Videogames = Child Neglect?

.la1n

Okay I guess this is another log on the fire for the anti-videogame cause, Iv'e heard of it effecting people on a personal level but effecting your family?

story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070716/ap_on_re_us/neglect_internet_addiction

YodaTuna

The worst part of this story is that they neglected their kids for D&D Online. Bleh. At any rate, it's not the game's fault, it's the parents who are idiots.

Khavall

Nice that the article completely neglects to mention that the motion to add video game addiction to the DSM was denied, because there was a lack of evidence for calling video game addiction a disease, and has no knowledge of the UMich study that claimed that the average gamer spends just as much time socially interacting as the average non-gamer. I mean... I doubt that if it wasn't for DDO the parents wouldn't have neglected their child. Just like Yoda said... I mean.... DDO? It's not that addicting of a game even if games did cause addiction and neglect of other people.

The_Scarab

Just to clarify, any addiction can cause neglect. There is nothing in this story specific to video games. If they had replaced all mention of games with, say, drugs the situation would have been the same. It was the addiction which caused the problems.

D+D Online though. If you are gonna neglect your family do it for a good game for christ sakes. Amateurs.

HydroSqueegee

video games are an addiction. I get moody when i havent played a game in a while and the urge hits me. But jesus christ, i dont neglect my kid.

Accualt

Michael Straw is an unemployed cashier...

mausmalone

Accualt wrote: »

Michael Straw is an unemployed cashier...

How can you be an unemployed cashier? The only way that makes sense is if "cashier" was for this guy a chosen career path.

apotheos

If you are unemployed, you are not a cashier, are you?

Khavall

mausmalone wrote: »

Accualt wrote: »

Michael Straw is an unemployed cashier...

How can you be an unemployed cashier? The only way that makes sense is if "cashier" was for this guy a chosen career path.

He neglected his kids for DDO. I'd say that alone is evidence of the mental instability that it would require to be a career cashier.

Lucky Cynic

Okay, "Lawl DDO" aside, these news stories really aggravate me. "Parent Neglects Kids" isn't newsworthy, but "Parent Neglects Kids; Instead Plays Video Games" is and all of a sudden, people then decide it is the game's fault and not the parents. Many people are just full of shit and just decide that it is the games vault versus the parents, and that gives MMOs a bad rap.

EDIT:

Last month, experts at an American Medical Association meeting backed away from a proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder, saying it had to be studied further.

Man what? Is it just me or does painting a poor Behavioral habit as a Mental Disorder a bit over the top?

AbsoluteZero

Perhaps he is some kind of virtual cashier. Addicted to a Hardee's MMO.

WonderSwan

mausmalone wrote: »

Accualt wrote: »

Michael Straw is an unemployed cashier...

How can you be an unemployed cashier? The only way that makes sense is if "cashier" was for this guy a chosen career path.

It was his minor during the three weeks he spent at junior college.

Tofystedeth

Khavall wrote: »

Nice that the article completely neglects to mention that the motion to add video game addiction to the DSM was denied, because there was a lack of evidence for calling video game addiction a disease, and has no knowledge of the UMich study that claimed that the average gamer spends just as much time socially interacting as the average non-gamer. I mean... I doubt that if it wasn't for DDO the parents wouldn't have neglected their child. Just like Yoda said... I mean.... DDO? It's not that addicting of a game even if games did cause addiction and neglect of other people.

From the article

Last month, experts at an American Medical Association meeting backed away from a proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder, saying it had to be studied further. Some said the issue is like alcoholism, while others said there was no concrete evidence it's a psychological disease.

Don't know if that is exactly what you are talking about, but it is similar. And at least the article also said this...

While child abuse because of drug addiction is common, abuse rooted in video game addiction is rare, Viloria said.

AbsoluteZero

I was expecting this to be another story about parents using videogames as baby sitters.

Lucky Cynic

AbsoluteZero wrote: »

I was expecting this to be another story about parents using videogames as baby sitters.

Why yes! I do suppose that would work-- Brilliant!

Etelmik

Michael Straw is an unemployed cashier, and his wife worked for a temporary staffing agency doing warehouse work, according to court records. He received a $50,000 inheritance that he spent on computer equipment and a large plasma television, authorities said.

Heh

Echo

Saw that in a Swedish newspaper. Clicked it and was expecting the timesink in question to be WoW, but then they said it was "A strategy game called Dungeons & Dragons".

Cue snickering at newspaper.

graizur

Etelmik wrote: »

Michael Straw is an unemployed cashier, and his wife worked for a temporary staffing agency doing warehouse work, according to court records. He received a $50,000 inheritance that he spent on computer equipment and a large plasma television, authorities said.

Heh

I guess that is why they call it a winFALL.

Evander

Guys, stop neglecting your kids because of video games.

With alcohol you can neglect them AND beat them during a drink-fueled rage episode that they will supress the memory of until years later in counseling.

Gyral

I like how they do a write up over child neglect due to videogames. I guess meth and crack related child neglect is such a regular thing that it's no longer exciting news worthy of reporting.

PatboyX

Lucky Cynic wrote: »

Okay, "Lawl DDO" aside, these news stories really aggravate me. "Parent Neglects Kids" isn't newsworthy, but "Parent Neglects Kids; Instead Plays Video Games" is and all of a sudden, people then decide it is the game's fault and not the parents. Many people are just full of shit and just decide that it is the games vault versus the parents, and that gives MMOs a bad rap.

EDIT:

Last month, experts at an American Medical Association meeting backed away from a proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder, saying it had to be studied further.

Man what? Is it just me or does painting a poor Behavioral habit as a Mental Disorder a bit over the top?

I like the vague statement attributed to the AMA. As though they shrugged their collective shoulders and told the press to "stop bringing us down."

Does it depress anyone else that there is an expectation for the AMA to immediately classify this as a Mental Disorder instead of continue research?

Endomatic

Does it really matter?

If they classify it as a disorder, doesn't that help to make it easier for people who do have problems playing too many games, to the detriment of the rest of their life, to get the help they need?

Khavall

Endomatic wrote: »

Does it really matter?

If they classify it as a disorder, doesn't that help to make it easier for people who do have problems playing too many games, to the detriment of the rest of their life, to get the help they need?

It certainly does.


Unless it's not a disorder. Saying that they should classify it as a disorder quickly so that there can be treatment found faster is assuming that it's a disorder. Which it may or may not be.

Koekjes

There is no need to classify it as an addiction when the resources exist to deal with any personal problems related to video games already exist.

http://www.olganonboard.org/ and http://www.computeraddiction.com/ are two such spots to look for help and any group designed to deal with a so called internet addiction should work just as well.