Legal Niches

NIMF Game Addiction Stats Not Convincing to Poll Respondents

By gamepolitics

Late last month, GamePolitics reported on a study jointly published by Dr. Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University and the National Institute on Media and the Family which claimed that approximately one in twelve kids show signs of being addicted to video games. Those results were was determined by comparing the gaming habits of 8-18-year-olds to symptoms of gambling addiction. Video game addiction is not currently recognized as an official mental disorder.

Shortly after the study's release, NIMF launched a poll on its website asking: 'Do you think that video game addiction is a real problem?' Here's the national breakdown of the voting as of Monday afternoon.  Of 3,169 respondents:

• 74% - No
• 19% - Yes
• 7%  - Not Sure

Minnesota, where NIMF is headquartered, is the only state with a majority of Yes votes at 51%. The state with the highest percentage of people who don't think video game addiction is a real problem?  Nevada, at 96%.

Go figure.

-Reporting from San Diego, GamePolitics correspondent Andrew Eisen...

UPDATE: The poll remains open. As of posting time, the numbers have changed a bit. Vermont, with 38%, has joined Minnesota as the only state currently where the Yes votes are in the majority.

Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on May 19, 2009 (boomark / email).