Compulsive gaming and addiction

According to a story on the BBC's website, people who play online games such as World of Warcraft for more than a few hours a day may not be addicted. A centre for addiction in Amsterdam that treats young people for compulsive gaming has come to the conclusion that "compulsive gaming is a social rather than a psychological problem", caused in the majority of cases by bad parenting.

This is a refreshing change from the standard portayal of gaming as a catalyst for violent outbursts such as the infamous Columbine school massacre. It's easy for the media to scapegoat violent games and other media when tragedies take place, but the fact is that the majority of gamers see violent games as an outlet for aggression, rather than an excuse for it.

Moreover, it exposes some serious underlying social problems that encourage young people to look to online gaming communities for acceptance when they don't receive it from family or peers. One young man treated at the centre says, "I liked gaming because people couldn't see me, they accepted me as my online character - I could be good at something and feel part of a group." Could this be a side effect of a media culture that places too much emphasis on external appearances and individual success? Or could it be that parents, not understanding the internet or technology, react in fear by blaming games for problems in the home they don't want to admit to?

As a member of an active online gaming community, I can understand the appeal of games where teamwork and loyalty to a group are rewarded over individual success or appearance. I log in every night to hang out with real friends in a virtual environment, to go raiding together or show off our skills in player-vs-player combat. Is this any more or less rewarding in real terms than joining a sports team or debating society? It's certainly more constructive than spending the evening on the sofa in front of the telly, or down the pub with the lads.

Online gaming as a phenomenon is under-researched, and it's good to see people taking an interest in the deeper motivations of gamers rather than focussing on the low-hanging fruit of tragedies such as Columbine. Rather than being a problem, maybe online gaming is a positive solution to social problems faced by people who feel excluded from mainstream society.