Canada Drug Rehab

By Daniel Jordan, General Manager

In yesterday’s post, we discussed the 3 Cs of Addiction Test which described the roles that 3 key characteristics play in determining whether an individual is abusing or dependent on a bad habit: compulsion, control, and consequences. A bad habit could include drugs, alcohol, coffee, even using a cell phone.

At one point in the article, online gaming was reviewed to see if it fits the profile of a true addiction, meaning that it met all 3 criteria in the 3 Cs of addiction test. The conclusion presented in the article was that unless one could define squandered opportunity or wasted time as a negative consequence, online gaming did not meet the criteria of an addiction. This brings us to a very real dilemma of our modern times: is our growing fascination with the Internet a good thing?

A Modern Dilemma: Our Growing Reliance on the ’Virtual’ World

It seems that Western culture is struggling with the Internet and whether it is better to live in the ‘virtual’ world of games and chatting or the ‘real’ world with all of it’s imperfections and inherent risk. Well, at least for some adults, it’s a dilemma. Ask most children and they don’t see a problem. Kids will tell you that online gaming and chatting is not only harmless, it’s fun. Appealing to a parent’s role as guardian, kids will  often argue that playing video games or chatting online is far better than going out and getting drunk or getting mixed up with kids that are up to no good. Most parents can’t argue with that logic since, above all, they want their children to be safe and out of harm’s way.

Most Parents Are Ambivalent About Online Gaming

Many parents, therefore, are ambivalent about online gaming. On the one hand, they know that kids are vulnerable to accidents in their youth, particularly during the experimental phase of drinking and drugs. Drinking and driving; parties that turn violent due to drugs or alcohol; invisible, tasteless date rape drugs; etc., etc. These are all examples of life in the ‘real’ world, where teens can, and do, get hurt. Furthermore,  most parents can remember some of the foolish stunts they pulled as kids and shudder to think if their kids even did half of the things they did at that age.

However, many of today’s parents know that something is missing in the lives of their children. The days of playing street hockey all night on the neighbourhood streets of many Canadian communities seems to be a thing of the past. Kick the can, hide-and-go-seek, touch football, snow men, tree forts, and kite-flying have all suffered a similar fate. Kids won’t miss what they never had but, based on their own childhood memories, many parents would agree that their kids are paying a price for growing up in the age of the Internet.

Another ‘Harmless’ Pasttime: Smoking Pot

In this way, the debate over online gaming is reminiscent of another ‘harmless’ pasttime: smoking pot. Talk to most kids nowadays and they will tell you that marijuana is no big deal. They understand that the police and the courts give most pot smokers a slap on the wrist. Some kids even mistakenly believe that marijuana is legal.

However, pot smoking is far from harmless as anyone who works in addiction treatment can attest. Motivation can be a struggle for anyone who habitually uses marijuana. Many who use marijuana find it’s a great way to cope with life’s challenges. Rather than deal with life on life’s terms, many resort to a few puffs, relax, and move on - never learning from making difficult situations or working through the consequences of poor choices. In many ways, marijuana is the ‘perfect escape’ - cheaper than booze, supposedly harmless, and culturally acceptable.

Here again, parents are ambivalent. Many parents rationalize that it’s better for their kids to smoke pot than use other ‘hard drugs’ such as cocaine or crystal meth. Some parents even think it’s okay if their kids smoke a little weed at home rather than being out on the streets beyond their protective gaze. 

Escape as The Real Danger of Online Gaming, Smoking Pot and other ‘Harmless’ Activities

It is not until we look at motive does the real danger of many of today’s so-called harmless activities come into sharper focus. If one is only playing video games and smoking pot on a recreational basis, then perhaps there is no harm. However, if the real motive is to escape reality, then perhaps then one could argue that excessive online gaming or pot smoking does lead to negative consequences.

So what does escaping reality mean for a teenager? Here are some scenarios:

Peer Pressure (developing social skills) : In the virtual world of online gaming, players can be interact with other kids free from being judged about what they wear, who they hang out with, how they look, or what they say. Players can assume an alias or even disappear where they can see other players but the other players can’t see them. This ability to control the terms of human interaction is one clear benefit to players who would prefer to avoid the ‘hassle’ of the real world which can be unpredictable and intimidating.

Dealing with Boredom (learning to be creative): online gaming is a great way to escape boredom. Any parent who has ever observed online games will notice there is a lot of activity and lots of noise. Visually, kids are attracted to these games just as adults are attracted to the bright lights and ringing bells of a casino. Furthermore, online games require a great deal of skill that kids seem more than willing to develop over days, weeks, and months. Finally, games such as Warcraft and Maple Story never end. There are always more villains to conquer and new virtual lands to invade.

The cost of such compelling games is that kids do not learn to be creative. The game provides everything they need. Most parents will remember their own childhood where, out of sheer boredom, games would be invented and enhanced, modified and eventually discarded. Then other games would be invented and the process would repeat itself. All they needed was some cardboard boxes, some old clothes, even an old tire tube. Whatever was on hand.

Becoming an Adult (learning to be Independent): as kids approach graduation, they begin to think about their future. What are they going to do for a living? How am I going to support myself? The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be difficult but not if your world revolves around online gaming. After all, with an internet connection and a computer you’re pretty much set. As a result, many kids can fall into the trap of thinking that not much needs to change in order to continue a lifestyle built around online gaming. This is particularly true if kids are allowed to stay home while they attend post-secondary education or work to save up enough money to buy their own place.

Conclusion

Families of today have new challenges that are coming at an ever-increasing rate. Parents are often torn between letting their kids be kids, keeping them safe, and preparing them for adulthood. Online gaming is a perfect example of a new technology that many families did not even know about until just a few short years ago. Individuals who work in the addiction treatment industry are keeping a close eye on whether society’s growing desire to ’escape’ and new technologies will fuel even more addiction. Perhaps society’s ability to stay firmly grounded in the ‘real’ world will depend a lot on the collective will to live a balanced life, use technology in moderation, and connect with face-to-face with friends and family.

Tags: addiction, ambivalence, internet addiction, marijuana, online gaming, pot smoking, teenage drug use, virtual world

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 7:21 pm and is filed under Addiction Tests, Addiction Treatment Help, Exploring Addiction, Process Addictions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.