I spend hours with my computer. It is my favorite tool. I spend time in and out of virtual worlds; I spend time on and off the Internet, surfing with my browser. I communicate, I work, I play. From the sheer amount of time spent with my machine during the day, according to some measures, it would be correct to say that I am addicted to the behaviour of using my computer. I do … [Read more...] about What looks like addiction, but is not – Virtual Addiction, Part 3
Health
Second Life – Relay for Life 2008
Second Life's Relay for Life is well underway - it's hard to believe it's been a year since the last one. Check the schedule and get involved if you can. … [Read more...] about Second Life – Relay for Life 2008
On Being a Virtual World Whore – Virtual Addiction, Part 2
There's been a great deal of debate of whether "Internet Addiction" and its close cousin, "Virtual World Addiction", should be classified as disorders separate from other behavioral addictions. Psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg reputedly borrowed the criteria for substance use and impulse-control disorders from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition … [Read more...] about On Being a Virtual World Whore – Virtual Addiction, Part 2
Are you a Virtual World Whore? Virtual Addiction, Part 1
Do you crave the fun, excitement, and pleasure of virtual worlds to the detriment of the rest of your life? Would you do anything, give anything, just to be able to spend another couple of uninterrupted hours in a virtual space, Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) or gaming environment? You have a problem. You are a virtual world addict. What does it mean to be … [Read more...] about Are you a Virtual World Whore? Virtual Addiction, Part 1
Gamers not social rejects: Australian study
I missed the announcement of this research a couple of weeks back but thought it was worth passing on the full announcement from Victoria University: The video gamer stereotype, which says gamers are lonely nerds with low self-esteem, who are addicted to gaming because they are unable to socialise, has been contradicted by research by Victoria University Honours graduate Dan … [Read more...] about Gamers not social rejects: Australian study