What is Digg?226 Comments
- silence7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7This goes along with this story from yesterday:
http://digg.com/gaming/ABC_News_ignored_gaming_expert_to_cook_up_DS_Pictochat_pedophile_story
First we were nerds, then we were violent, now we're addicts.
Yet, you can watch 20 movies a week on cable, that all feature GRAPHIC violence and sex, and you're labeled normal. - dominowrecker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4wow that hurt....
I and I can guarantee that no official study was done to back up anything that jackass was saying at all.
If you replaced the word "games" with sports on what he was saying, this would have never made it to the air.
Though it is EXACTLY the same thing.
PLEASE dont post these stories anymore. I may want to hurt someone (no doubt from all the games I have been playing) - BladeMelbourne, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4In other news, journalists have now surpassed laywers in public perception of honesty polls.
- russizm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yeah. The media often reports false things about video games.
and ONLY video games.
Nothing else is EVER reported or represented wrongly. - asdfasdf4285, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3lmfao!!
its true that games are adictive, but you got to put it in perspective.
the pathways in your brain that get stimulated are not much different then those when you eat, have sex, or do crack, the answere is not to ridicule one thing, rather learn how to deal with them, as a long time recreationl drug user, i can say with a litle displine, and thoughtfullnes you can do crack without becoming a drag on sociaty, or in other words still devote your live to the GDP. - rintrah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Of course the media wants to demonize gaming. The more people that are playing games instead of watching television hurts their ad revenue.
- Klever, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I think they are confusing the so-called symptoms of video game addiction with "BAD PARENTING". Honestly that was the gayest thing since gay came to gaytown....amazing the ***** they call news these days.
- commiecat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'd post a long witty comment here, but I need to hurry back to my UT2k4.
-commiecat - maram500, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The fact of the mater is that we as gamers in today's society have been labeled "addicts" because some of us actually are addicts. However, the vast majority of us are not; we simply play video games for recreational use only and we don't have violent thoughts or tendencies towards anyone. The tiniest fraction of our ranks are addicts to video games, and so the news media immediately nails all of us, giving every one of us the label "addict." This is just another sad example of the minority influencing the outside world's perception of a fairly large group of people. I am appalled. Now excuse me while I go play Halo 2 for fourteen hours.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2xutopia: you make an excellent point I forgot to consider.
Games aren't bad, they're just bad for television. - nanojack, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1BTW I connect fine it's called Team Speak LOL
- Gratarian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Seriously, there needs to be a check and balances on news media. They can do some serious damage by providing incorrect information to the masses."
m.sandstorm
The problem with this is that the equal time law that use to exist, is there no longer. This is one reason why I stopped watching major news channels since they all take their own slants.
"I think they are confusing the so-called symptoms of video game addiction with "BAD PARENTING""
Klever
Since this has already been said I do not think I have to say much more than the fact that the parents realized there was a problem when they couldn't communicate with their children. I am just impressed that they dealt with this themselves instead of sending their kids to some psychiatrist.
That is another note I would like to make. Notice the guy who talks most of the time about how this is such a bad thing, is not a doctor. Another major problem with the media is that they know they can't get real doctors to say anything on the matter. The only true doctor comment was, "doctors say take a active role in each activity." Wow, what a novel concept that most parents don't even think about. Yet, this still leaves it as a generic doctors comment.
Last but not least my mother was thrilled that I played video games growing up since I was not doing true drugs. This also shows that my mother had an active role in my childhood and yet I am still a gamer. The miracles of parenting.
I suppose in the end people just don't look past their TV screens for information and the ones that do are probably here. - carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2in other other news, people who use cars, known on the street as "drivers" are more addicted to their habits of moving than crack addicts.
- panique, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It is actually true, though probably nowhere near as widespread as a sensationalist media outlet would have you belive. I have seen people do nothing much else but eat ***** and play game, sleeping only when they fall asleep. Even crackies eat once in a while and they all sleep when there's nothing left to put in the pipe.
