Stephen McDaniel and Marvin Zuckerman noted that high
sensation-seekers had an increased interest in gambling, had larger
bet sizes, were more likely to try to “make up” losses by raising bet
sizes, gambled longer despite losing more money, and that sensa-
tion-seeking score varies directly with the number of gambling
activities, bet sizes, and money spent on gambling.^27 Pathological
gamblers in general are characterized by higher rates of impulsivity
compared to non-gamblers.^28Internet Games
High sensation-seekers can also be drawn to exciting media experi-
ences, even to the point of addiction. Movies and television shows
can be thrilling, but they’re nothing compared to the immersive
and engaging world of Internet gaming. I’m not talking about
a round of the latest color matching games for the iPhone. The
multi-billion dollar world of computer games has spawned an
emerging psychological condition. The American Psychiatric
Association gives us a peek into Internet gaming disorder,
a research description of individuals who take computer gaming
to the extreme.^29
For these gamers, Internet games are all-encompassing.
They stock up on supplies of sports drinks, easily microwaved
foods, and adult diapers to wear during gaming binges so they
don’t have to miss a moment of play. One website devoted to
gaming hosted an online confessional where gamers admitted the
extreme measures they had taken for gaming binges. One admitted
taking a week off from school to indulge in a new game. He even
came up with an ingenious way to prevent his sister from knowing
he was hiding in his room to play.
“My senior year of college, I decided I was going to take
a week off. I also couldn’t go to the restroom because the bathroom
was right in front of her room. So I had to make do and started
peeing in some old coffee cans. I would dump and rinse them out
when I ‘got home from school.’ It was gross, but the game was
awesome and it was totally worth it.” Another waited for his fiance ́e
to leave town to indulge, but he lost track of time: “I was confused
sometime later when she came back in the house and
had a concerned look on her face. I hadn’t really noticed but I had
been playing the game non-stop for 2 days straight and she had
come back from her trip. She forced me to take a shower before
I passed out.”^30150 / Buzz!Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Access paid by the UCSF Library, on 11 Nov 2019 at 14:20:10, subject to the Cambridge