Video game addiction

[esoterica]

I remember a while ago, I was on GameFAQs, browsing around when I noticed the poll on their main page. It was titled "What is the biggest thing you have given up to keep on playing a game?" I found it interesting, because I consider myself a bit addicted to video games. The poll had 7 options for answers: Time, Money, Social life, Sleep, Food, Romance, and All of the above. I believe I have given up all of these on certain occasions, so I chose All of the above, but more specifically, time, money, sleep, food, social life, romance, in that order. I still value my social life and romance... when it exists. Oh, and I can't ignore hunger.

Anyways, the results of the actual poll were:

Time 28.53% with 24302 vote
Money 8.84% with 7531 vote
A Social Life 11.42 with 9727 vote
Sleep 19.98 with 17025 vote
Food 2.74 with 2336 vote
Romance 2.52 with 2146 vote
All of the above 25.97 with 22125 vote

Do you consider yourself addicted to games? And what have you given up to continue playing a game? Video game addiction seems to be increasing and becoming a bigger problem than people are aware of. According to Wikipedia, video game addiction is excessive or compulsive use of computer and video games that interferes with daily life. Think of all the things you would be doing or might be doing if video games did not exist. We all love games here, but it is true... video games can hold you back from other things in life. That is not to say I am going to quit... but just food for thought.

Also, I came across this article.... it's kind of old, but still very tragic.

A Fostoria (Ohio) man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the drowning-deaths of his 10-month-old twins. On August 7, Gregg J. Kleinmark, 24, left his sons unattended in a bathtub for 30 minutes while he played a computer game, three rooms away. One report suggests that Kleinmark was playing a Game Boy Advance, which as we know, is portable and could have been just as easily used in the bathroom while supervising the infants. Kleinmark is facing up to 10 years in prison.

The man's wife, Rachael Kleinmark, has since filed for divorce and obtained a protection order against her husband. Gregg Kleinmark, wracked by guilt and remorse, has tried to commit suicide twice since the deaths of the twins. He told Channel 13 he visits their graves every day.

Well, it would seem that the sad truth is that video games sometimes do kill.

Don't let this happen to you.

 

[yuyuyup]

Idiot losers like me have no money or social life or romance so there is plenty of room for vidgames

 

[EyeZ]

Guess i am a video game addict, i have a PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, 3 DSlites and countless emulators on my PC.

I wouldn't go as far as the guy who left his twins unattended in the bathtub tho

 

[prowler]

I consider myself as a casual gamer.
Playing games for a long amount of time bores me.

 

[Hop2089]

I give up large amounts of money on video games and some time that I could be spending drinking with the ladies not much but there are a few occasions of this happening. However the upside is that those moments are spent gaming and drinking with the guys so I technically haven't lost anything. You got problems if you are giving up food for video games and sleep is a no since I get 7-8 hours regardless. I already have a romantic life, a long distance one, but video games isn't to blame for that..

 

[blackdragonbaham]

i was hardcore in the past and spent a lot of money and time on video games, but it changed, i only spent a little amount of time on gaming, though videogaming is still my hobby:.