Technology Addictions of the Fight Response

An argument might be made that violent video games have replaced actual war as an adolescent milestone. And yet, most video games are about orienting more than fighting. (This is not say that fighting is absent.)

Halo

Halo is an immensely successful game franchise. The intended experience for the user is complete immersion in the experience of battle.

Gears of War

This is essentially the same idea as Halo:

Gears of War

Fight-structured activities (including the virtual jousting provided by activities such as online poker) are essential to the development of most adolescents. Learning to mediate and properly use one's energy and power -- emotionally, psychologically, intellectually -- is a crucial milestone on the way to adult identity. Young people who do not achieve the delicate balance between personal empowerment and community responsibility invariably experience relational difficulties as adults. Most develop long-term addictions to substances (alcohol, in particular) or behaviors (gambling and gaming, in particular).