Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Are we all addicts that need help?
robinhoodb
Member Posts: 4
Dear Community.
"Not yet another long long boring addiction thread", you might think - and to be honest, you are right, I am also already bored and yawning by just writing this. However, I think that there is currently a big front against MMORPG forming (at least in my country) which could have a huge impact on future gaming and I would liketo hear your thoughts about this.
I watch TV and I like it. I have to see every new science fiction movie on TV or/and in cinema. Additonally I like to take pictures with my Canon Eos400D - macro, landscape, portrait everything - I just take it with me everywhere I go.
Furthermore, I like to walk through forests, climb up mountains and collect forest mushrooms in the autumn time with my kids. My wife sometimes calls me a fanatic mushroom collector and we all then laugh and are happy that the season is over and there are no more mushrooms left to collect.
Yes, I have a bike, a clean one. I also need to have a clean car. This is why I clean it very thoroughly and it takes up lots of time. There also much to do in the garden.
At last I also play computer games. Not single offline PC games, because I feel so disconnected. No I play MMORPG's in the time I have left. I just quit AoC and concentrated back to WoW. I like tha chats, the quests, the strolling and the raids.
Now, where is my point you will ask. Well, with all my activities I have and maybe you will have others or similar, no one would ever come up with the idea to say: You are addicted to your camera, or your car, or you fruit/vegetable garden, or my greenhouse, or the 8-9 hours I work as a software developer in front of my computer, or my mushroom thingie, or my sense for good food, or my need to go on holiday so often to see and experience other culture, people, history, art and food.
But, suddenly I am questioned and I have been told, that I am addicted to MMORPG. Why? Because, I play between 2-7 hours a week and there was a documentation on German national TV the ARD (Allgemeiner Rundfunk Deutschlands) about addicted and ruined MMROPG gamers.
Here is the link: http://mediathek.daserste.de/daserste/servlet/content/843812?pageId=&moduleId=799280&categoryId=&goto=1&show=
Web portals are forming like this (http://www.rollenspielsucht.de/) and moderated channels only show one sighted threads of addicted MMORPG gamers that cry out for help with their addiction and the questions is officially asked: Why is the government not protecting our kids/citizens.
Over night I feel that a whole gamers community is drawn over the barrel, because of some sad stories.
Do not get me wrong, I believe that there is MMORPG addiction, but is it really that common? Is it really already so bad, that we all have to go into a psychology institute for treatment?
3 little stories out of my guild.
1.) He, 19, had to go to a psychologist for treatmeant. His dad took an axe and destryed his computer while he played. He stopped playing WoW for 8 months, his marks went up from D to B grade and he got a bought new computer. He now starts to study and also started to play WoW again
2.) She 18 plays WoW, her mother pulls the plug from the network under week, whenever her mother thinks she plays too often.
3.) He 15 plays WoW, his mother saw the movie and crashed his laptop and deleted the account she paid for him.
I really would like to hear your thoughts, stories, experience and your opinion if we are a sick, addicted, in help needing MMOPRG community?
Because my personal feelings are, that they do not understand us at all and because they cannot control us what we are doing, they try to take it away - open witch hunt season.
Regards
Robin
PS. If you find mispellings and grammars, you can keep them 
Comments
Interesting topic
I found the part about the father and axe really hilarious .No wonder the son ended up going to a psychologist ..if thats how his parents show there frustration by using a weapon to destroy something then trust me MMO's are the least of his problems
To answer the question...yes some are " addicted " to mmo .Is it as bad as drug addcition..I don't think so.I cant remember the last time someone overdosed on MMO..or ended up working for a Nigerian Pimp to pay for there subscription fee's
The most insidious issue with MMO's in my view is it becomes an acceptable addiction.What I mean by that is a person spends the whole weekend and maybe every night playing MMO's ...he doesn't socialize or interact with people.He only exists as a personality in a virtual world .People who know him say he's a
"computer geek " and he is left to continue .However if there were no MMO's who is to say whether this person wouldn't use the internet to find another type of virtual habit .He could be addicted to chat lines ,Second Life or any of the other dozens of mediums that exist today that allow people a form of entertainment .
