03Jan This Is Your Brain On World of Warcraft
A medical school in Taiwan has done MRI research with ten World of Warcraft players and a control group of ten non-players. Each group were hooked up to the MRI’s and shown images from the game:
While in the ten people in the control group there was little reaction, in the “addicts” several portions of their brain lit up “like a Christmas tree…” These are the same portions of the cortex that activate when a drug addict fails to take his dose on time and starts withdrawal.
Read the report from Softpedia.com by clicking here.
Sizzle, sizzle.
01Jan Book Addiction? Welcome to the 21st Century, Doctor
Happy New Year everyone!
Culture 11, an online news magazine, has just published a feature article about Internet addictions, including interviews with me and Liz W. from Online Gamers Anonymous. The article is available here and here.
One major critic of Internet addiction theory is Dr. John Grohol, whose referenced article can be found here.
Since the aspects of the Internet where people are spending the greatest amount of time online have to do with social interactions, it would appear that socialization is what makes the Internet so “addicting.” That’s right — plain old hanging out with other people and talking with them. Whether it’s via e-mail, a discussion forum, chat, or a game online (such as a MUD), people are spending this time exchanging information, support, and chit-chat with other people like themselves.
Would we ever characterize any time spent in the real world with friends as “addicting?” Of course not. Teenagers talk on the phone for hours on end, with people they see everyday! Do we say they are addicted to the telephone? Of course not. People lose hours at a time, immersed in a book, ignoring friends and family, and often not even picking up the phone when it rings. Do we say they are addicted to the book? Of course not. If some clinicians and researchers are now going to start defining addiction as social interactions, then every real-world social relationship I have is an addictive one.
Socializing — talking — is a very “addictive” behavior, if one applies the same criteria to it as researchers looking at Internet addiction do. Does the fact that we’re now socializing with the help of some technology (can you say, “telephone”?) change the basic process of socialization? Perhaps, a bit. But not so significantly as to warrant a disorder. Checking e-mail, as Greenfield claims, is not the same as pulling a slot-machine’s handle. One is social seeking behavior, the other is reward seeking behavior. They are two very different things, as any behaviorist will tell you. It’s too bad the researchers can’t make this differentiation, because it shows a significant lack of understanding of basic behavioral theory.
Dr. Grohol writes…
it would appear that socialization is what makes the Internet so “addicting.”
I would argue that when you place a computer monitor and a few thousand miles between people who have never actually met and only know each other as pixelated avatars, ’socialization’ will never actually occur.
Would we ever characterize any time spent in the real world with friends as “addicting?” Of course not.
Again, we’re not talking about the ‘real world’ at all. We’re talking about the Internet. We’re talking about anonymous sex chat, gambling and online role playing games. These are not ‘real world’ activities. Our children are learning tennis on the Nintendo Wii rather than on a tennis court. That’s just sad.
People lose hours at a time, immersed in a book, ignoring friends and family, and often not even picking up the phone when it rings. Do we say they are addicted to the book? Of course not.
I’m not a big reader of fiction, but I don’t remember ever closing a book for the night and returning to it the next day to find that the characters and the imaginary world have continued to evolve and develop without me. If we’re going to talk ‘apples to apples,’ Dr. Grohol should use legitimate comparisons.
Online role playing games bear little resemblance to books, despite the recent creation of Lord of the Rings Online. The 24/7 compelling, ever evolving worlds demand dedication far beyond anything a casual reader of fiction would ever give to his or her favourite novelist.
Checking e-mail, as Greenfield claims, is not the same as pulling a slot-machine’s handle… It’s too bad the researchers can’t make this differentiation, because it shows a significant lack of understanding of basic behavioral theory.
Very quickly on Blackberry addiction… Federal government agencies in Canada have recently implemented ‘Blackberry Blackouts’ on evenings and weekends to protect family time for their workers, recognizing that people are obsessing over their email. Draw what ever conclusion you wish from this public policy decision.
On the ’slot-machine’ handle comparison. This brings up notes from a November meeting for me. I met with some gambling treatment specialists about video game addictions. They told me that some of their gamblers have quit the slots and betting on horses, only to take up World of Warcraft 80 hours per week. We discussed the reward schedules built into the games, and they recognized the powerful similarities with how slot machines pay out.
It’s time for us to enter the 21st century and recognize we have a serious problem with the Internet. Only time will tell if our society is willing to take this issue seriously.
25Dec Merry Christmas from ExGamer.net
That the Creator of the Universe sees fit to share His presence with humanity is awesome; the way in which He has done it, by taking on the humblest of all forms, in the lowliest setting, is simply poetic.
-Bono (U2)
May your Christmas holiday season be filled with joy and peace. Don’t forget to take time away from your PC or gaming console to appreciate the great gifts of family and friends.
-Brad
21Dec Video Podcast: World of Warcraft Restaurant Opens in Beijing
18Dec Introduction to Video Podcasting
17Dec Podcast Number 8 - Daniel Petric: Killer or Addict?
Daniel Petric of Cleveland, Ohio is awaiting a verdict in his murder trial. He stands accused of murdering his mother and shooting his father in the head with a 9 mm handgun following a dispute over a video game. Should this young man spend the rest of his life in prison? Brad responds to this controversial case.
