Ripon College Days

Media Credit: Photo by Katie Giles Addicted. Feelings of success achieved in video games release dopamine and can inhibit sleep. [Click to enlarge]

One TV, two gaming systems, two computers, and a shirt that proclaims, "Life is a poor substitute for video games." What do all of these things add up to? A lot of wasted time.

"When I was six, my parents bought me an NES and the first Mario game, the rest is history," says sophomore gamer Derek Olson.

When asked how many hours Olson put into playing video games, he sat and pondered in his comfy computing chair before he answered, "About 50 hours a week. I usually play about eight hours a day on the weekends."

While Olson may be an extreme example of the hardcore gamer, according to the 2004 CSS Institutional Profile 12.1% of the Ripon College student body plays video games three to five hours a week, doubling the 7.1% of the student body of all other four year private colleges.

Also, 2.7% of the student body at Ripon plays over 20 hours a week, again doubling the other private schools with a mere 1.1%.

"It's fun because it provides an escape from the real world," says first year Greg Bruce. Another gamer, junior Will Krupecki says, "It's a completely different world."

While students have their own reasons for playing, Ripon College counselor Cindy Viertel says, "The fact that we're a small school in a small town with fewer opportunities might contribute to that."

Olson finds that playing different games allows for different experiences. "I like role playing games because it's like an interactive story," says Olson. First year Nate Rees agrees, saying, "It's like playing a game and reading a book at the same time."

Junior Paul Gallagher enjoys playing online games, because of "The fact that I can play with friends, and talk to people all across the U.S."

The appeal of video games on campus has surged in the last couple of years, as students have been missing class and neglecting homework.

According to a survey conducted on campus, five out of 22 students have missed class due to playing and 11 or 50 percent of those surveyed have neglected homework because of a game.

While not as many students have missed class directly due to a video game, many noted that they have stayed up very late in order to play and then were too tired the next morning to go to class.

"One of the things we know is that while playing video games, whenever a person succeeds, whether it be getting points, moving somewhere, or even getting a kill, the area of the brain associated with pleasure is activated and releases dopamine," says Professor of the FYS Impact of the Media class Tim Petersik.

"The study's findings, along with others, imply that when they get the sense of reward, their desire for sleep decreases," says Petersik. "Strong activation of reward areas in the brain usually precludes or prevents the sleep state from taking over."

Viertel adds, "Certainly students have come in with spending way too much time playing video games, or computer games, or something computer related. Years ago it was too much TV."

Viertel went on to say, "[Students] will come in and say, 'I'm having trouble getting up for class' so I have to fish it out," that they are up all night playing video games.

Petersik discusses how video games can be considered an addiction.

"There have always been addictions among students," says Petersik. "It's an addiction so it relies on the release of dopamine, just like gambling, sex and drug addictions. What sets video games apart is the sheer volume of them."

Viertel claims that it isn't really a problem to be playing a lot of video games unless it interferes with friends or family, or work obligations.

Olson, while a self proclaimed gamer, doesn't think his addiction is problematic. "I don't think video games interfere with my work," says Olson.

Petersik says, "I wouldn't call it an epidemic, but I can count more cases of students missing class from video games in the last five years than in the previous five years."

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