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Title: Hooked on Games: The Lure and Cost of Video Game and Internet Addiction
Author: Andrew Doan
Number of pages: 200
Genre: non-fiction
Book Number/Goal: 9/52
My Rating: 4/5
Review:
The author claims that video game addiction is similar to other kinds of addictions, e.g. drugs. He gives a long list of reasons and explanations why people become addicted. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific reason - escape from reality, satisfying curiosity, providing a sense of purpose in life, heightening a sense of invincibility, feeding the ego, etc. He provides an abundance of examples from his own life, media stories, and his friends' lives (or maybe made-up examples created to illustrate the point).
The book is written in easy, informal language, which makes it accessible to general population, but in the same time, makes it appear less credible. There are several psychological references, but in the "popular science" style. Also, the author often goes into unnecessary details of his biography; while it's entertaining to read, it feels self-centered and too far-fetched for the theme of the book.
The author's personal solution for kicking his own gaming addiction was turning to (Christian) religion, which, for me, was quite an anticlimax, even though he doesn't insist that it's the only way to deal with it.
This book probably won't change anyone's mind. But it's amusing, especially for a gamer; and if you're already predisposed to game addiction and realize it's a problem, it might pose a few questions and encourage you to analyze your behavior. (It also provides references to a few games that seem to be worth trying out ;)
Author: Andrew Doan
Number of pages: 200
Genre: non-fiction
Book Number/Goal: 9/52
My Rating: 4/5
Review:
The author claims that video game addiction is similar to other kinds of addictions, e.g. drugs. He gives a long list of reasons and explanations why people become addicted. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific reason - escape from reality, satisfying curiosity, providing a sense of purpose in life, heightening a sense of invincibility, feeding the ego, etc. He provides an abundance of examples from his own life, media stories, and his friends' lives (or maybe made-up examples created to illustrate the point).
The book is written in easy, informal language, which makes it accessible to general population, but in the same time, makes it appear less credible. There are several psychological references, but in the "popular science" style. Also, the author often goes into unnecessary details of his biography; while it's entertaining to read, it feels self-centered and too far-fetched for the theme of the book.
The author's personal solution for kicking his own gaming addiction was turning to (Christian) religion, which, for me, was quite an anticlimax, even though he doesn't insist that it's the only way to deal with it.
This book probably won't change anyone's mind. But it's amusing, especially for a gamer; and if you're already predisposed to game addiction and realize it's a problem, it might pose a few questions and encourage you to analyze your behavior. (It also provides references to a few games that seem to be worth trying out ;)