Pūtahi Hauora
Defence Health HubGaming
"I worked in a pretty boring role all day and started gaming for the mental stimulation. I spent more and more time playing, it was all about winning. When I wasn't winning I became real moody and hard to be around. I stopped doing other things so I could get back to gaming and was mostly online every evening and weekends... if I hadn't stopped, it would have cost me my relationship" - MB Sailor, NZ Navy
Video gaming can be a great source of entertainment. But it can become a very real problem for many people. International studies have suggested that between 6 to 15% of all gamers exhibit signs that could be characterised as addiction. Gaming is an extremely common hobby amongst New Zealanders, with 2 out of 3 Kiwis playing video games every day. While most New Zealanders play video games in moderation, according to a 2012 report 6 to 8% of us may have problems with the way we spend our time gaming or using the internet.
Is this a problem in NZDF?
Our research suggests yes - 8% of military and 2% of civilians who participated in the 2019 Health and Wellbeing Survey indicated they spent an average of 3 or more hours gaming a day, and 2% of military personnel surveyed spent more than 5 hours a day. While this might be appropriate for some days - like a wet Sunday afternoon - spending this amount of time gaming can interfere with our ability to function across other areas of our lives.
How do people get addicted to gaming?
Standard video games are generally designed to be played by a single player, and involve a clear goal or mission such as saving the world. The addiction in these games is often related to completing that mission or beating a high score or preset standard. Then there are online multiplayer games, which can be especially addictive because they generally have no ending. Gamers can enjoy creating and temporarily becoming an online character, and often build relationships with other online players. For some, this community may be the place where they feel most at home.
Video game addiction explained
Can you recognise the signs that your gaming may be getting out of control?
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in this video we'll be discussing what
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is video game addiction we'll discuss
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what causes it what the signs are how
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you can test yourself for it what the
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impact is how many people are struggling
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and also what treatment looks like
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[Music]
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what's up everyone my name is cam and
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I'm a former video game addict who in
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2011 decided to quit and turn things
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around
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since then I've started a website called
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game cores calm to be able to help other
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people with this issue video game
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addiction is an officially recognized
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disorder by the World Health
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Organization and they classify it as a
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pattern of persistent or recurrent
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gaming behavior which may be online or
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offline manifested by impaired control
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over gaming increasing priority given to
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gaming to the extent the gaming takes
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precedence over other life interests and
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daily activities and continuation or
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escalation of gaming despite the
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occurrence of negative consequences for
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someone with gaming disorder they
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typically will be showing significant
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impairment and personal family social
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educational occupational or other
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important areas of functioning and
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normally the pattern of gaming behavior
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will be evident over a period of at
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least 12 months in order for a diagnosis
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to be assigned
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although the required duration may be
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shortened if all diagnostic requirements
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are met and symptoms are severe so what
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causes video game addiction video game
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addiction is caused by a couple
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different factors the first is actual
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game design games are designed to be
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what the industry would call engaging
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and entertaining and fun but in order to
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do that they have to increase the amount
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of time that you're playing and capture
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your attention games deploy different
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features like loot boxes and
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microtransactions to have you spending
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more money and that creates a greater
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attachment to the game game design plays
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an important role in keeping players
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hooked and is part of the cause of
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people developing problems with video
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game addiction but it's not the only
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part of the story and other underline
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when two health problems like anxiety or
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depression can be risk factors ADHD
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autism low self-esteem can also be risk
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factors as well so what are the signs of
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video game addiction the American
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Psychiatric Association classifies what
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they call internet gaming disorder based
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on a set of 9 different criteria now
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these can be really helpful to
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understand the severity of your
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situation but it's important for me to
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share that if you're concerned at all
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about whether or not you have a video
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game addiction please seek the help of a
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professional the first sign is
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preoccupation with games this means
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you're constantly thinking about games
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you're counting down the hours until you
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can play next and you're struggling to
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focus on other things that you need to
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be doing because you're just constantly
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thinking about games it's not just the
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amount of thoughts though and it's the
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type of them so if you're constantly
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thinking about games as the only source
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of yourself esteem the only place where
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you feel confident then you might be
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meeting criteria for preoccupation the
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next sign is withdrawal symptoms are you
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finding yourself feeling more irritable
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when you're not playing do you feel
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anxious or depressed do you feel sad
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do you experience mood swings do you
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feel urgent cravings to play some people
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report feeling headaches when they stop
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playing games if you're experiencing
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withdrawal symptoms when you're not
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playing then that might be a sign as
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well the third sign is tolerance
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tolerance means you need to play more
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and more and more in order to feel the
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same level of satisfaction that you once
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did when you were playing with modern
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games having a lot of different
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monetization schemes tolerance can also
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mean needing to spend more and more
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money in games in order to feel the same
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level of satisfaction that you once did
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unsuccessful attempts to control if
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you've tried to stop gaming or you've
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tried to reduce your time and been
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unable to that might be a sign of video
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game addiction loss of interest in other
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activities including sports often when
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we're struggling with a video game
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addiction we no longer have any interest
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in other activities that maybe we once
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did
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maybe you stopped going to sports maybe
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you no longer have any other hobbies if
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you've lost interest in
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other activities that may be a sign as
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well have you continued to play despite
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the occurrence of negative impact if
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your life is falling apart and you're
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continuing to gain more and more and
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more to avoid it that may be a sign that
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you're struggling the difference between
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a passion for games and what might be an
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addiction is continuing to play despite
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the occurrence of negative impact so if
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you're continuing to play games but your
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life is falling apart around you yet
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you're not going and dealing with those
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things you're just continuing to play
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games then that's something you want to
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watch out for are you lying about how
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much you're playing or are you spending
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money you're not supposed to I mean that
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purchases have you stolen the parents
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credit card if you're being deceptive
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about your gaming and you're unable to
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be honest about it that's a worthy sign
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are you playing games to escape or
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relieve a negative mood it's common to
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play games as a source of being able to
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de-stress but if you're not going and
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dealing with your life and you're just
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continuing to escape in the games then
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that might be something you want to
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watch out for and finally if you're
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playing games despite having jeopardized
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a school or work opportunity maybe
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you've dropped out maybe you're getting
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divorced maybe you've been broken up
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with and yet you continue the game
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that's also a sign that you want to
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watch out for now it's important for me
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to share that just meeting one of these
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criteria does not mean that you have a
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video game addiction it's the
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combination of multiple different signs
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that you want to be careful with and
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again if you're concerned at all about
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whether or not you're struggling please
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seek the help of a professional the
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American Psychiatric Association would
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propose that if you meet five or more of
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these signs in a period of the last 12
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months then you might be at risk if you
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struggle with a video game addiction it
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can have a devastating impact to your
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life it can affect your school
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performance you can maybe refuse to go
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to school or even drop out of college
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you can lose your friends lose
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face-to-face interactions feel very
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socially isolated you can experience
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mood changes irritability and an
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increase in anxiety and depression and
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suicidal thoughts
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it can cause sleep deprivation and
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insomnia and you can lose a lot of money
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and time and even
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struggle to be able to get or keep a job
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now if you want to evaluate whether or
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not you have video game addiction you
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can go the game course calm and on our
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homepage
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we have a test that you can go through
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and ask these different questions and
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evaluate the severity of your situation
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so what does treatment for video game
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addiction look like
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research shows that CBT cognitive
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behavioral therapy has been proven to be
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able to help people reduce the severity
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of their video game addiction and there
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are also a lot of professionals and
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therapists who specialize in this issue
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if you go on game course calm we have a
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directory of specialists who are from
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all over the world who can maybe be able
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to help you with your situation
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there are also some private residential
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centers and even a public rehab center
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in the UK through the NHS the message I
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want to leave you with is if you're
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struggling with a video game addiction
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you're not alone and a lot of help is
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available whether that's through
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professionals or if you just want to be
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connected to other peers you can go on
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game course calm and we have a ton of
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resources for you including a community
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forum and links to connect with other
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professionals remember real life is
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worth fighting for and never give up
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hope reach out for help it saved my life
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and as the potential it'll save yours so
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reach out for help there's no shame in
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it that's it for me today guys I hope
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you have a great day
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[Music]
Many different factors lead to video game addiction, but one of the main drivers is that video games are created that way - to be addictive. Video game designers, like anyone else trying to make a profit, are always looking for ways to get more people using their product. They accomplish this by making a game just challenging enough to keep you coming back for more, but not so hard that the player eventually gives up. In other words, success for a gamer often feels just out of reach.
