Full Version: Video Game Addiction
AMA to vote on "internet/video-game addiction" as medical condition
On my thread last year on Addiction, there was quite the heated debate on whether addiction was an actual medical addiction or whether it was simply a repeated behavior. Unfortunately, nobody chose to respond to my last posts on the subject and the thread died. But here is another case that I believe supports my argument of how addiction falls more along the lines of social stigma than a real medical condition.
Question(s) for Debate:
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
QUOTE
It may sound like a bunch of hooey to a nation of Wii, Xbox and PlayStation enthusiasts, but next week, at the AMA's national meeting in Chicago, delegates will vote on a recommendation that "Internet/video-game addiction" be classified as a formal diagnosis.
<snip>
In his practice, Dr. Joseph Keeley, an Orlando pediatrician, says he has seen evidence of addiction.
"There are some kids who clearly act like they're addicted and, when you take them off, they'll go through withdrawal. They'll get irritable and hard to live with," Keeley said.
<snip>
The AMA vote would be only a first step, because it then would pass the baton to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the primary handbook used to diagnose mental illnesses and disorders.
<snip>
In his practice, Dr. Joseph Keeley, an Orlando pediatrician, says he has seen evidence of addiction.
"There are some kids who clearly act like they're addicted and, when you take them off, they'll go through withdrawal. They'll get irritable and hard to live with," Keeley said.
<snip>
The AMA vote would be only a first step, because it then would pass the baton to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the primary handbook used to diagnose mental illnesses and disorders.
On my thread last year on Addiction, there was quite the heated debate on whether addiction was an actual medical addiction or whether it was simply a repeated behavior. Unfortunately, nobody chose to respond to my last posts on the subject and the thread died. But here is another case that I believe supports my argument of how addiction falls more along the lines of social stigma than a real medical condition.
Question(s) for Debate:
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
Most people have some habits where they spend time doing things that would be better used (by somebody's standard) doing something else.
Let's take Charlie who comes home from school everyday and hangs out behind his local 7-11 with his friends. Is he addicted to hanging out?
Or Jesse, who plays basketball seven days a week. Is he addicted to basketball if he mopes and complains if it rains?
Is my daughter addicted to reading because she becomes physically upset if she forgets to bring a book on a long car ride?
Addiction is defined as compulsive performance of harmful behavior. Without the harmful portion, it is compulsion and not addiction. In the case of video game usage, I think it is only rarely demonstrable that the behavior is harmful, especially from the game player's point of view. He is participating in an activity that is enjoyable to him, choosing that over other activities. He doesn't see harm in that.
Now, that does not mean there isn't harm, but this is a critical aspect of distinguishing between compulsive and addictive behavior.
Let's take Charlie who comes home from school everyday and hangs out behind his local 7-11 with his friends. Is he addicted to hanging out?
Or Jesse, who plays basketball seven days a week. Is he addicted to basketball if he mopes and complains if it rains?
Is my daughter addicted to reading because she becomes physically upset if she forgets to bring a book on a long car ride?
Addiction is defined as compulsive performance of harmful behavior. Without the harmful portion, it is compulsion and not addiction. In the case of video game usage, I think it is only rarely demonstrable that the behavior is harmful, especially from the game player's point of view. He is participating in an activity that is enjoyable to him, choosing that over other activities. He doesn't see harm in that.
Now, that does not mean there isn't harm, but this is a critical aspect of distinguishing between compulsive and addictive behavior.
QUOTE(lederuvdapac @ Jun 21 2007, 09:43 AM) 
Question(s) for Debate:
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
1) No
2) No
Parents should really look into parenting and not letting GTA, Call Of Duty or Spongebob parent. You know if you don't buy the kids the PS2 they won't play as much. Maybe set limits. Be a dad not a friend, stuff like that.
Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
Yes. I would compare it to temporary insanity.
Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
Yes.
