4 Clark, N. and Scott, P.S. (2009). Game Addiction: The Experience and the Effects. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 84.
5 Ibid. p. 88.
6 Deem, G., personal communication, April 13, 2014.
7 Carr, N.G. (2010), The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. New York: W.W. Norton. pp. 26–27.
8 Ibid. pp. 27–28, 33.
9 Note: In our 20,000-person survey, we considered two or more hours or video games per day to be excessive. After gathering responses and getting feedback from participants as well as video game researcher Jane McGonigal, we defined excessive as four or more hours per day in Demise of Guys. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of screen time per day for young people (see Introduction). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) offered the following tentative criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD); at least five out of nine of the points must be met in a year-long period:
• Preoccupation with video games
• Tolerance manifested by increasing amounts of time invested in video game use
• Escape of adverse moods through video game use
• Loss of relationships/opportunities as a result of video game use
• Reduced participation in other activities as a result of video game use
• Deceit in order to continue video game use
• Continued video game use despite adverse consequences
• Difficulty reducing video game use
• Withdrawal (manifested in restlessness and irritability) upon discontinuation of video game use.
The DSM-5 included IGD in the appendix but did not recognize the diagnosis fully, noting that it warranted more research for potential inclusion in future editions. See: Voss A., et al. (2015). “Case Report: Internet Gaming Disorder Associated with Pornography Use.” Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 88, 319–324.
10 Note: “The persistent inability to control excessive gaming habits despite associated social and emotional problems.” See: Brunborg, G., Hanss, D., Mentzoni, R., and Palleson, S. (2015). “Core and Peripheral Criteria of Video Game Addiction in the Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 18(5), 280–285.
11 Doan, A. (2011, October 4). “The Lure of Sex in Video Games.” Retrieved November 11, 2011 from Hooked on Games: www.hooked-on-games.com/blog/33-the-lure-of-sex-in-video-games.html; also see Doan, A., Strickland, B., and Gentile, D. (2012). Hooked on Games: The Lure and Cost of Video Game and Internet Addiction. Iowa: FEP International. (pp. 87–88)
12 “So, Uh, You Can Have Virtual Sex, Now.” (2012, December 18). Retrieved June 26, 2014, from SourceFed: http://sourcefed.com/so-uh-you-can-have-virtual-sex-now/.
13 Van den Bosch, J. (2013). “Sinful Robot: Creating the World's Most Immersive Virtual Reality Erotic Encounters (with Oculus Rift).” Retrieved June 26, 2014, from Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1a2tev/sinful_robot_creating_the_worlds_most_immersive/c8trcpj.
14 Moynihan, T. (2015, May 19). “New Sex Toys Sync Up to Virtual Reality Porn.” Retrieved August 29, 2015, from Wired: www.wired.com/2015/05/new-sex-toys-sync-virtual-reality-porn/. Also see www.Lovense.com.
15 Kaplan, E. and Purdum, J. (2001, May 13). “I Dated a Robot,” in M. Groening and D.X. Cohen, Futurama. Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century.
16 Yee, N., Bailenson, J.N., and Ducheneaut, N. (2009). “The Proteus Effect: Implications of Transformed Digital Behavior Self-Representation on Online and Offline Behavior.” Communication Research, 36(2). Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://vhil.stanford.edu/pubs/2009/yee-proteus-implications.pdf. p. 294.
17 Korolov, M. (2010, October 8). “Treatment Center Gets $865,000 for OpenSim Project.” Retrieved June 12, 2014, from Hypergrid Business: www.hypergridbusiness.com/2010/10/treatment-center-gets-865000-for-second-opensim-project/.
18 Yee, N., Bailenson, J.N., and Ducheneaut, N. (2009). “The Proteus Effect: Implications of Transformed Digital Behavior Self-Representation on Online and Offline Behavior.” Communication Research, 36(2). Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://vhil.stanford.edu/pubs/2009/yee-proteus-implications.pdf. p. 287.
19 Dretzin, R. (Director) (2010). Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier [documentary]. United States: PBS Films [Frontline].
20 Ibid.
21 Sipress, D. (2011, December 19). “When I was your age, I had to hike ten miles through the ice and snow to . . .”—New Yorker cartoon. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from Condé Nast Collection: www.condenaststore.com/-sp/When-I-was-your-age-I-had-to-hike-ten-miles-through-the-ice-and-snow-to-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8638277_.htm.
22 “Porn: Business of Pleasure.” (2007, July 9). Retrieved November 17, 2011, from CNBC: www.cnhc.com/id/31586577/?slide=4.
