Does Video Game Addiction Really Exist?

I've been working on a research project with some other students about video game addiction. While video game addiction is a popular topic, many papers and articles recognize that a standardized definition for it does not exist. This is a problem because it becomes difficult to give suggestions and come to conclusions without a consensus of what we are talking about. My collaborators and I all recognize that excessive video game playing can be very problematic, but we are divided on the issue of addiction. Some of them think that video game addiction does not exist because they feel video games don’t cause a physical dependency—a necessary element to fit the general definition of addiction. I disagree. I think that video games do affect us physically. Certain games can engross us so much that we feel detached from our bodies and we feel a temporary break from our physical needs (Things as TheyReally Are). The body can become so used to this physical detachment that it can come to rely on it and become addicted. 

Here I Come!

The Internet has changed the way people interact and communicate. Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky gives a lot of cool insights into these new interactions, but I found the book far less then revolutionary. Having witnessed the uprisings in Egypt and Syria this year—revolutions that were organized in a large part on Facebook and Twitter—I felt like I already got the concepts discussed in the book. Nothing felt new. Maybe the book had a larger impact two years ago when it came out. Back then fewer big events involving social media had occurred. Maybe the book is more valuable to older audiences that see the shift in communication as a bigger change from what they are used to.

I’m glad I read the book; I’ve certainly gained a bit more insight into online social interactions, but I feel like I could have gotten that from a summary a tenth the size. 

Parenting and Technology

Patent Scared

I used to be involved in a few business ventures.  Even though most of my experiences were positive, I have seen first hand the personal toll that takes place when complications arise, partnerships sour, and litigation is threatened.  So when I hear of people loosing their businesses in patent lawsuits, I feel sickened, particularly when the patents in question are for ideas that should not be patentable.  The US government shouldn’t be handing out patents for software ideas as general as “backing up files online,” and “sharing pictures on the internet” (see When Patents Attack!).  I enjoy discussing with my friends ideas for new iPhone apps or social media ventures, but I am honestly scared to try an entrepreneurial venture that would make our ideas a reality for fear of litigation.  Aren’t my feelings counter to the type of innovation patent law is trying to protect?  We need to reform the system and get rid of software patents that are too general.

Whitehouse.gov Petition: "Direct the Patent Office to Stop Issuing Software Patents and to Void all Previously Issued Patents" and response

Reddit discussion on the issue

A possible solution

I can’t talk; I’m at my computer

The percentage of women in software engineering jobs and related degrees has never been very high, and in recent years, it’s been dropping even more (NY Times).  I asked my wife why she thinks computer science is uninteresting to her and other women.  She said, “It’s too anti-social.”  She pictured a guy in a lone cubicle or back room with only his computer for company for hours on end.  I explained to her that nothing could be further from the truth: Software engineers have to interact with customers, team members and managers on a regular basis in order to be successful with their jobs.  Some of my mentors in the industry tell me that good communication and social skills are crucial to a successful career.  The misconception by men and women alike that software engineering is a solo activity is one of many that keep women away from the field.  We need to better represent the reality of the workplace if we are going to be successful in attracting more women to computer science. 

Masses of Data

As new technology has made it easier to share information, the amount of data that we have available to us has grown exponentially.  This is a great thing, which also presents unique challenges.  Two important questions are how do we make it possible for people to find the data that’s most relevant to them, and how do we avoid error and duplication?  The first question is being addressed by amazing search engines.  A multi-billion dollar industry has grown up around providing relevant searches.  The second question is being addressed by crowd sourcing.  Wikipedia has proven that reliable information can be maintained by the masses.  These solutions that help us deal with huge amounts of data provide interesting possibilities. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and others are currently implementing these techniques to record and link personal records to fill in the entire family tree of humankind.  Just think of it!  Billions and billions of people will be able to trace their family histories back to the dawn of time.

"Enter to learn; go forth to serve."

One of the things that I love most about attending BYU is the way religion is incorporated into my studies.  Not only do I take a core of religion classes, but religious topics often come up in my other subjects—even my science classes.  And these insights, how religion and faith are applied to real life situations, have been very beneficial to me.  In an introductory information technology class my freshman year, my professor gave this advice: “When looking for a job, don’t get too caught up in matters of pay and prestige, but pray to get the Lord’s direction in finding a job where you can serve in some way.  And there are great opportunities to serve in many companies.”  That has stuck with me, and now that I’m looking for an internship next summer, I’m applying that advice.  My studies at BYU have given me more than just knowledge, they have given me direction.

