Addiction?

 Overview
Video game addictions are often discussed today in a variety of forums. However, it is rarely agreed upon as to who has a genuine addiction and who is just an over-enthusiastic participant. Online games are evolving quickly in many ways from graphics, challenges, and accessibility. Because of this, it seems that a variety of online users could be susceptible to becoming addicted to the games they play. Massive multi-online role player games, or MMRPGS, are some of the most addicting games that are available today. The video game addiction is not yet recognized, “Video game and Internet addiction are not actual Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV classifications, although the American Medical Association is reviewing research in order to determine whether they should be included in the next update of the manual in 2010.” ([|Click here to read more]).

As researchers are debating how to define the psychological aspects of video game usage there are also studies about the physiological addictive aspects of games. Video games have been linked to high levels of dopamine in the brain. [|For example], “Researchers at Hammersmith Hospital in London conducted a study in 2005, which found that dopamine levels in players' brains doubled while they were playing. Dopamine is a mood-regulating hormone associated with feelings of pleasure.”

Most video games have levels that players advance through depending upon varying levels of skill and points acquired. This leveling is one reason why game can be so addictive, because they want to beat the game. In addition to beating the game as [|incentive] there is also: role-playing, relationships, discovery, and wanting the high score. All of which feed directly into a basic human need to be the best. Video game addictions are garnering more attention from parents to physicians but there is no consensus on their dangers or treatments just yet.

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