I don't know any MMO addicts that are as extreme as the example I mentioned but end of the day if a person has balance in there life whats wrong with playing MMO's .I play almost everyday and about 24 hours on the weekend.I have no issues with the time I spend as I socialize and have a life outside of the gaming world .To me I don't have a problem
"after the time of dice came the day of mice "
I would be asking for another home if my dad was wielding an axe in the house. Sounds like he has taken the game to another level!
There are some people that go overboard with things such as gaming. This is with everything however. There are people addicted to working out, dieting, drugs, t.v., drink, and so much more. Now, I would suggest anyone doing drugs to get help, in moderation these other things are fine. How can we claim to have free will if we are subject to agreeing with any judgement cast upon us. Let your heart and mind lead you the best that it will, 'lest you become sheep with a media or news shepard.
Very good write Robin.
Yes we are, many of us I think. But the funny thing is that if you are addicted to work, everybody is happy. If you are addicted to something fun, it's a sin. This is what the rich has been inculcating in our minds for centuries through religion and art.
This is an intresting post as for are we addicts, some of us are, heck I know I am when it comes to some games such as DDO,Eve Online, and just recently WAR!!! Do I need help? just because my hand is shaking right now because of WAR withdrawl doesn't mean I'm addicted!!!! Ok all joking a side to me the parents need to take control of what their kids watch and play until they are around 17 then they are old enough to make up their own mind. As for the father that used an axe on the son's pc..all i have to say is the FATHER is the one that needs see a shrink!!
Now someone posted this (sorry forgot to get your name)
"To answer the question...yes some are " addicted " to mmo .Is it as bad as drug addcition..I don't think so.I cant remember the last time someone overdosed on MMO..or ended up working for a Nigerian Pimp to pay for there subscription fee's" All I have to say is have we forgotton all the horror stories about parents locking their kids in a room or a closet for days on end while playing Evercrack-er Everquest?
Also one "community" that seems to really need help with online mmo addiction are the asian community. I'm talking china,japan I have read stories where they have found people dead at their computers because of being so addicted to a game they have negleted their own bodies to the point of death. Extreme yes but there are a few people out there like that.
I have no life I freely admit this and i'm 32, but I say every man needs a few vises to get though this world, mind just happen to be a few select MMOs, cupcakes and porn.
Anyways enough rambling have fun and see you in the virtual world!!!
the only help I need is finding something to play while I wait on Warhammer Online
Yes, we are addicted.
Maybe WAR will be just what we need to satisfy our cravings......
Yes MMORPG addiction is common; very common as a matter of fact. I have known quite a few people who played so much it has done serious damage to their life. I have known people who have lost jobs or lost a girlfriend. I have chatted with people who have gotten divorced or even ignore their kids to their children's detriment. I have been an addict myself in the past. Is it as bad as drug addiction? It can be in some cases.
The difference between an MMORPG and a job is that a job brings home money. Other activities teach you something or are similarly productive in some way. Even watching television is often something you do with your significant other or family so it can be social activity. MMORPGs sometimes tends to replace your personal interactions with online interactions leaving people around you out in the cold.
Do I think something needs to be done? No, it's a personal choice. Yet clearly some people should probably seek help. You know who you are ... or maybe you don't. In any case for myself I am over the addiction. Since I'm an experienced programmer I'm doing my own startup to build my own game. It's better to be the dealer than an addict especially since in this case it's legal. That's not to say I wish anyone harm. I'm simply trying to build the best product I can. In fact I have been thinking about how to make the game more interesting in the long run yet require less weekly time input.
The flip side of all this is that I have also known (online) people who are old and widowed or divorced or have some physical problem such that their personal interactions are minimal. In this case the game can be a great psychological boon to them. So it's not all bad.
just a small comment about the "special" on ARD: except for the daily news the content of that channel is as objective and truthful as Fox. nobody who uses their brain a bit gives too much about it, the ones that do are hopeless anyway.
My Signature
Parents need to control what thier children do.
This doesn't mean take a axe to a computer like a psycho.
My oldest son is 10 years old atm and he plays Anarchy online (froob).
He is only allowed to play on the weekends after homework is done and no longer than 10 hours a week.
He has social commitments like after school art programs and sports like hockey that he enjoys.
It is my job to make sure he doesn't go overboard with these games and becomes addicted.