Gaming can often meet our needs for purpose and goals, for achievement, for belonging and community, for freedom and escape, and for a sense of identity. While there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, an important question to consider for each of these areas is this: Is gaming the only way in which I can meet this need? Unfortunately, it tends to be the case that the more we meet particular needs through gaming, the less we meet them in other ways in the rest of our life, and so it can start to feel difficult or impossible to moderate gaming time.
What are the signs of video gaming becoming a problem?
As with any other addiction, video game addiction has warning signs. It's important to know how to recognise these signs if you or someone you care about is an avid gamer. Signs can be both emotional and physical.
Emotional signs
- Preoccupied with online activities and the next gaming session.
- Feeling irritable or agitated when not able to play.
- Lying to others about amount of time spent gaming.
- Spending less time with others so you can play games instead.
- Negative impact on relationships, job or education due to gaming.
Physical signs
- Migraines and headaches due to eye strain from screen.
- Fatigue and tiredness.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome from overuse of mouse and keypad.
- Body stiffness and muscle pain from long periods of sitting.
Short-term and long-term effects of video game addiction
Like any other compulsive disorder, video game addiction can have severe negative consequences. The majority of these symptoms may be manageable in the short-term, but the long-term effects can be significant if not addressed properly. Chronic sleep and health problems, plus the negative impact on your job, relationships and overall wellbeing are serious consequences. There’s also a link between gaming addiction and depression and substance abuse.
How to change your gaming habits
If you ever feel you are gaming more than you would like, that you're missing out on other areas of your life because of your gaming, that your gaming is negatively affecting your mood, or that you don't have as much control over your gaming as you would like, then it may be that you're at the point of wanting to do something about your gaming. The first step to overcoming any addiction is recognising it exists. If you find that you or someone you care about is exhibiting any of these warnings signs, it's a good time to cut back on gaming.
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1. Consider why you spend so much time gaming
If you want to reduce or stop your gaming, start by understanding what needs your gaming is currently meeting for you. Is it to escape stress or painful feelings in your life? Is it to experience a sense of connection or belonging with others? Is it to experience a sense of having something meaningful to do? Or is it to experience a sense of achievement?
It's important to try and work this out, because as you begin to cut back or quit your gaming you'll need to find other ways to meet these needs - otherwise, you're likely to find it challenging to stay away from games.
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2. Technology works for us, not the other way around
Some people will decide in the end that the effect gaming has on them has become so unhealthy, they need to stop completely. For others, it may be that moderate gaming time can be an ongoing part of their life. Sometimes, this may be by changing what you're playing, in addition to reducing your gaming time down to a healthy amount.
All products are designed to make money for the developers, but some (such as casinos) are inherently more addictive than others (such as movies). Although games are positioned as 'entertainment', some developers aren't so focused on players enjoying their gaming - they're focused on how to extract the maximum profit from their players, through game mechanics that drive maximum player engagement and maximum player spend. Often, these work to leave a player always feelings driven, or incomplete, or that they must achieve the next level, status or objective. One way to get out of this cycle is to substitute a game like this for a game that does not use these mechanics. Finding a game that's enjoyable, without always leaving you driving for the next stage, may be helpful in giving you back control over how much you're gaming.
It may not be easy to disengage from a gaming community you're deeply involved in. And this won't fix everything. But it may be a useful step for some people.
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3. Track your video game use... Limit your use... Turn it off...
Do you want to stop gaming entirely, or do you just want to reduce the time you spend gaming?
Whatever the case, it's important you make a clear decision about this with the intention of sticking with it. If you're not sure, or if you have never tried controlling your gaming before, it may be helpful to start with a challenging but manageable decrease. If you've been playing for 8 hours a day after work, you might start by cutting that back to 5 or 6 hours. Trying it out in this way will also help give you a sense, if you don't already have one, about how much you are able to control your gaming.
If you try this approach and find it doesn't work for you, it may be helpful to get help from others such as a professional therapist or psychologist, or a support group.
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4. Build positive things in life that replace the gaming time.
The most important thing in your efforts to reduce your gaming, is to follow through with it.
The challenge of this stage lies in finding ways to manage and cope with the experiences created by not gaming. You might feel bored, flat, irritable, tired, depressed, lost, confused, uncertain and many other feelings. At the same time, you will likely experience cravings to go back to playing games, and will find yourself asking questions like "Is this really a good idea?" or "What about if I just played for a little bit?" Often, addictive behaviour has served to help us hide from things that are uncomfortable to face.
Obviously, this is where it gets hard. Depending on how long you have been gaming for and how much, you may experience a number of 'withdrawal' symptoms. These are very normal and are a result of both neurological changes in the brain that occur with addiction, and potentially a very real loss of something that has been meeting particular needs. You may experience a flatness of mood and a sense of emptiness, or the opposite - strong emotions, sadness or irritability. Again, all these questions and feelings are a very normal part of the process and will, given enough time, eventually pass.
You may find it helpful at this stage to spend time away from where you normally spent time gaming. Go to a friend's place, the library, the park - and if you have to work or study on the computer, try and do this on a different computer from your gaming one. You may also find it's an opportunity to look at other areas of your life that have been under-developed or even that you have been avoiding. Taking positive steps to build relationships, developing new skills just for enjoyment, or getting involved in other activities can be positive outcomes from taking back a significant part of your time. And if you need help to do this, know that it’s available to you.
Help to reduce or quit gaming
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How To Overcome Video Game Addiction
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4 Reasons to Quit Gaming
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Is gaming a waste of time?
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Escaping video game addiction
Getting help
If you or someone you know are having difficulty limiting time spent on gaming, or are concerned about the impact it's having on other areas of life, you can find options for support and more information on the Net Addicition website for resources for computer gaming addiction in New Zealand.
Olganon has forums offering support for family members, parents and friends of addicted gamers, and has a great deal of useful information. They also provide a database of professionals who work with gaming addiction and offer online support meetings. Other online support sites include Computer Gaming Addicts Anonymous (CGAA) and StopGaming.
Getting Help From Professionals
If none of the above options work well for you, seeking help from a professional therapist, counsellor or psychologist might be the next best option. Talkingworks: provides a list of various mental health practitioners throughout New Zealand. Although not many therapists or counsellors in New Zealand specialise in working with gaming addiction, most therapists with a background in addictions should be able to help you.
Away from the keyboard
This video explores the relationship between online gamers and the games that they play.
