It isn’t always the stereotypical type: dark bags underneath the eyes, unkempt clothes, sleeping in class and socially awkward. It isn’t always the tech-savvy nerds. Day-by-day video game addiction is on the rise among all Americans - nerds and non-nerds alike. 

 90 percent of American adolescents play video games, according to Kimberly Young, a professor of Management Sciences at St. Bonaventure University. Of that 90 percent, up to 5 million children, about 15 percent, are addicted to video games.

 This addiction is especially worrisome because, while studies of video game addiction don’t show a strong link to related violence, they have shown that social skills, self-esteem, health and relationships all can be heavily negatively influenced by addiction to gaming.

 This is relevant at BYU–Idaho. Video game addiction influences relationships and has the ability to split up young marriages.

 “The spouse becomes so involved in it that they don’t respond to them (the spouse) or are not timely in completing daily responsibilities,” said PhD Doug Craig, a psychologist in the counseling center at BYU–I.

 According to Craig it is hard to understand the full scope, but video game addiction is a great problem on campus. He alone sees about 1 to 2 debilitating cases of video game addiction a semester. Clients he treats for pornography addiction often have a video gaming addiction as well.

 Gaming is usually brought to notice more in married couples, but several single students fail school due to gaming addiction.

 Joshua Hancock, a sophomore studying biology, was once a gamer, but no longer has time.  Now his little brother plays World of Warcraft up to 12 hours a day. Sometimes that involves staying up until 4 in the morning.

 Because of this, Hancock doesn’t have much of an interest in gaming anymore.

 “It’s a total waste of time. To me it’s the epitome of idleness,” said Hancock. “It makes you digress in the real world and is sometimes used to escape.”

 Cases of addiction are also found around the world. 

 In 2005, BBC reported on a man who died in South Korea after a fifty hour gaming marathon in which he failed to take care of his body. 

 "We presume the cause of death was heart failure stemming from exhaustion," said a Taegu provincial police official.

 In 2007 a couple addicted to Dungeons & Dragons pleaded to child neglect when their two children were malnourished and found near death.  The daughter, at the time 11 months, had to have her head shaved because her hair was so matted with urine.

 In 2005 CBS news reported the death of a baby girl by suffocation when her parents had left her sleeping at home for 5 hours so they could play World of Warcraft at a nearby Internet café.  The couple was reported as saying, “We were thinking of playing for just an hour or two and returning home like usual, but the game took longer that day.”

 All of these are extreme cases, but then so is ruining a marriage, failing a class, not providing essential care for your body – all of which have occurred on this campus due to video game addiction.

 Many gamers can play limited amounts of video games and not allow it to absorb more time than is healthy; it is more difficult for others to maintain that balance.

 The problem is that most people who are addicted do not know or will not admit they are.

 “It’s amazing when people start tracking their time- even those who aren’t necessarily addicted.  Generally people would guess they spend 1/3 of time than they really do,” Craig said.

 The Harvard Health Letter suggests that more often than expected it is adults that are falling into this cyber world – such is the case at BYU–I.  The increase in gaming addiction is due not only to the virtual life that games offer but the accessibility of the Internet. 

 If you or a friend is spending several hours a week playing video games,  chances are there is an addiction and it needs to be stopped. Craig addresses the most important thing to remember when overcoming an addiction.

 “You do not, do not, overcome an addiction on your own... Learn to meet social and emotional needs in a healthier way. The key to meeting those needs is having a team of people they trust to help them,” Craig said.

 While video gaming can be a form of entertainment, it also has the ability to destroy - and that isn’t only in the virtual sense.

Amberlee lovell

scroll staff

asst. Lifestyle editor