Video Games and addiction. don't be mislead by so called experts.

The Following is a blog piece copied without permission from 'Say yes to no' which has as a mantra an idea I am 100% behind. As it turns out the site itself mostly just reiterates the obvious that parents should lay down rules, and that video games are kid-harming evilness, despite the fact that it is the parents who are letting them play it. If I give a kid a lump of drugs to take and permission to do so in my house, I am not about to harp on how the drugs did it when the kid is screwed up. It is a shame this is the exact thing people try and do when it comes to the various media the children consume.

So I can say you've been informed on what I am commenting on, here is the blog post originally found here

My comments follow bellow PLEASE read them they are the main reason I posted this!

***BEGIN ENEMY COMMUNICATIONS***

Video Game Addiction, What to Do?

“How do I keep my kids from being addicted to video games?”

This is a frequent question at any talk I give. Video games are a powerful, addictive technology that sits right in the middle of our homes, often right in our kids’ bedrooms. Are video games fun? Sure. Can kids learn anything from them? They are learning every time they push the "on" button.

“What should I do? My kids love video games. They could play for hours.” Video games are as common for kids today as TV was for the previous generation.

As parents we teach and guide our kids. We need to pay attention to and guide our kids to a healthy use of technology and media. Most games are fun, teach positive skills like problem solving, and even get kids moving instead of just staring at a screen. How do we make sure that video games are healthy recreation for kids and don’t turn into the horror story of addiction and violent game playing? Some kids (and unfortunately a growing number) get so involved with gaming that it takes on all the traits of an addiction.

The Canadian Broadcasting Company’s Fifth Estate is Canada’s version of 60 Minutes. Last Friday they ran a forty minute documentary on video game addiction following the tragic story of Brandon Crisp, a young boy whose obsession with video games eventually led to his death. I was interviewed as the expert.

This tragic story reminds us that we need to pay attention, be the parent and set the rules for video game use:

(Edit: if you have to, read the post through the link for these rules, its just translates to be a parent.. Except this one!)

8. Children should be playing in the 3-D world as much as possible. Keep the video game playing in balance. Children’s brains need experiential, 3-D play as much as possible.

(KJ - I think he would have come out better saying REAL SPACE or real world. What happens when video games go 3D? he'll look like he is saying something he didn't intend!)

Check out our resources on video game addiction at the National Institute on Media and the Family.

Many parents have told me, “If I only knew what was in the game, I never would have bought it.” Check out game content before you buy. It’s hard to rewind, once a child is into a game.

Dr. Dave
Monday, March 09, 2009

***END ENEMY COMMUNICATIONS***


He is right. Parents should police their children and its a crying shame people are too mentally challenged to do so these days.

BUT HERE IS WHERE SO MANY PEOPLE GET IT SO VERY WRONG.

As Ghost Tiger and I have discussed many a time, addiction should be made into a blanket illness in the DSM (the standard book of diagnoses).

The current situation requires new studies and investigations into whatever fad is happening that year to see if its 'addictive'. This however, is a waste of resources since a wide and varied list of things that are enjoyable are addictive, signifying that it is insanity to try and catalog everything while the issue is the brain and its handling of pleasure.

One can argue games should be treated the same as drugs because studies have shown brain chemistry goes through a response during game playing. This ignores the fact that EVERY action one goes through over the course of the day, and indeed, over the course of their lives, effects their brain chemistry. It ignores the fundamental structure of the brain and how it works. Even when one narrows the brain chemistry reaction to the pleasure responses, then its addiction to the pleasure responses, NOT to whatever is triggering it in the individual.

If I see and comment on someone showing signs of addiction, I shouldn't have to wait for the DSM to recognize it after studies have been done. The medical profession owes us (not the pharmaceutical industry) a more sane approach to this situation.