00:02
[Music]
00:20
come here that I that was no arrival in
00:26
the bones got the clothes and I will
00:32
tell you a tale that has not yet been
00:35
toured it is a story of brothers
00:43
ordinary men with what worn slight
00:48
difference they prefer to spend that
00:54
time in a fantasy world
00:59
Eric the Explorer
01:06
Scott the llama
01:12
and this older brother Craig the sage
01:23
Brian the father
01:26
[Music]
01:29
and his younger brother Ross the painter
01:34
[Music]
01:38
story begins on the 23rd of November in
01:44
the year 2004
01:49
[Music]
01:51
the launch of the World of Warcraft
02:01
away from cable
02:15
[Applause]
02:21
we must journey to the burning desert
02:26
wastelands of Arizona right now I'm
02:38
putting in this brief for the install so
02:43
I get that much closer to playing the
02:45
game I'm a highly visual person and I do
02:50
a lot of painting and visual stuff so
02:52
when I play this game it's just another
02:54
world it's just another thing for me to
02:56
look at I mean that's one of the
02:57
interest and finally do I have to look
02:59
at this cool world I get to take my
03:01
character customize them to a certain
03:03
regard and it's much like writing my
03:06
story within this story mongrel torn or
03:12
decided to play a Giroud which is
03:14
actually a being of nature just like you
03:25
and your friends go into the park you
03:26
know I mean are you and your friends
03:28
don't see a movie well this is a visual
03:31
this is its interaction this is
03:33
role-playing and in reality it's kind of
03:36
a surreal organization of skills I think
03:38
despite my laziness on the chair
03:41
actually get out of it every once
03:43
in this game I can go wherever I want
03:46
it's a little more freedom in these
03:47
games I guess is what it is so you don't
03:49
smell like you're playing games all
03:51
night
03:52
[Music]
03:58
I want to play the game but I know how
04:02
sucked into it I got into before and I
04:05
can tell you that it caused a lot of
04:06
problems and personal relationships
04:08
especially with my now you know a
04:10
fiancee when these games you go sounds
04:13
like a lot of fun it's all there
04:14
something I could really do to relax and
04:16
enjoy it online at the same time really
04:18
getting careful not to lay take over
04:21
sweeties up what he's doing right now
04:22
with your character your quest man yeah
04:27
what's gonna be different
04:28
what's gonna get her this time is I'm
04:30
gonna let it be a fun game I will enjoy
04:32
and allow myself to do it but I'm gonna
04:34
give myself a timer you know when
04:36
there's an hour or two hours a day I
04:39
mean this is the test we'll see what
04:41
happened I'm not gonna play it you know
04:46
what my fiancee is wrong or if I've got
04:48
a family event I'm not gonna look cut
04:49
into that we forsaken are at war with
04:53
the lich king's army of the scourge
04:55
nickel do you know how doesn't being
04:57
videotaped about this kind of makes me
04:59
feel a little uncomfortable for sure why
05:01
is that because it's just like society
05:03
and itself probably would think door the
05:08
average game in my mind I'm thinking of
05:11
somebody in there you know mid-teens
05:13
probably not having
05:16
single gamers are so stereotyped
05:27
although gamer they're geeks all
05:30
stereotypes are based upon the plumbers
05:32
truth we're all really fat and we all
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have carpal tunnels some socially in
05:40
aptness I would say a lot of us are just
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cos in her parents house all day play
05:46
games don't socialize
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I must admit I hear you have to be
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yourself you have to do what society
06:08
wants you to do and while you're in your
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own little game world you can do
06:10
whatever you want there's nothing wrong
06:12
with gaming it's a game some people
06:15
might think you're too old and some I
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like games but really not
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[Music]
06:21
the association with games as games
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being a kid only thing I think there's a
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stigma there and I was surprised to find
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out at the first couple years of gaming
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how many people that are in the 30s and
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40s and even older really game I don't
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really see video games necessarily as a
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societal negative there is the
06:43
stereotype around video games that
06:45
you're a geek your honor maybe people
06:48
perceive that culturally it's a negative
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I don't say that I'm a geek I play video
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games it has been two months since the
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world of warcraft launched
07:13
[Music]
07:21
so what do you do that
07:23
mystery casters 28-member roasted agent
07:32
farthest I rise up until about 30 days
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that's 30 days ago I've been doing much
07:37
real estate but that's alright I'm gonna
07:39
get Remo debated here shortly
07:40
I got two kids and a wife married for
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four half years some for half years
07:47
three and half years got a four year old
07:50
daughter and a seven month old I'd like
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my online games not online game is
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really just this I had several opinions
07:56
about online games I think in my
07:59
household it's a huge waste of time what
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does it do for you I just get to be
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pretend someone for a little bit you
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know just like you know I want to be a
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movie star first say I get to kind of be
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a movie star into this world uses it as
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a coping skill since he bought World of
08:19
Warcraft I can think of one day one day
08:22
that I think he hasn't played it when do
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you know when to call it quits for a day
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yes that's probably the hardest thing
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about I don't know when they call it
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quits
08:33
she's called it quits probably man wife
08:36
is waking up first or second time comes
08:38
in flickers on lights on and off she's
08:41
posing with her mommy they go irate I
08:43
think I've gone as far as throwing a
08:45
chair not at her at the scene that this
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game has caused this I mean a lot of
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problems I mean right before Christmas
08:51
he would not stop playing that game
08:54
I made it I'll be like 11:30 he'd get on
08:56
the game almost immediately after him
08:59
Wolf's food down and he'd play until
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like 3:30 4 o'clock in the morning you
09:05
could you guys have a mate did you guys
09:06
have is there any mages and I think he
09:09
plays it too much when our kids are
09:10
around stuff Kayla came to me a couple
09:13
weeks ago and said yeah mommy daddy was
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playing this game all day and ignoring
09:19
me I'm a pretty proud parent and I think
09:21
when my kids start realizing it you know
09:24
like right now I don't think they can
09:27
feel it because I do get something like
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I'm playing this totally I'm not gonna
09:31
lie about that and that's probably the
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harshest thing cuz I pride myself on
09:34
being you get pregnant the most of
09:36
anything anything in this world I want
09:38
to be good parent and then that suffers
09:40
and that's why Anderson is it really
09:42
that important it's always that when I
09:44
have a conversation with brag about it
09:45
is it that important yeah
09:47
and it seems and it is actually so
09:49
that's the problem
09:56
[Applause]
10:03
it has been full month since launch so
10:08
tell me about the dynamics of the whole
10:10
guilt thing what you're thinking
10:11
Brian's counting same level the Craig's
10:14
still counting behind Scott is kind of
10:16
there like I shouldn't be at the zones I
10:18
have ended recently my forty-eighters
10:21
zones actually moving on to the other 48
10:24
classes yeah yeah you just say
10:27
comparatively with you versus other
10:28
players do you take this game more
10:29
serious others players no not morning
10:38
one else understand fortunately this is
10:45
a fun way of getting spanked so we
10:49
didn't realize sometimes but there's
10:51
less hassle the rejects is right in
10:53
front of your room it more control over
10:55
that thing what do you tell people you
10:59
do during your free time like if you're
11:01
playing this game you say hey you guys
11:02
I'm gonna go play video games yeah
11:04
totally
11:05
I'm totally honest dude like with my
11:07
girlfriend dude she knows for real oh
11:09
you guys are dating now yeah for sure
11:11
tight dude so anyways like she'll adult
11:16
illustrator they are playing a game
11:17
that's cool yeah it's just there that's
11:20
cool dude she's rather back then you
11:22
know like
11:23
I'm not anyways I'm a grown-ass man dude
11:28
I have nothing to prove
11:30
[Music]
11:44
[Music]
