You are, too? Welcome to the club, NLY!

And it took them how long to figure this out?

Guess they never met people who play WoW, haha.

I think for most people though video games are just they're preffered form of entertainment and can therefore take up as much of their free time as they want it to. I know I'm not addicted as I play maybe 4-6 hours a day or less, and that will probably be even less once I start working (well beyond the weekend).

Heavy game use is 2 or more hours a day, so I guess we're addicted to work then, since we spend 8 hours there, and we don't even want to be there most of the time.

No, I'm actually addicted.

Point void.

im taking a break from WoW. and i keep telling myself im not gonna log in but i always end up doing so...

Zomg, steps are being taken to win back Chrssy.

Mag > WoW.

^_^

I'd also like to point out the fact that is one the most ridiculous claims any person has ever made here at the Mag.

No further explanation needed.

*shrug* i thought he had a point. but whatever, no further explanation needed etc.

i probably missed something. ^^

Yey I'm an addicted to games!

*Kitty eats a Mario mushroom and smokes a power flower*

So because you do something 2 hours a day it's heavy usage of it, I find that kind of hard to swallow. I'm sure a lot of people read that often, or probably should, yet I'm not sure I would consider that heavy reading.

So certainly people can be addicted to video games, you can be addicted to anything (including work, ever heard the term workaholic?). I just don't see what's so bad about spending your free time how you want.

As for this I was acknowledging that games can be addicting. But anyone who says because you participate in a leisure activity for over 2 hours a day you're addicted I think is the more ridiculous one (not that this is what the article was saying, but I think heavy game use is a bit overboard, given that's maybe 1/4 of your free time everyday).

How about this: It's your free time to do whatever the hell you want. They can get off our ass. I think that all the people that found the statistics, analysis, researchers, and whoever else invovled with that article has a bit more free time than even us gamers. Maybe THEY have a problem shoving fingers at other people thinking they are some all mighty know it all, who know exactly how you should run your life.

That may be a bit of overkill... but they do portray the gamer a bit too dramatic. The gaming community is large. So I'm sure that you don't "neglect" your social life by playing lots of games. Just last night, I spent a good deal of time with Brandy and Bibby (yes, KA... they are part of the radioshack crew, shush) playing GH2, DDR, and Fussball (though the latter of the three isn't really a 'video' game per se).

Besides, as much as I don't want to admit it, WoW is actually a impressive source of finding sociallity. In fact, there are people out in the world that might not even have a social life if it wasn't for WoW.

Maybe these people need to find something more important to cry about...

I'll have to re-read the article to check, but it's always possible that they're talking about people who neglect food, work, etc. to play games.

I'm not positive that 2 hours a day was the time they only gave.

As well, TTC, dray made the point I would've raised.
I recall an article posted once upon a time on the mag of a man who imbibed soda for two days straight to keep awake and continue his WoW-spree. He died. The cops probably laughed at him.
The term to key in on would be addiction. If you, as they noted, spend your time doing other things focused solely on scoring another needle, or line, quarter, or hour at the keyboard, it's disruptive.
I don't believe instances such as those Lantis enumerated are what the article is considering.
It's when video games intrude on that which is beyond how one would spend 'free time', so far as I understand it.

cool, even though i only read the title.

Yeah, that's what I understood of the article too.

While they overexagerate some things in it, I somewhat agree with what they said. I still think it's quite absurd that there are people who spend 10 hours or more straight with computer/videogames. It's not healthy.
And, besides, as much as there are videogames which can bring a lot to someone, if you spend most of your time with them for a very long time... in the long run, you'll have less life experience and practical knowledge of the world itself. And that may create a problem later on, when you'll have to come out and face reality.

It all comes down to what NLY pointed, I believe. When the situation starts pouring out of your free time, you gotta consider whether it's worth it.