23 Tylka, T. “No Harm in Looking, Right? Men's Pornography Consumption, Body Image, and Well-Being.” Psychology of Men & Masculinity 16(1) (2015): 97–107.
24 Wilcox S., Redmond, S., & Davis, T. (2015). “Genital Image, Sexual Anxiety, and Erectile Dysfunction among Young Male Military Personnel.” Journal of Sexual Medicine. 12, 1389–1397.
25 Macfarlane, J. (2008, June 14). “Men Aged 18 to 30 on Viagra to Keep Up with Sex and the City Generation.” Retrieved January 10, 2012, from Daily Mail: www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1026523/Men-aged-18-30-Viagra-Sex-And-The-City-generation.html.
26 Levin, M., Lillis, J., and Hayes, S. (2012). “When Is Online Pornography Viewing Problematic among College Males? Examining the Moderating Role of Experiential Avoidance.” Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 19(3), 168–180.
27 (2011, July/August). Men's Health, 30.
28 Retrieved June 8, 2011, from Alexa: www.alexa.com.
29 Schonfeld, E. (2011, April 25). “Netflix Q1 Earnings Up 88%, Adds 3.M Subscribers.” Retrieved November 11, 2011, from Seeking Alpha: http://seekingalpha.com/article/265310-netflix-q1-earnings-up-88-adds-3-m-subscribers.
30 “More of What Women Want.” (2015, July 25). Retrieved August 30, 2015, from PornHub Insights: www.pornhub.com/insights/women-gender-demographics-searches; and “50 Shades of Pornhub.” (2015, February 18). Retrieved August 30, 2015, from PornHub Insights: www.pornhub.com/insights/50-shades-hdsm-searches.
31 Retrieved August 10, 2015, from Alexa: www.alexa.com.
32 “More of What Women Want.” (2015, July 25). Retrieved August 30, 2015, from PornHub Insights: www.pornhub.com/insights/women-gender-demographics-searches.
33 Wilson, G. & Robinson, M. (2011, February 8). “How Porn Can Ruin Your Sex Life.” Retrieved August 30, 2015, from The Good Men Project: http://goodmenproject.com/health/how-porn-can-ruin-your-sex-life-and-your-marriage/.
34 Daily Mail Reporter (2011, April 22). “Young Men Watch TWO HOURS of Porn Online Each Week . . . and One in Three Have Missed a Deadline Because of It.” Retrieved June 16, 2014, from Daily Mail: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1379464/Porn-Young-men-watch-2-HOURS-week-missed-deadline-it.html.
35 Wilson, G., personal communication.
36 Wilson, G. (2014). Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction. United Kingdom: Commonwealth Publishing. pp. 59, 66. Also see: Salamone, J.D., and Correa, M. (2012). “The Mysterious Motivational Functions of Mesolimbic Dopamine,” Neuron, 76(3), 470–485, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.10.021; and Sapolsky, R. (2012). “Dopamine Jackpot! Sapolsky on the Science of Pleasure,” FORA TV: www.dailymotion.com/video/xh6ceu_dopamine-jackpot-sapolsky-on-the-science-of-pleasure_news; and Kuehn, B.M. (2012). “Willingness to Work Hard Linked to Dopamine Response in Brain Regions,” News@JAMA: http://newsatjama.jama.com/2012/05/02/willingness-to-work-hard-linked-to-dopamine-response-in-brain-regions; and Franchi, L. (2013). “Dopamine Keeps the Brain Motivated to Pursue a Distant Goal,” NaturalTherapyForAll.com: http://blog.naturaltherapyforall.com/2013/08/07/dopamine-keeps-the-brain-motivated-to-pursue-a-distant-goal.
37 Wilson, G., personal communication.
38
Note: Another point to consider is the reward prediction error hypothesis: “According to the reward prediction error hypothesis, dopamine is released only for unexpected rewards, which is relevant for current purposes due to the constant novelty inherent in Internet pornography.” See: Negash, S. (2015). “Trading Later Rewards for Current Pleasure: Pornography Consumption and Delay Discounting.” Journal of Sex Research. 0(0), 1–12.
39 Kühn, S. and Gallinat, J. (2014). “Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated with Pornography Consumption,” JAMA Psychiatry, 71(7). Retrieved November 29, 2014, from http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1874574.
40 Osterath, B. (2014, June 5). “Pea Brain: Watching Porn Online Will Wear Out Your Brain and Make It Shrivel.” Retrieved November 29, 2014, from Deutsche Welle: www.dw.de/pea-brain-watching-porn-online-will-wear-out-your-brain-and-make-it-shrivel/a-17681654.
