Gaming Addictions in Indianapolis

Indianapolis Star reporter Christopher Lloyd is not addicted to video games. Honest. He wrote so in an article published in the Sunday edition of the newspaper about addictions to MMORPGs.

I’ve stated repeatedly in my various posts on the topic that “addiction” is the wrong word for video game overuse, or at least it should be labeled as a behavioral addiction to distinguish it from a chemical addiction.

Anyway, Lloyd focuses on World of Warcraft, and his article is filled with anecdotes from self-professed over-users. The article is chock full of interesting quotes. Here’s a sample:

The scarcity of hard data also provides ammunition to skeptics who question the readiness to label extensive gaming as addiction, whereas other time-consuming leisure activities are not.

Nongamers may be appalled by the idea of someone playing video games four or five hours a day, but consider that the average American spends nearly 32 hours a week watching television, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Clint Parker, a 25-year-old electrician’s assistant from Broad Ripple, played World of Warcraft for six to eight hours a day and doesn’t think he ever had a serious problem with it.

“It’s certainly nothing like a drug addiction,” he said. “If you don’t play . . . you’re not going to get the shakes or the sweats or start vomiting.”

In the same July 29 edition of the newspaper, Lloyd offers another article entitled, “Tales from the Gaming World,” where he confesses his own upbringing in the world of video games and his daily doses of WoW. “I am a gamer … Yes, I am a WoW player.” But he’s not addicted. Really.