Addicting Games

- First interactive video game created in 1961Infoplease.com: Timeline: Video Games
- 70 to 90 percent of American youth play video gamesCNET News: AMA: Video game addiction not clear yet (June 27, 2007)
- Addiction centers treating gaming addictions have been opened in the Netherlands and ChinaWeb MD: Video Game Addiction
- Experts say 5 hours a day for children, 80 hours a week for adults are addiction levelsWeb MD: Video Game Addiction
- Primary addiction candidates are males under the age of 30Web MD: Video Game Addiction

Addicting games can be found both online and offline. Many claim that video games are addictive, although the American Medical Association has yet to make that determination.CNET News: AMA: Video game addiction not clear yet (June 27, 2007) Games can be entertaining and fun and yes, addictive. On this page we will present links to online game resources that you may find addicting. We will also provide links to news about game addictions and recent medical findings.
Signs of Addiction
1. Most non job or school hours spent playing video gamesNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
2. Lying about games or computer useNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
3. Choosing video games over friends or social activitiesNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
4. Irritable when not playing or onlineNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
5. Online game relationships take priority or replace offline relationshipsNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
6. Carpal tunnel syndromeNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
7. Irregular sleeping pattern, trouble sleepingNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
8. Pain in the back and neck, headachesNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
9. Not keeping up with eating and/or personal hygieneNational Institute on Media and the Family: Computer and Video Game Addiction
Background on Game Addiction

Addicting games came to the forefront in the 1990s with the proliferation of more advanced home gaming consoles. After the Internet began gaining in popularity, so did online gaming. Today's games are a far cry from those in the early years of home computer usage. Some of the most popular games are online role-playing games like World of Warcraft. It is the intense loyalty and many hours that game aficionados log that have groups like the Council on Science and Public Health encouraging the AMA to include video game addiction as a mental disorder in the latest edition fof the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders due out in 2012.GameSpot: Game Addiction: The Real Story... (April 3, 2009)

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Questions and Answers About Addicting Games
- Are video games like MMORPGs truly addictive, or is that an exaggerated diagnosis? 3 Answers
  
  As someone who's played MMO's for 7 or 8 years now, I definitely think they can be addictive for certain personality types. But, for the average Joe, I believ... read more
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