Researchers find Harry Potter is addictive
 

A study recently submitted to the Journal of General Psychology determined that Harry Potter can be addictive, with fans of the series experiencing "withdrawal" after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

After studying 4,000 Potter fans online, researchers found signs of addiction in 10 percent of the group, using a scale established for smoking in which they replaced cigarettes with Deathly Hallows. Participants considered "addicts" were those who:
According to the study's lead researcher, Dr. Jeffrey Rudski, a psychology professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania:
The study did find, however, that fans who used a creative outlet for their addiction – like fanfic writers and graphic designers – were the least likely to go through withdrawal symptoms that caused disruption in their day-to-day lives.

You can read more about the study here.

WOW!! That is crazy! I guess I truly am addicted..now that they showed the symptoms :yes: (like I dint know before:jump: )

:sunny:
guilty as charged...100%.does anyone here know a potion to counter it?

It's finally OFFICIAL! *happy dance* gosh... my parents will be proud! I'm addicted to something! YAY! :woot:

Did opening this website not confirm that?!?!?

So true!!!
Only 10% ?
I had withdrawls one time
The day the book came out!
My parents wouldnt let me read it!!!
I was like going nuts! It was cruel!!
And I spent the next night sneeking off to go read it anyway!!
~Abby~

I am SOOO laughing, because I am SO addicted to Harry Potter.

And yes, I am experiencing Potter withdrawal! LOL

*is proud of it all, too* hahha

NOOOOOOO REALLY? YEA THINK:head: :head:

Like DUH peope are addicted to harry potter. Like me, I think, eat, sleep, drink, revolve my life around and LOVE harry potter. So im an addict too!!!
harry potter harry potter harry potter IM harry potter NOT harry potter ADDICTED harry potter :)

wow thats interesting

Well, duh. Today I got in an argument with my fiance on something Harry Potter related...that just isn't normal.

I found that quite interesting. I am slightly addicted to HP. Hey slightly addictive is well, still addictive

Thats odd but cool. I am so one of those people that are addictied. I also got in a fight with my husband today actuall about Harry Potter. But not haveing many withdrawls now that i'm writing FF's.

:rotfl: I saw the title of this article and thought to myself, 'Addictive? No, really? I never noticed!' :xd: Of course Harry Potter is addictive. I spend at least four hours a day on SS...and often much more. :blink:

Oh man! whyu didnt they do thid site :X ! im sure id be one ;p!

http://dragcave.ath.cx/image/W3S7.gif
Please click my Egg!

That comes hand-in-hand with running a fansite :lol:

Why do I feel like the junkies of the world will object to that? :lol:

10%? How many people did they interview?! More like 60% +! xD

What? - blink -

Yes, I'm addicted. To HP and to SS, both. But I write Fan Fic, and I make graphics, so yes. Lots of creative outlets, you know. ^_^

Geee! Took them a big while to find that out didn't it? *pokes them* And only 10%? HA! As someone said before, they obviously didn't interview anyone from SS XD

Hmm, I think I' not addicted to Harry Potter, more obsessed! XD

Harry Potter is pretty addictive i guess. But then so is everything! I mean think of all the people that spend ho9urs infront of the TV because they're addicted to it! :lol:

Yeah I'm addicted to Harry Potter id they have a problem with it tough cookies. I'm also addicted to this website. Being away from it for more than a day is like tourture for me. i need to post at least five things a day.


As for that ten percent thing its so small they need to come here in watch that number shoot through the roof.

10%!!!!!??????!!!!!!! You've got to be kidding me! SS is full of addicts!

Definitely addictive. I'm sad it's over. :( Only sub-standard movies left and even those will soon be over and we'll be left with nothing.

ONly 10%??? They obsoucly don't know what they are talking about. This is like having to live without any sugar for weeks at a time!

Haha! They must have surveyed only casual fans! And that's so funny that fanfic writers and graphic designers experienced less withdrawal...I'm a graphic designer and I was depressed after DH LOL

Research is not infallible! ;)

so true

but only 10%??

I do love my father sometimes. It it true though, I would never be playing guitar OR taking Latin if it wasn't for HP. Btw, if anyone wants to see him present his findings, come to Terminus! He also is working on getting his paper published (I go to read it...it's awesome!).

Ain't it the truth? <laugh>

When my husband read that article he said it made him think of me.

Guess I am addicted... and proud of it!

I think that's a bit exaggerated, but I certainly have a hard time leaving the books, or fanfic or such.

Ugh, my mother describes me as addicted. I like to say I'm slightly obsessed. And I think it's more of an obsession with this site, rather than an obsession with the Harry Potter novels themselves. I've read better books (:gasp:). I'm not in withdrawal because the series ended. Probably because I still have SnitchSeeker to come to.

An addiction is something that can totally ruin your lifestyle and your health. And I like to put my life first, and seperate real life and SnitchSeeker completely. Only one of my friends, and my parents know I'm a SnitchSeeker minion. I wish I hadn't told my parents, they think I'm a retard or something. Bleh.

