I know of a family here where i live that the mother is hooked on MMO's and now claims disabilty even though there is nothing wrong with her.. she married a guy she met off a game ie SWG
The kid is hooked on games like you would not belive. He will not speak to you what so ever .. i mentioned WOW and he started talking to me!! Shock horror he knew how to talk.. He has been kicked out of 3 school's and is only 8 years old.. killed a little hamster because another child wanted to look at it..
MMO's need looking into..some people get too addicted.. its just most dont dare admit it
Something like this almost makes me want to derail my own thread.
Seeing as alot of MMOs have parental controls, these aren't being used so is it the fault of the parents that these children are playing MMOs the majority of the time instead of actually living life as a regular child would do? Is it the parents through lazyness and incompetence that keeps these kids playing the way they do?
both interesting topics, both are thread worthy imo.
Easily has to come down the the parents first off.. they must control there child. But what does this child have to hold onto where both his parents wake up .. play MMO's and then sleep till the next day to repeat.
He get's to play MMO's because it will shut him up.. simple as..
It's a sad joke around here that people are honestly betting he will grow up to be a serial killer.. that's how sad the state of the matter..
MMO's are great fun i agree.. but i also understand how addictive they can be.. hence i dont have any active MMO's at the moment since EVE Online. Unless i can find a community fun game like SWG used to be.. my money is staying on the Xbox.
I will bet my house.. in 10-20 year's time.. the subject of people being addicted to MMO's will be on the front news..
that's pretty sad, I don't think he will be a serial killer.
I would go as far as saying socially stunted....maybe.
I feel for the little guy. His parents are clearly addicted and personally I think its time athorities like child protective services get involved and actually consider video game addiction a serious issue. that situation is straight up neglect, with the parents putting piority toward getting Epics over the growth of thier child.
Nor do i think he will be..But stating what other's think just show's the level of how BAD it really is.
This kid is wild..will wreck the place and the only way they know how to shut him up is games..
Anyway..enough of that..Video Game Addiction needs to be looked into.. without a dout i can see it getting very serious in the near future.. MMO's can be worse then smoking to some people because they dont know there addicted..there is no warning signs like a box of cigs
When I was growing up it was pen and paper RPGs. But at least when I was wasting time with that I was reading a lot, writing a lot, and using my imagination. Modern mmos don't cultivate any of that. Few people read quests let alone of to read and comprehend large rule sets. Not one word needs to be written to play a modern mmo (trolling forums doesn't count). Not one single erg or imagination needs to be expended. Everything is created for the player and handed to them on an epic platter.
Yeah, modern mmos are making our youth as dumb as rocks IMO. Not going to address the whole missing parties, sex, drugs slant that the OPer presented.
Actually alot of you bring up good points. One poster said the majority of youths dont play MMOs, well that's true but i'm specifically targeting youths that play MMOs. So to bring up the fact that they are a minority isnt really the point. Hell mmo players in general are the minority. someone brought up the point of todays youth not graduating, well while this true do we know that kids playing mmos are more inclined to finish school over other kids? I can't really say we dont have that kind of data atm. Now here me out, im talking specifically of MMOs here not consoles or children watching TV. MMOs by design keep a person playing for years. they normally require a large amount of time and a schedule. Basically children playing these games are putting massive amounts of time into these games to the point of MMOs replacing real life activities, activities that are healthy for a growing young person. These games are replacing these particular kids life experiences with a videogame alternate reality. Now I ask you again do you think the youths that are playing these mmos are replacing thier childhoods with online MMOs? yes? no? dont give me comparisons of what other children do Im talking about the little mmo gamers. I personally feel mmos are harming the kids playing these games. I also understand its the parents job to monitor thier own children. Someone also brought up the fact that parents would rather have thier kids sit infront of a videogame then go outside and find trouble. Personally I think thats bad parenting. As a parent it's my job to raise my children and teach them how to encounter bad elements outside the house. Not just shelter them and stunt thier growth.
Exactly, but I also think it is video games in general. While I have argued extensively with my own parents about the benefits of gaming, their addicting nature is something we can all agree on.
In college, every dorm on my floor has at least one console gaming system, and at any given point in time there is someone playing some game. Hell, I got a bid from a frat that only plays video games. I remember how they were planning on going clubbing one night to meet some girls, they were all at least 20, but they were talking about girls as if they were 15. They all agreed that games were screwing up their grades.
My own college adviser told me to be wary of video games in college, because she knew many students who ended up dropping out because video games (and I think she cited WoW) were too time consuming for them.
