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Pyschologists: obsessive video game habits are part of larger issue

Posted Oct 27, 2008 at 8:08AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 Tags: Lawrence Kutner

Teens' video game habits part of larger issue: experts - Image 1

Video games have been given a lot of bad rep in the media because several tragic incidents - such as shootings and muggings - have been laid at the feet of violent games.

However, some child psychologists warn that blaming video games miss the larger point of the issue, saying that obsessive behavior and sudden shifts in habits are signs of a deeper, emotional issue.

This long-running debate was sparked by the disappearance of 15-year-old Brandon Crisp, who ran away on his bike after his parents confiscated his Xbox. They have not had any solid leads on his whereabouts for 10 days after he disappeared.

Child psychologist Dr. Lawrence Kutner, co-author of Grand Theft Childhood, says that video games are not the root of the problem, but being overwrought with games is symptomatic of something else, as the vast majority of gamers don't suffer from psychological damage:

In essence, it's a way of self-medicating. Kids play for a variety of reasons: for the fun of it, for the challenge. Or they play for emotional regulation. They can get their anger out.

Dr. Paul Donahue suggests that the problem begins when parents don't establish the difference between rights and privileges to their kids. Without this distinction, kids will see video games as a right, and will feel wronged if they are deprived of it.

Via National Post

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he's correct in EVERY way possible.. everyone has GOT to agree on this one man...

its not just playing video games that influences a child or a person in general but the amount of time consummed on it,hence there lies were the parenting responsibilties come in.

its combining the AMOUNT of time the child has to play games and the TYPE of game ther child is allowed to play.. add that up and youve got not only some good control/parenting over your child but allows the child to live a balanced and healthy (FoS) way of life.

another words,it all comes down to the PARENTS and their responsibilties as a gaurdian and to their son(s)/daughter(s).

and he's also right about using gaming as a form of emotions,maybe your having a hard time coping with family issues or friends,self esteem,depressi on ect ect ect.... games alow you to express that emotion in many ways (some can be bad dont get me wrong) but the majority is to sit,have a good time,pown some noobs lol and then have a free mind to take on the real world.

video games are a perfect balance between the virtual world and the real one... but a HUGE and i mean EFING HUUUUGE couse these days for compulsive gaming is the new social community such as online gaming,online chat and overall communication with others without the TRUE life first hand experience.

# .... — papajag 2008-10-27 09:43

the kids a high school student and he still runs away because his Xbox gets taken....by that time kids should be thinking about how to get laid instead of video games

I too blame the parents instead of Video Games specially the dads because by that age the dad should be trying to get his son some vageen not GTA4

If u use video games as a way to escape reality then go get some hookers or a girlfriend to make ur life better

# yep. — NarooN 2008-10-27 09:49

Your idea is grand. We all know that life is only about getting laid, something that's incredibly easy to do and doesn't even require teaching.

If people use video games as a way to escape reality, how is it any different from reading a book, watching a movie, taking a bubble bath, going on a trip by yourself, etc.?

People act like video games are some sort of evil tool used to slowly but surely brainwash the masses. That's about as sane as those doomsday cults.

# Wow. — tanman37 2008-10-27 11:20

Oh my god. This douche bag made it to QJ?!

He goes to my school. He played Call Of Duty a lot, he played it literally all day. They took it away for thanksgiving, a FAMILY day. And he flipped. Ran away, in hopes to find a guy he met on XBL.

He really didn't have many friends, and as soon as he goes missing, EVERYONE freaks over it. Even people who never knew he remotely existed, or which school he went to for that matter. I don't care about him. I feel bad for the family, but that's about it.

Let your flames begin.

# !?!?!?! — DJ PON-3 2008-10-27 11:45

Some kids are... you know... STUPID. I've been playing all kinds of games since I was a child. I've had no problems with them. Sometimes my parents take away my games but I don't go out running around acting like an idiot. It's the games that change us, it's the people who raise us.

btw I'm 14

# children — Apeaggedon 2008-10-27 11:59

listen to yourselves y dont ya huh.. geeez,for the record your both complete shallow idiots in a VERY assuming way.BOTH of your comments were imature and a waste.. "we all know that life is only about getting laid" wtf?? you both must of just hit puberty..f**ing kids.

your either both still imature teenagers or are adults that act like imature teenagers.. im giong with my first thought or lower :)

oh and Naroon you duech bag... uh ,a "bubble bath" and a "trip by yourself" (assuming your talking about taking one in real life) IS reality,the others are correct young child.

and jag you other duech bag... "by that time kids should be getting laid" KIDS huh? obviously your one of "them" that are cumpulsive at gaming or the virtual world and stay in your room only to use the internet for your so called "knowledge" about wut Naroon and others should be thinking about by the time they hit high school.. who ever raised you BOTH must of not did a good job if your mental attitude of life is that way.

oh and another thing for you Jag,you refer the child as "son" and especially the parents as "dads"... this debactle is not about just sons but daughters too ya know. (oh wait,you dont).. and you should be blaiming the mom AND dad unless only one parent to do the job.

i advise both of you to get some help.. like play some learning games on life or read a book about the facts of life or watch a parenting documentary.

(shakes head @ Naroon + Jag).

# . — qwerty54321 2008-10-27 12:34

I thought it was clear that NarooN was being sarcastic about the "life being all about getting laid" thing but i guess im wrong...

# man — Apeaggedon 2008-10-27 12:44

i dont know weather he is or not but took for not i guess..

