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Addiction to video games and social media

Discussion in 'Other Substances' started by bourge_21, Nov 28, 2014.

  1. bourge_21

    bourge_21 Senior Contributor

    Which is exactly my point. But of course age, gender and culture issues are present here. Responsibility-wise, they will eventually be off the course. And of course, ailments.
  2. bourge_21

    bourge_21 Senior Contributor

    This is because you are so hooked your mind just revolves around Facebook. You are excited for new issues, for new pictures to be downloaded, and for your friends' comments on your posts. Believe me, when you learn to pull off the cards, such as not logging in for a day, only will you realize Facebook is just a distraction.
    rabst likes this.
  3. primalclaws1974

    primalclaws1974 Senior Contributor

    Did any of you hear the news segment awhile back about the man in his forties that tracked down a thirteen-year-old who kept killing him in "Call of Duty"? He beat the kid up. Obviously, if a middle-aged man is so angry at dying on a video game, that he will hurt a child, he is delusional and probably the closest I ever heard of a person being addicted to video games.
  4. bourge_21

    bourge_21 Senior Contributor

    Perhaps he was, as you say, half-delusional. He was imagining as if he has been living in a virtual world. However, how pathetic of him to be pissed off by a teenager over Call-of-Duty campaigns. There must be something else behind the beating, though.
    rabst likes this.
  5. JoshPosh

    JoshPosh Community Champion

    There's pros and cons to this subject. I think its good that we have the information of the world at the palm of our hands. The cons are that children are now connected more to the computer and are disconnected to human interaction. No longer will they talk to a person face to face with their problems. Those are now taken over with text messages with one liners and no interjection and compromise.
    rabst likes this.
  6. downsouth

    downsouth Active Contributor

    This is probably more prevalent now than a few years ago and can only be getting worse. My parents always limited the time my brother and I spent playing video games. Social media was not even around when I was growing up. It is unbelievable how many hours I see some people spend just on Facebook.
    rabst likes this.
  7. bourge_21

    bourge_21 Senior Contributor

    When I was in high school we only have MS DOS 95 version or something in the school computer laboratory. Hard drives were then on floppy disks or big discs. It was really amazing to see the development of technology back then. We were anticipating for bigger and more advanced revolutions. And here now that it came, we see a lot of disadvantages, especially with changing the social culture.
  8. rabst

    rabst Active Contributor

    Do you carry this into your adult-life? i.e. on a day-off, do you limit your time on the games-etc.

    I know I should, but I almost never do---I know it would be better for my health, but there's always a part of me that thinks 'What for? What good is all this "free time" & "over-abundance of technology" if you don't USE IT?':p
  9. Damien Lee

    Damien Lee Community Champion

    Both video games and social media can be highly addictive. Neither is going anywhere, both technologies are well established and are here to stay. We can partake in either and enjoy everything they have to offer us. Sometimes, I like to kick back and enjoy a good video game. But I also realize that I have other responsibilities and loved ones that need my attention. Therefore, it's important to draw the line and limit my gaming time.
  10. Coolkidhere

    Coolkidhere Community Champion

    I remember a time when my sister and I got addicted to Counter Strike. Ah, those days, personal computers and internet here are not really a 'thing' yet. We would go to computer shops or cafes and play all day long. Lol. It was fun but at the same time put a dent in our pockets. Good thing, that was just a phase and we got over it.

    There was also a time that I got addicted to Facebook. I knew what all my friends were up to, what was the latest gossip and all that non important stuff. I came to the realization that I'm wasting my time in it, when I could be doing something more lucrative. So I got into writing online and joining forums which are better ways of spending your time online.
  11. serenity

    serenity Community Champion

    Computer addiction is a real threat to people and society because people are just glued to their pc screens and they don't want to do anything else. I think that parents should always keep an eye on their kid and supervise their pc and console usage because they can always just make their kid stop if their pc and console usage is already getting excessive.
  12. FuZyOn

    FuZyOn Community Champion

    Young teenagers are definitely exposed to social media and that's a really bad thing. They start living their lives online, thinking that they're cool and awesome if they have likes on Facebook - basically ignoring their actual social life for something temporary online. They become disconnected from reality, that's the worst thing.
  13. BrandonA

    BrandonA Active Contributor

    Many people retreat into video games, especially the online social community aspect of it, because they find more acceptance there than they do in real life. That was especially true in the early 2000's when social gaming was just becoming a thing. Some people were jerks, but there was also an unwritten code for others, kind of, that said "think the best of people; they're here for the same reasons you are". Some of the most welcoming places I ever gamed were online.

    These days it's become harder to find such communities amongst the millions of trolls and lowlifes on the airwaves. But every once in a while, you find a community that's a good fit for you and the lure of structure, common interests, positive words, refuge, and opportunities for "advancement" fill pretty much every need we're looking to fill as human beings, if you think about it. It's not easy to find those things in real life. It's very easy - and free - in an online community.
  14. amin021023

    amin021023 Community Champion

    Well, they both can be dangerous as any other addiction and lead the addicted person's life to misery.
  15. Tsky45

    Tsky45 Community Champion

    The computer is really convenient. You can access information online and lots of streaming. I do think it would be healthier to keep up with some outdoor activity's for health reasons. Most of the time any thing online keeps people up to date with what's happening these days. It's not hard for some one to get addicted to the computer.
  16. vegito12

    vegito12 Community Champion

    I reckon that it can be easy to be addicted and also in these days many parents can be busy so the children tend to spend time on video games or social sites, and this can keep them busy for most of the day and need to take breaks. It can be sad when children spend more time on the the internet or the mobile phones, and also it can take time to stop being addicted as the eyes can seem to be more focused on that. I think that the children need to be aware of the time spent on the games can cause, the mind to forget the responsibilities they have and need to be alert and play sometimes.
  17. bsthebenster

    bsthebenster Community Champion

    Internet addictions are really difficult to deal with. I have a family member that is obviously dealing with an online addiction. It's been difficult to pinpoint what was going on with them. Since internet additions are a relatively new diagnosis, our family hasn't known much about the side effects.
  18. anorexorcist

    anorexorcist Community Champion

    I agree with you, there are kids who become stressed when they don't have an Internet connection or/and a technological device close to them, and that's really sad because they are kids, they need to enjoy one of the bests days of their lives and not to be immersed in this relatively new mechanical world, this needs to be changed but I'm not sure how if a lot of people is also dealing with this problem.
  19. Nergaahl

    Nergaahl Community Champion

    Video game addiction is not that common nowadays, as it's not "the new thing" anymore. Back in the days when everyone used to buy their first computer people were hyped because of it, buying (and not pirating) games and competing with their friends. Nowadays, most teenagers are addicted to social media (Facebook, Twitter and co. are some things I never really liked) and often seek validation through it. But as soon as the "trend" will go away, so will their addiction and eventually they will pick up something newer. It's like a cycle, a vicious one.
  20. Mims

    Mims Active Contributor

    I agree that internet and gaming addiction is a real thing, but is not taken seriously in most circles. Everyone has that cousin, friend, or child that spends all day playing World of Warcraft and never going outside. Many deem this type of behavior normal for the less sociable type or hardcore gamers. The problem comes when internet and gaming interferes with your personal life (which it can and does quite often).

    I myself am a hardcore gamer and couldn't fathom being without a device or internet for extended periods of times. I have become more responsible, and have balanced my gaming time with my personal responsibilities, but I know of far too many people that don't. There are people who are addicted to video games and the internet, but because of society's current views, and possibly the users' views, help will not be sought and the problem will continue.