Actually alot of you bring up good points. Now I ask you again do you think the youths that are playing these mmos are replacing thier childhoods with online MMOs? yes? no? dont give me comparisons of what other children do Im talking about the little mmo gamers. I personally feel mmos are harming the kids playing these games. I also understand its the parents job to monitor thier own children. Someone also brought up the fact that parents would rather have thier kids sit infront of a videogame then go outside and find trouble. Personally I think thats bad parenting. As a parent it's my job to raise my children and teach them how to encounter bad elements outside the house. Not just shelter them and stunt thier growth.
Actually what I said was "getting into trouble on the streets just for the sake of having something to do".
I am not sure that most parents would be happy with the idea of 'encouraging their children onto the streets in order to learn how to deal with bad elements'. If not wanting your kids to hang around in street gangs is bad parenting then I think you would be at odds with most parents. I also said MMOs needn't preclude kids from outside activities as long as they learn to manage to their leisure time effectively.
To deal with your revised question though & to clarify what I said earlier. In common with many other activities MMOs are fine in moderation but potentially harmful if overdone. It is a parent's job to try to ensure their kids don't get into bad habits until they are old enough to make their own decisions.
Seems like common sense to me.
If you can't "Have your cake & eat it too", then how can "The proof of the pudding be in the eating"?
Same old argument, different medium. It was dancing for awhile, then television, then video games, then the internet, then.... and so on and so on. You know what the #1 detriment to growing children is? PARENTS. When my son or daughter meets a new friend, I immediately ask to meet the parents. I don't have to see what the child is like, I will know within one night of meeting the parents exactly what they are like. Children are 100% the product you raise them to be.
"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."
When I was growing up it was pen and paper RPGs. But at least when I was wasting time with that I was reading a lot, writing a lot, and using my imagination. Modern mmos don't cultivate any of that. Few people read quests let alone of to read and comprehend large rule sets. Not one word needs to be written to play a modern mmo (trolling forums doesn't count). Not one single erg or imagination needs to be expended. Everything is created for the player and handed to them on an epic platter. Yeah, modern mmos are making our youth as dumb as rocks IMO. Not going to address the whole missing parties, sex, drugs slant that the OPer presented.
HAHA!!! what kind of parent would I be if I brought up drugs.
I used parties, sex and sports as an example of life experiences that majority of children playing MMOs pass up playing these games.
And I said majority, not all. as a few posters have brought up their own life experiences trying to prove what im saying isnt 100% true..... hell i already knew that.
Same old argument, different medium. It was dancing for awhile, then television, then video games, then the internet, then.... and so on and so on. You know what the #1 detriment to growing children is? PARENTS. When my son or daughter meets a new friend, I immediately ask to meet the parents. I don't have to see what the child is like, I will know within one night of meeting the parents exactly what they are like. Children are 100% the product you raise them to be.
I don't agree with the 100% comment but you right mostly.
Every once in a while you have a well raised child that grows up to do the wrong thing.
I wonder if I should change the topic of the thread to "Are youths wasting away thier childhood do to bad parenting?" sounds like a better title lol.
When I was growing up it was pen and paper RPGs. But at least when I was wasting time with that I was reading a lot, writing a lot, and using my imagination. Modern mmos don't cultivate any of that. Few people read quests let alone of to read and comprehend large rule sets. Not one word needs to be written to play a modern mmo (trolling forums doesn't count). Not one single erg or imagination needs to be expended. Everything is created for the player and handed to them on an epic platter. Yeah, modern mmos are making our youth as dumb as rocks IMO. Not going to address the whole missing parties, sex, drugs slant that the OPer presented.
I can agree with you to a certain extent. Yes, if a person simply accepts what is offered on all occasions without a single thought then they don't develop the normal social cognitive infrastructure that will help them throughout their lives. However, I don't believe that to be the inevitable of mmo participation. I think most people do seek out more than is offered(for better or worse). And when they do that, they are using their brain. That is one of the redeeming qualities of mmos and role-playing oriented games; immediate reinforcement of the action performed. Instant gratification does have its benefits in training environments. Again, I want to state that Thradar is correct if the interactivity of the game is replaced with a silver spoon.
NotArkardLord of the Rings Online CorrespondentMemberPosts: 164
I think MMOs teach kids important skills. Skills like bartering, mining, smithing, woodworking, etc.
World of Warcraft is particularly helpful, as it teaches you to follow instructions already laid before you by someone smarter than you. This comes in handy, as most kids playing that game are not exactly going to become business prodigies or cure cancer. When it's time to make copies of a memo, you'll be glad such a large percentage of our youth plays MMOs. Somebody has to do it.
The contents of this post do not necessarily reflect the views of MMORPG.com and its management.
While I went to High School I always put my friends and outdoor activities before the computer or the play station. There were days where I'd stay in and play but it was never for more then a day and always seemed to balance itself out. When I got to the drinking age I went out and got drunk, threw up all over the place and spent more money in one day then my entire game collection was worth. Everything has it's ups and downs. Now in my mid 20's I take all that stuff as life experience and I think I'm a better person for it. I work, I still hang with friends and everything is in moderation now.
