[Air-l] Video Game Addiction

Sun Oct 20 17:25:25 PDT 2002

Hey,

I've looked at the list, but I don't see sexual addiction on it. Isn't
that odd? What about pornography?

-Robert

On Sun, 20 Oct 2002, Rhiannon Bury wrote:

> Well, well, who would have imagined my first post to this friendly list
> would have inspired such a vitriolic response!
>
> air-l at aoir.org writes:
> >hmmm.... I am absolutely fascinated by your definition of "addiction" as
> >having to include only physiological criteria...
> >particularly since the a whole slew of illegal "drugs" are considered
> >"addictive" and this is now purely based on psychological addiction.
> >Marijuana for example.... and most psychedelics...
> >and I do not have a copy of DSM-IV handy but I think that text would
> >disagree with you. Disagree with you completely.
>
> The DSM-IV, in fact, does not use the term "addiction" but rather talks
> about "abuse" and "dependence" and "intoxication".  Had you taken the time
> to look up the index rather than flame me, you would have noticed that
> these terms are all discussed in the Substance chapter. Lest you accuse me
> of spouting off without providing any facts, here is the complete list:
>
> Substance-Related Disorders
> Alcohol Abuse 305.00
> Alcohol Dependence 303.90
> Alcohol Intoxication 303.00
> Alcohol Intoxication Delirium 291.0
> Alcohol Withdrawal 291.8
> Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium 291.0
> Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder 291.8
> Alcohol-Induced Mood Disorder 291.8
> Alcohol-Induced Persisting Amnestic Disorder 291.1
> Alcohol-Induced Persisting Dementia 291.2
> Alcohol-Induced Psychotic Disorder With Delusions 291.5
> Alcohol-Induced Psychotic Disorder With Hallucinations 291.3
> Alcohol-Induced Sexual Dysfunction 291.8
> Alcohol-Induced Sleep Disorder 291.8
> Alcohol-Related Disorder NOS 291.9
> Amphetamine Abuse 305.70
> Amphetamine Dependence 304.40
> Cannabis Abuse 305.20
> Cannabis Dependence 304.30
> Cocaine Abuse 305.60
> Cocaine Dependence 304.20
> Hallucinogen Abuse 305.30
> Hallucinogen Dependence 304.50
> Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (Flashbacks) 292.89
> Inhalant Abuse 305.90
> Inhalant Dependence 304.60
> Nicotine Dependence 305.10
> Opioid Abuse 305.50
> Opioid Dependence 304.00
> Other (or Unknown) Substance Abuse 305.90
> Other (or Unknown) Substance Dependence 304.90
> Phencyclidine Abuse 305.90
> Phencyclidine Dependence 304.90
> Polysubstance Dependence 304.80
> Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Abuse 305.40
> Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Dependence 304.10
> Substance [Amphetamine, Caffeine, Cannabis, Cocaine, Hallucinogen,
> Inhalant, Phencyclidine, Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)]-Induced Anxiety
> Disorder 292.89
> Substance [Amphetamine, Caffeine, Cannabis, Cocaine, Hallucinogen,
> Inhalant, Nicotine, Opioid, Phencyclidine, Sedative*, Other (or
> Unknown)]-Related Disorder NOS 292.9
> Substance [Amphetamine, Caffeine, Cocaine, Opioid, Sedative*, Other (or
> Unknown)]-Induced Sleep Disorder 292.89
> Substance [Amphetamine, Cannabis, Cocaine, Hallucinogen, Inhalant, Opioid,
> Phencyclidine, Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)]-Induced Psychotic Disorder,
> With Delusions 292.11
> Substance [Amphetamine, Cannabis, Cocaine, Hallucinogen, Inhalant, Opioid,
> Phencyclidine, Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)]-Induced Psychotic Disorder,
> With Hallucinations 292.12
> Substance [Amphetamine, Cannabis, Cocaine, Hallucinogen, Inhalant, Opioid,
> Phencyclidine, Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)] Intoxication Delirium 292.81
> Substance [Amphetamine, Cannabis, Cocaine, Hallucinogen, Inhalant, Opioid,
> Phencyclidine, Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)] Intoxication 292.89
> Substance [Amphetamine, Cocaine, Hallucinogen, Inhalant, Opioid,
> Phencyclidine, Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)]-Induced Mood Disorder 292.84
> Substance [Amphetamine, Cocaine, Nicotine, Opioid, Sedative*, Other (or
> Unknown)] Withdrawal 292.0
> Substance [Amphetamine, Cocaine, Opioid, Sedative*, Other (or
> Unknown)]-Induced Sexual Dysfunction 292.89
> Substance [Inhalant, Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)]-Induced Persisting
> Dementia 292.82
> Substance [Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)] Withdrawal Delirium 292.81
> Substance [Sedative*, Other (or Unknown)]-Induced Persisting Amnestic
> Disorder 292.83
>
> I'll leave it  to you to read through each disorder and prove me wrong on
> whether it is primarily physiological or not. But what should catch your
> attention is the glaring absence of any disorder related to a form of
> media/technology or media consumption. The pathologizing language of
> "addiction" is not used by scientists but by the media, moral majority
> types and conservative politicians to fearmonger. There is no evidence
> that television, video games or the Internet alter brain chemistry as do
> caffeine, nicotine and heroin because there is no research.
>
> Sure there's plenty of research on a range of harmful effects but a review
> of the literature indicates that the jury is out on that one (as someone
> here already noted). If you're interested in reading more about the
> problems of "direct effects" research concerning children and media
> violence, please see:
>
> Buckingham, D. (1993). Children talking television: The making of
> television literacy. London: The Falmer Press.
>
>
> Henry Jenkins has also written about violence and video games and
> testified before Congress. You can read his essay "Professor Jenkins Goes
> to Washington" on his website. Very instructive on the workings of moral
> panic.
>
> Finally, you may find the following interesting:
>
> Drotner, K. (1992). Modernity and media panics. In M. Skovmand & K.
> Christian (Eds.), Media Cultures: Reappraising transnational media (pp.
> 42-62). New York: Routledge.
>
> Fortunately, others were able to see my overall point despite the lack of
> citations. (Thanks Elijah for taking the heat!)  I'd be interested in
> seeing Matt's research as well.
>
> Rhiannon
>
>
>
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Rhiannon Bury" <rbury at oise.utoronto.ca>
> >To: <air-l at aoir.org>
> >Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2002 3:50 PM
> >Subject: Re: [Air-l] Video Game Addiction
> >
> >
> >>
> >> I think we should be suspicious of terms like "video addiction";
> >> addictions are primarily physiological, not psychological and there is
> >not
> >> a shred of evidence that playing video games alters brain chemistry in
> >any
> >> way. I would say that this story is part of the latest media "moral
> >panic"
> >> to divert attention from deep rooted social and individual problems.
> >> Nobody takes his/her own life because of a video game. It's rather like
> >> suggesting the boys at Columbine killed their classmates, teachers and
> >> themselves because they watched The Matrix and listened to Marilyn
> >Manson.
> >>
> >> Rhiannon
> >>
> >>
> >> Rhiannon Bury
> >> Assistant Professor
> >> Wilfrid Laurier University
> >> Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5
> >> Canada
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> air-l at aoir.org writes:
> >> >This week's "48 Hours" on CBS featured a story about
> >> >video game 'addiction', especially those playing
> >> >"EverQuest" by Sony.  One sad tale of a twentysomething
> >> >young man who killed himself after his favorite
> >> >character was destroyed.  His mother thinks suicide was
> >> >due to the game.
> >> >
> >> >What amazed me was that most of the people in the story
> >> >were not teenage boys, but men in their 20s and 30s.
> >> >
> >> >Any real research out there on this subject of on-line
> >> >gaming addiction?
> >> >
> >> >Thanks,
> >> >
> >> >Valdis Krebs
> >> >http://www.orgnet.com
> >> >
> >> >_______________________________________________
> >> >Air-l mailing list
> >> >Air-l at aoir.org
> >> >http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >
> >
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>
>
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