11:54
[Music]
12:16
now what is the question
12:22
[Music]
12:32
[Music]
12:51
[Music]
12:56
my character
13:01
[Music]
13:16
every mom every label five we fighting
13:18
for me to wipe on great thinking guys
13:21
the strategy works well
13:22
[Music]
13:50
tired man super tired proximately what
13:55
time is it right now approximately 167
13:59
actually sparsely is the chasm cheap
14:14
entertainment
14:15
I can't afford to drive out anywhere it
14:17
far off and I mean main thing for me is
14:20
just to have fun to become bowling wife
14:22
for 15 bucks a month plus an internet
14:25
connection I can like a while I can
14:28
interact with all my friends it's a way
14:32
to release your inhibitions you can act
14:35
over you want they don't know the real
14:37
you so you only even have to be who you
14:40
are you can create a persona you can
14:43
come home and turn off reality and live
14:45
in a fantasy world I'm a lazy day
14:47
dreamer guy I like experiencing things
14:49
that I can't experience in this world
14:50
and being in games like Warcraft and how
14:52
there ever was at play gives you a
14:53
little chance of a whole different world
14:56
I've had a rough day at work and I don't
14:58
feel like dealing with people I can go
15:00
off and fly around the Outland for two
15:02
hours just farming that to me is a real
15:04
freedom to escape into a game for a
15:07
couple hours I don't see any harm in
15:09
that no matter what you do almost
15:10
everyone has some type of escapism
15:13
whether watching TV playing video games
15:15
reading books while you escape know that
15:18
you have to come back to your life
15:21
your problems and deal with it you can't
15:25
escape forever you're deluding yourself
15:27
on that one
15:27
[Music]
15:37
[Music]
15:39
[Applause]
15:44
[Music]
15:50
go on your world man my world it's good
15:55
question
15:56
same drought no Gammage none at all
16:00
no world warcraft enough let me do that
16:03
um well it's been like that for three
16:07
weeks I mean I was already on the
16:08
burnout edge already as it was what do
16:11
people like to bet or not they might
16:13
come up with excuses while the game is
16:14
really cool and it is fun but it still
16:17
doesn't escape yeah
16:19
I'm 22 and I made a thousand dollars a
16:23
month or whatever you know that's not
16:26
cool things I want to do like people
16:28
that don't have money in real life can
16:31
go in the game and be wealthy and buy
16:33
items and have things and experience
16:35
those same psychological rewards of
16:37
having money and assets and items and
16:38
things and when you're in a situation
16:40
where your needs and desires are
16:42
fulfilled day after day after day in a
16:45
very easy way because obtaining these
16:47
things within the game is super easy
16:49
compared to how it is in real life it's
16:51
no wonder why people just just get
16:53
sucked into these and play them day
16:54
after day after day so what did you
16:55
start to do what if I started to do I
16:59
just want to step it up and in my talent
17:03
there you know what I got a thing for
17:05
art don't want to stuff that I was like
17:08
making money yet and be happy life turn
17:12
this is the return of the artist the
17:19
beginning tell a little bit about you
17:28
guys you and Ross have recently changed
17:30
create some alternate characters yeah
17:33
that's nice of us caliber now now
17:35
they're taking burnout stage where you
17:37
could say it's the end game I think it's
17:39
because they place six seven hours a day
17:41
and they don't have girlfriends they're
17:43
not exercising Ross in particular on top
17:46
of those two think doesn't like his
17:48
career at all not getting paid very well
17:51
and so he uses a really more fun escape
17:53
whereas myself I feel more that's a
17:56
reward or her major difference you know
17:58
if they have a bad day in the game they
18:00
had a better day life I seem to go
18:02
through these phases we're not doing
18:05
what I should be doing basically it's
18:07
like working out and exercising eating
18:08
healthy and I was until you've been here
18:12
it's a new house and I got this game so
18:15
I think I got anything going on in their
18:18
personal life has changed recently bull
18:22
in the background I'm extremely poor
18:25
many not keen torn down this month with
18:28
all my bills and houses I'm dry as a
18:31
bone
18:32
I feel like I'm letting myself down
18:34
because I know I need to be out there
18:36
making money but yet here I know who did
18:41
so much fun I think he's
18:45
well to be honest I think he's running
18:48
away still and from all this problems
18:51
our reasons are similar somewhat but I'm
18:55
not really running away from anything
18:57
I'm kind of content and where I am and
18:59
what I'm doing my job is okay you know
19:02
it's not the best job in the world but I
19:04
make good money doing it
19:06
the question becomes how many times do
19:09
they have to go through whether it takes
19:10
three months or four months to cycle to
19:13
realize that this game or escape isn't
19:16
really what yeah how many times do they
19:19
have to do that before they realize it's
19:20
only good a temporary they solve the
19:21
problem child who's growing up was fun
19:24
you're exploring life and then now I
19:27
hear him where I gotta get straight to
19:28
business and I'm all by starting a new
19:33
character it's actually very
19:34
disappointing for me seeing him as my
19:36
friend and a roommate whereas for
19:40
example yesterday he should have been
19:41
working on paintings doing whatever
19:43
instead created a new character and now
19:47
he's right back where it was two months
19:49
ago and probably will be for the next
19:51
two months as a friend to Ross what do
19:54
you think he could do better quit
19:57
playing the game completely he's in a
20:00
position in his life where he needs to
20:02
really be on the ball I started
20:03
wrestling
20:06
and so do i i'm slaved all or nothing no
20:12
idea I'm gonna fight it on my that's
20:15
kind of how it is
20:16
I guess made men you have to think
20:19
they're either gonna stop playing or
20:22
it's a breaking point for something to
20:25
give positive thing would be to give
20:28
plain as much and venture into something
20:31
else
20:32
[Music]
20:38
it was my third child that got addicted
20:41
to online game called EverQuest in three
20:45
months after playing and it started
20:46
affecting his real life he ended up
20:48
quitting his job and then eventually
20:50
getting evicted from this place where he
20:52
was living I told him he could come home
20:54
and stay so he could get back on his
20:56
feet and I took him to a therapist right
20:58
away and we went several times and
21:01
finding psychologists said to me right
21:05
in front of him he said you should just
21:07
be glad he's not addicted to drugs and
21:09
alcohol
21:11
[Music]
21:13
there's millions upon millions of people
21:16
in the United States alone
21:17
globally many many more who are
21:20
compulsively or excessively using the
21:23
computer it's not studied as well as it
21:26
should be and it's not exactly clear
21:28
what to do with these folks when you're
21:30
trying to treat them they diagnosed him
21:33
as being depressed and having a schizoid
21:36
disorder is annoyed precise or generally
21:40
it's characterized by somebody who's
21:42
very isolated doesn't need to have much
21:45
interaction with other people who get
21:47
satisfaction in life he was using the
21:50
diagnosis that they made as an excuse as
21:53
to why he didn't need to get better it's
21:56
not always clear which occurred first
21:57
did big Polson computers cause a person
22:00
to become isolated and alone and then
22:03
they become depressed or did they become
22:06
depressed and then found some safe way
22:09
to socialize through the computer you
22:11
didn't care about the future anymore he
22:14
didn't care about what he was gonna do
22:15
when he grew up he just wanted to go and
22:19
play the game say for example I've seen
22:22
somebody who's using the computer of 40
22:25
hours a week for gaming and they also
22:27
happen to be very very depressed the
22:30
psychiatric community would say we got
22:31
to treat the depression but part of the
22:34
treatment is to get the person out and
22:36
functioning again in society and going
22:38
out and working and having friendships
22:41
and relationships which is exactly what
22:45
the computer is being substituted for in
22:47
this case the nice thing about online
22:51
games the people the community aspect of
22:53
it just dreaming it
22:55
since it communities or syncing
22:56
communities in community it's just like
22:57
a basketball team or a soccer team hang
23:00
out together you practice together
23:01
playing online games let's meet people
23:03
from all over the world in Texas Atlanta
23:05
California Nevada Japan France Australia
23:09
have to step outside your door or meet
23:13
other people in person get online and
23:15
talk to people that you've never ever
23:16
meet in their normal course of your life
23:19
it's not just about the game when it
23:21
comes to a massive online community of
23:23
people you're not logged on to play the
23:25
game after three months you're logging
23:27
onto plays with your friends playing a
23:29
game it's not kickball but it might as
23:33
well be that community that is created
23:38
through those kind of interactive games
23:40
it audibly fills a big void right but it
23:44
comes down to the basic human need of
23:46
being connected with others but why not
23:50
be connected with real-life people it's
23:53
not just a game it's the building and
23:55
establishing of relationships creating
23:57
social groups it's everything that's
23:59
involved in real life and I think a lot
24:01
of professionals just don't realize the
24:03
extent that these things exist within
24:04
the game I suppose we could say well at
24:06
least they're connecting somehow and so
24:09
that they're not withering away that's
24:11
true
24:12
but it's still not really a healthy life
24:14
no I think it's a slower evolving
24:17
relationship online than it is in real
24:19
life that I think the friendships can
24:22