And I think they should've also polled Harry Potter fans who were not on internet communities, because surely, they would be slightly less obsessed than we all are, and we'd get a better impression of how many people are in fact addicted.

Though I sometimes can't fall asleep at night, and soon realise that it's because I'm thinking of something having to do with SnitchSeeker. Every time! I would be on SS much more often were it not for my luferly parents too. :poke:s 'em.

huh.
I dont display any of those addiction signs... maybe it is because of my fanfics.
We always joked that we were addicted and now it's true! :lmao:

And there suprised?
Haha

they had to use research to find that out??

Well, im definately one :) !

They are pretty much explaining me

they should have known that a long time ago it took them this long just to say yes Harry Potter is addicting duh!

Really? We didnt all know that we were addicted when we first read it said Molly in a sarcastic voice

OK...I like Harry Potter,:lol: but I don't think I'm that 10%, because I'm not totally addicted...but I am sad after DH.

soooooooooo true. first time read one i was hooked.

Well, thanks, researchers, for telling us what we already know!

They researched it? O_o

How...extreme. X]

I guess it's always great to have researched proof? XD

We have to admite that harry potter is actually quite addictive.
LOl I know for sure the im one of the 10%.
Harry Potter rocks my socks!

This is true..But I think this addiction will decrease after all the movies display in theatres. The mania will end or will not be like when there were books and movies still going on.

I don't understand the separation between 'real life' and the internet. The internet is something you use in your life. I don't see the distinction, personally.

SS has, in so many ways, enriched my life; be it through friends, experiences...whatever. Same as HP. Culture is a part of our lives, not separate. At the end of the day, it helped get me into University, led to some amazing journalistic experiences and has helped me meet so many fantastic people. All of which, is intrinsically linked with my life. Therefore I don't see it as an addiction, as such, because that word has negative connotations.

But maybe that's just me :lol:

That wasn't really surprising...:lol:

I think I already knew this... :lol:

:lol: they obviously did not look at some of the members on SS.
but wow. only 10%?

Yeah i think according to that information that im officially addicted lol!

We so could have told them that to begin with and saved a bunch of money they spent on research.

True, true and true.
I know SnitchSeeker is part of my real life... I guess what I mean is that I keep SnitchSeeker to myself when it comes to people I have known personally.

I guess it also depends on the situation. I've been brought up in a family where pretty much everything on the internet is considered dangerous, even if you're careful about what you say and do. My mother isn't really a computer person, and doesn't really understand that the internet can be safe.

My father once used SnitchSeeker against me in an argument that had nothing whatsoever to do with Harry Potter. He was yelling and all.

Basically, they both think I do have an addiction, and I disagree. So I just try keeping it to myself.

You're right to say I can't seperate real life and SS, because I spend hours at a time of my real life on SS.

That makes me crack up. I don't understand how someone could be going through withdrawal if we all wait long periods of time between the new books.

And as for not being able to sleep over a HP book, I think that's a bit ridiculous. Can't you just reread it? Or go to this website?

LMAO I can totaly agree with everyone here, it's totally addictive and wicked!!, and I can't get through the day without even thinking about it all the time lol, I get teased so much by my friends, but it's all in good fun!!

I too, think that if they studied each member of SS, it would be more than 10%. Lol.

I wasn't trying to say about anyone else, just me :) But yeah, fearing technology is not good. It's how it's used that's key, not the device itself. So long as you're educated and sensible, you can't really go wrong.

when you obsessd with harry potter who has the time or money for drugs?

I already knew that HP was addicting. But only 10%? How many people did they interview? When I read DH I locked myself in my room and yelled at anyone who came with in 5 feet of my door.

i cant believe its only 10%

okay, so i haven't even been on this website in along time, but i couldnt' pass this thread up, because it totally relates to me.... how bad is that. while reading DH, i was so absorbed in the book that i barely ate. from lack of food, i actually turned out to be very sick and lost about 7 lbs in 2 days. that may not be bad for some people, but i am very petite to begin with, and it took me TWO MONTHS to gain all of the weight back!! i even went to the doctor to see if anything was seriously wrong, i explained that it happened while reading DH, and he just laughed and said that i was "obviously obsessed".... funny, but then again, dangerous... lol

I'm glad that good research money was spent to determine that. :P

Of course of you ask those here, you may find the total a bit higher. :D

i find it so funny that they have people who dedicate thier lives to reseaching harry potter..... HAHAHAHAHA. When you thnk about it that would make thsoe researchers obbsessed to !

DUH!!!!
GOd .. i thought being addicted to HP was obvious...
my mom wouldnt let me read DH so i used to excuse for bathroom and then read it .. i practically read the whole book in the washroom
buahahah ;)

so true xD it's really addictive

wow that's actually quite scary!! I agree though some people in here and other pages are just addicted to Harry Potter... I belive I am one