Internet gaming addiction: not as rampant as originally believed

Dr. John Charlton, Research Fellow in Psychology in the School of Health, Psychology and Sport, has recently conducted a study on refining the methods for diagnosing game addiction. The current accepted method to diagnosing gaming addiciton is by using symptoms found in people with gambling problems. Dr. Charlton has questioned this approach towards the topic.

In a press release that has recently surfaced, Dr. Charlton said “that several symptoms researchers had thought were important in diagnosing computing-related addictions were actually only indicative of high, but non-addictive, involvement.” He added that “This means that taking them into account when conducting research gives an incorrect result – 10% higher than is correct.”

In a survey conducted with 400 people from Asheron’s Call there have been players who have complained about the negative effect of the game on their lives. The criteria that Dr. Charlton proposed was applied to this group, and the following results came to light:

• more than 40% said their social life was suffering
• 30% recognised gaming was interfering with their work
• 40% said it was causing arguments at home
• 50% confessed they were not getting enough sleep
• 35% said they missed meals to carry on playing.

It should be noted that of the respondents, 85% of them were male, so it would suggest that this is a largely male dominated pastime. It’s good that studies such as these are being done. It’s so much better to approach the problem in a scientific manner unlike a certain daytime TV show which shredded a disk to avoid gaming addiction.

Dr. John Charlton, Research Fellow in Psychology in the School of Health, Psychology and Sport, has recently conducted a study on refining the methods for diagnosing game addiction. The current accepted method to diagnosing gaming addiciton is by using symptoms found in people with gambling problems. Dr. Charlton has questioned this approach towards the topic.

In a press release that has recently surfaced, Dr. Charlton said “that several symptoms researchers had thought were important in diagnosing computing-related addictions were actually only indicative of high, but non-addictive, involvement.” He added that “This means that taking them into account when conducting research gives an incorrect result – 10% higher than is correct.”

In a survey conducted with 400 people from Asheron’s Call there have been players who have complained about the negative effect of the game on their lives. The criteria that Dr. Charlton proposed was applied to this group, and the following results came to light:

• more than 40% said their social life was suffering
• 30% recognised gaming was interfering with their work
• 40% said it was causing arguments at home
• 50% confessed they were not getting enough sleep
• 35% said they missed meals to carry on playing.

It should be noted that of the respondents, 85% of them were male, so it would suggest that this is a largely male dominated pastime. It’s good that studies such as these are being done. It’s so much better to approach the problem in a scientific manner unlike a certain daytime TV show which shredded a disk to avoid gaming addiction.