I've been playing MMORPGs on and off since EverQuest, the original digital crack cocaine, debuted. I used to play between 30 and 40 hours a week when I bought a copy 1 - 2 years after release. I'm not sure if it was because I "could" get away with it at the time or because I was approaching a low point in my personal life. It provided immediate and relatively speaking harmless escapism (except for the fact that I had shelved reality, lost contact with the outside world, grades in what should've been easy classes suffered, etc.). I haven't found a game that addictive since and I think it's because every MMORPG following EverQuest lacks the immense online community feel with spats that spilled over into message forums, huge conventions, and just "being there" for others; e.g. staying up until 4:00AM night after night so one of the guild's clerics could have a crack at his rez stick which would make raiding a lot easier on as many members as 30 - 50 on a given night. Commitments and gratification from accomplishing tasks shifted from the real world to the pixilated world.
That said, I don't think online addiction is a defense. I don't blame online games when people commit suicide over it
or kill babies over it.
To me MMORPGs have the potential to be as destructive as illegal drugs and the government should butt out. I don't have a problem with the AMA, an independent organization, advising physician members on the potential hazards of online addiction.
Yes. I would compare it to temporary insanity.
Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
Yes.
I've been playing MMORPGs on and off since EverQuest, the original digital crack cocaine, debuted. I used to play between 30 and 40 hours a week when I bought a copy 1 - 2 years after release. I'm not sure if it was because I "could" get away with it at the time or because I was approaching a low point in my personal life. It provided immediate and relatively speaking harmless escapism (except for the fact that I had shelved reality, lost contact with the outside world, grades in what should've been easy classes suffered, etc.). I haven't found a game that addictive since and I think it's because every MMORPG following EverQuest lacks the immense online community feel with spats that spilled over into message forums, huge conventions, and just "being there" for others; e.g. staying up until 4:00AM night after night so one of the guild's clerics could have a crack at his rez stick which would make raiding a lot easier on as many members as 30 - 50 on a given night. Commitments and gratification from accomplishing tasks shifted from the real world to the pixilated world.
That said, I don't think online addiction is a defense. I don't blame online games when people commit suicide over it
QUOTE(CBS)
Late last fall, Shawn stopped working. He stopped seeing his family. "I think that was the beginning of the end," says Liz. "Because then he quit cleaning his place. He wouldn't let anybody come in."
Since her son's death, she has connected with hundreds of other people who claim Everquest addictions are ruining their lives.
At "Everquest Widows," a Web site devoted to people who think that their partners and spouses have become obsessed with the game, many people have the same feelings that Liz Woolley has.
Since her son's death, she has connected with hundreds of other people who claim Everquest addictions are ruining their lives.
At "Everquest Widows," a Web site devoted to people who think that their partners and spouses have become obsessed with the game, many people have the same feelings that Liz Woolley has.
or kill babies over it.
QUOTE(St. Petersburg Times Online)
As his 9-month-old son cried last July, Tony Lamont Bragg Sr.'s mind was on something else: a computer game called Everquest.
Authorities believe Bragg squeezed Tony Jr. to keep him quiet, then left him unattended in a utility closet in their Temple Terrace apartment for more than 24 hours. The boy died.
On Tuesday, Bragg, 24, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Bragg had been playing the online fantasy role-playing computer game for hours and appeared to get annoyed by his son's crying, said prosecutor Suzanne Rossomondo.
Authorities believe Bragg squeezed Tony Jr. to keep him quiet, then left him unattended in a utility closet in their Temple Terrace apartment for more than 24 hours. The boy died.
On Tuesday, Bragg, 24, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Bragg had been playing the online fantasy role-playing computer game for hours and appeared to get annoyed by his son's crying, said prosecutor Suzanne Rossomondo.
To me MMORPGs have the potential to be as destructive as illegal drugs and the government should butt out. I don't have a problem with the AMA, an independent organization, advising physician members on the potential hazards of online addiction.
Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
The answer is very simply no. I have played many a video game in my day and while madden and zelda offer a good escape and a few hours of hard earned enjoyment, playing them at any pace is nowhere near a medical condition and I think it is offensive to those who actually have a medical condition to put them in the same category. People choose to play video games for hours on end and their is no pathological force that compels them to do so.
Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
I am really not surprised if the DSM does consider video game addiction a disease. They've already medicalized so many human behaviors that there is no reason for them to stop.
