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Study: One In 12 Gamers Addicted

Tom Ivan's picture

By Tom Ivan

May 27, 2009

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One in 12 gamers has an addiction to playing, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney.

The study was based on an online poll of 2,000 gamers who answered a series of questions regarding duration of play and their experience of negative side-effects, including declines in work related performance, interrupted sleep patterns, cravings and weight change, reports TVNZ.

The researchers said that eight percent of respondents fit the study's problem gamer profile, with 70 percent in this category said to play games for more than four hours a day. They were found to be more prone to social isolation and compulsive behaviour, and to have a higher risk of depression.

"Their whole lives revolve around this activity and there certainly seems to be a problem there - there is an addiction," said associate professor Vladan Starcevic. "And it seems to us that these people seem to ... have other mental health issues, and it seems excessive videogame playing is a manifestation of these underlying problems."

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Sabrewulf's picture
On May 28th Sabrewulf said:

Depends on the specific game surely...

Mikail Yazbeck's picture
On May 28th Mikail Yazbeck said:

I can accept that many gamers are addicted in some sense, either mentally or broadly.

However, I feel its sad to see that non-gamers and other folks can be threatened to see a group of people who are passionate about something that they try to do that activity as much as possible.

I see so many people bored with their lives, working, fucking about, sitting in front of the TV waiting to be titillated by sitcoms, and I think that's a pathetic life with no focus, just getting through the days.

We gamers and game makers do many things too(I have a very balanced life myself, thank goodness for my fiance, thanks honey!), but we have a passion that's always there in our minds,

Playing, making and celebrating our wonderful hobby 24/7, a reason to live or just something better than waiting to be fed our entertainment?

mentor07825's picture
On May 27th mentor07825 said:

Argie Bargie, it's go time!

rahvii's picture
On May 27th rahvii said:

I think i spend 4 hours a day playing but still i don't feel im addicted since i can drop the game at any time a get out with my friends, something that i do very often.

The only time i felt some kind of addiction was when i played WoW... the worst thing if that the game if mostly about wasting time farming stuff and going over 9000 times to the same dungeon. It's just this hardcore ambition to archieve something and share it with others in different kind of ways.

The problem with MMOs is that they never end... I can play Castlevania and farm every weapon from all the enemies, but when its finished it's done, MMOs its an infinite never ending achievement quest. Also there's the time factor, if you don't farm, lvl up, gear up... soon enough you will get behind of the others. Even if you are not the competion kind of guy, you'll end up forced to play in order to keep up with your friends.

Is this good or bad? still it's up to the player, you can play all day but if you also do excel at other things in life like health, studies/work, social stuff, then there's no problem, but i think that it's not as easy as killing Illidan, its a matter of personal balance that not everyone can achieve.

Indrema's picture
On May 27th Indrema said:

- So how does this compare to social isolation caused by people who watch TV more than 4 hours a day? You can't talk to anyone through your TV?

- What are the other "mental health issues"?

- if Wii owners count, how many people are addicted to light physical activity, like golf?

- How many people are playing these games all day because they've been layed-off due to Global Market leaders not being able to keep their sh!t in one sock?

nolim's picture
On May 27th nolim said:

I wonder how many of that 8 percent are clocking the hours on an MMO like World of War-Crack.