It should be no surprise that video games have the potential to become addictive. But a spate of recent events has shown they can also be deadly: From young players dying of mid-game heart attacks to parents so immersed in their virtual environment that they forget to feed their children.
What is it about modern video games and gaming culture which compels people to play for sometimes days on end? And do the makers of such games bare any responsibility? This hour, we speak to industry experts about the causes and consequences of video game addiction.
GUESTS:
- Simon Parkin - Writer and journalist, contributor to The New Yorker, and author of Death By Video Game: Danger, Pleasure and Obsession on the Virtual Frontline
- Adam Alter - Associate Professor of Marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business and author of Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
- Hilarie Cash - Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of the reSTART Center for Digital Technology Sustainability, specializing in internet and video game addiction
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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