The answer is very simply no. I have played many a video game in my day and while madden and zelda offer a good escape and a few hours of hard earned enjoyment, playing them at any pace is nowhere near a medical condition and I think it is offensive to those who actually have a medical condition to put them in the same category. People choose to play video games for hours on end and their is no pathological force that compels them to do so.
Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
I am really not surprised if the DSM does consider video game addiction a disease. They've already medicalized so many human behaviors that there is no reason for them to stop.
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
No. Games may be addictive, hell I know they are because I have been addicted to games too, but its not a medical condition any more than being addicted to having fun is.
I am sure that are people out there, that because of their addiction to games have a lesser quality of life in other areas, and thats really their own problem, but most criticism towards being addicted to games is the notion a lot of people have, that it is for some reason bad behavior to play video games 10 hours a day. I don't consider it fruitful behavior, but its certainly not harmful behavior that needs special attention from the medical community. Why not start by curing real diseases first - before we start labeling non-conformative behavior as a medical problem.
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
No. If some people take their addiction to video games so far, that it hurts their own wellbeing or that of others, then I am sure that can be put under an already existing psychiatric diagnose describing self-destructive behavior which they probably had to begin with. I have known tons of people that played video games for more than 70 hours a week, myself included. All of them today, including myself, hardly plays video games more than 10 hours a week, have good jobs, families yadaydayda... and anecdote I know, but proof that being de facto addicted to video games for a timespan of several years can have no negative impact whatsoever.
No. Games may be addictive, hell I know they are because I have been addicted to games too, but its not a medical condition any more than being addicted to having fun is.
I am sure that are people out there, that because of their addiction to games have a lesser quality of life in other areas, and thats really their own problem, but most criticism towards being addicted to games is the notion a lot of people have, that it is for some reason bad behavior to play video games 10 hours a day. I don't consider it fruitful behavior, but its certainly not harmful behavior that needs special attention from the medical community. Why not start by curing real diseases first - before we start labeling non-conformative behavior as a medical problem.
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
No. If some people take their addiction to video games so far, that it hurts their own wellbeing or that of others, then I am sure that can be put under an already existing psychiatric diagnose describing self-destructive behavior which they probably had to begin with. I have known tons of people that played video games for more than 70 hours a week, myself included. All of them today, including myself, hardly plays video games more than 10 hours a week, have good jobs, families yadaydayda... and anecdote I know, but proof that being de facto addicted to video games for a timespan of several years can have no negative impact whatsoever.
QUOTE(lederuvdapac @ Jun 22 2007, 02:57 PM)
I think it is offensive to those who actually have a medical condition to put them in the same category.
The APA cites online gambling as a problem. Why do you think someone with personality disorders be offended, or is the issue here that you don't think personality disorders qualify as a medical condition?
QUOTE(Lesly @ Jun 22 2007, 03:58 PM)
QUOTE(lederuvdapac @ Jun 22 2007, 02:57 PM)
I think it is offensive to those who actually have a medical condition to put them in the same category.
The APA cites online gambling as a problem. Why do you think someone with personality disorders be offended, or is the issue here that you don't think personality disorders qualify as a medical condition?
The latter is more in line with my beliefs. Gambling, alcohol, drugs, video games...the constant repetition of these activities are behaviors and not medical conditions. If you look at the first three activities, you can see a long and storied history of social stigma that is closely linked with religion. At one point in time they were sins, and now they are addictions.
QUOTE(lederuvdapac @ Jun 22 2007, 04:08 PM)
QUOTE(Lesly @ Jun 22 2007, 03:58 PM)
or is the issue here that you don't think personality disorders qualify as a medical condition?
The latter is more in line with my beliefs. Gambling, alcohol, drugs, video games... the constant repetition of these activities are behaviors and not medical conditions. If you look at the first three activities, you can see a long and storied history of social stigma that is closely linked with religion. At one point in time they were sins, and now they are addictions.
