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challenge 2: ADDICTION

As Greitemeyer and Mügge (2014) mention, gaming has often been “vilified” throughout history by the media. However, addiction to video games is shown to potentially affect a small minority of people (Pontes, 2018, p.49). Glazer (2006) and Griffiths (2010) also point out that behaviors should only be seen as negative if they begin to negatively affect other parts of a person’s day to day life. In addition Glazer (2006) points out that even phycologists remain skeptical as many of these ‘patients’ don’t exhibit classic signs of addiction: such as developing physical withdrawal symptoms like sweating (true for gambling), needing to play more and more to get the same kick and being preoccupied to the point it is destructive to one's livelihood and family. Even though some psychologists talk about “Internet addiction disorder,” the American Psychiatric Association has not recognized it or video game play, in its official handbook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Potes (2018) cautions those who are interpreting the results from video game addiction studies, as these studies can be very convoluted and have major flaws within their data. Nevertheless, games do have addictive properties. One of the criteria by which games are even evaluated positively by consumers is their addictiveness (Glazer, 2006), and so it is advised that limits be set by parents at home and by educators in the classroom .

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