Update: The verdict is due January 7.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Kersey did not contest that Petric killed his parents, but insisted that the boy’s youth and video game addiction made him less responsible. However, Kersey did not introduce any experts to testify about addictive or desensitizing effects of video games. He noted that when the boy fled the grisly scene, he only took one item with him: the Halo 3 game that his father had locked in a box to keep it away from him.
The case against 17-year-old Daniel Petric, who is accused of killing his mother and shooting his father in the head, could be in the hands of a judge Wednesday to decide on a verdict.
The lawyers in the case are scheduled to present their closing arguments Wednesday morning to Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge, who is hearing the case instead of a jury. Petric waived his right to a jury trial.
The judge has not indicated how long he will consider the evidence before rendering a verdict.
The trial began Monday. Prosecutors said the boy was angry because his parents took away his Halo III video game. They objected to its violent content. Petric planned to make his parent’s deaths look like a murder-suicide, prosecutors said.
Petric’s lawyers put on a very short defense Tuesday — a handful of friends, family and other character witnesses. They based their defense on what they described as Petric’s video game addiction.
Petric’s sister, Holly, 18, testified that he became addicted to video games when was housebound for a year recovering from a staph infection he contracted after a serious snowboarding injury.
One of Petric’s friends, 17-year-old Jonathan Johnson, testified that Petric was so obsessed with the Halo series of games that he would play them seven or eight hours a day at Johnson’s house.
In Halo, players shoot alien monsters that have taken over the Earth and is rated M for mature players.
One marathon weekend — about a week before the shooting on Oct. 20, 2007 — they played Halo for 16 to 18 hours a day, stopping only to eat, sleep and use the bathroom, Johnson said. Petric’s father had kicked him out of the house after a fight and Petric crashed with Johnson’s family.
Petric’s father, Mark, testified on Monday that he and his son had a great relationship, but that he put his foot down when his son wanted to play the Halo games. He told his son to leave the house if he could not give up the games, which is when Daniel Petric went to Johnson’s house for the weekend.
Mark Petric, who is a minister, caught his son sneaking Halo III into their house and took the game. He said he put it in a lock box where he also kept a 9 mm handgun. Prosecutors said Daniel Petric found the key to the box, took out the gun and the game and shot his parents.
Daniel Petric is charged with aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and related offenses in the shooting death of his mother, Susan, 43, and the shooting of his 45-year-old father.
If convicted, the defendant could be sentenced to up to life in prison with a parole eligibility date that would be determined based on the offenses. He is not eligible for the death penalty because of his age.
Before court began Tuesday morning, about two dozen young people greeted Daniel Petric. Some were from his church, the New Life Assembly of God in Wellington. His spirits seemed to be lifted by the visit. It was the first time he showed any emotion in court since the trial began.
12Dec ExGamer at Toronto Internet Safety Symposium
Brad has been invited to speak at a Toronto area Internet safety symposium, hosted by Kiwi Seminars.
On February 17, 2009 we will be holding a provincial symposium aimed at promoting awareness of the risks associated with Internet use and providing educators with proactive strategies to assist their students to safely and responsibly use the Internet. We expect approximately 400 participants, consisting of educators, academics, administrators, board members, principals and public officials from all over Ontario.
Registration is open at the Kiwi Seminars web site. Click on the link in the blog roll to be directed the home page for more information.
11Dec U.S. FCC Commissioner Makes Statement On Gaming Addiction
With the explosion of educational resources available online, one might think parents would be 100% pleased with the Internet’s role in their children’s lives. But surveys show just the opposite: a late 2006 survey that showed 59% of parents think the internet has been a totally positive influence in their children’s lives, down from 67% in 2004. You might find it alarming that one of the top reasons for college drop-outs in the U.S. is online gaming addiction — such as World of Warcraft — which is played by 11 million individuals worldwide.
STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER DEBORAH TAYLOR TATE AT PRACTICING LAW INSTITUTE ON TELECOM POLICY AND REGULATION DECEMBER 5, 2008
This is an excerpt from a much longer speech on issues ranging from private sector investment in broadband Internet and digital television to Web safety:
I have tried to be a voice for children and families, millions of real moms and dads, grandparents, and caregivers trying to raise children in this age of media pervasiveness and on-screen overload. Just as new languages have developed so have new risks, from the epidemic of child obesity, to cyberbullying, to the tragic practice of child trafficking and predatory behaviors online.
As always, your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.
11Dec Three Wishes
10Dec Serenity in the Workplace
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
I work in a technical support call centre for a major Internet service provider. We are an outside contractor for the ‘client’ in the United States, who demands excellence in certain metrics related to incoming call handle times etc.
On a monthly basis, my very soft-spoken supervisor shows me my report card. Unfortunately, several of the metrics that I am being held accountable for are virtually impossible for me to control. I cannot go into details without violating proprietary information, but suffice it to say, this is a very frustrating situation.
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace
When I come back to this simple prayer, I know that everything is going to be alright. I’m not in a position to change how this enormous corporation chooses to grade its employees, however unjust this practice is.
I do know that my tenure in this current position is limited to how long it takes me to get my resume out into the marketplace to find something better. This is an ongoing work, but as I’ve mentioned in the previous post, it is not easy to find something suitable in a recession economy.
Meanwhile, it is so important to find peace and stay focused on my own recovery. Practicing gratitude for having some kind of employment is the most important lesson I’m learning day by day. The rest will look after itself.
Full Original Serenity Prayer
by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
