We are crack whores

[illdog]

Ok, maybe just Hinn because we are mostly older than 16 but still.

TRUTH from C+VG:

Playing video games for two hours is the same as doing a line of cocaine, according to experts speaking to the Lancashire Evening Post.

The UK paper says three out of five under 16-year-olds, and four out if five under 10-year olds play games at levels that show signs of addiction and an increasing number of youngsters are seeking professional help. Not Prima guides - they mean doctors.

Counsellor and therapist Steve Pope told the paper: "Spending two hours on a game station is equivalent to taking a line of cocaine in the high it produces."

He added: "It is the fastest growing addiction in the country and this is affecting young people mentally, as well as leading to physical problems such as obesity."

This bit's hilarious: "I saw one 14-year-old Preston boy who played on games for 24 hours non stop and had not eaten and was showing signs of dehydration.

"When his parents tried to take his console away, he became aggressive and threatened to jump out of a window." There's a simple answer to that one - let them do it. A concrete faceplant will soon teach them there's no 'press A to respawn' in real life.

Of course, he plays the violence card: "Computer game addiction can also spiral into violence as after playing violent games, they may turn their fantasy games into reality."

Does anyone stop to think that maybe it's the case that a growing number of parents simply lack the knowledge and ability to properly raise and control their offspring?

[David]

[hinn888]

So... What theyre saying is for every 2 hours we would normally play we should take a line of cocaine instead.

[Sambob]

So... What theyre saying is for every 2 hours we would normally play we should take a line of cocaine instead.

Well technically if I take half a line of coke per two hours of play then im actually being healthier... also, playing games for two hours a day doesnt lead you sell your kids for more money to keep playing two hours a day of games or commit violent crimes and so on. Stupid surveys, these are probably carried out by people who just 'couldnt do it' when they were kids, the players that had all sorts of little gaps in tetris that lead to the crazy noise you get when you lose in tetris. I bet if you played that noise to them then they would regress into a child like state.

[Pikman]

I know someone who's nephew is now going through rehabilitation after being addicted to WoW!! It does seem that MMORPG's are the worst for this knowing the people I do who play games for insane hours.

I'm fine though, I just play til I'm dizzy then stop, none of this making myself ill business.

[HandsomeDead]

The comparison to cocaine is just fucking idiotic. I'm sure they just took the levels of endorphins that two hours of gaming gives you and compared it to the scariest thing. A line of cocaine is probably the same as half an hour at the gym, gaming for an hour is the same as a nice kebab after the pub.. It's all bullshit in a just world wouldn't be printed.

Of course gaming addiction is a real problem, it's just some of the media assumes anyone who picks up a Duelshock is a fucking addict.

[Sly Reflex]

Of course gaming addiction is a real problem, it's just some of the media assumes anyone who picks up a Duelshock is a fucking addict.

This sums it up perfectly. Of course there are always people that take it to the extremes, but they are in the minority. Out of all the gamers I know I don't know anyone who has a problem with it as far as it taking over their every waking hour. It's just the media having a slow day and sexing the whole thing up to get a rise and cause unnecessary debate from people who think games are evil and the more sensible people who know what they are talking about.

[Hendo]

I play till I fall asleep, though that's not exactly hardcore at the moment.

[Sly Reflex]

I play till I fall asleep, though that's not exactly hardcore at the moment.

That's like saying my Gran watches Heartbeat till she falls asleep.

[Hendo]

The guy who wrote the piece texted Rock, Paper Shotgun to answer their criticisms of his article. The last bit is mind-boggling.

“The human being can be, in my professional opinion, addicted to anything it finds pleasurable. There are links between the highs of gambling, and game stations which cause a similar pattern of behaviours in the brain as does class A stimulant drugs. There is a weight of evidence to support this. The test for me with any addictive process is are your actions having negative consequences. I see first hand the consequences of overuse of game stations usually with the sufferer using the game to escape the reality of life. And to the addictive personality this is dangerous. Invite your readers to take the test in the paper. I don’t do labels. I want people to recover and have balance in their life. The physical consequences are also horrific for the child of today which can lead to ill health through obesity etc. Please be balanced in your reporting as your views may kill people.”

Also:

Despite repeated attempts to speak to Mr. Pope, his promises to return our calls were not met, until we had held this article back for 24 hours waiting for him. He was keen to provide his side of the argument, and expressed passion for helping people to deal with their addictions. However each time I asked him if he had evidence for his claims he said they were based on his own experiences (“It’s about who walks through my door.”), and explained that he would need to call back. Understandably he was busy with patients. However, he was not able to call back at any of the times he suggested, including after work hours. In the few conversations I had yesterday, when I asked if he had evidence to corroborate his claims, Mr. Pope explained, “I don’t rely on reports”, and that he believes statistics are “lies, lies and more lies.” He told me that he definitely does have evidence to support his claim that gaming addiction is the fastest growing addiction in the UK, but has been unable to provide any of it so far. When I suggested that saying two hours of gaming is the equivalent of a line of cocaine was extraordinary, he expressed confusion that I’d think this. He told me I should read about the connection between cocaine and gambling. I replied that any link between gambling and gaming has been rejected, and was told that you get the same high, “when your level of kills goes up in Call Of Duty.”

[DANGERMAN]

“The human being can be, in my professional opinion, addicted to anything it finds pleasurable. There are links between the highs of gambling, and game stations which cause a similar pattern of behaviours in the brain as does class A stimulant drugs.

True, to a point. You can become addicted to behaviours, such as gaming or gambling, due to them becoming coping strategies or just because of the endorphins released. however gaming is more comparable to sports than it is gambling as it's a competitive action (you against friends, or you against the computer) whereas gambling is far more passive and far more immediate.

The test for me with any addictive process is are your actions having negative consequences.

2 things, firstly you dont get to decide what's an adequate test, and secondly your dependable is too vague. I could fuck up at work and get bollocked everyday, it's consistent and has negative consequences but I wouldn't be addicted to it. You're also assuming that gaming necessitates negative consequences, when it doesn't and ignoring any positives

I see first hand the consequences of overuse of game stations usually with the sufferer using the game to escape the reality of life. And to the addictive personality this is dangerous.

Agreed, but we all escape from life at points multiple times a day. That doesn'texcuse the claim that gaming is equivalent to 2 lines of coke

Please be balanced in your reporting as your views may kill people

Get over yourself

[Hendo]

I especially like these bits.

"There are links between the highs of gambling, and game stations which cause a similar pattern of behaviours in the brain as does class A stimulant drugs. There is a weight of evidence to support this."

In the few conversations I had yesterday, when I asked if he had evidence to corroborate his claims, Mr. Pope explained, “I don’t rely on reports”, and that he believes statistics are “lies, lies and more lies.”

[Sly Reflex]

This guy reminds me of those crooks that used to be on Roger Cook. He would out them and then they would come out with conflicting data and run away because they knew there was no way out of it. Unless he wanted to punch Cook in the face, which often happened back on that show. The Cook Report was aces.