We all love our games, and we're used to defending the hobby against those folks who attack it with their jilted political agendas. Because of this, it's often easy for many of us to forget that there are harmful aspects to gaming, and that, like anything else, you can have too much of a good thing. You're probably wondering where I'm going with this.

I have a friend. We'll call him John. John takes gaming... rather more serious than most. He eats, sleeps, and breathes videogames; he lives for them. About a year ago, we introduced him to League of Legends. In hindsight, that was probably a mistake.

It started out as a minor obsession. John would play League every time he had a spare moment. He'd go on and on about his favorite champions, how his team's strategies were flawed, what champions were over-powered, what champions should be nerfed… Basically, he was your run-of-the-mill hardcore player. He still went to class though, so we didn't pay it much mind.

It got worse. At first, John started forgoing sleep to play more League of Legends. He'd pull the occasional all-nighter, not moving from his computer except to use the washroom. He missed the occasional class, oversleeping as a result of a late night. All in all, he was still a good student, and we still saw him more often than not. For a little while, anyway.

This year, we've been seeing him less and less. He's stopped attending class. He barely leaves the house except to attend the occasional club meeting, or when he needs food. He ditches out on previously established plans, because he just can't stop playing. He's late for his commitments because he was "in the middle of a game" when he was supposed to leave. His grades have fallen into the toilet. His friends have begun abandoning him, frustrated that his computer is more important to him than they are.

One of his classes is scheduled every day at noon. There have been twenty sessions so far. He has attended three. John is part of a growing trend in young people, men and women who don't know when to stop. John is an addict.

The Signs of Addiction:

So how can you tell if you or a friend is addicted to gaming? What are the symptoms? Where do you draw the line between a hobby and an addiction?  As a general rule, most of the symptoms below are signs that you might need a touch of help, and they aren't simply isolated to adolescents, either.

1.      Gaming Takes Center Stage:  You're spending more time online than you spend with friends, in person. You make plans with people, then never follow up on them or simply ditch out on them altogether. You stop going to class, work, or any other regular commitments you might have, simply because you can't bear the thought of being away from your system that long.

2.      You Neglect Your Personal Health: You don't eat properly. You stop caring about your hygiene, and stop getting proper exercise. If you had a regular eating / exercise regimen before, you abandon it because you can't stop playing.

3.      You Lose Excessive Amounts of Sleep Because You're Gaming: This one's pretty much self-explanatory. You'd rather be online than asleep. You start getting up in the middle of the night to check your game... if you can ever sleep at all.

4.      You Regularly Play in Excess of 8-10 hours a day: Again, self-explanatory. Anyone who spends this much time gaming should probably look into getting another hobby or start questioning if they need help.  

5.      When You Aren't Gaming, all you can Think About is Your Game: You're preoccupied at all hours with your game. You feel happy when you game, but irritated and angry when you don't. Maybe you're using it to hide from an uncomfortable situation, or forget about negative events that are taking place in your life.

6.      You Lie About or Downplay How Much Time You Game: People ask you how long you were online, and you immediately lie about it, or dodge the question. Maybe you're in denial?

7.      You're Defensive when Told You Game Too Much: You get annoyed when people tell you that you should play less. Alternatively, you just laugh, and jokingly agree with them. Either way, you don't really listen to what they're saying, which is a sure warning sign. A sure sign you might be addicted is the classic line "I can quit whenever I want. I just don't want to."

8.      You Lack Control:  You intend to play one game of League of Legends, but instead end up playing four. You go online for a few minutes but end up gaming for several hours. You know you have somewhere to be, but you start up a game anyway. You can't control your impulses.

9.      You have Mixed Feelings About Your Habit:  You enjoy gaming, but at the same time... you're ashamed of how much you game. Still, for some reason, you don't want to stop. You can't stop.

10.   You NEED to play: You feel the irresistible need to plug in to your game and forget about the outside world. It's not just a matter of "I'm bored, I want to play video games." It's a matter of "I have stuff to do but the game is calling to me. I have to play." And the more you play, the more you want to play, the more you must play. You might start at one hour a day, then find that it's not enough. Eventually, you'll be playing two, then three, then eight.

In case you were wondering, John displays every single one of these symptoms except for two and nine.

(Continued on the Next Page...)