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> If we define addiction as [not] being able to stop despite wanting to,

That's not a poor definition for addiction. That's a definition of a habit. Addiction tends to include "drug seeking behaviour"; and tolerance; and perhaps withdrawal too.




From OED

Addiction: the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity

Wikipedia includes a category for behavioral addiction and computer addiction:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction#Behavioral_addiction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_addiction


In practice, an addiction is merely a habit that is not wanted, whether by the self or others. We acknowledge that gambling can be an addiction, yet an addiction to a game or to internet browsing is taken much less seriously.


I agree that people can be addicted to games.

I say this even if we use the tighter more correct definition of addiction.




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