Where Politics And Video Games Collide

I going to nitpick a little here. I'm a psych major, and addiction can be to anything. In the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual for Psychology (DSM-4-TR) there is a diagnosis for Addiction NOS ("Not Otherwise Specified"). that can be used for anything.

The difference here is the wording. "Addiction" is not the same as "dependency." Addiction is a mental aspect. People can be addicted to anything. Addiction is just usually triggered by something pleasurable or that otherwise releases high doses of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that have to do with pleasure. Dependency is when the body actually physically starts to depend on something.

A good example is cigarettes. The average length of time to end the physical dependency to the nicotine is 2 to 10 days, going cold turkey. Most people stay closer to the 2 day mark. After that, people don't fail to quit because they actually need it, it's because the habit and knowledge that it feels good brings them back to it. That's the addiction part.

So from the wording of what Dr. Gitlow said, they're talking about an actual dependency. Addiction is still an option. It's just no where near as likely. I mean, there are addictions to porn, gambling, driving, fishing, golfing, and EVERY other thing people like to do.

Personally, I things video games aren't a bad thing in the slightest. There have been MRI studies that show playing a 3D video game helps for temporary relief of depression. 3D games use the area of the brain that is usually found to be less active in depressed patients, so making it work more is kind of a side effect of playing games. I'd like to see the mainstream media actually cite a report like that for a change.