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Name another vice that directly affects the health of the passive population who doesn't partake in it. Personal Freedom is more than a one-way street..
Surprise you asked. I can name several but here's one.
We've made huge strides in reducing tobacco use in the States but the level of substance addiction hasn't changed.
This site doesn't take into account the cost of lost work hours, accidents, physical assaults, the damage done to families, particularly children, the legal expenses nor, of course, the multiple human intangible expenses for families living with alcoholism/drug/addiction.
If you count the hours of counseling, intervention workers, the picking-up-the-pieces efforts which are paid out of pocket I'm guessing you could double the statistics.
Whether you believe so or not these subsequent costs affect us all in changes of policy, availability of services and expenses, not to mention dealing with chaos, crime and deaths which are related.
The future productivity and health of a child who has grown up attached to a computer game may include obesity, social disorders, mental illness and an unproductive lifestyle but the amount of cost to society will probably be less.
Another example of people blaming one thing instead of the actual cause. We don't want to admit that addiction is a personal thing, that some people are easily addicted and some not at all. So why not focus on helping people to avoid addiction, instead of blaming or regulating something that is not the cause of addiction.
Computer games are not inherently addictive. I have been playing computer games since I built my first personal computer in the 1980s. Now 76 and still playing computer games. Whenever I feel like it. I don't have to play. In the meantime I have had considerable success in life, through self-discipline, being intelligent, and hard working.
My kids were all gamers who went on to considerable success and prosperity.
The problem is that "some" people lack self-discipline and are easily influenced. And that "some" people are simply more vulnerable to addiction than others. Nothing is inherently addictive, except maybe breathing and eating, and perhaps except for some drugs in the case of some children of drug addicts. And even there, it isn't the drugs themselves but the parental circumstances that are the actual cause.
I have taken morphine ( during my military service ) and since then occasionally various opiods and never became addicted to them.
For every person who is addicted to something there are many more who have the same exposure and are not addicted. Why is that?
But "we" ( in many cases ) are not educating our children very well, many lack discipline and self-discipline, and these underlying problems lead to even greater problems when they have to face the real world.
I'm not sure dopamine hits are the same thing as "joy," exactly... But parents love these things because they keep the kid occupied. Then there's more time for them to stare at their phones!
What do you think "joy" is? It's a chemical reaction in your brain. Most things in life that can lead to joy also have potential downsides that require caution and self-control. Just about every world religion and philosophy heavily focuses on the management of the pursuit of gratification.
The issue isn't with video games, it's with people struggling to manage their lives. It's just one of a multitude possible ways that can express itself. And as far as overall societal damage goes probably not the worst one either (which can make it a bigger temptation and more easily ignored, as parents for instance might be glad their teen is staying at home and is quietly gaming away in their room rather than being out roaming the streets at night with their friends looking for trouble). But responsible parenting includes having conversations with your kids about that too.
One the issues of excessive gamers is noise. Alot of home gaming systems and/or speakers are so loud to the point where they can cut through a bedroom or apartment wall like it's nothing. Even some house windows. Not everyone uses headphones. Alot of gaming systems have 10-15w speakers or one can hook up a sound bar high end/high bass speakers ment for bigger sound or a larger venue. Some say 'they have to play' their games in surround sound which require higher end speakers.
There is 'a' power consumption issue depending on how one plays or they use their gaming system. Average use is 150-200 watt especially when used for computer. Many gamers hook up/use a home theater system including a big screen tv. Some estimates have 5% of California power consumption being from gamers.
And for the youth in particular where do they get the money for the game tech, games or game time online? Just like a junky they'll start lying to or use parents credit without permission which will probably morph into stealing. Also where or how do "couch potatoes' play games 12-18 hours a day. They're probably using stimulants even if legal. And they are only in the beginning stages. I've seen adult' junky gamers use stimulants to play and pot and alcohol to calm down all week long(some also enabled by parents in some fashion)
Last edited by anononcty; 12-31-2023 at 02:15 PM..