41 Brand M., et al. (2011). “Watching Pornographic Pictures on the Internet: Role of Sexual Arousal Ratings and Psychological-Psychiatric Symptoms for Using Internet Sex Sites Excessively.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 14(6), 371–377.
42 Wilson, G. (2011, June 17). “Start Here: Porn-Induced Sexual Dysfunction.” Retrieved February 21, 2012 from Your Brain on Porn: http://yourbrainonporn.com/porn-induced-ed-start-here; and Wilson, G. (2011, February 10). “Erectile Dysfunction and Porn.” Retrieved February 21, 2012 from Your Brain on Porn: http://yourbrainonporn.com/erectile-dysfunction-and-porn.
43 Carr, N.G. (2010). The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. New York: W.W. Norton. p. 210.
44 Note: Erotic images have a different effect on the brain than live streaming porn. See: Ferretti A., et al. (2005). “Dynamics of Male Sexual Arousal: Distinct Components of Brain Activation Revealed by fMRI.” NeuroImage. 26, 1086–1096.
45 Savage, D. (2015, February 13). “My 15-Year-Old Watches Sadistic Porn.” Retrieved August 31, 2015, from Washington City Paper, www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/46848/my-15-year-old-watches-sadistic-porn-and-only-sadistic.
46 Voon V., et al. (2014). “Neural Correlates of Sexual Cue Reactivity in Individuals with and without Compulsive Sexual Behaviors.” PLOS ONE. 9(7).
47 Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. New York, NY: Penguin Books. pp. 105, 108–109.
48 O'Donohue, W.T. and Geer, J.H. (1985). “The Habituation of Sexual Arousal,” Archives of Sexual Behavior, 14(3). Retrieved June 16, 2014, from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4004547.
49 Joseph P.N., Sharma, R.K., Agarwal, A., and Sirot, L.K. (2015). “Men Ejaculate Larger Volumes of Semen, More Motile Sperm, and More Quickly when Exposed to Images of Novel Women.” Evolutionary Psychological Science, http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40806-015-0022-8/fulltext.html.
50 Ogas, O. and Gaddam, S. (2011). A Billion Wicked Thoughts: What the World's Largest Experiment Reveals about Human Desire. New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA), Inc. p. 193.
51 Max, T. “The Date Application” (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2011, from Tucker Max: www.tuckermax.com/stories/the-date-application/.
52 Martin, D. (2012, April 10). “Jack Tramiel, a Pioneer in Computers, Dies at 83.” Retrieved April 24, 2014, from the New York Times: www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/technology/jack-tramiel-a-pioneer-in-computers-dies-at-83.html?_r=0.
53 Rose, G.L. (2011, October 6). “Steve Jobs—Here's to the Crazy Ones.” Retrieved April 16, 2014, from Virgin: www.virgin.com/news/steve-jobs-here's-crazy-ones.
54 Lenhart, A., et al. (2008, September 16). “Teens, Video Games, and Civics.” Retrieved June 10, 2015 from Pewinternet.org: www.pewinternet.org/2008/09/16/teens-video-games-and-civics/.
55 Ibid.
56 “Study Examines Video Game Play among Adolescents.” (2007, July 4). Retrieved December 31, 2011, from ScienceDaily: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070702161141.htm.
57 Weis, R. and Cerankosky, B. (2010). “Effects of Video-Game Ownership on Young Boys' Academic and Behavioral Functioning,” Psychological Science, 21(4). Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://pss.sagepub.com/content/21/4/463.
58 Gentile, D.A., et al. (2004). “The Effects of Violent Video Game Habits on Adolescent Hostility, Aggressive Behaviors, and School Performance,”Journal of Adolescence, 27, 6.
59 Deem, G., personal communication, April 13, 2014.
60 Clark, N. and Scott, P.S. (2009). Game Addiction: The Experience and the Effects. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, p. 14.
61 Sax, L. (2009). Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men. New York, NY: Basic Books. p. 91.
62 Paton, G. (2014, April 15). “Infants ‘Unable to Use Toy Building Blocks’ due to iPad Addiction.” Retrieved April 15, 2014, from the Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10767878/Infants-unable-to-use-toy-building-blocks-due-to-iPad-addiction.html.
63 Gentile, D.A. (2012). “Video Game Playing, Attention Problems, and Impulsiveness: Evidence of Bidirectional Causality,” Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1(1), 62–70.
64 Brandt, M. (2008, February 4). “Video Games Activate Reward Regions of Brain in Men More Than Women, Stanford Study Finds.” Retrieved June 12, Rideout, V.J., Foehr, U.G., and Roberts, D.F (2010, January). “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds.” Retrieved October 16, 2015, from The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: https://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8010.pdf. p. 22. 2014, from Stanford Medicine News Center: http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2008/02/video-games-activate-reward-regions-of-brain-in-men-more-than-women-stanford-study-finds.html.
