Two hours gaming = a line of cocaine...

[Knikitta]

Wtf is HE taking? <-- Source.

On the back of the sleeplessness furore, therapist Steve Pope makes some of the most shocking claims yet.

Just one day after claims linking video games to sleeplessness emerged, Lancashire based therapist Steve Pope has made some of the most bewildering accusations yet about the possible harmful effects of gaming.

“Spending two hours on a game station is equivalent to taking a line of cocaine in the high it produces in the brain," Pope told BBC Radio 5Live in an interview last night. “It's the silent killer of our generation.

“We're now onto second generation game station players who have always grown up with it. Computer game addiction can also spiral into violence as after playing violent games, they may turn their fantasy games into reality.

"It is the fastest growing addiction in the country and this is affecting young people mentally and physically."

Describing his campaign against gaming as a "personal quest to spread the message", Pope urged any parents listening to the broadcast to "go upstairs to your kids bedroom and try and take the game station controller out of their hands".

He said most kids will react "in the same way as an alcoholic would if you tried to take their booze – it's scary".

Of the sleeplessness scandal, Pope claimed that kids who stay up late playing titles such as Call of Duty are unable to concentrate the next morning "because of the endorphin high in their brains" that leads to a "chemical imbalance" that disturbs behaviour and learning.

[Knikitta]

This person's reply is spot on!

He's wrong: posted by Charlie Today at 9:39 am

Speaking from vast experience, he's talking a load of poo. A line of coke is nothing like 2 hrs gaming. Reasons why:
1) Gaming doesn't make you chatty and sociable.
2) Gaming desn't make you believe you are the hottest stud on the planet.
3) Gaming does not make you incredibly horny (See point 3)
4) Gaming is not illegal
5) Gaming does not make you spend all of saturday night dancing on a podium with your shirt off, then waking up at 4pm sunday afternoon with a complete stranger in your bed. Or if you're lucky, two complete strangers.
5) Gaming does NOT produce a high the equivalent of a line of coke. This guy iobviously has never ttried coke, of if he has he really needs to get a better dealer as his coke is obviously shit.

However I conceed there are similaritiies.
1) Gaming costs £50 a pop
2) These days it only lasts for a few hours.
3) The media view you as an outcast, someone to look down on, even though half the country regularly does it - but just won't admit it.

[Mr Swift]

For fuck sake. Rape murder and drugs all linked to this.

Kinectimal will be linked to bestiality next...

[Mr Swift]

To add to this. He may have one point that it causes restlessness. However this scaremongering is completely stupid. And clueless parents will listen!

[Mr Swift]

And btw who has died beacuse of gaming in this country?

[ZeroMark]

Another crusader, spouting made up evidence thinking hes protecting children. Whatever, im not a child anymore so i dont care.

DONT LET ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 20 PLAY GAMES! That should be the law.

[Mr Swift]

DONT LET ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 20 PLAY GAMES! That should be the law.

I'm 19 dude. No fair!

[Jokesound]

I think me and Dom will have to have words with you about this too...

[UselessJack]

Goddamn youngsters. You ruin the gaming experience for us elders.

And now get off my lawn!

[joeydale13]

I know I probably won't get a response but I e-mailed the bloke asking if I could have a phone conversation with him.

I am all for people making comments about certain industries and entertainment mediums with facts and scientific evidence. But to come and say that he is on a personal mission to teach people about the dangers is just not acceptable.

I always try and give some people the benefit of the doubt, was some of his comments taken out of context? are there chunks of the interview missing? probably not, but would like him to tell me personally if thats not the case so I can have a proper open discussion with him.