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Hooked on Games: The Lure and Cost of Video Game and Internet Addiction
“As is true with many addictions, overuse of video games steals our valuable and limited time and minds.” – Christie Morse, MD (Pediatric Ophthalmologist)“Shocking insights into the minds of hardcore gamers.” – Daniel Hunt (Former Competitive Gamer)About the BookThe multi-billion dollar video game industry is in the business of creating fun and enticing games that can be addictive. As addicted gamers feast on digital indulgences, real life is neglected and their reality crumbles around them.Headlines related to video games“New Mexico mom gets 25 years for starving daughter.” – Fox News“China used prisoners in lucrative Internet gaming work.” – Guardian News“Online gamer killed for selling virtual weapon.” – Sydney Morning Herald“South Korean dies after games sessions.” – BBC NewsHooked on Games is written by Brooke Strickland and Andrew Doan, MD, PhD, a physician with a research background in neuroscience, who battled his own addictions with video games. Dr. Doan was an addicted gamer, who at his peak, invested over 20,000 hours of playing games over a period of nine years. Dr. Doan’s reckless compulsion to play games transformed him into a monster that almost destroyed his family, marriage, and career. He shares his expertise to educate others on the dangers of video game addiction and to provide hope for video game addicts and their families. Dr. Doan shares steps for gaming addicts to achieve recovery and steps for families and loved ones to intervene. Without attention to this quickest growing addiction, our society will suffer from the creation of Generation Vidiot, millions of people devoid of innovation and skills to live in the physical world.
- GenresPsychology
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 20, 2017
This book discusses the relatively new phenomenon of internet addiction. It includes video games but also social networking sites and the impact of the out-of-control addictive behavior on all aspects of life.
The author uses his own experiences as an addict as well as examples of others to highlight the dangers. While some studies are cited and he does include footnotes and resources, this is a book mostly about anecdotes with only minimum examples from science. The book serves as a warning to parents to, hopefully, avoiding using the internet as a “digital pacifier” for their kids and gives advice on how to determine and overcome this addiction.
The author uses his own experiences as an addict as well as examples of others to highlight the dangers. While some studies are cited and he does include footnotes and resources, this is a book mostly about anecdotes with only minimum examples from science. The book serves as a warning to parents to, hopefully, avoiding using the internet as a “digital pacifier” for their kids and gives advice on how to determine and overcome this addiction.
January 18, 2021
We are subjects in the Skinner box.
Full disclosure: I read this book while waiting for my match 3 game lives to recharge. I get nervous when my Kindle charge drops to 20%, and keep a backup battery close. Checking into Facebook can turn into trying to find the end of the internet, hours later. I'm not sure if reading on my Kindle counts as an addiction, but the 200+ books I read last year seems significantly higher than other reading challenges, even allowing for speed reading, and books in lieu of TV.
I feel recognised in the pages of this book, and it's a tad bit uncomfortable.
The author describes his experience with video games addiction, as well as other antecdotes and academic research. He leans heavily on God (though I suppose it's more God lifting him, to be fair) to break free of the addiction and bear the mundane responsibilities of life instead.
An example of the writing, a brief recap of the cause and effect of addiction explained at length through the book:
"Once they became pathological gamers, they became more depressed, anxious, socially phobic, and less productive in school. If they stopped being addicted, their depression, anxiety, and social phobias lifted, and their grades improved. It appeared that the gaming was an important part of their overall mental health."
Full disclosure: I read this book while waiting for my match 3 game lives to recharge. I get nervous when my Kindle charge drops to 20%, and keep a backup battery close. Checking into Facebook can turn into trying to find the end of the internet, hours later. I'm not sure if reading on my Kindle counts as an addiction, but the 200+ books I read last year seems significantly higher than other reading challenges, even allowing for speed reading, and books in lieu of TV.
I feel recognised in the pages of this book, and it's a tad bit uncomfortable.
The author describes his experience with video games addiction, as well as other antecdotes and academic research. He leans heavily on God (though I suppose it's more God lifting him, to be fair) to break free of the addiction and bear the mundane responsibilities of life instead.
An example of the writing, a brief recap of the cause and effect of addiction explained at length through the book:
"Once they became pathological gamers, they became more depressed, anxious, socially phobic, and less productive in school. If they stopped being addicted, their depression, anxiety, and social phobias lifted, and their grades improved. It appeared that the gaming was an important part of their overall mental health."
May 9, 2019
Wow!
This book is a gateway to ask some hard questions to someone you LOVE who is struggling. It even gave me pause to ask myself some hard questions and evaluate how I use my own phone. I know we are in the digital age but as he said there are real people and things to do and places to see that we are missing out on. Excellent book. The best part is he asks about your relationship with Jesus. I will recommend this book to anyone I know
This book is a gateway to ask some hard questions to someone you LOVE who is struggling. It even gave me pause to ask myself some hard questions and evaluate how I use my own phone. I know we are in the digital age but as he said there are real people and things to do and places to see that we are missing out on. Excellent book. The best part is he asks about your relationship with Jesus. I will recommend this book to anyone I know
November 18, 2019
A must read
This book outlines exactly how video games, texting, social media etc can be addictive to anyone, at any age. It outlines the personal, family, and wider social cost. It outlines what addiction can look like from both a personal and outside perspective. And finally it outlines intervention. As a mother but also a 'gamer' this opened my eyes to this hugely self destructive pasttime. If you have kids then you should read this. Online gaming addiction is a real thing.
This book outlines exactly how video games, texting, social media etc can be addictive to anyone, at any age. It outlines the personal, family, and wider social cost. It outlines what addiction can look like from both a personal and outside perspective. And finally it outlines intervention. As a mother but also a 'gamer' this opened my eyes to this hugely self destructive pasttime. If you have kids then you should read this. Online gaming addiction is a real thing.
October 21, 2021
Great quick read
I recommend reading this whether you play video games or not. Apply the lessons to social media, the Internet, TV, etc.
I recommend reading this whether you play video games or not. Apply the lessons to social media, the Internet, TV, etc.
February 5, 2022
Informative and easy to read. The author utilizes both firsthand experience and expertise to convey his message. Religious undertones may lessen the impact of this work upon secular readers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews