A New Kind of Addiction
by Juli Mosoff
Everyone has heard of different addict support groups that help cure people of their addictions. We've all heard of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and even Sexaholics Anonymous, all of which use things such as group therapy and 12 Step Programs that aim to change the behavior of those involved. However, while many people are aware of these support groups, there aren't many people who have heard of one of the newest addiction support groups: On-Line Gamers Anonymous.
It is clear that the number of people, especially teenagers, who play video games has been on the rise during the past decade. According to the American Medical Association (AMA) it is estimated that between 70 and 90 percent of teenagers play video games and that nearly 15 percent of these teenagers could actually be addicted to gaming. There are numerous testimonies from people who claim that online games, such as the popular multiplayer game World of Warcraft, have destroyed their lives by causing them to care about nothing else but playing for hours on end. Actual addiction to video games is not just a phase that some teenagers go through; as 14-year-old Jacob Schulist says, "It's like they're your life." Psychiatrist Karen Pierce stated that she sees at least two teenagers a week at Chicago's Children's Memorial Center who are addicted to video games. "I saw somebody this week who hasn't been to bed, hasn't showered ... because of video games," she said. "He is really a mess."
Serious debate between the AMA and video game companies have been going on for months as the AMA declared that they want to consider it a formal addiction. Although many psychiatrists like Karen Pierce already treat it as they would treat any other addiction, formally considering video gaming an addiction could cause insurance companies to help cover the cost of psychological counseling and other treatment options that can help gamers get their lives back.
Luckily, there are ways for addicted teenagers and adults to help themselves by affiliating with other recovering video game addicts. Created in 2001 by Liz Woolley, On-Line Gamers Anonymous, or Olg-Anon, is on online-based self-help webpage that offers support to its members through a discussion board where video game addicts share their stories and help each other. Woolley has a very personal connection with the unknown dangers of video games; the website was created after her 21-year-old son shot himself while playing an online game. Wanting to make sure that other online gamers did not share her son's tragic fate, Woolley started the website that is now used by many people on the road to recovery.
Teenagers are not the only ones accessing and receiving support from this website. Many adults are also addicted to video games. When left untreated, these addictions often have far more serious consequences, sometimes causing them to ruin relationships with their friends and family, lose their jobs, and even neglect their children.
In mid-July, Michael and Iana Straw were arrested in Nevada for the neglect of their two children, an 11-month-old girl and a 22-month-old boy who were near death from starvation. Prosecutor Kelli Ann Viloria stated that there was food in the house for the two children, but that the couple had been too distracted by the online game Dungeons and Dragons to feed them. After they were taken away from their parents and brought to a hospital, the children began gaining weight and were put in foster care. Although this is one extreme example of the consequences of video game addiction, it shows that adults are just as affected by this destructive behavior.
Company executives for the video game industry fail to comment on whether or not they think their products are addicting. Those who market violent and possibly addicting video games say that it is up to parents to determine which games are appropriate for their child's age group and to monitor how many hours their children spend on the computer, but this often becomes difficult for parents who work all day and cannot supervise the amount of time their children play. In order to help parents determine which games are appropriate for their children's age group, the AMA has proposed that the game ratings system, which has been in effect since 1994, be revised and better enforced.
On June 27th, the AMA declared that more research is needed before video gaming can be considered an actual addiction, but that parents should still take serious consideration of the negative effects that are the result of compulsive video gaming in their children. Although the AMA is researching the effects of video gaming before they declare it an actual addiction, they hope to get enough information to include it as an addiction in the next revision of the American Psychiatric Association's commonly used diagnostic manual, which will be issued in 2012.
