Can you blame video game addiction for young men dropping (or failing?) out of college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The question is a very broad one. As a college professor who has studied psychology at the doctoral level, a man, a video gamer, and someone who has had friends with multiple types of addiction problems, I feel at least somewhat qualified to comment on this.

As another PP said, a lot of addictions are related to the same underlying personal dispositions (whether these are hereditary, caused by some type of trauma trigger or underlying depression, or other unknown causes). So, a video game addict could have potentially just as easily become an alcoholic or drug addict. Or, they may be addicted to multiple vices.

However, just like with alcohol, there are plenty of video game players who play what many would consider excessively and are still able to complete their studies or other life obligations. Are they "problem gamers?" Maybe. I had a friend who went to a treatment center for video game addiction and at no point did anyone in his life besides me know that he had a problem. He excelled at work and quite literally won awards in his industry, all while being completely addicted to World of Warcraft and barely sleeping, night after night for almost a year.

Additionally, of course there will be players who play 10-12 of video games a day and still get better grades than your DS or DD who went to extra tutoring and did Level IV AAP and blah blah blah, because well, they're just smarted than your kids, more organized, or have some other favorable attributes.

In my estimation, the main reason kids "fail" any class is almost always one of two reasons: lack of intelligence, or laziness. If you're dumb or lazy, you may also play a lot of video games! That doesn't mean you failed out due to video game addiction.

So, to just make the simple statement "can you blame video game addiction for young men failing out of college," I think the answer is, "yes, this can be one of hundreds of reasons that people fail out of college."

REally surprised that someone with your supposed level of training uses the word dumb...for kids who probably have learning disabilities or low iQs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That would be parental failure.

Exactly. Teach them to manage time. Video game consoles have been around since the early 80s. Not like it's a new phenomenon.

Like gambling casinos, modern video games are designed with the psychology of addiction baked into the cake.

So yes, not everyone will get addicted, but a vulnerable subgroup will.

I would try, when your kids are younger, so make games one of many entertainment outlets. Including others are are more physical and social.

I too know one child (with extremely educated parents) who failed out of school due to a video game addiction. He was also hospitalized for other mental health issues. Very sad case.

(My hunch is that these parents failed to see the down side of technology early on, and devoted too much of their time and attention to their careers....but I could probably happen to any of us. )

NP - my hunch is that they just didn’t think and wanted their kids to be cool/like the other kids. It was maddening when my 8 year old DS had friends, whose parents were teachers no less, who threw Fortnight birthday sleepovers. WTH? We are Gem X parents and think there is a time and a place and an age for different things and Fortnight in 3rd grade was not one of them!

I mean, you could say similar things about parents who smoke cigarettes (which people still do in their houses, let their kids watch tv for hours a day, or eat crap. Fortnite is safer than all of those.

Sorry mum, this sounds like coping and rationalization.

[Anonymous]

Anyone comparing 80s or 90s video games to 2020 first-person streaming games is a woefully foolish. There is no comparison to the level of realism, escapism and addiction modern games offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone comparing 80s or 90s video games to 2020 first-person streaming games is a woefully foolish. There is no comparison to the level of realism, escapism and addiction modern games offer.

Not to mention social connections. It's a full and complete different world. And one with a lot more excitement and heroism than everyday life. Most people can get a little addicted, but there does seem to be a subset who fall in completely. Covid is probably increasing those numbers as its one of the more exciting things we can do right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That would be parental failure.

Exactly. Teach them to manage time. Video game consoles have been around since the early 80s. Not like it's a new phenomenon.

Like gambling casinos, modern video games are designed with the psychology of addiction baked into the cake.

So yes, not everyone will get addicted, but a vulnerable subgroup will.

I would try, when your kids are younger, so make games one of many entertainment outlets. Including others are are more physical and social.

I too know one child (with extremely educated parents) who failed out of school due to a video game addiction. He was also hospitalized for other mental health issues. Very sad case.

(My hunch is that these parents failed to see the down side of technology early on, and devoted too much of their time and attention to their careers....but I could probably happen to any of us. )

NP - my hunch is that they just didn’t think and wanted their kids to be cool/like the other kids. It was maddening when my 8 year old DS had friends, whose parents were teachers no less, who threw Fortnight birthday sleepovers. WTH? We are Gem X parents and think there is a time and a place and an age for different things and Fortnight in 3rd grade was not one of them!

I mean, you could say similar things about parents who smoke cigarettes (which people still do in their houses, let their kids watch tv for hours a day, or eat crap. Fortnite is safer than all of those.

Sorry mum, this sounds like coping and rationalization.

For kids living in areas where there are very few extracurricular activities and where the kids go light things on fire on after school, fortnite is one of the safest things a kid could be doing. But DCUM is a bubble.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like coping and rationalization. Your kid isn't going to go and get shot and deal drugs if they can't play Fortnite all day. It's like settling for Cs and Ds because "Well, at least he's not on heroin."

[Anonymous]

There is no way that addiction to videogames made you or someone fail college. There is one thing which is less of a responsibility that makes you drop or fail college. You can blame either yourself or your family that gave you a poor moral education. All the problems come from the family and if you or your child is addicted to videogames it must mean something and if parents did do anything about it then it is their fault and not the child's fault. I paly world of or craft with a boosted account from wowcarry since I was 12 and I can say that I was addicted but my parents always told me that I can play how much I want, but I need to remember my life's priorities and they made me feel that way that if I will fail I will be a disappointment for them. That is why I did not fail as I wanted for them to be a good son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no way that addiction to videogames made you or someone fail college. There is one thing which is less of a responsibility that makes you drop or fail college. You can blame either yourself or your family that gave you a poor moral education. All the problems come from the family and if you or your child is addicted to videogames it must mean something and if parents did do anything about it then it is their fault and not the child's fault. I paly world of or craft with a boosted account from wowcarry since I was 12 and I can say that I was addicted but my parents always told me that I can play how much I want, but I need to remember my life's priorities and they made me feel that way that if I will fail I will be a disappointment for them. That is why I did not fail as I wanted for them to be a good son.

I am like that too but many kids don't feel that weight of being a disappointment to their families. My brother failed out of college. He rarely went to class. I'm sure he would be gaming if it had existed back then. He never would've felt like he wasn't a good son because he failed out of college.

[Anonymous]

I’d blame the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That would be parental failure.

I do wonder how parents allow them in the home in the first place. It's not like an 8 to 14 year old kid can afford these things and two, should be allowed to buy one if they somehow earned enough money to have one (it's YOUR house). I know credentialed rich parents allow them, too, but it seems these systems are far more prominent in low and middle income homes. Especially single parent homes. It just seems way too dangerous to risk.

In low income homes living in higher crime areas, video games are one of the better ways to keep your kids out of trouble. Especially if they are home alone while you work etc.

The students in my Title One school are big into technology and gaming. Their parents don't let them go out much. It isn't a safe area. I can't say I blame them.