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Why Do Computer Games Claim Lives?

Posted by Zonk on from the i-blame-stupidity dept.

Ektar wrote to mention an article from Chosun, a Korean newspaper, asking the question why do videogames claim lives? The article is in response to some recent high profile gamer deaths. From the article: "Apparently rare overseas, such cases make frequent headlines in Korea. Why? Experts point to the poor environment of the 'PC bang' or Internet cafes that have mushroomed nationwide. Generally dark and poorly ventilated, they cater to gamers who tend to smoke heavily. The bad air and light can increase the danger of sudden death, experts warn."

7 of 321 comments (clear)

  1. The game did it. by nurb432 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Gotta love the shift of responsibility.

    I take it the game just reached out on its own volition and killed the people?

    Thats as bad as saying "the SUV ran over the child", or " a gun shot the teller during the holdup".

    Cant anyone take responsibility for their own actions any more?

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:The game did it. by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Once you break the physical addiction, you still have a psychological one to deal with.

      That is the reason that most addicts go back to using. Not because their body craves sex/drugs/gambling/food but because they can't quiet the mental urge which is constantly saying "i want it."

      Yes, some people can quit cold turkey without ever looking back, but some people can't. Not because they're weak willed, but because their brain is wired funny.

      I wonder how many of the people opening their mouths and saying "addicts should be responsible" have actually had to deal with an addiction in their own life. Or watch someone very close to them do self destructive things & refuse to stop

      And I don't mean "i crave chocolate," I mean "I weigh 500 lbs, why can't i stop eating" or "I look like a skeleton, why can't I stop taking meth"

      These people aren't stupid, but they usually do benefit from AA/SA/NA at the min and institutionalization at the most extreme.

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    2. Re:The game did it. by Karlb · · Score: 5, Insightful

      He escaped.

      --
      When all else fails, you've won.
  2. Life claims lives by G4from128k · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Why does this surprise anyone. Everything in life "claims lives." Driving claims lives. Taking a bath claims lives. Sitting on the couch claims lives.


    I'm not even a gamer and I can tell this is just another example of sensationalist journalism.

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
  3. Cause of death: Darkness? by Caspian · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The bad air and light can increase the danger of sudden death...

    Um... darkness isn't deadly.
    --
    With spending like this, exactly what are "conservatives" conserving?
  4. Why? It's obvious by Eli+Gottlieb · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Videogames claim lives because the government wants to regulate video games.

  5. Re:IQ, addictive personalities, and Korea by Arcys · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You can't compare IQ across populations. IQ is standardized on a population and then only predictive on that population. If the test had of been standardized on African-Americans, Asians would score below 100. Its all down to how good your culture is at answering the IQ questions picked. The source you picked is a bit suspect as at least one of the authors seems to have a racist agenda.

      " In 1991 I extended my work on race differences in intelligence to other races. I concluded that the average IQ of blacks in sub-Saharan Africa is approximately 70. It has long been known that the average IQ of blacks in the United States is approximately 85. The explanation for the higher IQ of American blacks is that they have about 25 per cent of Caucasian genes and a better environment." is a quote from R. Lynn's web page, and this is no where near the most blatant.

    Now I suspect you didn't go far enough in your research to find this, but just remember that IQ has long been used to justify racial superiority. When ever you see a cross cultural comparison based on IQ please consider the source.

    As for the rest of your post, as a psych student I would be very interested to see the correlation between intelligence and obsessive behaviour (of any kind). While it is a stereotype that more intelligent adolescents play video-games, I would need evidence to show that there is any causal relationship.