Junglist Takes An In-Depth Look Into Video Game Addiction

Kotaku AU


You might remember Jeremy ‘Junglist’ Ray from his stint as guest Kotaku Editor late last year, or from ABC’s Good Game, but now he’s doing his own thing — the 5 Inch Floppy — and today he’s turned his attention to video game addiction. In the wake of mainstream press regarding the possible inclusion of video game addiction into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Junglist takes a great in-depth look into the issue.

Well worth watching.

Discuss

(24 Comments)
  • [–]

    ash

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 3:32 PM

    He touched on this in a podcast on GG a few years ago too and had some interesting thoughts and experiences…

  • [–]

    bbbbbennie

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    Get a haircut hippy!

    • [–]

      Mark Serrels

      Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:07 PM

      I’ve told him. He won’t listen!

      • [–]

        zwonker

        Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:35 PM

        not to mention the extra pounds he’s carrying around.. which reminds me I’ve got to renew that gym membership, I hear you get freebies if you actually turn up for a session.

      • [–]

        James Mac

        Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:42 PM

        Ever since he stopped trying to impress Maude Garrett.

    • [–]

      Snackx

      Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:30 PM

      No way, that hair is awesome!

    • [–]

      carrotcolossus

      Friday, December 9, 2011 at 6:47 PM

      Also have a shave. He’s got a bit of neckbeard action going on.

  • [–]

    Jay

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    Humm as a Psych who plays video games, I felt he made some fair points. sounds like he has done a fair bit of research.

  • [–]

    PrettyTones

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:26 PM

    I got really addicted to Animal Crossing on the DS. I wasn’t really having that much fun playing it, but I needed to spend about 30 mins everyday to manage to town. If MMORPGs are like this then I’m glad I don’t play them.

  • [–]

    Mooseking

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    Huge props to Jeremy for doing this.

    It’s an issue that’s not explored as much as it should. Feel as though it started out with the serious nature that the subject deserves before devolving into his GG era presentation.

    Ended stronger though, it seems this piece took a long time to get everything together but was generally well rounded.

    GJ

  • [–]

    Wonko

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    Really good work on the subject and it leaves me a bit confused: Should I enjoy video games now or not?
    And @ evolution, if it is all about certain positive traits, why are women attracted to renegades, to the non conformists that do life threatening stunts? The ones that smoke and drink and swear?

  • [–]

    Simon

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:57 PM

    He looks a lot different since Good Game.

  • [–]

    Femto

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 5:43 PM

    Good scientific breakdown!

  • [–]

    Freeman

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 5:44 PM

    I do the same repeative action here at work……and get rewarded at the end.
    add bleeps and bloops for milestones in my job and it’d be quite the joy, almost addicting really.

    makes me think we should use videogame addiction to make other areas of life enjoyable, and not try and squash addiction as somthing bad and use it as a motivational tool.

    or that whole premise could go horribly wrong. create a army of drones who think there getting the gamerscore / achivements / friends lits up by helping corperations take over the world.

    hmmmm.

  • [–]

    scree

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 7:09 PM

    I do believe in video game addiction, it is out there but it’s a very minimal amount. However a lot of the problems that are reported on aren’t video game addiction, they’re more like the parents inability to give their children boundaries and give in almost instantly when the child screams.
    I don’t really like MMOs much, WOW makes me motion sick, and the only one I play is Rusty hearts, which I only play with friends.
    Actually buying games can be more addictive then playing the game. =/

  • [–]

    picky

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 9:04 PM

    he also doing that channel 10 show save point

    • [–]

      HeDanny

      Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 8:20 PM

      He’s quit Save Point. Shame, but As his content got noticably less every episode its not a surprise. I’d say he probably over extended himself and something had to go. That something was Save Point.

      I know this sounds too shallow But I only watched for him. Now he’s not on there any more I don’t think I’ll bother. Honestly the show is below average anyway. He’s preobably better of distanced from it.

  • [–]

    Andrew

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 9:29 PM

    i personally never liked mmos because i felt like i never got anywhere after spending all that time on it

  • [–]

    Rigby

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 10:01 PM

    Great Video Jeremy. I’ve been looking into video game addiction for one of my courses assignments and its quite a interesting subject matter.

  • [–]

    Kid

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 11:30 PM

    I don’t have time for adiction these says. QQ

    • [–]

      Kid

      Friday, December 9, 2011 at 11:31 PM

      *days

  • [–]

    qmidget

    Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 12:41 AM

    Love that you have a hookah next to your computer.

  • [–]

    Jiff

    Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 3:27 PM

    I liked the views on ethical game design.

    About 2 weeks ago I downloaded Tiny Tower and gave it a try. Before long I was constantly checking my phone to see if there was a new stock delivery or if a floor had been finished. Even if I stopped myself from checking up on my tower, there were constant push notifications.

    Then I had a thought – why do I have to put the stock on the shelves? Why can’t this happen automatically? Then it became clear – they need a way to constantly grab your attention, and to constantly notify you that all the waiting can go away if you spend a dollar on tower bux.

    Then I deleted it.

  • [–]

    FunkyJ

    Monday, December 12, 2011 at 1:39 PM

    Although well spotted in Junglist’s piece, thankfully, because News Limited is so tight with the Casino and Clubs within Australia, the poker machine addiction link to video games will never make it into mainstream media reports about video games.

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