Midterm Paper: Online Gaming Addiction

According to BBC News, South Korea is one of the most technologically connected societies in the world. With access to 24-hour cyber cafes, known as PC Bangs, people can easily get sucked into the world of online gaming addiction. People travel from all over the world to game at the PC Bangs in South Korea. But this "gamer's paradise" has an uglier side. After gaming non-stop for 86 hours in a PC Bang in Kwangju, 24-year-old Kim Kyung-jae died. Investigating officer Detective Hong Gun-hee said, "PC bangs are open 24 hours a day - and there is every potential that another case like this could happen again." Cases of internet addiction like this are becoming more and more common.

Grace Lim, a Korean-American masters student, visited a PC Bang on her trip to Seoul this past year. She noticed that as soon as school let out, elementary, middle and high school students would fill up the internet cafes. When Lim was asked why South Korea sees more of this gaming addiction problem than other countries, she said, "There is a lot of stress in Korean society. Going to PC Bangs is one way to relieve stress and disconnect themselves from the real world. It's mainly the stress-relieving factor."

Though there are yet to be any proven causes of online gaming addiction, there are factors that have been known to contribute to the addiction. First is the obsessive compulsion connected to performing a task, such as feeling a 'rush' from shopping. An internet addict may feel the same 'rush' when he or she starts up the computer and logs into his or her favorite game. Another theory is that addicts may actually become addicted to the feeling the game gives them, not the game itself. For example, if a gamer feels a sense of happiness or pleasure while playing a game, he or she will consistently play that game to regain those same feelings. Another reason people become addicted to the internet is because of the social connections they create. Some people get involved in online relationships because they feel like they are taking less of a risk than if they were to pursue a relationship in person. This can grow to the point of people creating false personas for themselves online. Though this gives the addict a sense of adequacy, they are not improving their offline selves, thus leading to further feelings of inadequacy. There is also the theory that certain personality traits cause online gaming addiction. Much like people can be predisposed to alcoholism, they can also be predisposed to internet addiction. With just the right mix of an addictive personality, stressors and poor self-image, people can easily fall into a pattern of seeking emotional or mental quick-fixes via the internet.

As far as a remedy goes for this widespread addiction, support is the answer. Seeing a physician will allow the addict to find exactly what spurred the addiction to begin with; whether its cause was social or personal. There are also rehabilitation centers with programs that specialize in internet addiction. On a military base outside Beijing, a treatment center incorporates military-style discipline, along with counseling, confidence-building activities, sex education and sometimes medication. The treatment is meant to uncover any psychological or emotional issues that may have contributed to the addiction. In turn, this boosts self-confidence, bringing the addict closer to recovery.