New Drug: Computer Games

Like alcohol and drugs, computer games can be very addictive. Researchers at a Berlin hospital conducted several studies investigating the effects of long-term computer game playing. Players who play games excessively activate “the same structures in the brain as drugs do,” reported a member of the research group (Deutsche Welle, Nov. 11, 2005).

Its first study compared 15 people who played computer games “occasionally” to 15 people who played “excessively.” Individuals were categorized as excessive players if they displayed at least three symptoms of dependency: an unquenchable desire to play, withdrawal symptoms and a neglect of other interests in their lives.