i know almost nothing about gaming, other than that gaming doesn't seem to cause antisocial behaviour (beyond it's addictive qualities). rather, it seems to be that people with pre-existing issues are attracted to certain types of games.
i think the point is that if there's a problem then it's not gaming culture precisely, but more what gaming culture reflects - as mainstream film and music also reflects. you're not going to get to any conclusion at all by looking at gaming in this monolithic way, as though all games are the same or present the same perception of reality. there's not some centralized body overseeing sexism in games. some games may present a strong female protagonist, while others are full of patriarchal bullshit - and they may be released by the same company.
if the games that sell are the awful ones, the process of addressing it isn't demonizing the industry but addressing the cultural issues that produce the market for them in the first place.
fl4shblade
Games do not addict anybody. For a game to be addictive they would have to alter brain chemicals like for example alcohol. Games do not do that. They can create a compulsion to play though.
deathtokoalas
games actually do do that. they create a physical dopamine dependency in the same way that cocaine does.
in terms of addictive power, games are far worse than most drugs.
(although you don't overdose on them)
(deleted reply)
deathtokoalas
i'm merely stating the science. addicts will rationalize their addictions in complex and convoluted ways, but i'm not an addictions counsellor and i frankly don't give a fuck about your problem(s). i'm not going to empathize with your struggle or entertain your delusions, i'm simply going to remove your nonsense and block you.
video games are dangerously addictive. they ruin people's lives. that is a fact. no amount of anecdotes or bitching and moaning is going to change it.