become just as strong your bonds you
24:25
have loving emotions you have anger you
24:27
have everything you experience in your
24:29
life within the game that being said
24:32
these relationships for the most part
24:34
are illusionary and you don't realize
24:36
this while you're playing but you
24:37
realize that once you leave the game and
24:39
once you leave the game your idea is
24:41
that you will be continuing your
24:43
relationships with these people you'll
24:44
still be emailing and will still be
24:46
talking to them and it's amazing how
24:48
quickly these people are evaporating
24:50
these friendships that you thought were
24:51
real and based on real things even if
24:53
you people later spoke with everyday in
24:56
a very short amount of time almost all
24:57
of them will dissipate
25:01
I have more friends online that I do in
25:04
real life because but I feel like I know
25:07
them it's just a great way to meet
25:09
people I mean I met a bunch of real life
25:11
friends even on my server I've met
25:13
people that I'll probably gonna stay in
25:15
contact with the rest of my life it's
25:17
amazing I mean you can meet the people
25:20
in the game can be gonna meet him in
25:21
real life but you have something in
25:22
common right off the bat that's it's a
25:24
comradery it's a brotherhood it's nice
25:26
beautiful thing
25:32
[Applause]
25:32
[Music]
25:33
[Applause]
25:39
it has been 10 months since the
25:43
beginning of our story so anything about
25:47
the pachu scooter you know I had to
25:53
start playing again it seems to be
25:55
pretty cool it's not just saw
26:00
firefighting a drones
26:04
sorry I don't freak out there every day
26:06
all day Madame mayor wants to know do
26:12
people go in there and they put hours
26:20
and hours and hours into the computer
26:22
and maybe 40 hours a week 50 hours a
26:26
week is not unusual just gaming gaming
26:30
is a very selfish thing the gaming is
26:32
all about me it's all about neglecting
26:34
the time that my friends want to spend
26:36
with me neglecting the time that my wife
26:38
wants to spend with me it's very much
26:40
about me me me those instant reward it
26:42
becomes a relationship with the computer
26:44
the computer becomes as important to
26:46
them as many people are to them I think
26:50
there are a lot of parallels in terms of
26:51
how an obsessive compulsive gamer can
26:56
impact his own life in life of of people
26:58
that he loves that are important
27:02
with your family and friends think about
27:04
gaming a lot of them don't really
27:08
understand that I'm playing with other
27:09
people my mom never really approved with
27:12
it I always thought it was a waste of
27:13
time my grandma thinks that they think
27:15
that I'm just sitting there in my room
27:16
all day long just typing away family
27:19
catches you you're still awake seven
27:21
o'clock the next morning foot 12 hours
27:23
after they last saw you you're still
27:25
playing the game family they just don't
27:27
understand like the song says parents
27:29
just don't understand it my friends
27:30
think it's weird why are you wasting
27:32
your life playing on your computer it's
27:34
another reason to say what like why
27:36
aren't you going out and meeting more
27:37
women why you always hang out with Scott
27:40
a lot of times dads and kids you know
27:42
they hear about them being not in touch
27:44
with the generation or something his
27:46
friends love the fact that you played
27:47
through dad a lot of them say that they
27:49
wish they had a dad that would play with
27:50
them up until someone recently I was
27:52
seeing someone and they didn't like that
27:56
you know from the beginning I said you
27:58
know what Friday nights
27:59
I'm playing World of Warcraft even if
28:01
you're having a couple problems like
28:03
they're not getting along too well I'll
28:04
just play it
28:07
fighting you should but we can go on a
28:10
rate together and you know fight in game
28:13
and duel in game take out actual
28:15
real-life frustrations out in the game
28:17
and then log out and then everything is
28:18
fine it's something that we share
28:20
together that we can do together it's
28:22
not the same part of a relationship it's
28:24
not the defining factor I think it's our
28:30
biggest common ground it probably made
28:32
our relationship a lot smoother that we
28:35
played together then then happy not
28:36
people don't understand the concept of
28:38
how we can sit there and play video
28:40
games together and call that call
28:42
anytime there's no other way to date a
28:46
gamer immediately I feel ignored and I
28:56
just feel like I might not see him for
28:59
that couple hours at least another
29:02
relationship has probably suffered in
29:04
some ways but in other ways to think you
29:06
kind of have to have your own free time
29:07
time to be able to do your own thing 20
29:10
minutes after he told me he was stopping
29:12
Warcraft he started saying oh no 20
29:16
minutes later so yes I don't care you
29:18
stop playing EverQuest Warcraft Diablo
29:21
Final Fantasy 1 2 or 20 he was
29:25
immediately I'm back on another game
29:27
you know we've been together so long you
29:29
don't have that like wrong hashing you
29:30
needing stages but it's cool because
29:32
it's one three I can't go play and then
29:35
what I've done for a couple hours like
29:36
we have our time together you kind of
29:38
joy more first of always sit in the same
29:40
room what you want to do you feel like
29:43
it's ever hindering or taking away from
29:45
your activities yeah the mind doesn't
29:55
function on this in this world when is
29:58
and it's on monkey mia there's anything
30:01
that you didn't get a chance to
30:02
communicate or you want to communicate
30:04
Craig if you're listening right now and
30:08
to everybody it is just a game there is
30:12
even if there isn't a pause what's the
30:16
worst thing that can happen you have
30:17
family friends and life outside the game
30:20
and if you don't pay attention to that
30:22
they might be gone and you can get it
30:25
later
30:26
so have fun but don't take too much time
30:31
sucking your life away into your
30:33
computer game
30:41
[Music]
30:44
[Applause]
30:51
what whole year has gone by as our
30:56
heroes grow older the other night when
31:00
my brother called me up a wanted to play
31:02
I didn't feel like playing because my
31:07
roommate who I've talked about before
31:11
all he does is play it's been bothering
31:14
me and you know last couple times from
31:17
coming home from work you know and he's
31:18
had the day off he hasn't done anything
31:19
around the house let me get it said to
31:21
keep tricking I was close I was sitting
31:27
on the border region when I slow for him
31:32
to wake up when I woke up to go to work
31:35
and play for eight and a half hours and
31:38
then play even longer and then play when
31:41
you get there for another three hours is
31:43
ridiculous you ever think this game gets
31:46
I interferes with your relationship with
31:48
your roommate no no
31:54
I'll think of it
31:57
does it bother me if you please don't
31:59
think abolishing monopoly
32:05
not too [ __ ] bad it's my life
32:09
I want to kick him in his ass you know I
32:11
mean I literally want to kick his ass
32:13
beat him up or get beat up trying I
32:16
don't know like I want to just tell him
32:19
that you know I'm worried about him he's
32:21
so talented at what he does and I don't
32:23
even think he realizes it and then when
32:25
he shows people his work you know people
32:28
are so stunned and taken back by it and
32:31
it makes them feel good I know it does I
32:33
mean it makes me feel good as his friend
32:35
or to see him get the respect and the
32:38
props you know they told us from other
32:40
people when he's not doing it it makes
32:42
me mad you know especially when I see
32:43
him doing nothing great kidding me dude
32:52
but it's all hello the only is on me
32:57
escape reality
33:00
daya's let me shred in reality you're
33:04
not allowed to beat the living crap out
33:07
of anybody you're not a lot kill anybody
33:11
but it came I can snipe somebody back I
33:15
mean it's a matter what I want
33:18
I got a nasty-ass tiger and I'm not
33:22
afraid that you do you want to rumble
33:25
eat my shorts that's the way it isn't
33:30
gave you that's how I escape reality in
33:35
reality I'm stuck in a [ __ ]
33:37
wheelchair sitting in front of a
33:38
computer screen in-game I'm charging
33:42
across the arc time obviously in the sea
33:46
water through the [ __ ] phone
33:50
I've seen the world in the way I cannot
33:54
afford or that I will be able to do it
33:57
reality
33:58
[Music]
34:04
most of the oral is not designed for
34:07
easy access to a wheelchair again I can
34:13
go anywhere in game I want the computer
34:24
offers a solution
34:27
to dealing with time finding
34:31
relationships and dealing with what so
34:34
emotion the only games part of the human
34:36
interaction ain't have that account I
34:39
would go insane without get out now the
34:42
problem is if you suddenly cut off
34:44
access to the computer what happens is
34:47
now the person has just lost their
34:49
primary relationship or one of the most
34:51
important relationships in their life
34:53
secondly they've lost the way they're
34:55
dealing with their aggressive impulses
34:57
and lastly they now are 30 or 40 at four
35:00
hours a week to fill doing something and
35:03
you see a tremendous amount of Rage is
35:08
unleashed oftentimes either directed at
35:10
oneself or directed at the world is
35:12
there a wheelchair cost more than
35:14
something most used cars if for the
35:16
really good ones if you want to be able
35:18
to use it as a bike yeah car trunk
35:21
better medical medical cost is for
35:24
something that's a necessity in life
35:25
money this experiment and the game must
35:29
be relieved my stress letters it's like
35:30
if I have that or my ability asleep
35:33
fanfiction online I'd kill somebody if I
35:35
lose later that completely I'm gonna
35:37
kill somebody it was just a [ __ ] I'm
35:39
just getting my cable I see people do
35:45
[ __ ] I want to do and it's like I can't
35:48
do it without a bunch extra help I mean
