News
October 8th, 2005, 02:39 AM
By Frank Ling, GN Writer
Friday, October 7, 2005
Anything that is indulged excessively can be harmful to your health. In this instance, it is video games. According to reports filed by the South Korean police department in the southeastern city of Taegu in August, a 28-year-old man collapsed in an internet café while playing the game Starcraft for over 50 hours straight, only stopping to relieve himself in the cafe’s restroom and to take short naps during game play. The man was taken to the hospital where he died shortly after. Upon further investigation of the bizarre incident, it was discovered that the man had recently been fired from his job for habitually being absent from work, due to his game addiction.
According to psychologist Mark Griffiths, an expert in producing studies and research concerning online gaming addictions, "It does seem to be the case that online gaming addiction for a small minority is a real phenomenon and people suffer the same symptoms as traditional addictions…the good news is that it is a small minority."
However, it seems that the minority is very excessive in their gaming habits. In one of Griffiths’ studies, a survey was taken by over 530 gamers in the U.K. about their gaming routines. Four out of the 530 surveyed, played more than 80 hours per week. The attraction of online gaming stems from the popularity of MMORPG’s (massively multiplayer online role playing games) and the social interaction and adventure that are derived from them.
South Korea is one of the most wired spots on the globe, with more than 30% of the population registered for online gaming.
Friday, October 7, 2005
Anything that is indulged excessively can be harmful to your health. In this instance, it is video games. According to reports filed by the South Korean police department in the southeastern city of Taegu in August, a 28-year-old man collapsed in an internet café while playing the game Starcraft for over 50 hours straight, only stopping to relieve himself in the cafe’s restroom and to take short naps during game play. The man was taken to the hospital where he died shortly after. Upon further investigation of the bizarre incident, it was discovered that the man had recently been fired from his job for habitually being absent from work, due to his game addiction.
According to psychologist Mark Griffiths, an expert in producing studies and research concerning online gaming addictions, "It does seem to be the case that online gaming addiction for a small minority is a real phenomenon and people suffer the same symptoms as traditional addictions…the good news is that it is a small minority."
However, it seems that the minority is very excessive in their gaming habits. In one of Griffiths’ studies, a survey was taken by over 530 gamers in the U.K. about their gaming routines. Four out of the 530 surveyed, played more than 80 hours per week. The attraction of online gaming stems from the popularity of MMORPG’s (massively multiplayer online role playing games) and the social interaction and adventure that are derived from them.
South Korea is one of the most wired spots on the globe, with more than 30% of the population registered for online gaming.