My mother is a compulsive cleaner. I mean compulsive. You cannot visit without her getting up and polishing or dusting something when the house is already clean. By Biblical standards cleanliness is a virtue. By medical standards, she's not normal. She's not as dangerous as my schizophrenic brother, but still not normal.
What does sin have to do with it? Scientific methodology doesn't perpetuate social stigma. In fact, I'd call scientific research into hard and soft sciences anti-religious.
QUOTE(Lesly @ Jun 22 2007, 04:57 PM)
QUOTE(lederuvdapac @ Jun 22 2007, 04:08 PM)
QUOTE(Lesly @ Jun 22 2007, 03:58 PM)
or is the issue here that you don't think personality disorders qualify as a medical condition?
The latter is more in line with my beliefs. Gambling, alcohol, drugs, video games... the constant repetition of these activities are behaviors and not medical conditions. If you look at the first three activities, you can see a long and storied history of social stigma that is closely linked with religion. At one point in time they were sins, and now they are addictions.
My mother is a compulsive cleaner. I mean compulsive. You cannot visit without her getting up and polishing or dusting something when the house is already clean. By Biblical standards cleanliness is a virtue. By medical standards, she's not normal. She's not as dangerous as my schizophrenic brother, but still not normal.
What does sin have to do with it? Scientific methodology doesn't perpetuate social stigma. In fact, I'd call scientific research into hard and soft sciences anti-religious.
What is normal is determined by the social norms of society, not by any medical test. It is subjective. And sin has a lot to do with it. Look at the history of the classification of alcoholism. First, it was the alcohol that was evil for what he it did to people. Then it was the people who were evil since they couldn't control themselves. The rise of the medicalization of behavior gave another explanation. Read Prohibition-era literature about alcohol. It has been a social stigma for generations. The truth is that it is something that people enjoy and they will keep doing it if they choose to. There is nothing "addictive" in the sense of some sort of disease that is beyond their control.
QUOTE(lederuvdapac @ Jun 21 2007, 01:43 PM)
AMA to vote on "internet/video-game addiction" as medical condition
On my thread last year on Addiction, there was quite the heated debate on whether addiction was an actual medical addiction or whether it was simply a repeated behavior. Unfortunately, nobody chose to respond to my last posts on the subject and the thread died. But here is another case that I believe supports my argument of how addiction falls more along the lines of social stigma than a real medical condition.
Question(s) for Debate:
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
QUOTE
It may sound like a bunch of hooey to a nation of Wii, Xbox and PlayStation enthusiasts, but next week, at the AMA's national meeting in Chicago, delegates will vote on a recommendation that "Internet/video-game addiction" be classified as a formal diagnosis.
<snip>
In his practice, Dr. Joseph Keeley, an Orlando pediatrician, says he has seen evidence of addiction.
"There are some kids who clearly act like they're addicted and, when you take them off, they'll go through withdrawal. They'll get irritable and hard to live with," Keeley said.
<snip>
The AMA vote would be only a first step, because it then would pass the baton to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the primary handbook used to diagnose mental illnesses and disorders.
<snip>
In his practice, Dr. Joseph Keeley, an Orlando pediatrician, says he has seen evidence of addiction.
"There are some kids who clearly act like they're addicted and, when you take them off, they'll go through withdrawal. They'll get irritable and hard to live with," Keeley said.
<snip>
The AMA vote would be only a first step, because it then would pass the baton to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the primary handbook used to diagnose mental illnesses and disorders.
On my thread last year on Addiction, there was quite the heated debate on whether addiction was an actual medical addiction or whether it was simply a repeated behavior. Unfortunately, nobody chose to respond to my last posts on the subject and the thread died. But here is another case that I believe supports my argument of how addiction falls more along the lines of social stigma than a real medical condition.
Question(s) for Debate:
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
My answers to both questions is, I kind of doubt it. I equate it to saying that whittling wood should be considered an addiction because there are people that enjoy it enough for it to consume a great deal of their time. Is either a hobby that can actually become an obsession? Perhaps, but this is true of almost any hobby. The thing to consider is that video games are very much by choice a hobby, just like whittling wood, there is no physical or chemical attraction that is tempting you like sex addiction, alcoholism, or drug addiction. The only attraction in video games is a mental one. If you can consider video games an addiction you might as well take every single hobby from book reading, to bicycling, and consider them potential addictions as well and set up recovery programs accordingly.
