21.01.2011, 17:32 3201

Video games 'more dangerous' than drugs

Psychologists say as many as one in 30 computer game players have symptoms similar to those of gambling and drug addicts, the agency reports.

Almaty. January 21. Kazakhstan Today - Psychologists say as many as one in 30 computer game players have symptoms similar to those of gambling and drug addicts, the agency reports.

Gaming formed such a large part in the lives of three per cent of gamers in a study that they missed meals and went without sleep to spend more time playing, The Independent reported.

They suffered withdrawal symptoms and had difficulties cutting back on their hobby, and were found to be more introverted, emotionally unstable and have lower self esteem than average.

Video games used to make headlines for their supposed propensity for turning children into gun-toting gangsters or psychotic arsonists - 13-year-old schoolboy used petrol to set light to three vehicles after playing on the violent GTA 4: Liberty City game.

Psychologists, presenting the research at the British Psychological Society conference in Dublin, said gaming addicts had personality traits similar to people with Asperger's syndrome.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), cover a range of developmental disorders that impair the ability to interact socially and communicate, including more severe cases of "classic" autism and milder forms including Asperger's.

There have also been comparisons between crack cocaine and gaming after a Swedish teenager suffered convulsions from a round-the-clock stint on the game World of Warcraft. In comments picked up by The Sun, Sven Rollenhagen of Sweden's Youth Care Foundation said: "World of Warcraft is the crack cocaine of the computer gaming world. Some people can't drag themselves away and will play it till they drop."

Michael O'Dell, 39, a professional gaming manager, says parents have a responsibility to ensure that their children do not overindulge in their hobbies. But he also acknowledges that some gamers get into difficulties. "There's potential for people to play them too much, there's no doubt about that. Someone has to say, 'Stop, go and get some air, breathe!'"

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