The Reality of Addiction

Labeling

Dr. Dave Greenfield is one expert I came across while researching gaming. He maintains a website, Virtual-Addiction, which looks specifically at Internet Addiction. I found an interview he did with Today where I think he hit it right on the head.

“The bottom line is it doesn’t really matter what it’s labeled, because the reality is [...]


Chicken v. Egg?

Which came first the chicken or the egg? I think this question is easily answered since a chicken could have survived without an egg, while an egg would require incubation (aka: a chicken) to survive. Whatever. No; I am not going to talk about the inherent lameness of video games involving chickens in this posting. [...]


MMO: A Minor’s Massive Obsession

Originally written as a composition assignment, 8 April 2008.
Cyberspace must be running in its own time zone. What starts as “just a few more minutes to finish this level” soon becomes an hour. When Olivia and Kurt Bruner kept hearing this from their son while he was playing games, they set out to discover the problem. [...]


The Hidden Dangers of Computer and Video Gaming

Originally Published in the THSC Review
by Thomas Umstattd, Jr.

“Come on, Mom. … Just a few more minutes; I’m almost done with this level.” Parents have all heard it: a child’s pleading to get just a little more time to play. I know. I was that child.

When I lived in a college dorm, my room was [...]


cgames 04 - Wallbuilders Live Radio Interview

 
icon for podpress  cgames 04 - Wallbuilders Live Radio Interview [28:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Summary

This is an interview between Rick Green with Wall Builders Live and Thomas Umstattd Jr. about the dangers of digital gaming. Wall Builders is an organization that educates Christians about their godly heritage and how to be active in culture.
Links

Wall Builders Live
World of Warcraft Widows
Everquest Widows

Transcript
Rick Green: Welcome to the interception of Faith and Politics [...]


cgames 01 - The Dangers of Digital Gaming

 
icon for podpress  cgames 01 - The Dangers of Digital Gaming [25:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is a talk that Thomas Umstattd Jr. gave at the West Austin Rotary Club on the dangers of digital gaming. We talk about the chemical triggers of gaming addiction such as dopamine and adrenaline as well as the emotional addictive triggers such as the longing for significance. We also discuss gamer [...]