The thing to ask yourself is if there is any benefit to your particular hobby. If you whittle wood long enough and get good at it you can consider making a career of it, same goes with video games. I'm 24 and started designing my own levels for video games at the age of 13. Now I'm going to college for it and in 3 years I'll be pulling in 50 - 60 thousand a year as a starting salary. You cant really to that smoking crack or drinking, so I don't consider this an addiction. To some extent it can be habit forming but this is why as parents you monitor a childes behavior and make sure there is a good balance between leisure time and homework, or what have you.
QUOTE(net2007 @ Jun 22 2007, 06:39 PM)
QUOTE(lederuvdapac @ Jun 21 2007, 01:43 PM)
AMA to vote on "internet/video-game addiction" as medical condition
On my thread last year on Addiction, there was quite the heated debate on whether addiction was an actual medical addiction or whether it was simply a repeated behavior. Unfortunately, nobody chose to respond to my last posts on the subject and the thread died. But here is another case that I believe supports my argument of how addiction falls more along the lines of social stigma than a real medical condition.
Question(s) for Debate:
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
QUOTE
It may sound like a bunch of hooey to a nation of Wii, Xbox and PlayStation enthusiasts, but next week, at the AMA's national meeting in Chicago, delegates will vote on a recommendation that "Internet/video-game addiction" be classified as a formal diagnosis.
<snip>
In his practice, Dr. Joseph Keeley, an Orlando pediatrician, says he has seen evidence of addiction.
"There are some kids who clearly act like they're addicted and, when you take them off, they'll go through withdrawal. They'll get irritable and hard to live with," Keeley said.
<snip>
The AMA vote would be only a first step, because it then would pass the baton to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the primary handbook used to diagnose mental illnesses and disorders.
<snip>
In his practice, Dr. Joseph Keeley, an Orlando pediatrician, says he has seen evidence of addiction.
"There are some kids who clearly act like they're addicted and, when you take them off, they'll go through withdrawal. They'll get irritable and hard to live with," Keeley said.
<snip>
The AMA vote would be only a first step, because it then would pass the baton to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the primary handbook used to diagnose mental illnesses and disorders.
On my thread last year on Addiction, there was quite the heated debate on whether addiction was an actual medical addiction or whether it was simply a repeated behavior. Unfortunately, nobody chose to respond to my last posts on the subject and the thread died. But here is another case that I believe supports my argument of how addiction falls more along the lines of social stigma than a real medical condition.
Question(s) for Debate:
1) Is video game addiction a real medical condition?
2) Should the DSM make video game addiction a diagnosable condition?
My answers to both questions is, I kind of doubt it. I equate it to saying that whittling wood should be considered an addiction because there are people that enjoy it enough for it to consume a great deal of their time. Is either a hobby that can actually become an obsession? Perhaps, but this is true of almost any hobby. The thing to consider is that video games are very much by choice a hobby, just like whittling wood, there is no physical or chemical attraction that is tempting you like sex addiction, alcoholism, or drug addiction. The only attraction in video games is a mental one. If you can consider video games an addiction you might as well take every single hobby from book reading, to bicycling, and consider them potential addictions as well and set up recovery programs accordingly.
The thing to ask yourself is if there is any benefit to your particular hobby. If you whittle wood long enough and get good at it you can consider making a career of it, same goes with video games. I'm 24 and started designing my own levels for video games at the age of 13. Now I'm going to college for it and in 3 years I'll be pulling in 50 - 60 thousand a year as a starting salary. You cant really to that smoking crack or drinking, so I don't consider this an addiction. To some extent it can be habit forming but this is why as parents you monitor a childes behavior and make sure there is a good balance between leisure time and homework, or what have you.
