TV psychologist Tanya Byron links games to heroin addiction

Dr. Tanya Byron has raided airwaves again with her latest endeavor with video games. After her six-month review of game violence, she was able to write and front a BBC TV show wherein she linked playing video games to heroin addiction. More details can be found in the full article.

About a month ago, Dr. Tanya Byron made headlines regarding her review on video game violence. Now, she’s has taken the spotlight once again with a BBC TV show she wrote and hosted.
Through it, she linked video game to heroin addiction. In her show, Byron delved deeper to the world of gaming by talking about several situations gamers are in.

She went as far as to compare playing video games to cocaine or even heroin addiction. One of her interviewees was Michelle Hart, a 39-year-old World of Warcraft addict. Hart said she’s been playing the MMORPG for two years and spends most of her free time playing it.

With her situation, Byron commented, “It might seem ludicrous to compare a childish computer fantasy game with hard drug addiction. But addiction counselors offering treatment to gamers argue that there are key similarities in the way that the consumer gets hooked into coming back for more.”

Aside from Hart, Stephen Noel-Hill was another interviewee by Byron. Noel-Hill was revealed to be a recovering gaming addict. He was able to establish a recovery clinic in Amsterdam which welcomed game addicts.

Noel-Hill believed that “computer gaming has become an addiction every bit as pernicious as more conventional drugs.” Before ending the show, Byron stressed the fact the video games could cause harm to those who are addicted to it. She said:

If we combine the pleasurable aspects of gaming or gambling with an individual who has other psychological or emotional needs, it become more obvious how this behavior can become addictive.

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Via MCVUK