, why can't I use my time to improve in them? Just as you do with the things you consider relevant? As long as the activity doesn't infringe on anyone's liberty why should you be branded as defective for engaging in it? Besides, it is hard to pinpoint what a better future state means. Doesn't it mostly depend on what you consider important to improve?

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#189

Post by kibwen » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:40 PM UTC

hiccuphippo wrote: post #153

ericdykstra wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are tens of thousands of games you could be playing, and only a fraction of single-player games have anything like this. If you don't like the small fraction that do, choose other games. I can't even think of any single-player game off the top of my head that I can't pause or save and quit progress at any time.

I think the only ones like that are the Dark Souls series. But I wonder if they'll add pause to the Switch version since it's a mobile version. Every game in the 3DS pauses when the player closes the lid. It should be the same with the Switch.

Dark Souls doesn't quite fit the above complaint because you can save and quit whenever you want, including in such bizarre circumstances as falling to your death (you'll load on the last safe ground you stood on) or in the middle of combat (enemies will be reset when loading).

Re: ‘Gaming disorder’ is officially recognized by the World Health Organization

#190

Post by ericdykstra » Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 2:49 PM UTC

Rotdhizon wrote: post #172

Posted it the other day on another thread, will post it here again so people can see it. Here is my own experience with this. As crazy as these articles have been about gaming addiction being a medical condition are, I believe it. I'm in my early 20s, ever since I was in my mid teens I was addicted to video games. All through grade school and in college now, I struggle to put the controller down. I routinely don't ge…

Just play enough clicker games until you realize that "progression for progression's sake" is nothing but an empty dopamine hit.

Games can be a fantastic story-telling medium, a competitive environment where you can test your skill and intellect against real human opponents, a lot of pure fun, or a way to spend time playing cooperatively with friends. All of these can be worthwhile activities in different ways.

Grinding mindlessly to make some numbers go up is not worthwhile at all. Playing a game just for the progression that you wouldn't play otherwise is a sign of addiction and can have a substantial negative impact on your life. I love games, but some self-awareness about what they are actually doing for you goes a long way to making them a part of a healthy, productive life rather than something that destroys it.