There are two schools of debate with Internet and Online Gaming addiction:
1. It’s serious business!
2. Meh.
As simple as this sounds, it is basically the two schools of thought. Many clinical psychologists and “professionals in the field” are/have been minimizing the addictive qualities of the Internet and blame the individuals themselves for immersing themselves into this world as an escape. Others, (usually ex-addicts), state that there is an addictive quality of the Internet itself, and/or that the systems are intentionally made addictive for the almighty dollar.
An interesting blog post over at Exgamer.net this past week draws to light the two schools of thought.
Book Addiction? Welcome to the 21st Century, Doctor – January 1st, 2009
dealing with this article posted at PsychCentral:
Internet Addiction Guide by Dr. John M. Grohol Psy.D. – last revised April 16, 2005
In this article, Dr. Grohol indicates that Internet Addiction disorder, or “IAD” is a therorized disorder. He then goes on to indicate that the Internet isn’t the problem, it is the person who becomes engrossed in the thing, and that it is not addictive, like a book isn’t addictive, or like talking to people in person isn’t addictive.
The writer at Exgamer.net, (Brad Dorrance), blasts Dr. Grohol for misinterpreting the true scope of the issue, and trying to simplify a very complex issue. If you have a chance, read both to get the full effect.
While I agree with Exgamer.net, I have two issues.
1. The article Mr. Dorrance is lambasting hasn’t been updated since 2005 and was originally written in 1999… so yah, alot has happened and has been determined about this type of addiction in the past… 10 years! Doesn’t mean what he says isn’t true, (or that the psychological community still doesn’t take this seriously), but I have a hard time feeling like we are having a current discussion with this type of outdated article.
2. I think that, at heart, both sides have it somewhat right - while Dr. Grohol tries to vindicate the Internet, (can anyone say “dot.com craze of the late 90’s!?), I sometimes feel that ex-gamers try to place the blame squarely on the Internet, (or MMORPG, etc), in a possible attempt to relieve the “victim” of any (or at least a main part of the), culpability. This debate, by nature, cannot be so black/white! I hate to say that, since I myself am a recovering addict, but I DEFINATELY had the choice to play this game… (and became VERY addicted to it), just like anyone else has the choice to do anything that has addictive qualities. But overall, I side with Mr. Dorrance: to say that Online Gaming has no addictive qualities is rather absurd, (again, it was 1999, people), but to say that the “victim” can’t help his addiction has a tradition that precedes the early 90’s for sure!
Another altogether related point to all this would be that while there are emotional and mental symptoms of this type of addiction, the more physical symptoms that come with things like chemical dependency are limited… but not altogether missing…. so while you might get the same seratonin rush as maybe eating food or looking at porn, you are not becoming addicted to a foreign substance, you are becoming addicted to a feeling, (doesn’t make it any harder to break though 
unfortunately).
Anyways, my main point, as I have stated in numerous posts in the past, is that while there is an addictive quality to Online Gaming, (yes, I would be remiss to name my worse addiction, World of Warcraft, at least once in this type of post), it is the individuals CHOICE to begin playing and it is their own CHOICE not to quit playing.
Here is another article that Exgamer.net linked to in the original article… Online Gaming Addiction is real, (but place the blame where it is suppose to be!)
Once You Click, Can You Quit? by Federica Valabrega, posted via. WordPress on December 31st, 2008
I guess to be fair, Mr. Dorrance’s article doesn’t advocate blaming the game and not the gamer, but by blasting Dr. Grohol without mentioning the point of the gamer being SOMEWHAT responsible as well, I thought it beared mentioning 
3 Comments
January 12, 2009 at 8:48 am
Hey, thanks for the write up.
My main issue with Dr. Grohol was his complete ignorance on this issue. I take issue with anyone jumping into this debate and embracing either of two extremes:
1. Demonizing gamers and software makers.
2. Making light of the situation and mocking people who are suffering from a new and emerging addiction.
The issue of personal responsibility is woven through my writing and national media appearances in the United States and Canada. Where game addiction is concerned, I believe we’re at the same stage that alcoholism was in the early days of A.A. People used to believe alcoholics were simply weak-willed people who just needed to ’stop drinking and get a job.’ In a more enlightened era, we now know there’s quite a bit more going on the brains of hardcore drinkers, and they desperately need 12-step communities and rehab programs.
Similarly, we are learning more from recent MRI scans of gamers’ brains and the psychological reinforcements schedules built into these games. I believe the game manufacturers have been caught off guard by the addiction issues we’re seeing today, but they have to respond to them – soon!
On a personal note, it takes a serious commitment to quit a destructive gaming habit, and accepting responsibility for the harm I caused is an ongoing process, even after a year of ’sobriety.’ Thanks again for giving this issue the attention it deserves.
-Brad
http://www.exgamer.net
January 12, 2009 at 10:26 am
I agree completely with your synopsis of this issue, Brad. This is NOT a black/white issue as so many people try to make it, and there ARE true physical and mental manifestations of this addiction.
Speaking of “mocking and making light of…”, I have always found that many outlets for gaming coverage are the worse culprits of this… I wrote an article, (shameless self-promotion >.>), early in my blog experience about WoWInsider, a blog designed to cover daily aspects of the World of Warcraft MMORPG and it’s insensitivity to the addiction issue.
- Just so you know, I enjoy your writing and have added you to my RSS feeder at Google. Based on your comment, I went and checked out your article on MRI readings on gaming addicts reactions to their fix.
Keep up the good work and I, like I’m sure many others, are reading 
January 13, 2009 at 8:43 am
[...] I’ve been talking with a new blogger on his opinion regarding my comments published here on January 1st. I was very critical of John Grohol’s position on Internet addiction. The new blogger’s response can be found here. [...]