Comments on: Online Gaming Isn't Just Child's Play

An Addiction To Internet Gaming Tore Apart One Woman's Life And Family

[itwasntme000]

Posted by sissy-lala at 10:43 AM : May 03, 2007

But its ok to watch tv/movies for 40 hours a week?
To me sports nuts are some of the worst for this. they can easily spend that much time or more.

[sissy-lala]

Some of the other posters on this blog are morons as well.

The segment didn't say "Everyone's addicted to video games, they all need anti-depressants!" or "It's the evil video games fault!"

Depression can be a factor that drives people into addiction be it alcohol, drugs, or even video games and for some medication is really the only thing that significantly improves their condition.

The only way to get help is to first admit you have a problem. Admitting you have an addiction or depression doesn't enable you to continue being a complete arse. In fact once you've realized there is a problem it's your responsibility to get help.

In my personal opinion - yeah video games are fun blah blah blah but it really is pathetic if you spend 40 hours a week playing A GAME.

[kay--2009]

AnonLS is just doing their part in making the blog look really long!

Kay..I'm really sorry about what happened with your family, but if you let a computer dictate your life.. you get Spike Flail'd.
Posted by WHM75SMN37 at 02:27 AM : May 03, 2007

Thanks! You're right, I did let it dictate. I'm 10 months %u2018game free%u2019, the computer I played on in the segment is gone and I do my forum and emails from a laptop. I will 'never%u2019 game again.

I disagree to a point that MMO's are enablers; however, I do believe that people are enablers. For instance, the parent that uses the gaming console as a sitter, the person that agrees the s/o can play and not work just to keep them happy, and the person who plays the game for X amount of hours to not face reality.

Honestly, I would rather have my teenage son at home on weekends playing WoW, than on the streets. You see, I'm his enabler and WoW is exciting enough to keep his attention. We also do other things such as watch movies and play real life games as to limit his gaming time. Can you see where I%u2019m going with this?
Kay
GamerWidow.com

[itwasntme000]

Back to the point tho. Me for example, i have enough spare time to play upwards of 40 hours a week if i choose. I could quit the game i am playing if i choose but once I do i will find something else like it to occupy my mind. I am not addicted to any one game in general... I just like playing games. Be it online game or offline games it really makes no difference, granted offline games you are really isolated with noone else their most the time if you don't have friends. Whenever the GTA games come out me and one of my friends basically hang out every day and mess around on the game.

And when i go on vacations for a week plus with no games around whatsoever I really could care less because i have other things to occupy my mind at that moment. Also, sometimes i come across a good book to read. And i will not play a game for the length of time it took me to read the book.

Addiction is something that involves physical withdrawals / like a heroin/alcohol addict. things like that. But boredom is not a withdrawal symptom it is BOREDOM.

part 2/2

[itwasntme000]

But still, the thing that gets me about this article is them trying to call it an addiction.
here is a quote from article,.....
"""""They can experience all kinds of uncomfortable physical sensations when they try to cut back on their Internet use," Hollander said."""""
Like what ???? boredom???? becuase they have an ungodly amount of free time and don't know what to do with it??? When you go from something that can occupy your mind pretty easily to things like TV that are mildly amusing in comparison you will get bored. OH ok now they can go outside and do things like waste money at a bar drinking and harming their body. Or sitting on the beach cooking their body. That sounds like alot of fun. (unless it was a "real" beach oooo).
Granted if you have kids you could and should find things to do with them to get them out of the house. You want them to be able to function socially and not spend their time infront of tv/games all day.

part 1/2

[whm75smn37]

You know... I find articles like this both funny and sad. Funny because people use MMO's like FFXI and WoW as enablers. And sad because they delude themselves into thinking that the game is to blame.

I give her 3 months and she's on Alla or KI looking for a new server.

I play FFXI(regularly) and WoW occasionally. Alot of my real-life friends play as well. This spring, we all met up, and hung out for an ENTIRE WEEK without FFXI... or an MMO... Guess what. We didn't all curl up and die from internet addiction withdrawl. Amazing.. huh? . And the game was there, we could have logged on an played.. but we were having far too much fun going and doing things as a group. We almost had a full Party... *snicker*

You don't need mood / mind altering medications to fix a problem you let develop in the first place.

If you allow a game to be a problem it will. If you have the brains enough to know when it is time to /shutdown, you shouldn't have a problem. ^.^

Kay.. I'm really sorry about what happened with your family, but if you let a computer dictate your life.. you get Spike Flail'd.

[annd2302]

Well at least you now know the error of your ways. Acknowledge it and apologized. You did the right thing, not many would of...

[annd2302]

All postings by: Posted by AnonLs

Keep your fool *** finger off the "PUBLISH"

[anonls]

Gotta love the internet and my stupidity as I posted it 50 billion times!! If possible please delete them on account of my button spam. I also think a "delete comment" button is in order...

[anonls]

Like what has been stated before, gaming, like anything in life, can be taken to extremes. The sad thing about all this is that those who don't know much about gaming assume that addiction occurs to everyone or at least most people. Also, gaming is like any form of entertainment and, honestly, isn't any worse than going outside or doing anything else for enjoyment. To say someone should go out and "socialize" just shows they don't have a true grasp of what actually happens in these games. You can't take this to extremes and ignore what's important because, like I've said before, it's just a form of entertainment like sports and watching tv. Although I do have to say, being an FFXI player myself, online gaming is far more interesting than going outside and the like and I can see how one might get a little too drawn in. These games are made for enjoyment and shouldn't be seen as a horrible, addicting thing as many seem to portray them. They are simply forms of enjoyment and just because whoever is playing them isn't doing "what you did as a child" and could be doing things that someone else thinks is a better use of FREE time doesn't mean it's wrong. It seems to me that everyone is claiming there is an addiction problem to this or that and all of the above these days, as if the whole world is addicted to something and, of course, addiction means enjoying something which is a bad thing! (sarcasm). Sorry got off topic. Anyways, as they say "everything in moderation."