I have written about this before and for the gaming industry it is a far bigger problem than violence in games (which isn’t really a problem except in the minds of ignorant commentators). Gaming is really great because it gives you skills to solve problems then rewards you for solving them. For most this mechanism is rewarding, for some it is addictive.
This latest research by the University of Sydney looked at 2,000 gamers worldwide so is fairly representative. Quite interestingly they say that the game addicts have other mental health problems and that the gaming addiction is just the manifestation of those problems.
The good news is that 92% of gamers get healthy enjoyment from their pastime.
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Apparently, when Hurricane Ike struck Houston, Texas, video games were more important to people than food and air conditioning! I got a kick out of this article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ike/galveston/6443400.html.