

Compulsive gamers not "addicts" - razorburn
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7746471.stm

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josefresco
I'm a compulsive drug user, not an 'addict'

Sounds silly right? That's because defining words is useless, what is actually
happening is the most important factor (unless you're trying to get insurance
to cover it and/or a hand out)

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gruseom
It's an interesting article, but the implication that if you don't also take
drugs then you're not an "addict" seems weak. And surely the emphasis on
parental intervention would hold for kids addicted to anything, not just
gaming.

I wonder what "addiction" means if not simply a habit that you'd like to stop?
By this definition I'm as addicted to (say) coffee or sugar as I've ever been
to anything. A big part of whether or not people call something "addiction"
seems to have to do with the social acceptability of the habit.

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josefresco
Sssshhhhh, people can't be addicted to coffee, sugar or other substances
deemed "ok" by society. It's only those 'bad substances' like pot that are
ruining society.

4 cups of coffee every morning? No problem, it's 'healthy' for you! Donuts in
the morning, candy bar at lunch and soda throughout the day? No problem there
either, sugar will only make you fat/diabetic, not fund Mexican drug cartels
like that other stuff.

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nihilocrat
I think the argument is that the level of addiction reflected by 4 hours of
WoW a day isn't equivalent to being a heroin junkie, or playing 16 hours a day
to the detriment of everything around you. 4 hours a day is only really going
to kill your social life, and maybe make your grades suffer, but it's not like
you are quitting your job / dropping out of school to play.

