Do you Play too Much ?

[Tebian-DJ]

South Korea increases counseling programs for compulsive gamers

Stories of internet and gaming addiction in South Korea are, unfortunately, not that unusual. The South Korean government has been working with its teenagers for several years through counseling programs, and the success of these programs is shown in the decreasing numbers of teens showing symptoms of internet addiction.

While teens have been getting the help they need, another part of South Korean society has not -- those in their 20s and 30s. A series of tragic stories, like that of the 32-year-old man who died of exhaustion after a five-day gaming spree, has the government looking for a solution.

According to the New York Times, the South Korean government has "plans to open rehabilitation centers for adult addicts and expand counseling for students and the unemployed, groups considered the most vulnerable to compulsive gaming."

It's certainly a growing problem; psychiatrist Dr. Ha Jee-hyun says that he is currently treating an average of four adults a month for this problem, as opposed to one a month two years ago.

Take a look at the New York Times article for the full story.

[elfmage]

if u ask elf that can happen to any were they probly just dont like sk so they chose 2 pick on them

[Sweety Enti]

Very Interesting article indeed, I never thought that people could die of gaming, or that we would need one day rehabilitation centers for compulsive gamers, I guess then addiction can be in any form of behaviour changes so not only substance addiction. It does sound like a serious matter, I used to game more often, especially during holidays, but it never was permanent obsessive gaming.
Anyone could build up a form of dependency when we lack control and fail to manage our behaviour, perhaps it's due to cultural and background influences too, absent parents, no planned schedules... but I still don't get the adults addiction to gaming >.>

[butoden]

I game maybe not so much but Im on internet too much..

[Rendur]

I used to play quite a lot... Lately its been a weekend thing. With work and everything I just don't feel like playing during the week anymore. 

[ChaosBeelzemon]

I play less than I did before. I think I did play too much, but now I'm on the Internet too much...

[Tebian-DJ]

Gamer Statistics .....

7.    Adult gamers have been playing an average of 12 years. Among most frequent gamers, adult males average 10 years for game playing, females 8 years. Thirty-eight percent of game players are women.

6.    Thirty percent of most frequent computer game players are under eighteen years old. Twenty-six percent of most frequent game players are between 18 and 35 years old. Forty-four percent of most frequent game players are over 35 years old.

5.    Forty percent of most frequent console game players are under eighteen years old. Thirty-five percent of most frequent game players are between 18 and 35 years old. Twenty-five percent of most frequent game players are over 35 years old.

4.    Thirty-eight percent of game players are women, while forty-two percent of online gamers are women. Females age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (30%) than boys age 17 or younger (23%).

3.    The average adult woman plays games 7.4 hours per week.  The average adult man plays 7.6 hours per week. Though males spend more time playing than do females, the gender/time gap has narrowed significantly.  Whereas in 2003, males spent an average of 18 more minutes a day playing games than did their female counterparts, in 2004 they spent only six minutes more each day doing so.  Females spend an average of two hours more per week playing games now than they did a year ago.

2.    Fifty percent of gamers are regularly involved in creative activities, such as painting, writing, or playing an instrument. In addition, adult gamers exhibit a high level of interest in current events, with 94 percent following news and current events and 78 percent reporting that they vote in most of the elections for which they are eligible.

1.    Ninety-three percent of game players also report reading books or daily newspapers on a regular basis, while sixty-two percent consistently attend cultural events, such as concerts, museums, or the theater.

[Siadina]

ohhh way too much, but I loving it. Gamers have an actual community now, the VoIP introduction to gaming was an inspired idea. Now instead of being all alone grinding hp/ap we are now able to talk to those like minded people who love the grind as much as you. I am a female gamer, and play a wide variety of games. MMO's, fps, and traditional rpg's. I blow the above figure out of the water with a 3,500 hours of total gameplay time in gw. My take on the above is Its About Time! Games and the gaming community are growing so advanced and so rapidly, that I can't wait to see what's coming our way next.