The truth is the problem is addiction, not games or even crack. People can become addicted to just about anything, including self-righteousness, for example. I've heard of an individual who was actually addicted to toast. I doubt they burglarized houses to support their toast habit, but for them, it was similarly devastating to a crack habit. - Sirocco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd rather be on games than meth. At least I don't break into my neighbor's house looking for something I can fence for another hit :(
Well, I stopped that last week. Honest. - BluntFX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Does this mean we as gamer now have to start smoking crack to raise our status in society?
- m.sandstorm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well there is a MSNBC article that proves otherwise.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11220841/
Seriously, there needs to be a check and balances on news media. They can do some serious damage by providing incorrect information to the masses. - Shadowsnake, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I so give handjobs for the new version of EQ, its not even funny how addicted i am...
- bigfuzzyjesus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1once again, why blame your problems on parenting when you can blame an industry...
- Aooogah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There is a simple reason why the media is doing this: they are afraid. Video games have replaced television as the entertainment of choice for males 18-34 and is quickly expanding to other age groups and genders. If this trend continues, there will be no one watching TV for fun in another generation or two. In order to combat this the media chooses to make the masses hate gamers using stories such as this one. The sad thing is that it might actually be working.
- Arramol, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1E-mailed them the following:
I recently viewed your story on video games as the "new drug" via the Internet, and found the opening of your story to be highly sensationalist and more than slightly offensive. I am a college student with a 3.8 GPA, who graduated in the top ten percent of a competitive high school class of 620 and has a long history of active church membership, and your story opened by making me out to be a new form of drug addict.
Although your story later moderated its position by speaking of limiting games rather than banning them (a position which I agree with), the opening was simply inexcusable, relying on extreme hyperboles and one-sided reporting. You immediately began by calling video games "the new drug," when studies have found their harmful effects to be nowhere near as severe as cocaine or marijuana.
Furthermore, you neglected to even mention some of the positive effects of gaming. Studies have found that video gaming significantly improves multi-tasking capabilities, and may also slow the aging of the brain, helping to stave off problems such as Alzheimer's.
Gaming can also be a great social activity. I've been to parties devoted entirely to a video game, and spent the time laughing and talking with friends while we played. Once the game powers down, it makes for great conversation material in the school cafeteria or in other locations. It creates a common ground for peers to gather around.
While I respect the right to freedom of the presses, this represents a substantial disregard for journalistic integrity. Please refrain from any further one-sided and sensationalist reports in the future. - supersteve, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I love games and Crack.
- LQBMaV, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There have been a ton of people telling the gaming community to stop taking this personally and that gaming addicts are as bad as crack addicts.
I believe that a few years ago, I was watching one of the various newscasts and they reported that playing games (yes, that's right, VIDEO games) actually promoted good health i.e. added reflexes, increased hand-eye coordination. I think that people aren't mad that they told us that games are addicting, most of the digg community understands how addicting a new game can be, instead we are mad because of the bad rep that the stereotyped gamer is receiving. Not all of us are alike, and therefore we don't all obsess over games with the same exuberance.
Perhaps if the media were to stay out of families lives and let the parents handle what is right and wrong out there, we might have a peaceful world out there. Whoa, did I just make a 'it's the parents fault' judgment? So what if I did, maybe it's time we have parents who justify what is wrong or right for their children instead of the mass media.
Oh yeah, and is it so hard for you people out there to press the 'check spelling' button? Some of the comments out there appear to be written by 12 year olds... - xutopia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah... TV was gaining grounds and newspapers were demonising TV at the time... now it's TV losing to gaming and games are demonised... I love how history repeats itself.
- zetetic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"video games can be more addicting than crack cocaine"
So do I just chop the dvd into lines, or do I need to perform chemical process on the dvd first.
Is there any information on the potency, on old/new games, I mean I dont want mess around low grade dvds if I can get a better kick off 16bit or even 8bit carts... - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ultimately the question is WHY. WHY do "ordinary" people hate videogames and gamers so much?