I suppose some people just have addictive personalities and as adults take things to extremes but at least as parents they have the authority to stop it from happening to kids. I'm not a parent so I can't really coment on this.
No required quests! And if I decide I want to be an assassin-cartographer-dancer-pastry chef who lives only to stalk and kill interior decorators, then that's who I want to be, even if it takes me four years to max all the skills and everyone else thinks I'm freaking nuts. -Madimorga-
ok i mean hardcore playing is bad, and they should have a socail life.
but i have tp disagree with you on saying 'miss parties/sex' etc. i would honestly prefer to stay in on a weekend and play some cod4 or some mmo, than to go out and get wasted.
Clearly there are some children that play too much, which does affect their grades, but in most cases the external influences in their lives stop them from becomming addicted as such.
Even if they play hard-core it is not the end of the world. MMOs lose their max appeal after a while and the kids will move on to something else. It is possible to get back on to the educational conveyor-belt again.
More children nowadays suffer from a difficulty in concentrating and maintaining focus. Clearly any MMO will actually enable the child to develop their focus and patience. There are also other skills that playing an MMO will help develop.
i.e.
The child's first interest in business may come from selling stuff on a MMO Auction House.
Research skills will be developed by reading up how to develop their character.
Learning in-game professions will show that a considerable time investment is required to really be good at something.
Learning about stats will improve mathematical skills.
Group events will enable the youngsters to learn about group dynamics and leadership
The age range of players is greater than with many social activities and this will help the kids to learn social requirements of working with older players.
etc.
I'm not blind to the negatives, but I thought I'd emphasise some of the positives that are often forgotten. It's not all doom and gloom.
youths? I see plenty of 20 somthings spending hours and hours playing this stuff. I hear them say "piss off" its my life and i can waste it any way I want.
To that I say "Your addicton means there are fewer qualified people who are in a position to take my job from me...by all means, skip school and gain a few levels...it works for me!"
Frank 'Spankybus' Mignone www.spankybus.com -3d Artist & Compositor -Writer -Professional Amature
OPs Kid Comes Home From School, im going to name the OPs kid Bobby.
Bobby:hey dad, can i go play "Insert MMO"
OP:no Bobby you have to do your homework and then go to "instert Sport" Practice
Bobby:why cant i do something i enjoy after i do my homework?
OP:i dont want you to play an MMO like me, and become addicted
Bobby:then why do you play MMOs daddy?
OP:because i lived my teenage years the way i was supposed to doing drugs, drinking and driving, getting into trouble all the time,etc
Bobby:so once i do that i can play MMOs?
OP:yes son once you do that you can play MMOs
Scenario Over
The point was only letting your kid(s) play the wii of all things only on weekends, is the cruelest thing in the world, srsly. Learn to let your kids do things they enjoy so what they come home do their homework and then play WoW or EVE, for a few hours woopty fucking doo
"Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force" The Original Jedi Code
Scenario: OPs Kid Comes Home From School, im going to name the OPs kid Bobby. Bobby:hey dad, can i go play "Insert MMO" OP:no Bobby you have to do your homework and then go to "instert Sport" Practice Bobby:why cant i do something i enjoy after i do my homework? OP:i dont want you to play an MMO like me, and become addicted Bobby:then why do you play MMOs daddy? OP:because i lived my teenage years the way i was supposed to doing drugs, drinking and driving, getting into trouble all the time,etc Bobby:so once i do that i can play MMOs? OP:yes son once you do that you can play MMOs Scenario Over The point was only letting your kid(s) play the wii of all things only on weekends, is the cruelest thing in the world, srsly. Learn to let your kids do things they enjoy so what they come home do their homework and then play WoW or EVE, for a few hours woopty fucking doo
/signed
My parents always told me, get your homework done first then you can do whatever you want. Usually I'd play some games online. During high school I started playing Halo 3 with some friends over live basically every night. I've taken that attitude to college (though I do go out and party a bit now, but it's getting kind of boring).
I know i don't exactly fit into the group of people you were wanting to get replies from (15). But I though i would share my story and views on how MMOs affected my life.
I have minor Cerebral Palsy in which my parents freaked about and pulled me out of all sports at the age of 7. I had to wear a leg brace (did no good), couldn't play sports, so i focused on education. Within three years I became obese. At a whopping 150lbs with a braced leg, i was the prime target for those mentally underdeveloped ruffians.
The summer after my 5th grade year is when i was first introduced to Ragnarok Online. Before then I had spent most of my time watching movies like Gladiator and Braveheart and/or watching porn, because my friends were those like me (people focused on learning A.K.A nerds).