Sia

*edit* it would help if I read the whole post...at the death by gaming, holy cow.....I hope we all don't end up that way. And if someone could become addicted to shopping why not gaming. Its a shame maybe we will see GAA Gaming Addiction Anon. or GTFOS Gamers Therapy for Occupational Shame *grin*

[brad100and8]

Very Interesting article indeed, I never thought that people could die of gaming, or that we would need one day rehabilitation centers for compulsive gamers, I guess then addiction can be in any form of behaviour changes so not only substance addiction. It does sound like a serious matter, I used to game more often, especially during holidays, but it never was permanent obsessive gaming.
Anyone could build up a form of dependency when we lack control and fail to manage our behaviour, perhaps it's due to cultural and background influences too, absent parents, no planned schedules... but I still don't get the adults addiction to gaming >.>

It's not so much death from too much gaming but rather exhaustion and they're body cannot handle it and... the inevitable happens and eventually they die.

It's quite interesting to think that it's south Korea and not Japan or other country's..

[Sweety Enti]

It's not so much death from too much gaming but rather exhaustion and they're body cannot handle it and...

Yes but that only occured due to compulsive gaming, I've already heard about other deadly obsessions, but not gaming,gaming is supposed to be entertaining, brain stimulating. At one point, even after playing hours and hours, you'll certainly feel exhausted and get some sleep, at least that's what a normal person would do, when gaming habits become this type of behavioural disorder consuming all vital energy and causing death, it's serious. It totally made me realize that gaming can be deadly if you just let that need take over you...it works same for any other type of dependency >.>

Japan has certainly problems with gaming addiction, read articles about students dropping school obsessed with online games etc.. Even if these problems are still a minority in Europe or other occidental countries, more will arise, gaming has become popular activity among adults ( like Teb just said "Forty-four percent of most frequent game players are over 35 years old.") and numbers are still escalading.

[Rhynovirus]

I don't play nearly enough.
By the time everyone is in bed and I have time I'm usually to worn to devote much "quality time" to it.

[Riggs]

I have been playing since I was a baby all the way to adulthood, I use to put a lot of time into the game I never get tired when playing video games. But now that I am in college I hardly have time to play anymore. But I know I played to much because I burned out a PS2 by playing it constantly, must have put a lot of hours into playing to burn out a system. But nowadays I just play in moderation I wish I could go back to my youth and play like I use to.

[DissidiaAerith]

Nope.. i dont play much at all nowdays, but music... thats another thing 

[HideoXI]

i found a balance   : : : : :

[SavageRick]

Define "too much"...

[Tags:]

Jump to: Please select a destination: ----------------------------- Smoking Lounge ----------------------------- => Gaming News => Hardwired News => General Discussion ===> Polling Booth ===> Advertise Yourself Here => Bored (and falling asleep) => Spam and Good Things to Eat => Other Notes and Things ===> Anime & Concert News ===> Roleplay&Writing ===> Festivals & Cosplay ----------------------------- The Lobby ----------------------------- => Who We Are Gallery ===> Other Gallery Post by Members => How To Instructions => Syndicated News ----------------------------- Front Row Center ----------------------------- => Kingdom Hearts Community => Final Fantasy I to VI ===> FFI (NES) 1987 ===> FFII (Famicom) 1988 ===> FFIII (Famicom) 1990 ===> FFIV (SNES) 1991 ===> FFV (SNES) 1992 ===> FFVI (SNES) 1994 => Final Fantasy VII to X ===> FFIX (PS1) 2000 ===> FFVII (PS1) 1997 =====> Crisis Core =====> Dirge of Ceberus =====> Anime ===> FFVIII (PS1) 1999 ===> FFX (PS2) 2001 =====> FF-X2 (PS2) 2003 => Final Fantasy XI to XIV ===> FFXII (PS2) 2006 ===> FFXI (PS2) 2002 (PS2) ===> FFXIII (PS3 & 360) ===> FFXIV (online) => Chocobo Stables => More Square Works ===> Crystal Chronicles ===> Final Fantasy Tactics Series ===> Chrono Series ===> Dissidia: Final Fantasy ===> Legend of Mana ===> Last Remnant ===> Nier ===> Dragon Quest => Old School Games & Music => Mistwalker & Nobuo => MMO Chatter ----------------------------- Orchestra Pit ----------------------------- => Music Makers ===> Nobuo Uematsu ===> Yasunori Mitsuda ===> Masashi Hamauzu ===> Yoko Shimomura ===> Eminence ===> Local Artists We Know ===> Conductors & Orchestra ===> Music Maker Company ===> Main themes performers and musical artists => Discography ===> Lyrics ===> Individual CD Library => Art of Music & Personal Galleries ----------------------------- Box Office ----------------------------- => Websites News & Updates ===> Problems or Suggestions ===> Submissions (DJ Mix, Playlist, Compositions)