Why are gamers even fashionable to pick on? It just doesn't make sense. Its like its not PC to pick on the homeless anymore, so they've moved on to the greener pastures of the modern Hermit. Gamers are harmless and actually contribute to the GDP by being good consumers, and *GASP* creating economies out of thin air.
Maybe they are just jealous of anything virtual creating wealth in the real world. Probably makes them question their religious beliefs or something.
I mean that has to be it- how else could one find a videogame anymore threatening than driving down an interstate with your life in the hands of some dude/lady who is shaving/putting on makeup while driving 70mph down the interstate. - Mr_Kenyatta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I never thought there was any validity to the stories about video games changing the way kids behaved. I grew up with video games (Atari and NES) and I always viewed them as a type of entertainment and I (along with everyone else I knew) turned into respectful and successful adults. Unfortunately, my opinions have started to change after viewing the complete transformation of my nephews when the PlayStation 2 is turned on. They become aggressive, rude, and generally miserable children to be around (not to mention overweight due to lack of exercise) and this behavior seems to carry over when they are away from the games. I think the problem is two-fold. One, the parents use the games as their personal babysitter because the kids "zone out" and do not bother them and two, the realistic/ simulation design of modern video games. Mike Tyson's Punch Out is a far cry from GTA. I love playing video games and I in no way support any kind of ban on them, but I think parents need to be parents and monitor how much and what their children are playing.
- 9mmCensor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Its true.
More people quit crack than Diablo 2. - AltDelete, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Take Heart - every new medium must take heat from the old: Radio was scandalized in newspapers for lowering intelligence. Radio cited uncensored violence in Movies, the Movie industry looked down on Television as low brow entertainment for commoners, and now Video Games must simply bear the brunt of these comments until access and the install base is wide spread, at which time mass media will, as always, cater to the masses and glorify gaming in the manner that the majority sees fit.
- eyemandy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Video games ARE addictive, but it doesn't mean that everyone who plays them is an addict. I think addiction is more prevalent among MMO gamers than console gamers, but I wouldn't know because I don't know many console gamers. I know a lot of MMO players that are addicts. I broke up w/my ex because he was addicted. I've seen game addicts exhibit many of the characteristics of drug addicts--from playing other games during downtime for a FIX, to neglecting real life responsibilities.
For many, games are just a hobby (1-3x a week); for many others, it's the same escape from reality that drugs provide. - DigitalMatrixio, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0How is it I can go an entire week without playing a game if I don't happen to find the time to play it and have no withdrawl symptoms?
- clumsyninja, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oh, and the segment was mediocre and laughable. I'm guessing that's the only reason people are digging this.
- cube5, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Grr this makes me mad, half the people who "bash" games havent even played one and that's like reviewing a book when all you read was the back summary or saying a band sucks when you have only heard 30 seconds of a song. I'm tired of these people...how is this any different than reading a god book, I get engrossed, i don't "actively seek connections" with other people in the room, and some books are very entertaining and you don't want to stop. And yet i don't see news bulletins about reading do you.
- chess007, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The info-babe is sorta hot.
I've known crack addicts - (parents used to work at a rescue mission) - its messed up stuff. A crack head will kill his grandma for $5.00 to buy some crack.
Can video games be addictive? Yes. Are they "the new crack." No freaking way! The news media seems to be the biggest drama queens ever. These people spend years in school to learn about sentence structure, where to put adverbs, adjectives, etc only to do a lame trumped up story? Pathetic.
I would much rather have a video game addict after me than a crack head.
Like the guys on the pcgamer podcast are fond of saying, why crack down so hard on video games, when any kid can buy an r rated movie? - clumsyninja, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0They make it sound like such a bad thing. In reality, if they where not playing games, they would be out getting into trouble. So parents: relish every moment they're glued to the tube. And for god's sake, don't let them have GTA.
- stonedgeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Why isn't the industry doing more to defend itself against these crap? Surely it's in Microsoft's interest and within their power to pull some strings to make sure this kind of hostility doesn't go on the air?
