Addicted?

       This ACLE for the 2^nd semester of the 2013-2104 school year is my last as an undergrad and the first one for my brother. We decided to go to the same ACLE which is the one by UP Tangway. It’s called New Game: When the Game Plays the Player. The speaker is actually my professor this semester Dr. Danilo Tuazon who is a neuropsychologist. His topic was technology, gaming and porn addiction – which, I think, is relevant to today’s generation. 

Photo from: stockfresh.com

      Nowadays, everyone has a cellphone, every house has a television, there are computer shops everywhere and millions and millions of people are into video games through different devices. And, bit by bit more people are having access to the internet and that’s like having access to anything and everything under the sun – including porn. At least at one point of our lives we have probably been so addicted to something - maybe Facebook, or books, or food that we forget to do some of the things we need to do. That’s normal. We are humans who seek things that give us pleasure.

     Like Dr. Tuazon said, it’s in our brain. When we do pleasurable things, dopamine is released to our system and dopamine is like the happiness hormone. And, who does not want to feel happy?

Photo from: www.drugabuse.gov

    From Dr. Tuazon’s slide, studies show that addiction to video games (or porn) is the same as drug addiction; the same parts of the brain are activated and the same process happens.  However, when exposed to the same intensity of stimuli repeatedly, it doesn’t stimulate any longer thus the tendency is to seek for more.  And, it’s an endless cycle. Unless, of course, one decides to stop. But, just like in drug addiction, there are withdrawal symptoms.

   Video game or porn addiction is not yet pathological. However if a behavior is causing someone distress, or disables a person to live a normal life and take care of his/her needs, or interferes with his work/duties then, obviously, it’s time to get some help.

 “We are all addicts”, Dr. Tuazon said. I agree. We are addicts but we all differ in our drug of choice. Bu we have to understand that we also have to be responsible. Not everything that feels good is good, as they say. 

Blogpost by: Glessa Francesca Garibay