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Anime Addiction

Anime addiction is a real phenomenon, particularly among teenagers ages 13-18 who are stressed coping with life realities. Anime addiction causes individuals to distance themselves from friends and family, and can lead to anxiety, depression, poor school performance, and social isolation as addicted people escape into the utopian worlds of anime. More research is needed to better understand anime addiction, but it is clear that for some, intense anime consumption provides escape from dysfunction in real life and an alternative community through conventions and online forums.

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Michael Flores Colina
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456 views

Anime Addiction

Anime addiction is a real phenomenon, particularly among teenagers ages 13-18 who are stressed coping with life realities. Anime addiction causes individuals to distance themselves from friends and family, and can lead to anxiety, depression, poor school performance, and social isolation as addicted people escape into the utopian worlds of anime. More research is needed to better understand anime addiction, but it is clear that for some, intense anime consumption provides escape from dysfunction in real life and an alternative community through conventions and online forums.

Uploaded by

Michael Flores Colina
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Anime Addiction

22.03.2021 , Worlds_Best_Rehab , therapy 0

Anime Addiction
Authored by Jane Squire MSc

Edited by Hugh Soames B.A.

Reviewed by Michael Por, MD

Anime addiction is treated by many individuals with a laugh and a roll of the eyes.
How can someone seriously be addicted to anime? The same thing was once said
about videogames . The truth is, anime addiction is very real and can be dangerous
(like videogame addiction) to those suffering from it.

In Japan, anime addiction has been given the name Otaku and the word is used to
describe anyone suffering from the affliction. The Land of the Rising Sun was the
birthplace of anime and plenty of young individuals and even adults have found
themselves addicted to watching anime television series, films, or reading anime
graphic novels.

When was anime invented?


Anime is simply just the shortened form of the word ‘animation’. Although anime
started in Japan, it has moved from east to west and now, anime is made all over the
world. However, the term ‘anime’ is reserved for cartoons, films, and graphic novels
specifically made in or influenced by Japanese animation. Oftentimes, the word
‘manga’ is used in the place of anime, but the two are interchangeable.

The art of anime can be traced back to its origins in 1917. It wasn’t until the 1960s
that anime as it is known today emerged courtesy of the work produced by Osamu
Tezuka. Anime is defined by its use of bright colors, energetic characters, and
oftentimes, storylines featuring other worldly aspects.

In the 1990s, anime began to migrate outside of Japan and over the last three decades,
has become popular all over the globe. Although anime had been produced and
released in the United States prior to the 1990s, it took off in the decade after making
a connection with young people. While it may seem that anime is made for kids, like
comic books, there is anime for adults as well. Some anime has a crossover appeal to
both children and adults. Pokémon is an example of anime that appeals to both
children and adults.

Effects of anime addiction


Otaku affects each individual differently. It is similar to videogames as there are some
people who can play a game and not feel compelled to continually play it in one
sitting. Yet, there are others that are unable to pull themselves away from it.

Generally, anime addiction is suffered by teenagers ranging from 13-years-old to 18-


years-old. It is believed that anime addiction affects this age range due to teenagers
now having more freedoms. Many are discovering the world, preparing for university,
dealing with the stresses of high school, and possibly working after-school jobs.

This period marks the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood and it can be
incredibly stressful. Therefore, anime, especially anime set in utopian locations in
which there are happy endings that do not reflect the real world, is an escape for
teenagers.

Reality can be difficult for teenagers to cope with making them want to escape into
the characters, settings, and plots of anime. Needing to cope with the realities of life
makes anime addictive and dangerous.

How does anime impact a person’s life?


According to Founassi Ridha, lead therapist at Villa Paradiso Tunisia and renowned
subject matter expert, like videogames, anime offers viewers or readers a high they do
not receive elsewhere. Neither videogames nor anime are illegal, so there is an idea
they are safe for individuals to consume them with little regard. Yet, research has
shown that both videogame and anime addiction produce negative impacts on a
person’s life.

Anime addiction causes individuals to distance themselves from family and friends.
Perhaps the only reason addicts wouldn’t be isolated from family and friends is if
those close to them are also suffering from anime addiction. Individuals may also
become easily irritable, suffer from anxiety or depression, and stop enjoying the
activities they previously did. Oftentimes, anxiety and depression are soothed by
watching anime to escape. Parents may also see a decline in school performance.
Individuals showing Otakuism form a destructive addiction toward anime. They begin
to crave it, spend excessive amounts of money on it, and can have relationships
ruined. Other signs of anime addiction can also be seen in Cosplay. Cosplay was
created in Japan and it is the dressing up as a favorite character from anime, books,
films, and/or television shows. People who escape reality by dressing up like their
favorite characters may suffer from anime addiction.

An Otaku decides to live in fiction over social reality. They can distinguish between
reality and fantasy, but prefer fiction due to the ease it allows in life. Anime offers the
chance to relax and destress, while communicating with others is difficult. In some
cases, an Otaku ignores everything except anime because the individual has created
new standards and values based on the anime they watch. The world outside is
considered dysfunctional but anime is not.

How much is known about anime addiction?


It is safe to say there is only a little bit about anime addiction that is known and more
research into it is needed. As previously stated, a lot of people laugh when anime
addiction is mentioned. How could a person be addicted to a cartoon series? It is the
same as being addicted to the Internet, videogames, or Snap Chat. Until more research
is done, however, diagnosing someone with anime addiction may be difficult.

What is known is Otakusim offers an alternative path to mainstream culture. There are
conventions, parties, and communities with others who watch and enjoy anime. It is a
community for people who do not feel a part of something already.

Since it allows individuals who feel disconnected to connect with others in the
community, it reflects drug culture. Yet, drugs are not what “alters” an Otaku’s mind,
it is the anime that does it.

Anime is far more than just watching television series and movies or reading graphic
novels. There are Cosplay conventions, communities, and more designed for people
who enjoy anime, and these create an even more dangerous situation for those
addicted to it.

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