- blasphemer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I think most parents how saw this news report know this is *****.... I mean parents who are in there late 20's early 30's grew up with atari and nintendo like myself, and realize that video games are not the new "crack cocaine". I mean anything can be addictive. Moderation is the key to anything. But comparing a chemical addiction to playing video games is obsurd. The day I see someone rob a 7-11 to buy the new copy of call of duty, ill believe this *****.
- superbigdaddy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The headline for this story totally explains why I was served three ads for alcohol and drug addiction at the top of digg.com today.
- demonthises, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Here we go again. It's the classic games are addicting blah..blah a negative influence blah blah. Almost anything can become an addiction. Whether it be crack or oreos or gaming. As for any kids or teens that are addicted, the parents are partially to blaim. The parents should know what games the kids are playing and be actively involved. If you were a parent with a kid, would you want your kid playing a crappy game?
- madmathmatician, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0wait a sec...wouldnt you say gaming keeps kids off the street, from doing drugs and so forth? i will admit that too much of anything cant be a good thing though.
- fireguy15207, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0 jqp123 said "They're concerned that spending all your time staring at a CRT with a game controller in your hand may be stunting your mental, social and physical development.?
That's not entirely true, video games do help with your mental devolpment because some games really make you think about different puzzles that are nessesary to the completion of the game. As for the social devolpment, the rising popluarity of MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online), you can meet dozens of people from different countries that you wouldn't otherwise meet with your everyday life. As for the physical development, there are some games that make you exercise, a really popular one is DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) which everyone knows is better played with friends with a dance pad and not the controller.
Otherwise, it can't make you fat, it just depends on what you normally do, I for instance, play video games for 10 hours a week, it would be more, but I have a job, I need to support my addiction ;), but I walk more than the reccomended amount and I weigh less than the normal amount, not from not eating, I eat more than normal people sometimes eat, but I'm not lazy, I'm sort of a pacifist, and when I get mad, I pop Dead or Alive into the old XBOX and beat the ***** out of the game characters. - dotpage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0about time. I can understand an 8 y/o gaming, but after 16 is just plain idiocracy.
- capellathestar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"This is the news media at is worst." - Amen to that.
It's also the "out-of-the-ass statistics" at its best. What amazes me is that those reports are concocted and supported by people who are not gamers, not familiar with gaming culture, nor willing to learn anything about it. I can just as well create my generalization based on something I heard two guys at the grocery store talking about. - shiftless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0How the hell can it be addicting?
At least these people are addicted to games and not being driven to actual drugs and crime in their sad, pathetic lives. Games are at least able to help them escape. - dvddesign, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Not me! I'm addicted to sasparilla, 5 cent girlie nickelodeons, and flavored iced soda waters.
Great Hatchimachi! Now, the Catholic League's out to get my local dance parlor shutdown, I gotta skiddo! - snapcase, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0*****! They really should start doing some REAL research before making such stupid ***** claims.
- oboreruhito, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I wonder how many people here complaining about how ***** the media is, would be willing to work for rank-and-file local media outlets, with their less-than-public school teacher average salaries.
The media doesn't suck because it's malicious. It sucks because everyone who could make it better is doing something else that pays better. Same with our educational system, our police and other public servants. Why do work that - when performed well - requires research and effort, when you get paid twice as much to write press releases that go to newspapers run by people who can't even get PR jobs? - xSweetWilliamx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Me
17 years old
Played games literally all my life. My parents and grandparents bought a NES shortly after I was born.
3.5 GPA 28 on ACT
Going to college
Well Mannered
And I play games...go figure...that is the most horrible inaccurate thing I have ever seen. - cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0People:
If this crap makes you mad you really have NO LIFE and need to go outside and see the daylight.
Get it? If you actually CARE about this TV report then YOU indeed have an issue you need to work on.
The response here is proof positive people allow video games to take far too important a part of their respective lives... Is it an addiction? Who cares, its still not healty!
Sorry! ;-( - MasterDwarf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0THey should not lump everything together, damn media.
Marijuana does not kill.
Cocaine kills
Mario Cart no deaths
WoW kills
See, there is a certain truth to it all, but not when referring to the big picture. Slurpy nerfers. -
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