Topic > Effects of Video Game Addiction - 1402

However, while video game addiction is not currently universally accepted as a disease, it acts similarly to a combination of gambling addiction and drug addiction. Video games will reward their players frequently, similar to that of gambling where lots of small rewards will keep players hooked. Matilda Hellman, a professor at the University of Helsinki, in a study on whether or not video games create an addiction, tells us that video game rewards come in many forms, including: in-game currency, character progression, special unlockable content. and even respect from other players (Hellman 105). Beyond this, players will develop a “tolerance” for these rewards, as with drugs, thus requiring more and more rewards to feel satisfied (Hellman 105). In fact, video game addiction is so similar in the brain from a biological perspective to other addictions that it can be effectively treated with a drug commonly used for smoking cessation, called Bupropion. A study led by Doug Han, a professor at Chung Ang University, tested this drug on people addicted to an online PC game called Starcraft and found that, along with decreased cravings and gaming time, an MRI of the brain showed almost identical results compared to patients with substance addiction or gambling addiction (Han 306). This further reinforces the fact that the information behind video game addiction is classified as one's own