One the issues of excessive gamers is noise. Alot of home gaming systems and/or speakers are so loud to the point where they can cut through a bedroom or apartment wall like it's nothing. Even some house windows. Not everyone uses headphones. Alot of gaming systems have 10-15w speakers or one can hook up a sound bar high end/high bass speakers ment for bigger sound or a larger venue. Some say 'they have to play' their games in surround sound which require higher end speakers.
There is 'a' power consumption issue depending on how one plays or they use their gaming system. Average use is 150-200 watt especially when used for computer. Many gamers hook up/use a home theater system including a big screen tv. Some estimates have 5% of California power consumption being from gamers.
And for the youth in particular where do they get the money for the game tech, games or game time online? Just like a junky they'll start lying to or use parents credit without permission which will probably morph into stealing. Also where or how do "couch potatoes' play games 12-18 hours a day. They're probably using stimulants even if legal. And they are only in the beginning stages. I've seen adult' junky gamers use stimulants to play and pot and alcohol to calm down all week long(some also enabled by parents in some fashion)
I was expecting games with a lot more predatory of practices than some of the ones listed. Roblox is pretty tame when it comes to addictive lootbox gacha mechanics. Minecraft doesn't really have any of that at all. Fortnite does feature things that are designed to get you to play the game every day, with the battle pass, daily challenges, and more.
We'll see how this goes though. People both inside and outside of the gaming community/industry have been calling for the regulation of lootbox-style gambling mechanics for years. It wasn't a cause that was financially beneficial to our pro-business legislators so it has never gone anywhere. The pandemic also kind of got in the way of some of it too, I imagine. People who were focused on it prior to 2020 suddenly had a lot of other problems to worry about.
I personally know of two families who thought they were financially secure until the main breadwinner died and they found out the money was all lost to online gaming.
Again, I have some reservations about personal freedom and responsibilities. How much intervention should government use in protecting people from themselves? What about the family members? It's a fine line. That's the issue that most affects my opinion.
There are some things that are recognized as harmful that are made illegal. Should all people be prevented from using potentially harmful behaviors/objects because some are harmed by them? Who makes the decision? Is education a sufficient preventative measure?
Those are all questions I have when it comes to addictive behavior and its effect on public health.
I think as technology grows we will see this issue coming repeatedly to the forefront. As most things it is easier prevented than solved after problems arise, but can we even predict what our relationship will be with technology in the future?
*Looks at Nintendo switch profile and most recent games played:
Xenoblade 3: 200+ hours
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: 120 hours
Persona 5: 60 hours (will be over 100 by the time I'm done.)
I did not bother looking at games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros.
Yep, video games are fun and provide me with enjoyment. I guess I'm addicted and I should seek counseling.
Replace "video games" with "books." Would the same complaints be made? What about board games? I have the game of Life and monopoly on my Switch, and I play them quite often with my sons. Is it only bad because it's in "video game format" as opposed to physical board game, despite the fact that it plays the exact same way?
In other news, Chevrolet makes Corvettes with the intent that they will be fun to drive, with hopes that current customers will keep buying more. Ban Corvettes. Corvette drivers are junkies.
Replace "video games" with "books." Would the same complaints be made? What about board games? I have the game of Life and monopoly on my Switch, and I play them quite often with my sons. Is it only bad because it's in "video game format" as opposed to physical board game, despite the fact that it plays the exact same way?
........
Problem video games tend not to play the sameway. Unlike a board game video games thrown music and sound effects in part for a reward system to keep the player interested and in more elaborate games trip the andrenaline glands. Many games are very pavlovian in the way they're set up just like social media with things like 'like' buttons. They designed to keep the player/user interested.
The people who play video games responsibly aren't the issue or are the games per say. But they contain addictive features that are predatory. And like any activity with younger children and teens their activity needs to be monitored, have rules etc. Without someone's child or young adult will wind up like the 21 year old in the op.
Some of the criteria for addiction is consequence. Once someone is starting to suffer consequences and/or or ignoring them that's addiction. The kid op dropped out of school, can't keep job and has trouble socializing/few or no real friends. Those are consequences. They almost mirror a drug addict's symptoms to a T minus the homeless & crime-for now.
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