If we work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it's called "normal" behavior. If we were to play video games 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it would be an addiction? I realize we could argue about the constructiveness of playing video games compared to working. But I hate my job. How normal is that? I play video games BECAUSE I hate my job. I haven't played in a while, but for a few weeks there, almost all my free time was consumed by Rainbow Six Vegas on XBox Live. I think there are some people who become so accustomed to the routine of playing games (and particularly MMORPGs) that when they can't play, they experience similar symptoms of withdrawal. But it isn't a physical drive like drug addiction is. What exactly will occur if the AMA votes to make a category for video game/internet addiction?
To answer the questions, no, video game/internet addictions are not valid medical conditions (insomuch that cessation of playing and/or using the internet will not cause someone to experience physical pain or cause detriment to their health). This is a massive waste of time. If there is an argument concerning video game addiction, we should examine why people become addicted to video games. I know I took them up because I was socially awkward and enjoyed the sense of community in cyber-gaming. It may not be the same as physically hanging out with friends, but in a culture which values beauty over brains, video games are a good place for the brainy self-conscious people to congregate.
I'd argue that the AMA is addicted to making up diseases. RLS anyone?
Update:
Addiction experts say video games not an addiction
The debate over whether video games can be considered an addiction should shed some much needed light on addiction altogether and hopefully make some people come to their senses.
Addiction experts say video games not an addiction
QUOTE
Doctors backed away on Sunday from a controversial proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder akin to alcoholism, saying psychiatrists should study the issue more.
<snip>
They said more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games -- a problem that affects about 10 percent of players -- could be considered a mental illness.
"There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn't get to have the word addiction attached to it," said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
<snip>
Such a move would ease the path for insurance coverage of video game addiction.
<snip>
"Working with this problem is no different than working with alcoholic patients. The same denial, the same rationalization, the same inability to give it up," Dr. Thomas Allen of the Osler Medical Center in Towson, Maryland.
<snip>
But addictive or not, too much time spent playing video games takes away from other important activities.
"The more time kids spend on video games, the less time they will have socializing, the less time they will have with their families, the less time they will have exercising," Kraus said.
<snip>
They said more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games -- a problem that affects about 10 percent of players -- could be considered a mental illness.
"There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn't get to have the word addiction attached to it," said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
<snip>
Such a move would ease the path for insurance coverage of video game addiction.
<snip>
"Working with this problem is no different than working with alcoholic patients. The same denial, the same rationalization, the same inability to give it up," Dr. Thomas Allen of the Osler Medical Center in Towson, Maryland.
<snip>
But addictive or not, too much time spent playing video games takes away from other important activities.
"The more time kids spend on video games, the less time they will have socializing, the less time they will have with their families, the less time they will have exercising," Kraus said.
The debate over whether video games can be considered an addiction should shed some much needed light on addiction altogether and hopefully make some people come to their senses.
If Aevans176 were here I bet I know what he would suggest to kick the "addiction" of video games for kids. Unplug the darn thing, throw the little darlings outside and make them run around, ride a bike, toss a ball around and just MOVE for a little while. There's a lot more to life than just zoning out in front of a widescreen TV and a game controller in yer sweaty mitt.
That said, I love Madden football. I play against my brother and we take pains to make sure the rosters are updated and uniform numbers correct. I can't stand playing a game where the player that's killing me is now wearing some other team's colors.
My son will go so far as to read the gaming magazine, edit incorrect entries in Wikipedia about his favorite RPG's and used to even write out the complete moves of fighters in Tekken.
Then he got his temporary driver's permit and started getting interested in having his own car so he could drive girls home from school.
If this is an "addiction" it ranks somewhere below heroin and above eating Whoppers every day. Addiction ain't what it used to be.
That said, I love Madden football. I play against my brother and we take pains to make sure the rosters are updated and uniform numbers correct. I can't stand playing a game where the player that's killing me is now wearing some other team's colors.
My son will go so far as to read the gaming magazine, edit incorrect entries in Wikipedia about his favorite RPG's and used to even write out the complete moves of fighters in Tekken.
Then he got his temporary driver's permit and started getting interested in having his own car so he could drive girls home from school.
If this is an "addiction" it ranks somewhere below heroin and above eating Whoppers every day. Addiction ain't what it used to be.
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