I love reading hot, spicy takes from Kotaku. Recently, Cecilia D’Anastasio, senior reporter at the gaming blog, posted a notoriously long article on the gaming addiction topic. I’ll save you lots of reading and summarize Cecilia’s post, she details many different cases of gaming addiction and their severity. It’s thorough reporting for sure and if you have like an hour, give it a read.
Let me add some of my own commentary to this trendy topic. I’ve been gaming like my whole life. Meaning I have developed possibly unhealthy habits when it comes to picking up the controller. By no means have I flipped my lid when the console turns off (lie) but sometimes playing feels like I’m chasing the dragon. Whether it’s playing one more game of Bro’s Introduction to Video Games or beating the final boss in a single player title, there is always something more to achieve! It really never ends. When video game achievements become priority over RL achievements, IMO that’s a slippery slope that can get you into trouble.
It really always comes back to my parents absolutely grilling me as a kid about games. I still hear their voice in my head… “It’s a nice day, Matty, why don’t you go outside?” “You are going to waste the day sitting in front of the TV.” Those are my parents voices. My parents never made those comments with weight behind them–but they made a big impact on me. It’s something I can’t shake to this day. I think it’s the reason why I can’t game for hours and hours on end without a pretty substantial break somewhere in there. So, thanks fam!
One of my best friend’s parents would make us lift weights or walk on the treadmill as we played “Super Metroid” on the SNES. I completely hated it at the time–I get it now that I’m older. Playing games can’t be pure pleasure. Makes sense.
Ultimately, my love for vidya runs deep. If playing games is an addiction of mine, then so be it. Pull me out if you find me spiraling into oblivion, chaps.
Check out this info-filled vid on the matter: