Study finds 'Potter' can be addicting
Study finds 'Potter' can be addicting As if anyone needed to tell us this, MTV published an article earlier today about research concluding that the Harry Potter series can in fact be addicting. The story notes:

In a just-finished study that's being submitted to the Journal of General Psychology, psych professor Dr. Jeffrey Rudski and two of his undergrad students at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, report that they found characteristics of addiction in at least 10 percent of the 4,000 Potter fans they polled online.

While the doctor discusses that the end of the series did have serious withdrawal symptons for some, likening it to going off a drug "cold turkey," he also said he chose to do the study on the end of the boy wizard's saga over the conclusion of the hit series The Sopranos because of his 15-year old daughter and the things she's taken from it:

"She's picked up guitar because she wants to be in a wizard-rock band," he said. "She's studying Latin because she wants to better understand J.K. Rowling's choices of names for her characters. She started reading Stephen King and John Irving because they spoke with Rowling at Radio City two summers ago." If that's being an addict, he's down with it.
Posted by Micah on Feb 22nd | 215 Comments
Visitor Comments
Posted by veronika Feb 24th 2008

I agree with them, I am addicted too... I have to read all Harry Potter


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

naaaaaaaaah i thought harry potter wasn't addicting(sarcasm everybody) just half of the united states sits on their behind reading harry potter or going on mugglenet or mugglecast.even watching the movies. my friends call me a harry potter freak i used to spend all my time on mugglenet


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

although i have met nice friends on mugglenet


Posted by tiassa Feb 24th 2008

hi snapefever,is that why we havent seen you for so long?are you cured? or am I confusing you with someone else entirly?oh well. you're not a freak, you are just as normal as I am(and anyone else on this site)


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

im sorry i haven't been on um my computer got sick um family stuff and no i'm still me i just haven't had time to go on line


Posted by tiassa Feb 24th 2008

thats ok. we have a site now by the way. If you ever feel like talking: http://robandalex.googlep ages.com


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

yeah reading books and school stuff ive been on occasionly but nobody been on


Posted by tiassa Feb 24th 2008

yeah we've been on the site for about a month I think maybe Im wrong. but there was a total makeover later. am I completly wrong in calling you Bri?


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

that's my name don't wear it out i can't go on the site my mom has a parental control thing on it i can't even go on google


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

yeah so i can only go on certian sites


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

it's a small world after all it's a small world after all


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

HELLO TIASSA


Posted by tiassa Feb 24th 2008

SORRY! google?god!Im sorry for you


Posted by Emi_5 Feb 24th 2008

hey guys....theres been something that bothers me.......why is this on a popular harry potter website......its not like we care....hahaha no i just thought it was a bit ironic how this was posted news on a harry potter website about being addicted/obsessed......do es anyone see the humor?


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 24th 2008

thanks tiassa i get mad at my mom every time i can't get on a website so when you're on that website and talking i can't get on it and that's probably why you haven't heard from me.


Posted by tiassa Feb 24th 2008

so that the next time someone starts talking about how I need to read "real" books or the next time someone asks me why the hell do I have all the hp characters b-days in my diary or the next time someone finds me counting down till the hp movie more then 5 monthes before it comes out and asks me why or the next someone asks me why dont I close the window to this site once in a while, I can just say cause Im an HP addict. And its a real drug.


Posted by tiassa Feb 24th 2008

sorry about the slow conversation and Im sorry about your mom are. you still here?How have you been(other then busy that is)?


Posted by tiassa Feb 24th 2008

sorry I missed you. Bye!hope to see you again soon.


Posted by ccunni Feb 24th 2008

hey tiassa -snapefever my parents have been threatening to put parental controls on this site and on the cheesecakien site evr since i 1st came on...they havent done it yet though! i am scared that they will though. that would be terrible!!!!!!


Posted by GeorgeusGirl Feb 24th 2008

I'm guessing whoever came up with this thought they were smart, had come up with a new revelation. Well guess what, millions of people ALREADY KNEW THIS. duh.


Posted by ccunni Feb 24th 2008

♪☺♥&#97 92;☼►♫& #9668;↕‼&#978 7;♠♣♦


Posted by Kareen Feb 24th 2008

I can just see it now, the "addiction" is going to reach such radical proportions that psychologists will have to go and set up rehab centers for Harry Potter addicts -rolls eyes- Geez some people take all of this crao way too seriously, both psychologists and fanatic fans.


Posted by potthead7140 Feb 25th 2008

Hello, my name is Kathryn, and I am a Harry Potter Addict....... whew! glad thats off my chest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i think there should be a PAA... Potter Addicts Anonymous... i would so have to admit myself....... and relapse every day! lol! what if ppl started getting diagnosed for real.... id be a potterholic any day... hahhaha. too funnie........ I WANT HBP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! laterz!!!!!!!!!! -kat


Posted by HPfanx14 Feb 25th 2008

hey, any cheesecakes here? becky?


Posted by WooDaddy Feb 25th 2008

heh, I'm addicted and I know it. ;)


Posted by kcharles Feb 25th 2008

Pft, none of US are addicted. ;) I know that I am, I was depressed after the series ended for 2 months. But seriously, who didn't know that!?!?!?!


Posted by jinnyw Feb 25th 2008

YYEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!! !!! I'm not the only one! HE HE HE HE


Posted by XOXORoonilWaslibXOXO Feb 25th 2008

WOW!! like we didnt know that already. anyone who reads HP is addicted. some more than other. i am addicted. i totally love Harry Potter. They r the best books that i have ever read.


Posted by halfbloodprincess96 Feb 25th 2008

if your addicted and you know it clap your hands( claps hands) ive been addicted to harry since i was six. im a sixth grader at a small school where everybody knows everybody and everything about everybody. i have not been called an addict before, however i have been called obsessed but just by my sister and who listens to her? i know how i got addicted though, wanna hear? my grandparents bought me the second book for my eleventh birthday, which was a couple of weeks before this past summer. i was really bored and it was all reruns on tv so i picked up cos and started to read. i had already read ss a few years previously. i finished cos within two days and picked up poa and started to read. i finished that within three days. then i borrowed gof from my bff amy. been there, read that. got ootp read it. got hbp read it. waited, reread books, got dh read it and became a harry potter addict. cant help it im fine with it and its better than drugs and alcahol. so what if im my friends and other people call me a potter freak. dont really give a flying hippogriff. my name is samantha and i am a harry potter addict. ^-^ :.)


Posted by SnapeFever911 Feb 25th 2008

i'm taking a vote everybody who is addicted to harry potter write "i am a harry potter addict" i will see you all tommorow bye


Posted by Just_Like_Ginny10 Feb 25th 2008

Wellll .. i JUST started reading the books last year and have seriously read the whole series like 5 times since then. it is truely an addiction. and its so funny because i used to HATE reading until i started reading these.. now i cant put them down. and all of my friends think im so weird .. but they dont know what they are missing out on (: and keep up the good work mugglecast !! i love listening to you every week.. but im not totally in love with you guys talking about spiderwick cronicals all the time though :/


Posted by HPfanx14 Feb 26th 2008

ayyee yoo. anyone on?


Posted by lilbecky8 Feb 26th 2008

HI KAYLA!!!!! *HUGS*


Posted by HPfanx14 Feb 26th 2008

becky!! *hug hug hug* i hope your still here. ugh my taecher made i sit threr and listen to her explain waht we ahve to do, even tho i know exactly waht im supposed to do, and i cant even do it b/c i forgot the sheet i need to do in class at my house.


Posted by HPfanx14 Feb 26th 2008

*cups around mouth* beckkkkyyyyy! whhhherreee arrrree yooouuu??? =[


Posted by lilbecky8 Feb 26th 2008

my boss gave me a big project and i got distracted!! i am sorry!!!


Posted by tiassa Feb 26th 2008

BECKY! whats up?


Posted by HPfanx14 Feb 26th 2008

its ohk. whts upp?


Posted by lilbecky8 Feb 26th 2008

nothing much here. i am not feeling the best, i wish i could go home. how are you guys?


Posted by tiassa Feb 26th 2008

Hi kayla, I wasnt sure you were here. Im fine. @SnapeFever911- well Ill already said it but I'm happy to repeat: I am a harry potter addict.


Posted by HPfanx14 Feb 26th 2008

hey tiassa =] lol i think anyone who is constintaly on mugglenet is a harry potter addict. lol and proud to be one =] and im sorry becky. *sends becky a cheesecake on a very pretty plate* hope you feel better =] but i cant stay, lunch time soon. ttyl guys! byee


Posted by tiassa Feb 26th 2008

Bye kayla! Ill stay here and keep you company Becky.did you register in the forums yet?I didnt see you there.


Posted by lilbecky8 Feb 26th 2008

no i havent yet... i will tho. how are you doing??


Posted by tiassa Feb 26th 2008

Im fine. lots of hw which Im ignoring. My sport finales are coming up soon in a couple of weeks so we run a lot and today one of my classmates(ironiclly the one who went through medical training) fainted in the class. So being a smart school they called for help to the class and sent all of us outside without our bags. it was lots of fun.


Posted by lilbecky8 Feb 26th 2008

oh wow! i hope that person is ok. (your school isnt very full of intelligent people is it?) i am ignoring work i should be doing too. it doesnt have to be finished today and my head and stomach are just hurting too much for me to concentrate on much.


Posted by lilbecky8 Feb 26th 2008

i am going home, i feel too sick to keep working. i will talk to you later


Posted by tiassa Feb 26th 2008

maybe you got it from spew. Im not sure what happened to her as she was sent to the hospital. However as someone who probably fainted more then anyone else in our gigantic school I think the problem was that stupid friend of her who was allowed to sit by her the all time and didnt shut her month for a moment. and she wasnt really saying helpful, worried, smart things. The girl was on the floor long before she feinted cause she felt dizzy. If I was in that state(and I have been before) and someone was there talking nonstop like she was I would have asked my friend to murder her. You are totally right about the intelligence of the people in my school.


Posted by muggleborn23 Feb 26th 2008

OHHHHH thank you all mighty smart college proffessor we never could of figured that out if you hadn't of told us that. jeese.


Posted by tiassa Feb 26th 2008

Bye feel well!


Posted by mik1of3 Feb 26th 2008

I have to agree...no duh!! I'm 42 years old, and I have both paperback and hard cover editions of all the HP books. (Except for DH, of course.) There is always a Potter book in my car, I read them during my daughter's swim practices, her clarinet lessons, when I'm eating dinner, drying my hair...my husband laughs at me. He figures I'm trying to memorize them to tell our grandchildren (when we have them.) As a non-reader, he just doesn't understand how many things you pick up that you missed before with every re-read. I wonder, though...can you get gov't aid for a Potter addiction?






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