Is the newest ENTITLEMENT going to be giving money to INTERNET ADDICTS?

Question

In this crazy society we live in - giving disability benefits to drug addicts and alchholics - are we NOW going to give money to those who CHOOSE to get "addicted" to the Internet? Where is the PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY?

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070715/D8QD02LO0.html
A couple who authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect. (**the kids are okay now)
While child abuse because of drug addiction is common, abuse rooted in video game addiction is rare, Viloria said.

Last month, experts at an American Medical Association meeting backed away from a proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder, saying it had to be studied further. Some said the issue is like alcoholism, while others said there was no concrete evidence it's a psychological disease

Answer 1

This I can wholeheartedly agree with you about.

There's been a general "movement" if you will, where people do not want to accept responsibility for their actions.

People blame everyone else and they sue whomever they can.

It's disturbing that our society will not accept responsibilities for their actions. (GOP and this war is another good example..:) )

Answer 2

Okay, as far as my opinion on this couple, they don't have an addiction problem. They're psychologically disturbed. This is like the case I read where two babies were taken from their mother because she left them unattended for hours while her and the babies' father attended a rock concert. That's just piss-poor parenting from people who are essentially too stupid to reproduce. Let's not chalk it up to addiction.

As far as alcoholism and drug addiction... um, news flash here. Those are diseases. I know how much you'd love to sit there and toss stones at these people while you scream about self-control and morals... but it is actually a disease. Scientists have even isolated the gene that causes it.

Also, it is not a psychological disease. It is absolutely a physical abnormality. Just like if someone allergic to strawberries might have an adverse reaction while eating a strawberry, if an alcoholic drinks a beer then that person have an adverse reaction by wanting to drink as many more beers as possible.

Now if you really want to be judgmental I guess you can blame the drug addict for taking the illicit drugs in the first place. I guess if the addict hadn't taken the drugs, then the addict never would have become addicted. But you know what, in this day and age there are very few people who didn't "experiment" with drugs, including our current Commander in Chief. So we really can't cast stones, now can we?

By the way, I know all of this because I am a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. I have no shame in sharing this... I was blessed with a loving family and strong Christian friends who lent me the support I needed without enabling me. And as part of my rehabilitation, I learned as much to know on the subject of addiction as anyone. I have books upon books... I've done research you couldn't even fathom. I am not an addict because I have no personal repsonsibility. I have a disease. I thank God it is currently in remission.

Do not make addiction into an issue of self control or personal responsiblity. You have no idea what you're talking about. I can sit there and take you tossing your judgment on minorities, liberals and others but I can't tolerate people tossing stones at addicts. There are many conservative republicans in my AA group. The disease doesn't play favorites!

Answer 3

They are many factors that contradict their 'addiction' excuse.
1.What about themselves? Did they feed themselves, go to the bathroom? They must have gotten up from the computer seat at least one time to do these things, right? Or were they starving & dying themselves? How did they manage to take care of themselves & not the kids????
2.Plus, don't you have to PAY for online gaming? The husband is unemployed & the wife too is some small time worker. Anyways, where did their mney come from? If they were too busy on the internet for over a month how did they pay money for gaming online without working? The woman must have been fired from her job when she failed to show up. The article said they had food, just not for the kids? Am I missing something here?

And for them to be addicted in medical terms they'd had to have starved themselves. I mean, like a killer barged into their house & still they ignore the killer & keep playing video games. There was an article on Reader's Digest coupla months ago about a man in China who died of heart attack because of playing an online game for 50 hours straight! That's the medical definition of addiction!!!!

Also, the food the investigators found, were they baby food or were they suitable for the kids? Were they just junk food or something typical adults would eat?
What about the cats they had? Were they witout food too?

Answer 4

All human beings don't get an entitlement. You frequently in basic terms get reward in case you're undesirable or elderly or unemployed or long-term disabled on your different question you asked some ok-a million visa. Your boyfriend would desire to no longer get a ok-a million visa or sponsor you as his spouse if he's receiving government reward. that could coach that he would not have the skill to pay for to help you. So if he's utilising for government reward, his ok-a million utility would in no way be authorized. He would would desire to provide up all reward and coach he meets the income standards with a view to get a ok-a million visa.

Answer 5

This is absolutely insane!
Why do they always insist on making excuses for people who have committed crimes instead of prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law which is exactly what they deserve?

The Straws cannot use the excuse that they were playing video games to justify almost killing their defenseless babies in the cruelest possible way.

Were the Straws malnourished or dirty with cat urine in their hair and sores in their mouth and infections on their privates?
If they were able to pull themselves away from the computer games long enough to take care of themselves then they certainly were able to take care of their children as well.

Making excuses for them like this is pathetic and trying to make people think they are only victims and deserve treatment if they play video games too much is just the most disgusting thing I could ever imagine them doing.

I think both of the Straws should be sterilized and spend a fair amount of their life behind bars in prison where they belong for what they did to those poor kids.

How could the mother live with herself knowing what she was doing to her own babies?
How??????

Answer 6

Oh yes! I believe it. I KNOW people who have spent fortunes on the latest video cards, gaming devices, etc. and cannot pull themselves away. You should see some of the avatars that some of these people come with. Amazing!

It's an addiction and they've caught themselves into a trap.

Answer 7

people do not choose to be addicted.
I'm sure you don't know addicts or anyone else with a complusive disease. depending on what they are addicted to there can be both physical and mental effects.

giving disabilty to drug and alcohol addicts is not entitlement. its helping people who have a disease. I think we should put them in treatment and monitor them more closely however when they are recieveing aid.

Answer 8

What does a internet addiction have to do with politics?
Shouldn't this be in the medical or addiction section?

Maybe you should be teaching yourself WHAT section
questions go into...you seem to put all your questions
regardless of what the subject is ...in the political section.

TEACH YOURSELF the different question sections!

(Opps...don't see a star after this question,
better get one of your other yahoo id's to star
this question!)

Answer 9

Gee. This is 1 a lot of us might qualify for. What are the requirements? ☺

Answer 10

What do you propose? Giving everyone a drug test before they can get any type of welfare? I think I'd go for that.