35:50
Christ I live in Phoenix salt rivers
35:53
right next to us I have never been
35:54
tubing because it's too much of a
35:56
goddamn pain he asked to get my ass down
35:59
now I can't
36:01
[ __ ] I can't get down the bank of the
36:03
river and I can't get on tube and if
36:07
something goes wrong I'm Sol cuz I can't
36:09
get the hell out of the river if it's
36:10
only goes wrong halfway down the thing I
36:13
mean not unless somebody's follow me in
36:15
a freaking boat with my wheelchair and
36:17
etc it ain't gonna happen I don't want
36:24
to play so so what are you gonna see
36:29
chasm upstart is there a reason behind
36:30
what you do this is like a cycle it's
36:34
like the same process from one game for
36:36
next and it's this reset stage or on
36:38
board that balances 22 years old man
36:41
that's something I have other dreams and
36:45
aspirations that I haven't been doing
36:46
for a while
36:47
partly because I've been caught up in
36:48
playing these games forever
36:50
it's just K what's going on with you man
36:52
just trying to enjoy life still work at
36:57
the same place
36:59
still doing the same stuff still working
37:02
out that's cool so what do you think
37:04
about the online gaming
37:16
[Applause]
37:17
[Music]
37:19
now he still plays he's just limits
37:22
himself to for a little bit better
37:23
um anyways yeah well I hope you have a
37:27
really happy birthday so ah she started
37:30
to decided to pick it up again yeah
37:34
[Music]
37:40
classic question people ask this how
37:42
many hours a week do spend game and
37:44
really that's not a fair question the
37:46
question is is how does the time you
37:48
spend gaming affect your life how's your
38:02
day I don't care about playing why is
38:08
that
38:12
to do it like make money
38:19
it's awesome I want to make a change in
38:24
my life and guess what it cost me money
38:29
my frustration after the day is
38:31
bank-to-bank crying for lungs so here I
38:36
am working at a gas station
38:49
so what do you think brought you back to
38:51
the game I think what Romney back into
38:56
the game was
39:00
today of complete for their yeah
39:06
I think there was just nothing I really
39:08
wanted to do except sit on my lazy ass I
39:11
mean how does your artwork going pretty
39:16
yeah
39:18
yeah me too people or going to be some
39:24
try
39:29
[Music]
39:36
I actually stopped in the game for a
39:41
while and then I could say that
39:43
completely bored with it and then
39:47
I don't know how long spin Nagisa
39:49
started cleaning it but we start on the
39:51
new server
39:54
are you seen anybody right now no see I
40:00
don't mean I seem to have a girlfriend
40:03
[Music]
40:06
I've never had a suit
40:09
[Music]
40:18
part of my major thing is the decision
40:21
on the one
40:22
the rest of my life is right now just
40:25
working average child day video games
40:27
all the time
40:28
how does work it's all right can't wait
40:31
to get out there and go back to school
40:34
get my teachers - so is that
40:38
really
40:40
[Music]
40:43
play a lot more last week and I really
40:46
have six weeks
40:51
when I have some free time it's okay put
40:55
this time towards accomplishing some
40:57
small girls I have or I could baby me
41:00
growing out from the way I was life was
41:02
fun so it's like why I should be that
41:04
way so my easiest way to have fun is to
41:08
play the game sometimes
41:10
with these games it's always how I'm
41:12
going there's no hand so it's always you
41:15
kind of define your career as in the
41:17
game
41:18
so what are you doing Ross telling me I
41:23
came
41:25
I feel pushed by my ability sometimes it
41:28
might be [ __ ] here at scene but I feel
41:30
that I can do a lot of different things
41:32
so it's like what do I decide on if I
41:36
give all myself to art and I have in the
41:41
back of my head and our team doesn't
41:43
work out well then it's gonna be hard to
41:46
realize ah [ __ ] I did all this for the
41:48
art and I really it's the music that I'm
41:51
thinking about
41:52
I really do probably because I haven't
41:58
seen that before I haven't had a good
42:01
job I haven't had big paychecks I just
42:04
just a simple person sofa means it's a
42:09
now it's time to discipline myself yes
42:21
since the world of warcraft launched for
42:28
all smooth to Glendale to live with his
42:31
brother Brian is recently divorced
42:36
brother Brian don't want to leave though
42:52
sometimes what has changed over the last
43:00
year um quite a bit actually bad thing
43:03
was the wife wanted to visit mom for her
43:05
graduation party and ended up staying
43:08
there and now we're in the end stages of
43:11
divorce if the gaming probably had an
43:13
issue you know late nights she goes to
43:14
bed I'm up till 2:00 a.m. playing the
43:16
game spend less and less time with her
43:19
and it's kind of a sense and not look
43:21
out for anything you know cuz gaming is
43:23
I'm realizing pretty selfish act I was
43:26
up here with her brother who had just
43:28
gotten all her divorce you know he lost
43:30
his kid
43:32
it was a really ugly experience I didn't
43:34
have anyone so the best thing was just
43:36
to stick together and party at night and
43:38
play games during the day and I was
43:40
thinking affect your relationship with
43:42
her boss yeah that's probably all my
43:44
relationship with Ralph is right now is
43:46
gaming the relationship is generally
43:50
Gaming relations I seem to be the
43:53
freakin broken record saying get a job
43:54
get a job get a job it's been nine
43:56
months what the hell I was a big target
43:58
one day and then Delhi and then I quit
44:00
after the first day he doesn't really
44:02
have anything except himself and and I'm
44:06
now turning that back in the material
44:08
[ __ ] but he doesn't he's got a scar and
44:09
that's it it's hard
44:10
whoo I know we have some kind of belief
44:13
and potential for me or what I should be
44:15
doing grant there's things I thought I
44:18
could be doing it was my time like maybe
44:20
I should be doing a painting right now I
44:22
just don't beat myself up about it
44:24
really I come some people can't live
44:26
with the guilt that they played so much
44:28
he's making excuses for himself that's
44:31
all it is
44:31
he's really not becoming the man he
44:33
wants to be he's still hiding and
44:35
running just like I am there is a number
44:38
of proposals out there for what we
44:41
should call compulsive compare use both
44:43
in terms of even the title of the
44:45
disorder but also what are the criteria
44:47
we're going to use first the use has to
44:49
be excessive I play video games for
44:51
eight hours a day it's not strange for
44:53
me to play nine hours straight if I'm
44:55
getting a good
44:56
you know 10 11 hours old play it
44:58
straight the other is it has to be
45:00
creating real problems in your life when
45:01
I play the game I I keep cope I
45:03
instantly judge myself find myself
45:06
guilty of not not growing
45:10
where does your artwork stand that takes
45:12
a lot of time a lot of commitment and
45:15
unfortunately I guess the art has been
45:16
the sacrificial lamb people are
45:19
generally aware and they have problems
45:21
they just don't know what to do with it
45:23
because that is their life at that point
45:26
how do you restart you know your life
45:29
when do you think it
45:40
I don't know man I'm mad yeah I'm happy
45:43
from playing the gaming it does give me
45:46
some kind of satisfaction in life I
45:47
don't think I'll ever quit probably
45:49
maybe not until I get like another
45:51
that's a tough ask question yeah yeah
45:57
it's tough I know I don't want to quit I
45:59
don't like to control it but I don't
46:00
know when yeah I can't even answer that
46:02
question like stumbling try things here
46:05
so my palms are a little sweaty too does
46:09
that mean I went over to his apartment
46:14
and that's trying to get him to come to
46:16
the door
46:17
you know I'm hollering at him and you
46:19
know I knew he was in there because it
46:21
was locked and then I went around and
46:23
pounded on his bedroom window and he
46:25
didn't come dim come and you know I just
46:28
said well you know I'm not gonna break
46:31
in he's gonna have to come to the door
46:32
tomorrow because of Thanksgiving then I
46:35
am at home and I had to work that worked
46:36
the third shift so I got done like 10:00
46:39
in the morning and I went over there
46:41
then from work and this was Thanksgiving
46:42
Day and so when I got there he didn't
46:46
down through the door again and I knew
46:48
there was something wrong and I knew I
46:52
had to be in there and see what what's
46:55
going on I wasn't gonna call the cops so
46:58
I went home and got the crowbar and a
47:02
screwdriver and I broke in and when I
47:06
got in there he was sitting in his
47:09
bedroom in front of the computer in his
47:11
chair and he had a rifle and I looked at
47:18
the computer and EverQuest game was on
47:20
it
47:22
I heard about Liz Liz and her son and
47:27
committed suicide so I heard a lot of
47:30
things in the game boards people were
47:32
just making fun of her and yeah I'm
47:35
thinking how terrible that situation was
47:36
so I tracked her down and called her on
47:39
the phone and just spend a couple hours
47:40
talking to her she just told me her
47:42
whole story I wanted to let other people
47:44
know that they weren't the only ones
47:46
going through this and so that's when I
47:48
decided I would start an organization
47:51
for gamers and family members picked
47:53
forever at the time she was talking
47:54
about starting online gamers Anonymous I
47:56
told her hey I wanted someone help you
47:58
do this a lot of people were worried
48:00
about the violent nature of the games
48:03
and the sex in the games but nobody was
48:05
ever talking about the addictive design
48:07
of the game whether addiction exists
48:09
what the causes of it and stuff arm
48:11
I mean I'll leave that to the
48:12
psychologist and the psychiatrist and
48:13
the doctors addiction that's a fine line
48:17
there when you talk about addictions
48:19
people understand them as substance
48:20
addictions cocaine heroin when you have
48:23
