Full Description
An eleven-year-old boy strangled an elderly woman for the equivalent of five dollars in 2007, then buried her body under a thin layer of sand. He told the police that he needed the money to play online videogames. Just a month later, an eight-year-old Norwegian boy saved his younger sister's life by threatening an attacking moose and then feigning death when the moose attacked him--skills he said he learned while playing World of Warcraft.
As these two instances show, videogames affect the minds, bodies, and lives of millions of gamers, negatively and positively. This book approaches videogame addiction from a cross-disciplinary perspective, bridging the divide between liberal arts academics and clinical researchers. The topic of addiction is examined neutrally, using accepted research in neuroscience, media studies, and developmental psychology.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface (by Neils Clark)
1. The Digital Living Room
2. Media Experience and Real Illusion
3. Why They Play
4. Anatomy of a Game Addiction
5. Games Are Not Babysitters
6. The Road Ahead
Afterword (by P. Shavaun Scott)
Appendix A. Helpful Activities During the Process of Change
Appendix B. Learning the Lingo
Appendix C. Commonly Used Internet and Gamer Slang
Appendix D. Seeking Help in an Unfamiliar World
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
