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Rise in game addicts prompts Japan to enhance consultation system

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 prioritizing them over daily activities and other interests leading to significant impairment in health, education, work and other areas.

I'm 27 and that's exactly what happened to me, I ended up dropping out of nursing career. I am now overcoming it, but I was addicted to Team Fortress Classic, a 1999 videogame. I love to play games but I know it gets worrying sometimes.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

You can't blame the kids for wanting to escape this society that doesn't even let them have a real childhood. Games let kids feel free and allows them to forget the insane pressures put on them by schools and parents. The powers that be won't rest in Japan until every joy of childhood is taken away.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Coming from a rough upbringing, I never really owned a gaming console or not even a gameboy during my childhood days and never really got into games until I became an adult. However, I can understand where people who are addicted to games are coming from after trying out a few games from my friends.

As general interest in online and video games has grown, so has concern regarding minors who spend more time than usual playing games at home, especially amid recent school closures and stay-at-home requests by authorities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Well, what would you expect from people cooped up in their homes to do all day? do something productive like study online? Maybe, but they probably wouldn't spend more than 3 hours a day at it at most. Before video games existed, parents would complain about their kids spending too much time playing outside while nowadays, parents will complain about kids playing too much video games. It's human nature to look for something that gives them that hormonal high that could come from playing games or taking substances.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Start with pachinko first. Then nix any idea that Abe and his cronies want to begin casinos and casino tourism.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Game addiction is a real problem in Japan and has been getting worse since the early 90’s. It seems a bit of a shame it’s taken 30 years for them to acknowledge it and pIt done resources towards it, even if it is only on paper.

it starts when kids are as young as two and continues to senior age. Have a look at the adults in trains. At least 80-90% are playing hands on their phones, tablets and game consoles. It’s not escapism. It is an addiction and an illness.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

If it’s that bad for your health, why not regulate it like alcohol and tobacco?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

And in any case, what does society here wish them to do instead, be addicted to the life-long company work? Leave home at 6:00, get home at 11:00 p.m. so that even their own children don't know their faces? They don't seem to have any problems with the situations that creates at home and in society -- a society with one of the highest suicide rates in the world resulting from such work ethic, by the way.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I was addicted to Team Fortress Classic, a 1999 videogame.

Hokkaidoboy, TFC and Quake TF was awesome though. I was the same.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If it's like any other consultation services here it'll be open an hour or so a day, and the people who call/use it stigmatized, and if something proves even remotely troublesome they'll simply be asked to talk to someone else.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The World Health Organization last year included gaming disorder in its International Classification of Diseases, defining it as a pattern of behavior characterized by impaired control over digital- or video-gaming, prioritizing them over daily activities and other interests leading to significant impairment in health, education, work and other areas.

Thank You WHO, It's about time some one recognized this DISEASE. I see so many talented kids & Adults over spent valuable time playing games. I have always thought this must be some kind of MENTAL DISORDER. I also noticed many of the gamer's are just not Normal.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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