Gaming Addiction
The South Korean National Assembly recently examined legislation which would treat video game addiction the same as addictions for drugs, gambling or alcohol. The bill, introduced by a member of the ruling Saenuri Party, proposes an extra tax and heavier regulation of internet gaming. According to a recent survey, nearly three-fourths of South Koreans believe internet games are as addictive as drugs or alcohol, and nearly half support the legislation.
Although several clinical and thoughtful definitions of “addiction” exist, a useful and practical definition is this: Addictive behavior is indicated when a person persists in an activity even in the face of negative consequences. “Negative consequences” can be defined many ways, and excessive video or internet gaming certainly provide those – obesity, lack of real-life social interaction, deteriorating relationships, not to mention lower back pain, repetitive motion injuries and “nintendonitis,” a term used to describe tendon injuries in the hands and wrists of Nintendo game players.
Video Games Provide “High” for Gamers
Drug and alcohol addictions include physiological changes in the addict’s body as they use the substance. Gambling addicts receive “highs” when they gamble, as the brain’s pleasure center is stimulated. In the same sense, video games provide a type of “high” for gamers as they play. While doing something that pleases you is not necessarily a bad thing, it becomes a problem when it interferes with leading a normal, productive life.
Reasonable people may disagree as to whether excessive video game playing is indeed an “addiction.” However, the technical definition doesn’t matter when we see our children’s lives becoming one-dimensional, at the expense of their physical, emotional and mental health. As with any activities, we need to be aware of our children and what they are doing. They depend on adults to help them make better decisions and to helpfully guide them away from damaging activities and into beneficial ones.