Open and Closed

With the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple has been on the minds of many.  Apple has a unique development strategy: keep secrets closely guarded, prototype and test but don’t use focus groups, and directly control as many aspects of the design, hardware, and software as possible.  Apple’s incredibly closed process has produced extremely innovative products that have been huge successes.  Compare that to the open source development strategy pioneered by projects like Linux: keep everything out in the open with no secrets, let users drive the process by having access to early releases, and let anybody that is willing and capable contribute.  This has also led to extremely innovative products that are widely used.  So which is better: open or closed?  I say both are needed so that each continues to spur innovation in the other.  Opened and closed together open up the most possibilities.

Josh Grows Up

“Growing up” doesn’t have as much to do with your age as it does with learning from the hard lessons of life.  I’ve met kids that were mature beyond their years and adults that acted like kids.  In a book I recently read called TheCuckoo’s Egg, the author, Cliff Stoll, talks about his growing up experience as he spends two years tracking down a computer hacker.  When Cliff finds his personal privacy and the security and trust that form the foundation of computer networks threatened, he starts to shift his worldview.  Over the course of a two-year long hacker chase, Cliff gradually moves from being a hippy-anarchist-astronomer to becoming a respected authority on computer security.  Cliff writes, “I realize that I’ve become a grown-up (sob!)—A person who really has a stake” (393). 

My growing up story started 6 years ago.  At the time, I was trying to do too many things at once:  play music professionally, manage a motel and live music theater, be the next network marketing millionaire, run six minute miles, serve at church, and have a great family life.  I was too overcommitted; I couldn’t have excelled in any one of those areas, let alone all of them.  Then I started having health problems.  Instead of just getting tired when I pushed myself past my limits, my body started responding with pain.  I got so frustrated and discouraged when I couldn’t do half of what I used to do.  I felt like a failure.  Little did I know that my health problems would lead me to reshape my life into something much more rewarding. 

I used to compare myself to other people and think of myself as more capable.  What a joke!  I learned that everybody has his or her own problems, and mine finally put me in my place.  Because of more imposing physical limitations, I was forced to slow down.  Once I opened up my eyes to what slowing down meant for me, I stopped feeling like a failure, and I started to be happy again.  I could finally recognize the simple and most important things of life.  I found balance and that I too had a stake.  And while my plans may not seem as grand as they once were, they fit me much better.  I’m happy to say that I’m all grown up and right where I need to be.

Brain things going on inside my head

What if you could record your thoughts and dreams as movies?  Scientists from UC Berkeley have created new technology that may open up such possibilities.  Even though the technology is in its early stages, the demo is pretty impressive.  We’ve been seeing this sort of thing for quite some time in Sci-Fi movies and books, and it just amazes me to see it taking shape for real.  Check it out:

Patent Wars

Patent lawsuits are getting out of hand, and now Samsung is talking about getting the iPhone 5 banned in Korea.  The U.S. patent system is broken, and if the government doesn’t fix it soon, we will head down a long, hard path of mucky litigation where nobody wins and customers are the ultimate losers. Google bought Motorola for $12.5 billion just to beef up its patent arsenal for protection in court (Wall Street Journal).  That money could have been used to innovate; instead it’s going down the drain.  All the money spent on patents and litigation will eventually end up costing customers.  Check out this graphic published by Newsweek last spring that gives us an idea of how bad it is.  Each line represents a lawsuit:

Phone Fight!, Newsweek

Steve Jobs’s legacy

Now that Steve Jobs has stepped down as the CEO of Apple, I reflect on the one thing that he did better than anybody else: give us devices we love but never knew we wanted.  He didn’t just improve on existing technologies, giving into the demands of the masses.  He ignored the masses and gave us gadgets that were new and inventive.   Steve Jobs himself said, “It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them" (Wired).  With an eye for simplicity and a discipline of prototyping, throwing the prototype away, and then prototyping some more, Jobs mastered the art of innovation.  Let’s just hope his legacy lives on with even more innovations from his successors.  

Kids and video games: what's the right approach?

I think a lot about how much is too much when it comes to video games and my 8-year-old son.  Playing video games is one of his favorite things to do, and I worry that he may develop an addiction.  I can relate to him because I had a similar draw to the original Nintendo games when I was his age.  Even though I don't play very many video games now, I think it's important that my son know that I understand the desire to play all the time.  So, here is my plan so far: (1) talk to him a lot about the pros and cons of video games and why it's not a good idea to do any one thing too much, (2) set time limits on video games and computer usage, and (3) play video games with him on a regular basis.  I feel like as long as he is comfortable talking to me and playing with me, I'll always know enough about what's going on to make informed parenting decisions.

Watch "Parenting in Cyberspace"