# @ tanman37 — BiigBiscuit 2008-10-27 12:48

I live in Toronto so it's not that far.

When i saw this on the news and they mentioned that he was playing Call of Duty 4 all day and almost all night, the first thing that came to my head was "sick". Not awesome sick but sick in the head.

By the end of the report i could tell that he used video games to escape from reality. I still don't understand why he would run away from home because his parents cut him off. For that matter find someone on XBL that would let him play the game.

This is all *****ed up. He needs to see some psychologists and make real friends.

Today, my brother told me that he logged into his XBL account.

PS: I saw the story on CTV and i swear taht when they showed the 360 it had a RROD.

# just another case... — Ron Overdrive 2008-10-27 13:21

of bad parenting. God forbid you actually raise your children and teach them they have the right to nothing in life they don't earn. You misbehaved and you got your Halo taken away. Big *****ing deal. If its that much of a tragedy you might want to consider why it got taken away and I dunno... find a hobby?

# id say bla bla bla bla bla — Racer64X 2008-10-27 14:14

election day rolls up- everyones a politition

world series time- everyones suddenly a fan

new study pops up- everyones a psychology expert

catch my drift? the kids parents probably stuff him with vitamins all kind of health junk, have taken him to the doctor and diagnosed with all of these add, adhd, ocd, xyzpqrs and junk. and of course in order to catch him, some kind of force may have been involved and his parents probably instantly pulled an instant lawsuit. parents these days don't think the way they should.

i mean sheesh its just a toy.

# Apeaggedon about NarooN — Dudeman3k 2008-10-27 18:17

I think what NarooN meant by taking a bubble bath and going on a trip by yourself is that they're both methods used to relax and get away from daily worries.

As for the getting laid thing, I've learned not to take things seriously, even if there wasn't a chance he wasn't being sarcastic.

And NarooN, the end of the world is coming...

# f*** u — papajag 2008-10-27 18:44

apparently you guys can't take a joke and thats just sad. My point is that parents should take their time with their kids and know about them rather than neglect their children and then punish them when they do something bad. What happened to this kid that ran a way is a case of psychology. If parents tell their kids not to do something then they should make it clear that what they are DOING is bad in a polite manner and then take away their videogames. Parents nowadays just punish their children without thinking of the consequences and trying to be dominant. If a child's playing videogames to escape reality then the parents need to show that child comfort. In conclusion, parents should get to know their kids and get the kids to be comfortable with them to get their minds of violence and allow some of the childs problems to be lessened.

There's some psychology for you all

Shove that in your face Apeaggedon

# To NarooN — papajag 2008-10-27 18:57

No their isn't much of a difference between books, movies, etc. But people need to be surrounded by others to learn the mistakes they make. If someone reads a lot then that is a problem too because they distance themselves from reality. An example would be this person that killed himself because Dumbledore died. But people blame videogames, movies and TV because the violence is shown in image form which is naturally the best form to obtain knowledge. This reason enough causes parents to think that they should blame something other than themselves. I do agree with ur last 2 sentences though

# lol — tanman37 2008-10-28 00:27

Wow, an RRoD

That's bad ass XD

But yeah, he was a loner, he went to my school, and people that never knew he existed at that school are freaking about him, for no reason.

# I migh tHave to buy his book. — Rei64 2008-10-28 01:39

I love the part about Rights privilege that makes a lot of sense and i can really understand it. my parents took my whole game empire when i was 15 also ( that's 3 systems and about 65 games all together.) and i definitely felt wronged. but i damn sure didn't run away because.. i wanted my stuff back, i mean.. its rightfully mine

# boring... — gehx75 2008-10-28 03:04

tell me something new....it's just addiction.

addiction manifests itself in so many ways....a way to escape;

hum, lemme think.....drugs come to mind 1st and foremost, then sex, then work, then eating, then video games, then internet, etc, etc, etc

addiction has been around as long as mankind has been around. it's funny how dox try to explain it; especially the ones who aren't addicts and just 'try' to understand it.

now, i need to get back to Fable II

# good point — shabghai360 2008-10-28 07:32

addiction is a fact for some. Addiction can be both physical and mental. Drugs are more physical where as a mental addiction is something that can come and go. Some times I have played a game and it really gets to a point where everything else is totally irrelevant until such time as the game has been completed. I think most of us to some degree have experienced this but a minority do not understand this and become isolated from the reality and immerse themselves within the game.

For these few it can be a difficult situation and parents that possibly confiscate the games etc as a final desperate solution are not always to be blamed. Most people i know enjoy a beer after work or at the weekend but although I do not know any alcoholics they do exist. In the same manner I know many gamers and most of them do have an occasional night of no sleep and online madness just as i have had ll night parties and beer. Fee like sh*t the following day but get right n with life again.

As for the original article I do agree that games are a form of emotional regulation. I for one have several times after having had a bad day will put in a shooter as quake 3 and then find a rocket launcher to blast bots named after coworkers. BRILLIANT, as i do not break the law, do not hurt anyone and do not go to jail and after an hour of total pleasure feel on top of the world again.....

# @tanman37 — BiigBiscuit 2008-10-28 10:05

Well...there was one light on and it was red or orange at most. No way it was green.

Seems like he was a loner since he cares so much over this game.

I don't see the point in freaking out just because someone went missing and you don't know the person. But I am not saying that they shouldn't search.

# cool — Guest 2010-02-11 17:32

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