Issues in JPod and the Video Game Industry- Addiction

     Video games, something that has dominated the kid and teen culture for decades, and is a key part of today's entertainment industry. The largest demographic of people who access this form of entertainment are teens and young adults. Most are able to balance video games along with school, work, family, and friends. However, some are not able to do so. If teens are spending too much time playing video games, or downplaying/lying about how long they are in front of a screen, chances are they may be addicted.
     But what is an addiction? When we play video games, certain parts of our brain are being exercised. Obviously hand-eye coordination is present, but it can go deeper than that. Something as simple as beating a high score can access the reward centers of our brain and release a chemical called dopamine, this is the same chemical that makes humans feel high when they consume drugs. This is a good feeling for humans as a species. The work of psychologists such as Sigmund Freud show that humans have a drive to feel pleasure and avoid pain. Because of this, some individuals may become obsessed with the mental reward that comes with beating a high score or beating the game in whole.
     Another key aspect of video game addiction is the role play. We make these characters unique, we use them as an extension or mirror of ourselves in a made up, fictional world. For a young person who has an anti-social personality, or has unstable relationships with peers or parents may turn to their online lives as an escape from reality. The relationships they form on the internet are as real to them as the ones in real life. But unlike reality, they offer positive reinforcement that keeps the gamer invested in a virtual world. The notion of exploring a virtual world for the first time also offers a thrill to the player, again rewarding the pleasure centers of the brain, providing additional positive reinforcement to continue playing games.
     Because of its sporadic nature and heavily marginalized demographic, video game addiction has been relatively hard to study and document. It is not a mental disorder recognized by the American Medical Association, but the World Health Organization has concluded that video game addiction can have similar cognitive effects on the development of young people. As troubling as this is, video games are here to stay. It is our job to stay educated, and stay aware of how much of our lives we are using to escape reality. Stepping outside and breathing some fresh air is always a good place to start.