User panel stuff on forum
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2012-03-04, 14:31
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685 posts

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Jul 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmm68vpTvkE&feature=g-all&context=G2fe7cc8FAAAAAAAAAAA

What you guys think? He does have some points that I recognize in myself... Generally, it's good advice to first do things you need to do that day, that built self esteem, etc. And that dopamine-subject made sense too (how that makes it difficult to get that rush-feeling from other stuff).
2012-03-04, 15:13
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Jan 2006
I found it a bit lacking in information. I mean he says dopamine is released when playing video games or being stimulated and it makes you feel good. But building your own self esteem also feels good.. does that mean building self esteem just also releases dopamine? So what's the difference?

And that stuff about 5 second rule is just retarded. If you are focused on something and trying to do your best, what's the point in someone "testing" you by interrupting you, and if you don't comply you are punsihed.. wtf.

Also he keeps talking as if all video gaming is bad "make them do choirs and they wont WANNA play any video games". There was also studies that kids that do play video games are better at puzzle solving later in life, better reflexes and better at multi tasking. Those don't seem like bad things to me. As with everything else - moderation is the key.

I think also it's very individual. Some people are thrill seeking by nature and others are not. But I found nothing new in that video. Common sense tells us variation is good, family/close friends and relations are good. And too much of one thing can lead to bad stuff.
ready!
2012-03-04, 15:23
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685 posts

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Jul 2007
Yes, I agree with some of your points, but of course nobody can deny anymore that gaming has become a huge addiction problem for many people, especially young people. Moderation is key, but, it's exactly there where many people fail. As players, but also as parents, since it's so easy to let kids play a game since they're no handful to you, as a busy parent. He's obviously addressing that situation, not people who already have a certain discipline.
2012-03-04, 16:13
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152 posts

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Feb 2012
It is lacking in information, indeed, because such "researches" are spontaneous and are taken from a very narrow perspective. What he says applies to ANY form of gaming, not only video-gaming. A game presents you with a goal that you must reach in accordance with the game's rules. To do that, you must make various decisions ranging from very basic to very complex during the course of the game. And making right decisions makes you feel pleasure, of course. No one would play chess or football if it gave you no pleasure when you do it right. When you gain positional advantage because you've found a not so obvious tactical opportunity or when you split the defence with a tricky pass that goes directly to your teammate who then scores - yeah, it is pleasure. When you gib someone with an airrocket because you predicted his movement - it's a great pleasure, too . It's a pleasure to outsmart your opponent, to do something unordinary but rewarding, e.t.c. Again, it's about GAMES, not just video games.
Yes, one can become addicted to gaming, but roots of such a problem do not lie in gaming itself. Gaming is just another form of escapism. We all know that life can be a bitch and is not exactly always full of good things. Actually, it never is. Especially nowadays, when there are so many of us around the globe. Cities became like hives with millions of faceless strangers rushing everywhere not giving a damn about anyone, but themselves. It may sound too philosophic and removed from subject, but all is connected. Consider the eastern countries like China, where some of the most heavy cases of addiction took place. That is why you can't go ranting about dopamine or whatever and conclude "gaming is bad, mkay ?". Some people read books or listen to music to escape from other things. If one constantly prefers gaming over speaking with his friends, his friends are probably not that friendly or he's not such a big friend to them himself. You make analogies.
Also, brain becomes addicted to gaming because games challenge your brain. Walking with your dog doesn't. And so on...
As far as I'm concerned, all "researches" about how video-gaming affects your brain are seldom creditable and are in 99% of cases a completely useless waste of time and money. The guy didn't say anything new, you don't have to know how it works on a chemistry level to have a general idea why people spend so much time... gibbing others .
“If I wanted you to understand it, I would have explained it better.” (c) Johan Cruyff
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