addiction you have to have some
48:26
significant consequences as a result of
48:30
that calling this in addiction is
48:31
somewhat controversial because it may
48:34
diminish the meaning of other terms of
48:37
it there is no physical withdrawal that
48:41
you would suffer by comparison to
48:43
substances are video games designed to
48:46
be a good thing
48:48
I could answer yes and I'd be lying I
48:50
could answer no and I'd be lying I do a
48:54
lot of the blame on the gaming companies
48:57
for doing this when you make a video
48:58
game and you're gonna be successful it's
49:00
just like any business you have to sell
49:02
if you have to have people play it or
49:03
you're not going to make money talk to
49:05
your video games we spend upwards of 50
49:08
million to bring to market I think and
49:16
I'm very happy I think and you're
49:18
standing in my way of me going to play
49:20
the game so if you're designing a game
49:22
to make people play can you then make
49:24
the stretch you're making it to be
49:25
addictive and I don't think that's the
49:27
point the point is to make something
49:29
that's fun to play and just like
49:32
anything anything you'd be taking too
49:33
far that's the point if they weren't fun
49:36
to play what we use in psychiatry is the
49:42
DSM the Diagnostic Statistical Manual is
49:45
there any gaming addiction diagnosis in
49:49
the DSM no there is not why are these
49:51
professionals they've never pulled it
49:53
software they have no idea how it's made
49:55
you know anything about these games the
49:59
people that are working on things like
50:00
the dsm-5 are very very well established
50:04
psychiatrists very prestigious
50:05
psychiatrists they don't have a lot of
50:07
time extra time that they're gonna be
50:10
spending online playing games they're
50:13
exploring these these worlds they won't
50:15
have the first-hand experiences that are
50:18
often part of what informs therapists
50:22
and they can relate didn't understand
50:25
why something if it is significant so
50:28
are they supposed to treat somebody
50:29
who's addicted to a game when they don't
50:30
even know anything about the computer
50:32
games we should look back to the history
50:34
of why we have the textbook the DSM it
50:38
was designed it was created as a
50:39
research tool that psychiatrists
50:42
therapists researchers could all be
50:44
operating under the exact same
50:45
definition of an illness when doing
50:49
research into that bill now somebody's
50:51
got to start talking and telling what
50:52
has happening
50:53
because of these games what is it what
50:55
is it doing to people's lives and this
50:58
includes the gamer and the families and
51:00
the friends and all the relationship you
51:02
need to have a concept of compulsive
51:05
computer use in the dsm-5 now the
51:07
question is what format should it be put
51:10
in there some people such as I believe
51:13
it should be its own separate diagnosis
51:15
my guess is that you know whatever they
51:17
might decide in 2012
51:19
maybe gaming will couldn't be classified
51:21
under LCDs the short term for
51:23
obsessive-compulsive disorder I agree
51:25
that there does need to be more research
51:28
and there has to be proof so that the
51:30
public knows the effects that the games
51:33
do have on a person's brain I have no
51:36
doubt there's gonna be a diagnosis at
51:38
some point it may come from younger
51:41
psychiatrists as they get older they
51:43
become more well known but they're part
51:45
of a culture where the virtual reality
51:48
is such a prominent part that they they
51:51
they will be able to really be able to
51:53
discuss it
51:58
[Music]
52:16
playing a lot of Warcraft not much to be
52:20
honest I mean still kind of in the same
52:22
boat no girlfriend we're still working
52:25
the same place didn't go back to school
52:27
which I had planned
52:28
[Music]
52:32
probably at least about four hours a day
52:36
maybe even more if I wasn't playing
52:39
video games I probably would be taking
52:42
better care of myself
52:43
making sure eating right make sure I'm
52:45
exercising probably accomplishing things
52:48
kind of in the same boat that I was when
52:53
I first started playing on them you know
52:55
I'm still single
52:57
still looking for you know that cuz I
53:00
kind of feel like I am kind of living a
53:02
selfish life like everything that I do I
53:04
do for myself basically from when I wake
53:06
up in the morning to when I go to bed
53:07
and it would be kind of nice to be a
53:10
part of something bigger than myself and
53:11
started a family and having more
53:14
responsibilities I kind of felt like I
53:16
didn't really keep it in moderation very
53:18
well and I kind of let it get the best
53:20
of me and I was not accomplishing things
53:23
I should have been accomplishing if I
53:26
was to do all over again I probably said
53:28
probably do it all over again start
53:30
playing the game from day one
53:32
well I think last time I talked to you
53:33
were having some relationship issues
53:36
about the game but since then even
53:39
though like things seem like I've been
53:40
in really good as far as now what school
53:42
got my master's went back to work
53:44
really I'm proud of myself for doing
53:46
that in other ways together in a
53:50
relationship we don't live together
53:52
anymore we talk about a house and so
53:55
I've had to move out so in some ways my
53:58
life is a lot different with her in the
54:02
relationship and I think a lot of it has
54:04
to do with the game
54:06
but I think you think they didn't get
54:08
clean apart and all that I think the
54:10
video game was a symptom and it was a
54:13
way for me maybe to deal with what I
54:15
knew was not working any regrets
54:18
I think there were times when I should
54:21
have walled off that I could have
54:23
enjoyed different things more different
54:26
social events where I chose not to go to
54:30
because of the game things with Noel
54:32
where I chose and I'm really gonna put
54:35
forth the effort if she's not gonna
54:37
forward after it has made it very easy
54:39
for us to fall apart because I always
54:43
had something else I could do and so a
54:45
lot of ways I think the relationship
54:46
that was failing in real life for me I
54:48
was trying to supplement with
54:51
relationships with other people I had
54:54
fun and it's escape
54:56
it helped me ignore the world what's the
55:00
biggest thing you like to ignore myself
55:05
I mean there's times when I get in the
55:09
game and I can focus and though I just
55:11
sold everything out so when I don't even
55:13
feel my legs when they hurt etc so it's
55:17
like focus on the game and ten hours
55:19
later whoa where the day go that's how I
55:24
feel about the games it's like okay what
55:28
am I gonna do
55:28
I'm I'm gonna give my wheelchair I'm
55:31
gonna get a couple of Buffalo guns and
55:33
go on Safari oh wait so we do a few
55:36
animals I can't roll through the African
55:40
steps no not going on Safari
55:43
but yeah I'm why he could go hunting for
55:48
whatever he wants
55:51
what made you want to be a part of this
55:53
documentary
55:54
aside from saying sure Greg cuz I love
55:58
online games specifically but from
56:00
EverQuest Dark Ages is a camera line
56:03
World of Warcraft I think it's really
56:05
cool and I like the fact that it makes
56:07
me feel a little bit better maybe about
56:09
myself
56:10
it's just a world free of judgment it's
56:13
not it's not the world we all know with
56:16
the character I know what my role is the
56:18
character I know what's expected of me
56:21
sometimes like in this life as a father
56:23
as a Realtor as remember of society as a
56:26
male as a role model I don't really get
56:29
the true idea of what's expected of me
56:30
finish this sentence if it wasn't for
56:33
all my games I would I'd have a few more
56:37
days the rest of my life a few more days
56:41
of reality if it wasn't for online games
56:44
I'd have my money in my bank account
56:47
sometimes we'd like to beat ourselves
56:49
out we like to be in that negative place
56:52
because then at least we can beat
56:54
ourselves out over I play too much when
56:57
we do when we are not a very healthy
57:01
confidence human being would you change
57:03
anything about your past gaming
57:05
experience and the time you've invested
57:08
yes I wouldn't have played it late at
57:11
nights in some occasions when
57:13
life was going to bed I should have
57:16
given her a massage really dine with her
57:19
at times I wouldn't say I lost my wife
57:22
because I'm gaming without said hey
57:25
that's a reason why we're not together
57:27
was it worth it no it wasn't worth it
57:32
how do you keep playing because it's
57:36
easily you are the parents of you know
57:44
obviously you're my mom yeah yeah so you
57:48
know Brian Ross said I happen to play
57:49
video games what right right right
57:51
what would you say to to your sons about
57:57
gaming in particular well to the game in
58:01
particular to those two I I would say
58:05
that they need to look at how much they
58:09
what they are losing by by totally
58:13
losing themselves in the games what have
58:17
you lost
58:17
do you think that's kind of hard to
58:19
admit to they're thoroughly think about
58:21
some other things
58:22
I lost a certain amount of respect with
58:24
my wife obviously to be divorced I guess
58:28
of this last time and timing you know in
58:31
my life I don't feel like it
58:35
maybe he reached the climax of what I've
58:37
lost the games are so unrealistic in
58:39
general about life and if that is all
58:43
you are exposed to how are you gonna
58:46
find who you are and how you were to
58:48
live your life what do you think you
58:50
gain
59:10
I came I've gained my understanding as
59:18
to what it takes to maintain the healthy
59:22
relationship how I've changed is through
59:25
what I have been missing by playing it
59:27
by doing a little of it you enjoy it and
59:32
you enjoy life by doing a lot of it you
59:34
still learn your lesson maybe it wasn't
59:37
a good thing that I played that much but
59:39
nonetheless if you did enjoy it why your
59:41
wife
59:41
why I shut it off if I really do play it
