I love it when science comes out to stick it to “the man” - referring in this particular instance to those who love to hate video games and those who play them. According to an article over on Wired.com, Amsterdam’s Smith & Jones Clinic, which specializes in treating patients with self-proclaimed “video game addictions,” has determined that most of those “addicted” to games were really just looking for an alternative to their real life social problems. That means that - GASP! - video games aren’t as “addicting” as previously believed.

It’s not personal. I’m just venting.

The study says that, “This gaming problem is a result of the society we live in today… eighty per cent of the young people we see have been bullied at school and feel isolated.” We can take this a step further and say that it’s quite possible (read: this is not proven, this is my opinion) that video games have helped keep kids from taking out their aggression on their classmates by allowing them to instead teabag some fools in Halo. Holy crap - games are a healthy release! Who’da thunk it?

The article goes on to explain why the Clinic found that “these compulsive gamers are in need of ‘good old fashioned communication,’ and not necessarily treatment for psychological ills.” Interesting stuff, to say the least.

Now go break out your copy of Empire Records, open up your window, and scream, “Damn the man!” Or, you know, go play some more Call of Duty.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 at 9:16 pm and is filed under Game Chat. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.