As for me im nearing thirty years of age now as long as i provide for my family, give my wife and children the attention they need I can play an MMO whenever I want.
PLaying: EvE, Ryzom
Waiting For: Earthrise, Perpetuum
These games are addictive but I'd guess @ 98% of us know how to prioritize it in our lives. It's those 1% or 2% that can't control their OCD that makes Gamers appear as "Addicts". Every year, some poor fool in Asia dies at a Internet Cafe because he had been playing 28 hours straight- that is SOOO sad.
I don't look at it as an addiction for most of us. I view online gaming as a MUCH better alternative to watching TV every evening. It's a wonderful form of entertainment. I bet 90% of the ppl in the US watch TV on their couches every evening with their brain stagnating. At least my brain gets stimulation playing online games!!
And my daughter has been a gamer for several years. The rule in my house is she plays after homework is done and it's worked great all these years. She's a senior with a 97.6 cumulative GPA in High school and she takes all Advanced Placement and college classes:)
Most of us don't need help. We just need more RAM.
no offense.. not trying to start flaming. but, uh, taking an axe to a computer? i find that hard to believe.. i mean.. i can see taking the computer away, boxing it up, deleting accounts.. whatever.. but i just don't find it realistic that someone would completely destroy something of such high value... well, ok maybe if the computer was a old p.o.s., i would understand.. but yeah if it is true.. chances are that any offspring of axe-wielding parents are probably best off seeking serious psychological help.
but not to get off topic...
yeah i think there are a lot of people who are addicted out there.
i know a lot of people probably don't really care for there situation, so they find a necessary escape by being another person, in another world, being detached from the daily anxieties and stress of work, school, family, finances and what-not. some people find this in doing drugs, some people drink a lot, and some people play mmo's.. (and some do a combanation of all 3
). but honestly, who doesn't find that idea of "taking a break" from real life appealing?
OP: you have a wife, kids, a car, outdoor hobbies, and assuming you have a means of supporting all this financially... it sounds like you have a pretty full life. so there's nothing wrong with spending your spare time playing some mmo's.
for people who spend 24/7, or the larger part of that, playing games.. these are obviously the people who have the biggest issue controlling there addictions.
but these are people who probably don't have work or school or other activities to consume their time. and i hate to say it, but i see a lot of kids and young adults, people living with mom and dad, falling into this gaming addiction.
part of this is the parents fault.
you have a few guildmates whose parents pull the plug when they think its time for their kids eyes to break away from the monitor.. THAT'S GOOD!!! we need to see more parents like that!! (well, except for the axe-wielding ones *chuckle*)
but even if the kids fight, kicking and screaming and all, these parents are doing the right thing by saying, hey its time to take a break from fantasy land, and focus on real life for a while.. focus on a little homework, or think about going to college or perhaps getting a job.
as much as some of us hate society (trust me.. i know how it is..) its still necessary to get out there and try to be a functioning member of it.
i'll admit that i got kind of addicted to mmo's for a while. but i strive to have more self-awareness to know when it's time to turn off the computer, go outside, take a walk through the park or to the corner store. or at the least go outside to have a smoke and a crack open a beer or two, lol.
but the main focus here is... do all things in moderation.. when you take things beyond moderation, and it starts to turn into an addiction, that's when the problem begins.
lets face it: most people who do get really pulled in, who have serious issues with taking time away from the computer, are the people who need to get in touch with themselves and reality and start training some real life skills like self-control and will power.
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
big brother is watching you
sounds more like a parental issue than anything ... but of course with todays society we can do nothing wrong. Its not the parents faults its the video games!
how about that dad put down the friggen axe get some psychological help himself and then some parenting training. You know what worked for me when i was in school my parents telling me do my homework, study/read for X amount of hours before I can play video games. thats what my sister in law does as well and her kids get great grades in school. what? parents parenting? what a novel friggen concept.
Stop blaming movies, video games and TV for your failures as a parent and look at yourself.
I agree with everything you said, and some of those parents are over reacting.. I'd get a bit scared if my parents ever came into my room with an axe lol.
It is an addiction an i used to be a gaming addict myself.
The cure? To go out with some friends for just one day or night, and you will see how much you are missing out.
