Do you think a game can "ruin" lives?

well i had one expirience, i had a friend back in school which was So addicted to starcraft that it was his only hobby and the onlly thing he talked about, whenever i used to go to his house back then the only thing that we did was play starcraft which after 4-6times going to his house i got borred. this is of course about 6years ago

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Folks in the US these days are far too prone to blame their problems on something external, when the problem is in the mirror.

They develop an addiction, so they say 'this substance (or this game) ruined my life!'. No, your choices, your ADDICTION, ruined your life. No one forced you to play it to begin with, no one made you keep doing it...YOU did. The game designers did not sit you in a room and make you play for 12 hours every day until you couldn't stop.

Everyone is 100% responsible for their own actions. They are responsible for their addictions, as well--they CHOSE the behaviors that led to them.

Games do not ruin lives, people ruin their own lives. If it wasn't a game, they'd find something else to ruin it with.

Self discipline has become a very underrated skill. I personally think it needs to be deliberately taught in schools, because scant few people I've seen actually have enough of it.

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Big Gunns agrees...BUT...the question was "do you think a game can ruin lives"? If there was no game for them to play, their life wouldn't be ruined. So the answer is YES it can.

The thread didn't say. Do you think the "your choices" or "your addiction" can ruin lives. Obviously Big Gunns knows exactly what you're saying WWP, but if there was no Heroin, there could be no Heroin overdoses. If there was no video games, there wouldn't be people addicted and ruining their lives.

BG thinks the government better get right on this and ban those games right away.;):D:D

I have some very fond memories of playing WoW. People who have never played are usually quick to judge and think of the game as this evil, terrible thing... it's not. It's just that some people can't get their priorities straight. Like anything else.

I had over 10 years invested in Everquest 1 and 2. Played it every day.
The game IS an addiction. The designers purposely made it that way.
If you want to be a gamer in today's world you have to have Awesome self control.
People with no self control these games will ruin your lives.

I saw the game screwing up peoples lives from day 1.
It was back in late 1999 and my guild leader lost his real life job because he was never at there. Know where he was? Everquest. After losing his house and car because of no more income he moved in with his online girlfriend from the game.
She had a good stable job and she wasn't an addict. After a year of her supporting him she finally gave him the boot. With no money and no home he could not play the game. Soon the addiction left him and he got his life back on track.

My sister played EQ1 for about 5 years. She was married and had a great life. She was in a high end raiding guild and they Required her to be on almost Every day of the week. Her husband wanted to go out and do stuff but she was always in the game. So he went out on his own and met someone else.
Now they are devorced and she isn't the same person anymore. But she did finally quit the game.

Are people aware that they have already or will be adding video game addiction to the new psychological DSM-4 assessment? Not sure of exact name. This would classify it along the same addictions such as alcohol, drugs, sex, etc etc etc......

Just wanted to add that, If you look at it medically it is an illness, does this make the person at fault?

Is the game at fault? If the game was the source then all would be consumed?

The combination of factors involved is what destroys or challenges the person in the middle...

I would like to add another question.............................

If addiction, in this case video game addiction is a medical diagnosis, can you put an individual 100% at fault when their brains ability to choose correctly is impaired?

If we look at the word addiction and its definition.......people are impaired when making the choice, because there are so many other chemical, mental, stimulis, withdrawel issues involved.

Not sure if this angle is making sense...............

Just wanted to point out that studies have shown the the brains response to video games can mimic the same chemical response that other addicts go thru from need, ingestion...in this case playing the game...and withdrawel when the stimulis is not present.