65 Ingalhalikar, M., et al. (2014). “Sex Differences in the Structural Connectome of the Human Brain.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 111(2), 823–828.
66 Rideout, V.J., Foehr, U.G., and Roberts, D.F. (2010, January). “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds.” Retrieved October 16, 2015, from The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: https://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8010.pdf. p. 22.
67 McGonigal, J. “About World Without Oil” (n.d). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from World Without Oil: http://worldwithoutoil.org/metaabout.htm.
68 Haberstroh, M. (2008, April 24). “Wii Are Family—Two-Thirds of Parents Say Social Gaming Has a Positive Impact on Family Life.” Retrieved January 10, 2012, from TNS Technology: www.tnsglobal.com/news/news-185D8B66AE3F44C3B60E79E03A469E24.aspx.
69 Seaman, A.M. (2014, March 14). “Exercise Video Games May Add to Kids' Activity: Study.” Retrieved June 26, 2014, from Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/03/14/us-exercise-video-games-kids-idUKBREA2D1AE20140314.
70 Loyola University Health System. (2008, March 22). “Virtual-Reality Video Game to Help Burn Patients Play Their Way to Pain Relief.” Retrieved June 20, 2014, from Science Daily: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319152744.htm.
71 Kuszewski, A. (2011, March 7). “You Can Increase Your Intelligence: 5 Ways to Maximize Your Cognitive Potential.” Retrieved June 8, 2015 from Scientific American: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/you-can-increase-your-intelligence-5-ways-to-maximize-your-cognitive-potential/.
72 Freeman, B. “Researchers Examine Video Gaming's Benefits.” (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2015 from the U.S. Department of Defense: www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=57695.
73 Dobnik, V. (2004, April 7). “Surgeons May Err Less by Playing Video Games.” Retrieved September 1, 2015, from NBC News: www.nbcnews.com/id/4685909/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/surgeons-may-err-less-playing-video-games/#.VW5IIWCQb0c.
74 “The ABC of Gender Equality in Education: Aptitude, Behavior, Confidence.” Retrieved July 21, 2015 from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development: www.oecd.org/publications/the-abc-of-gender-equality-in-education-9789264229945-en.htm. p. 43.
75 Vice. “The Celebrity Millionaires of Competitive Gaming (Ful
l Length).” Retrieved accessed May 31, 2015 from www.Youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of1k5AwiNxI.
76 Dunckley, V. (2014, February 27). “Gray Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages the Brain.” Retrieved June 19, 2015 from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-wealth/201402/gray-matters-too-much-screen-time-damages-the-brain.
77 Stilphen, S., “Bob Whitehead” (n.d.). Retrieved April 21,2014, from DP Interiews, Digital Press: www.digitpress.com/library/interviews/interview_bob_Whitehead.html.
78 Kent, S. (2001), The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story behind the Craze that Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Roseville, CA: Prima Publishing/Random House. pp. 550–51.
79 Parkin, S. (2012, April 22). “Don't Blame Video Games for Anders Behring Breivik's Massacre.” Retrieved May 17, 2014, from the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/22/video-games-anders-breivik-massacre.
80 “APA Review Confirms Link between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression.” (2015, August 13). Retrieved September 3, 2015, from American Psychological Association: www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games.aspx.
81 Williamson, L. (2011, August 1). “South Korean Clinic Treats Web Addicts.” Retrieved accessed May 31, 2015 from the BBC: www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-14361420.
82 Hotz, R.L. (2012, March 6). “When Gaming Is Good for You,” Wall Street Journal. p. D1.
83 Anderson, C. (2004). “An Update on the Effects of Playing Violent Video Games,” Journal of Adolescence, 27, 113–122, as cited in Sax, L. (2009). Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men. New York, NY: Basic Books.
84 Chomik, A. “Top 10: Most Violent Video Games.” (n.d.). Retrieved December 31, 2011, from AskMen Website: www.askmen.com/top_10/videogame/top-10-most-violent-video-games.html.
85 Huesmann L.R. (2006). “The Role of Media Violence in Violent Behavior,” Annual Review of Public Health, 27, 393–415. Retrieved from: http://bscw-app1.let.ethz.ch/pub/bscw.cgi/d5907573/HuesmannTaylor-The%20Role%20of%20Media%20Violence%20in%20Violent%20Behavio.pdf.
Man, Interrupted Page 32