Jessixa <!--
* 70 Blood elf
* Rogue
* Darksorrow (EU)
So its funny this topic got to me so much I actually asked my mom, yes im 31 and i still talk to my mom regularly. I played a lot of video games when i was younger and still do ... so during our conversation i asked her.
"do you think i was addicted to video games?" her response
"No i don't think you were, but if you were so what theres a lot of worse things out there you could have been addicted to. At least i knew where you were at and im sure *your wife* (not giving her name out :P) appreciates that as well."
gotta love moms ... give yours a hug when you can!
OoohhhOOhhh he's got a wife!
I read about halfway through and stopped. Here is the deal. It's the media. Simple as that. They will do to us as they do to celebrities. Meaning, they will claim we are addicts. Addicts to games. However, the world has always been this way. You're right. Whether it be riding bikes, playing board games, watching tv, playing soccer...we are all "addicted" to the things we love, or so called addicted. They just want to create a story on something so they hit what is easiest, mmorpg games. Why? Because they know parents would agree with them because parents see their kids using up so much free time on video games. But reality is, it's the parents fault. Being addicted is dropping out of school or playing the games to really affect your personal life to a means of social well being. Where you don't even want to go outside, you just want to stay in and play mmorpgs. Where you skip school all the time because you want to finish that quest. That's, addicted. It's really funny though that they say we are addicted to gaming. The world has always been addicted to something. Maybe next week they will say we are addicted to the 360. They really need to focus on consoles as well because some people really get into the console games, such as call of duty 4 or halo. I think any mmorpg will have the addiction factor to some extent. Soley because it's a community filled with all sorts of things to do and all sorts of real people that you can communicate with. Anytime you have other people, you can get into a game and "become addicted". I just think when reporters do reports on Gamers, it goes over the line.
When they get the way they do and play 8 hours a day and don't go to school and drop out, it's their fault. They could have that affect if they watch tv all the time, play a text based game as well which have been going long before mmorpgs. They could have that effect doing drugs. They could have that affect playing super mario brothers and could miss 2 weeks of school and really mess up their grades because of that console game. I think we all get addicted to something every once in a while. It just depends on how the person handles it. They need to start doing documentaries and news reports on those individuals addicted to buying a new car every year, or that addiction to spend money and get in debt, or that addiction to travel every so often to see a new place. Or that simple addiction of making sure the stove is off after cooking, more then once. It's a way of life, the internet can be a very good thing. We can learn alot from the internet and I know I've learned a lot from new friends from mmorpgs over the past 6 years I've been playing. They teach you things. I've learned how to work Adobe photoshop, how to make web layouts, how to run private servers, and I even run a text based game now and make side money thanks to the text based game I use to play.
All in all, it's just a matter of how the situations are handled.
Addicted = 8 hours a day on a game. 2-4 hours a day is not addicted because we make time when we are making enough money to do so. Why not enjoy another hobby?
Good post I didnt really have time to read the entire thing but in my experience and knowledge is that many kids do not know how to manage there lifestyle with gaming and many parents either neglect or dont do the right thing in order to show them how, many young people need to be shown how otherwise they will play there life away and miss out on the really good things in life.
As for adults it is our responsibility to quit if it is taken over our lives anyone can do it they just need to want to for themselves, ive quit alot of things in my life including smoking and believe me it was hard but I did it cold turkey because I finaly decided I actually wanted to. Everyone has that kind of willpower if they choose to see it.
Eventually you will be able to play again once you learn that other things are more important then a game and life is deffinatly not a game but it can be alot of fun.
I also agree that the axe thing was uncessary and the boy could have been severaly hurt on top of that I doubt anyone would axe anything electronic while it was on it probably would have put him in the hopsital or worse, sounds pretty fake.
I was addicted to mmos; now i can't find one to get addicted to, i get borred very fast
Now, my main porpose is to find a good mmo.I still have faith i will get addicted one day ^_^
I think the first mmo is very addictive,because is a new experience, new kind of game with a large number of players, its like a competition you always want to be better then you guild mate or be richer or just want to hang out with your friends.You start a new social life, you start to comunicate with your friends there, make new one or you just have the feeling that you are makeing new friends.Once you leave that mmo, you start to hate it and seems that you can't find the mmo that you are looking for. From this step you will start to be a casual player.
This addiction on mmorpgs is very complex
Excuse me for the poor english