59:44
for fun like I keep telling myself then
59:46
it should give me some really dope
59:48
benefits you know I know that as life is
59:51
short I'm a man that you know love life
59:52
love your family you know if you're
59:54
first really funny I should keep some
59:55
benefits too and it doesn't give me any
59:57
other benefits of the you know mental
60:00
stimulation I'd say right on the edge
60:08
because I am I do feel some kind of
60:11
dependence so addiction I guess is just
60:13
that wall that's in your way that we
60:16
feel nice to sit against it and get some
60:20
shade cast on you from relax and take it
60:23
easy but you never know what's on the
60:26
other side unless you're aware of it so
60:28
I guess
60:29
in addition to me it's just the Walt
60:33
cloud it's a block and you are without
60:38
it limit themselves and if you stare in
60:42
one direction for hours I want to play
60:47
the game less really I don't want to
60:49
play it as much anymore I want to want
60:52
to get out with normal successes quit
60:55
hiding from reality a little bit I'm not
60:58
playing the game so much just it hasn't
61:01
been positive for me I think it's just
61:05
kind of like just another addiction
61:07
Brian has had unhealthily uncontrollably
61:13
then I always get whenever I get off the
61:17
game you always get those clumps --iz of
61:18
how much how much more fun reality is
61:22
but I saw a reality is also painful but
61:27
we needed just like the game we needed
61:28
we need to embrace reality love life
61:32
just as much as I see I'm always coming
61:36
back to the game
61:37
now there yeah I don't want to play the
61:40
game anymore I need to stop playing
61:45
why me why do you think he needs stuff
61:48
mm-hmm do you feel like it's I just
61:51
think it's like dehumanizing me in a
61:54
certain sense and it's not making me as
61:56
ambitious as I was used to be in it and
61:59
it slowed me down and it's um it's
62:02
lowered my self-confidence so what so
62:05
I'm better at doing a 10 v10 oh the
62:07
video games in interacting with ten
62:09
people in reality some people that's
62:13
good but that wasn't that's not what
62:14
we're here for
62:16
I don't think they care for each other
62:17
we're not here once a connect online
62:20
maybe in the future but not right now
62:22
and not me particularly I need people I
62:26
need I need 10 V 10 of touch not every
62:30
10 ticket that monsters yourself
62:33
[Music]
62:47
[Music]
63:10
this is the best relaxing so I'm mixing
63:14
your father
63:18
[Music]
63:20
I like the house but I don't wanna be
63:22
here
63:27
it's cool it's a good chapter I'm glad
63:30
chapters over you fight right
63:36
[Music]
63:54
[Music]
64:00
we call this the game bowl and it holds
64:07
see these of people well quit gaming
64:09
have sent them to us they break the CDs
64:13
sign it and date it and put something on
64:17
there like free forever I agree and what
64:21
they're doing is telling themselves and
64:24
showing themselves that they are serious
64:28
about their games
64:30
I feel like need to tell parents this
64:32
because they're not fully there yet is
64:35
to let these games to do to their
64:37
children I just beg you not to lose
64:41
these games with glorified babysitters
64:43
and make it a part of your child's life
64:46
don't let it become your child's life
64:48
what's what's going on with you
64:52
we've got new people every day coming in
64:55
and registering and sharing your story
64:58
they just automatically pick up and
65:00
start helping each other we've got a new
65:04
website it's much more user friendly one
65:08
of the things that I wanted to happen
65:09
was to get people face to ball so they
65:12
can find help for themselves and go for
65:15
help whenever they needed it you ever
65:17
have a hard time finding a balance
65:18
balance there is no balance well lately
65:20
there hasn't been a lot of balance
65:22
I don't play often because it does take
65:24
over your life for some people it's not
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a hobby it's a lifestyle it's like okay
65:33
I have to work I have to eat I have to
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sleep but how much time do I have for
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gaming if I wanted to you know kill same
65:43
thing over and over and over again I get
65:45
a job
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[Music]
65:49
adult touch it never never touch it
65:51
no no unlike that everybody needs to
65:54
skate but you know use a form of escape
65:57
that's not gonna make your life worse
65:59
than it was before I don't think that's
66:01
just about video games I don't think the
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problems that people say that video game
66:05
cause are just about video games I think
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the problem is man the humans
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that's just a vice but you get rid of
66:13
video games and there's a million
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advices you can choose from I think it's
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healthy to play video games I think it
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forces you to think in new and unique in
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different way if games can cause
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friendships making in friendships they
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can cause romantic relationships they
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can end romantic relationships and I
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think it's just another walk of life or
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another venue in life that you have to
66:35
exhibit control and there's a
66:38
responsibility to it there's no such
66:40
thing as too much thanks a lot you know
66:50
I mean I still I'm still mad at
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I mean I see gamers I go that's my son
67:01
that is my son and that's why I care
67:06
about them and want them to do better
67:08
because it's like there's my son
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[Music]
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yeah his death to help others that's
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what I want I don't want him to die in
67:22
vain I don't want him to die for nothing
67:24
you have a family and if you have a
67:28
awesome cool wife embrace them love them
67:34
well it's no longer a game and you're no
67:36
longer playing for fun it's time to turn
67:38
it off and do something else if you have
67:40
the ability get out and do other things
67:43
go play disco don't let the designer for
67:47
your character design you it's only up
67:50
to you to decide that you want to change
67:52
your life and up to you to take control
67:54
and do it
67:58
moderation is the key
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[Music]
68:16
yes why
68:21
[Music]
68:30
were you working it kind of Trader Joe's
68:33
with you like the best fit probably just
68:35
like the people I work with the whole
68:37
kind of team environment there was kind
68:39
of working together it's not so much
68:41
your work history or what degree you
68:43
have that who you're gonna be at the
68:45
stores so who are you gonna do at the
68:47
store
68:48
I'm Rasta goofy yeah
68:52
I've been paying it probably still
68:55
really religiously probably I would say
68:57
more than that work which is name
68:59
playing the game I think it's
69:01
self-destructive because through doesn't
69:03
do squat I'm so fresh sure why I keep
69:05
coming back yeah you know I didn't I
69:09
didn't think I could make it on my own
69:10
and live on my own and you know and I am
69:13
yeah I can make it on my own date and
69:16
that is that's neat I got my own
69:17
neighbors I got my own doll
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[Music]
69:32
I was in an abusive relationship before
69:45
I definitely used the game back down as
69:47
an escape looking at where I'm at now I
69:49
mean I still play but I don't play for
69:51
the same reasons I was a little annoyed
69:53
at first and the more I talked about it
69:55
with him he discussed how it was his
69:57
escape and I realized yeah we all have
70:00
our escapes so it's alright well we
70:03
don't have kids right now but when we
70:04
have kids it's gonna there's gonna be a
70:07
cut-off time going into it I said the
70:14
expectation is what I like but I don't
70:15
like to watch TV we do bogie she loves
70:18
it that's my face
70:21
[Music]
70:24
kind of feel like me and Ross are still
70:26
the same boat that we were in six years
70:29
ago not like things are bad though I'm
70:31
pretty happy where I'm at how does how
70:34
things look for you in the love
70:35
department here I don't know I still
70:37
want the same things you know what I
70:38
have a family and do all that but at the
70:41
same time there's a lot of things I want
70:42
to do I mean you can't really like make
70:45
plans never know what's going to happen
70:54
yeah definitely
70:55
trying to
70:57
[Music]
71:02
I think my journey ended
71:10
[Music]
71:15
I guess maybe I'm the person that likes
71:18
to bring bounce to everyone around here
71:20
even though at times I'm not the most
71:22
balanced person and ultimately you know
71:24
I'd like to look back at my life and
71:26
know that that I effected this world
71:28
summit although I was some small bit of
71:31
a legacy or a story or something
71:37
[Music]
72:02
[Music]
72:09
[Music]
72:17
[Music]
72:23
[Music]
72:34
[Music]
72:42
[Music]
73:02
[Music]
73:16
[Music]
73:35
[Music]
73:48
[Music]
73:57
[Music]
75:02
my friend
75:09
this time around words change anything
75:17
no he said no baby who I am
75:24
[Music]
75:33
[ __ ] just understand
75:37
it
75:41
that's just
75:42
[Music]
75:51
well I turn my head from park it's cold
76:00
it's time to move on cuz it's hurting
76:03
snows getting cold now repeating myself
76:11
time and again
76:15
baby I do it again
76:24
well I
76:26
[Music]
76:45
you