Porn and video game addiction are leading to 'masculinity crisis'.

[Jesus Malverde]

A leading psychologist has warned that young men are facing a crisis of masculinity due to excessive use of video games and pornography.

Psychologist and professor emeritus at Stanford University Phillip Zimbardo has made the warnings, which form a major part of his latest book, Man (Dis)Connected.

In an interview on the BBC World Service's Weekend programme, Zimbardo spoke about the results of his study, an in-depth look into the lives of 20,000 young men and their relationships with video games and pornography.

He said: "Our focus is on young men who play video games to excess, and do it in social isolation - they are alone in their room."

"Now, with freely available pornography, which is unique in history, they are combining playing video games, and as a break, watching on average, two hours of pornography a week."

Zimbardo says there is a "crisis" amongst young men, a high number of whom are experiencing a "new form of addiction" to excessive use of pornography and video games.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/porn-and-video-game-addiction-are-leading-to-masculinity-crisis-says-stanford-prison-experiment-psychologist-10238211.html

[DJ13]

1. Can I just play until I need glasses?

[BlueJazz]

5. Sounds Ok to me. I watched porn until I got hair on my hands, then I quit.

...for awhile...an hour.

[HereSince1628]

8. It doesn't hurt you eyes...it makes hair grown on your palms!

[DJ13]

15. I thought that was just nature's way of providing padding for my joystick

Ooops

[pscot]

2. Superfluous men

He's confusing cause and effect.

[lumberjack_jeff]

19. +1 n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

3. Well, it certainly has changed

We used to play sports and kick the @#$% out of each other.

Maybe the new way is better; I guess we'll find out. Change is scary, for me too.

[Exilednight]

4. I must be above average, I

watch a lot more than two hours a week.

[JonLP24]

6. I can see maybe

pornography but not even close for video games. I sometimes have addiction for video games, especially for a new game. Difficulty or challenging can force a replay -- Just Cause 2 can be like that with the difficulty settings upped plus the map of Panau is huge. For the most I've been afraid to venture outside Rockstar sandbox games. GTA & Red Dead Redemption were great the first time but not much replay value. GTA 5 is different but I have an order to do missions side & main in order of they appear switching characters after each one so I can get bogged down in the side missions. I sit through taxi rides & the entire ride up the mountain I get bogged down.

I gave up on sports game, the difficulty sliders I just can't right settings & accurate scoring & stats. I could set MLB the Show 11 on one of the medium settings and have some days with a few hits another with 11. I did lead the league in the strikeouts in batting but I could never make it through a full season on baseball. NBA Live 08 was way too easy NBA 2K with Jordan on the cover frustrated the hell out of me with so many controls I could either euro step, hop stop, but couldn't seem to ever duck. The sliders were a nightmare as well.

Final Fantasy 8 is one I'd like to get back too, I quit years ago when I couldn't capture the most powerful monster in Pandaros box before the final act even with a Gameshark. I enjoyed the story that I'd like to finish. Fantasy 9 was too much like a cartoon I quit right away. I'm very interested in trying out Fallout New Vegas I hear Flagstaff is on the map but wish it was more like a shooter as the battle scenes get in the way of exploring.

On edit -- Of course I play single player games in isolation, nothing is more boring than watching someone single play a video game.

[LittleBlue]

7. But it is their choice

Calling it an addiction invalidates personal choice by implying that it is a treatable problem. I don't agree that everyone should be forced to live a certain lifestyle or be branded an addict. It is contrary to western belief in the freedom to live how we wish. As the article states, an article in Psychology Today says that porn ED is unsupported by the research.

Dr Zimbardo can take his theories to Iran or China where the authorities concern themselves with incorrect lifestyle choices.

[NobodyHere]

11. Many people do get addicted to video games

I'd compare it to alcohol or recreation drugs. Many people can imbibe a little and step away from it. There are a few though that can not step away and it leads to isolation, job loss, etc...

I've known several people who stayed home to play video games and lost their jobs or failed school(yet still responsible for paying for it) because of it.

[LittleBlue]

13. Maybe they like video games more than their real lives

People became hermits long before the first computer was invented. The question is whether video games are the cause.

[JonLP24]

18. I don't view it that seriously

DU is far more addicting over anything I do, games are just entertainment.

[Major Nikon]

16. The word addiction is vastly overused

Generally it takes the form of demonizing something by making an implied analogy to a drunk or a junkie.

You can have a strong attraction to most anything if you experience it enough. That's not the same thing as someone who can't discontinue something without facing serious mental and physical withdraw.

Some people have just decided that life in general sucks and they would rather do something they enjoy rather than keep doing something that makes them miserable.

[Rex]

9. Proof that the Internests was made for porn.

[moondust]

10. Maybe they can't afford a new sports car.

To go on Saturday night dates that cost a small fortune.

Is it more about the games or the ongoing expenses?

[hunter]

12. Well it's a lot less dangerous than real cars and cheap prostitutes...

... and, as Manny mentioned above, beating the @#$% out of each other.

They're not usually the sort you'd want your daughters and nieces, gay sons and nephews, hanging out with anyways.

And it's only going to get worse...

http://vimeo.com/12915013

[davidn3600]

14. Probably can't afford to pay for the dates anymore

Porn on the internet can be found for free... heck, even a lot of video games are free.

Yet the guy is expected to throw down $100+ every Friday night so his date can have a good time?

[Initech]

17. Yup I'm sure that's the underlying problem right there.

We're going broke while the top 40 in the country have more money than half the world.

[Agschmid]

20. Maybe you should split the cost of the date...

Yah... that's it.