Chapter 2: Why are video games
addictive?
Did you know the brains of addicted video gamers look
similar to the brains of drug addicts -- as both have enlarged “reward
centers”? The reward center in your brains releases a "feel good"
chemical called dopamine. Gaming causes dopamine production
in the brain to increase dramatically - creating a drug like high.
Developing an addiction to gaming also
happens because the process of gaming is similar to gambling. All gamers, no
matter how skilled, go through a process of winning and losing --which
is just like playing a slot machine in Vegas! This lose/win/lose/win dynamic
-- called
an intermittent reward system -- keeps gamers highly motivated to play.
So, the combination of the
gambling like nature of gaming and the drug-like high produced by dopamine can
escalate quickly into marathon gaming sessions and the eventual loss of
interest and off-line activities and experiences.
How do you feel when you are gaming? Circle all the feelings that
apply to your gaming experience:
Excited/Creative/Challenged/Alert/Happy/Energized/Social/Motivated
Frustrated/Angry/Sad/Disappointed/Tired/Confused/Irritable/Anxious
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