According to an Australian study, video game addicts are not "shy nerds", as perceived as by many. Instead they are as outgoing as the next dude. Dan Loton, a Psychology graduate from Victoria University who conducted the study has this to say, "From a clinical point of view, an addiction is a mental illness with very serious consequences. In this context, we need to ask whether gaming is responsible for causing people's lives to fall apart in the same way we see with gambling, alcohol or drug addiction." According to his study, only 1% of game addicts suffered from shyness and there was no direct connection between problem game-playing and social skills or self-esteem. These findings will impact American Medical Association (AMA) plans, as they want to formally recognize video game addiction as a mental disorder in 2012.

AMA has described players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, known as MMORPGs, as "somewhat marginalized socially, perhaps experiencing high levels of emotional loneliness and/or difficult with real-life social interactions". MMORPGs such as World Of Warcraft are often associated with problem gaming due to their virtual economies, expansive worlds, and in-game socialization. With due respect to all kinds of researches and their findings, I think it safe to say that any kind of addiction is a bad. Videogames, booze or otherwise, check the addictions pronto and lead a healthy life.

Source