There’s a new addiction in town. It’s not Ecstasy, heroin or any other hard drug. It isn’t cigarettes or Jack Daniel’s.

But like the above vices, people can become obsessed with it. At times, it causes them to forget about the real world.

“Depending upon how good the game is, playing video games can be very addictive,” Brian Martinez, 20, undecided major, said.

“The longest I’ve played straight was twenty-five hours because I just could not put it down,” he said.

Martinez is one of many for which video games have become an “obsession.”

“It’s all a matter of finding the game that fits your personality,” Amanda Boyce, psychology major, 18, said.

“Then, you feel the adrenaline and excitement in less than a second,” she said.

There might be an addictive video game out there for everyone, even for people who dislike video games, Boyce said.

“For some video game players, it’s coming to a point where this hobby is replacing the phone and movies,” Moises Aguilar, 20, law major said.

Though video games are nowhere near as deadly as nicotine, prolonged play can lead gamers to health and social problems.

“People may become obsessed, but not ‘addicted’ to video games,” psychology professor Julio Farias said.

Physically, anyone who plays video games may experience numbness or soreness due to the long periods of time in an immobile position, which can be hazardous, clinical physician Ruth Taylor said.

“Video games can increase stress and anxiety levels, and metabolism will slow down because (players) just sit there and might be eating at the same time while having episodes of tension,” student health coordinator Debbie Conover said.

Furthermore, there is evidence that video games, which oftentimes contain sexual and violent themes, provoke players to exhibit equally violent behavior, Conover said.

“One reason it might become an addiction is due to the vivid graphics that these games have, which stimulate the brain,” Farias said.

“If you already have an aggressive personality, you shouldn’t be playing video games,” Boyce said.

“I hate fighting games, but I don’t think they would make me more aggressive because it’s not my personality,” she said.

In addition, Taylor said that many video game devotees spend time “cooped up” in a room, and fanatics forget “real life” as they doze off into a surreal world.

“Those who play video games are living an unreal world where they hide from the real one,” Taylor said.

Video games may also lead adults and children to live an antisocial life, Conover said.

In some cases, Farias said, people may go so far as to sacrifice everyday activities to play video games.

“Since there is no social interaction, video game players’ speaking skills may be below average,” Taylor said.

There is an exception. Martinez is one gamer who uses video games for academic improvement. Part of his vocabulary and basic English skills developed from playing video games, he said.

Martinez is mostly interested in role playing video games (RPG), a literature-intensive type of game in which players control characters on a journey as part of a storyline.

The story is often told through character dialogue and flashbacks.

“I love (RPGs),” Martinez said. “It’s like a virtual book. I’m not too heavy on reading books because I have to imagine. I prefer to already have the visual out for me and to read along,” Martinez said.

Practicing self-control, Farias said, is the best course for avoiding a game-centered lifestyle.

“Moderation is the key,” Taylor said.