Video Game Addiction
What Is Video Game Addiction?
In 2019, the World Health Organization officially declared video gaming disorder as an official mental health diagnosis and recent statistics show that over 164 million Americans play video games. While a great form of entertainment, the addictive natures of these games are caused by the effects of elevated dopamine on the brain. Dopamine is a pleasure chemical that’s evolved for our survival, but sometimes the brain gets highjacked by addictive substances and behaviors like video games.
- When video games provide rewards or the gamer experiences something new, a small dose of dopamine is delivered to the brain.
- What makes video games particularly addictive is the variability in when and how the gamers receive rewards in the game, and that makes the video game similar to a slot machine.
- Over time the brain’s dopamine receptors can become accustomed to this dose of dopamine, which we call tolerance.
- This makes video game addiction like drug and alcohol addiction. The brain doesn’t care what substance or behavior is providing the dopamine, it just knows that it wants it again and the more variable and novel it is the stronger that additive pull will be.
The addictive properties of video gaming can be related to other addictive behaviors such as gambling, pornography, or shopping. Video games are designed intentionally to give players the feeling that they can and should always improve on their previous performance. Players are left with the feeling that they could possibly level-up the next time they play, or they could beat that level or task that has been driving them crazy. It’s this same potential that keeps gamblers coming back to the casinos.
Learn more about:
Video Game Addiction
Technology Addiction
Smart Phone Addiction
Social Media Addiction