I played.
And I played.
And i played.
12-18 hour days for three months.
And by the end of it, i had lost 40 pounds, made tons of friends, and was ready for a new beginning.
So in a way...MMO's were my savior.
I have to say since then i have never gotten addicted to a game like that.
My grades are not optimal, but that's due to my mind trying to validate the complexities of society, and confirm the usefulness of the crap they throw at me.
I have the highest average in two of my AP classes,
and I am an MMO gamer.
Sure i may not be the most popular, or sociable person.
But thanks to MMO's i have been able to converse with people easier.
Originally posted by Shannia Speaking for American children only - Over half of all children in America drop out before graduating high school.
Question: What are the dropout rates of high school students?
Response:
The status dropout rate represents the percentage of persons in an age group who are not enrolled in school and have not earned a high school diploma or equivalent credential, such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Status dropout rates are reported for 16- through 24-year-olds. The status dropout rate for this age group declined from 15 percent in 1972 to 9 percent in 2006. A decline was also seen between 2000 and 2006, the more recent years of this time span (11 to 9 percent).
Status dropout rates and changes in these rates over time differ by race/ethnicity. In general, the status dropout rates for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics each declined between 1972 and 2006. However, for each year between 1972 and 2006, the status dropout rate was lowest for Whites and highest for Hispanics. Although the gaps between the rates of Blacks and Whites and between the rates of Hispanics and Whites have decreased, the patterns have not been consistent. The Black-White gap narrowed during the 1980s, with no measurable change during the 1970s or between 1990 and 2006. In contrast, the Hispanic-White gap narrowed between 1990 and 2006, with no measurable change in the gap during the 1970s and 1980s.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). The Condition of Education 2008 (NCES 2008-031), Indicator 23.
For 2004, the US high school dropout rate was 10.3%. 2005 was 9.4%. 2006 was 9.3%. I can't believe adults let you talk about their children like that for 5 pages without saying anything.
What does that say about U.S. adults who play MMOs?
NotArkardLord of the Rings Online CorrespondentMemberPosts: 164
Originally posted by popinjay Originally posted by Shannia Speaking for American children only - Over half of all children in America drop out before graduating high school. Question: What are the dropout rates of high school students? Response: The status dropout rate represents the percentage of persons in an age group who are not enrolled in school and have not earned a high school diploma or equivalent credential, such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Status dropout rates are reported for 16- through 24-year-olds. The status dropout rate for this age group declined from 15 percent in 1972 to 9 percent in 2006. A decline was also seen between 2000 and 2006, the more recent years of this time span (11 to 9 percent). Status dropout rates and changes in these rates over time differ by race/ethnicity. In general, the status dropout rates for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics each declined between 1972 and 2006. However, for each year between 1972 and 2006, the status dropout rate was lowest for Whites and highest for Hispanics. Although the gaps between the rates of Blacks and Whites and between the rates of Hispanics and Whites have decreased, the patterns have not been consistent. The Black-White gap narrowed during the 1980s, with no measurable change during the 1970s or between 1990 and 2006. In contrast, the Hispanic-White gap narrowed between 1990 and 2006, with no measurable change in the gap during the 1970s and 1980s. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). The Condition of Education 2008 (NCES 2008-031), Indicator 23.
For 2004, the US high school dropout rate was 10.3%. 2005 was 9.4%. 2006 was 9.3%. I can't believe adults let you talk about their children like that for 5 pages without saying anything.
What does that say about U.S. adults who play MMOs?
Speaking for American adults only - Over half of all adults in America make shit up before looking up facts.
The contents of this post do not necessarily reflect the views of MMORPG.com and its management.
This post is directed at the older gamers, the ones in the 21- 40+ age range. I know im not the only one thats noticed this. The young kids playing mmos hardcore. They get home at 3 and play MMOs until its time to goto bed. Hell some actually lie to thier parents and stay up way passed to raid or do other mmo activity. I hear these kids go on and on how thier grades are getting worse, how they never had a GF/BF before. They don't go out and chill or play a sport. When I was younger I didnt really pay attention to the kids playing these games, now that im a father it kind of scares me a bit to think these kids are missing out on life like this. I don't know what type of person I would be if I missed out on my entire childhood like alot of these kids. The parties, the sex, the sports and bonding with my friends. Just imagine if you thought back on your childhood when ur 30 and all you could remember was a raid or a certain character you played 24/7. Its freaking sad, really. What do you guys think? I know we all played videogames when we were younger but we also made time for other things, we didn't have MMOs that required commitments like second jobs then. Do you think these games are damaging these children in anyway? I think about this as a parent. My children are all either into dancing or sports and are only allowed to play Wii on the weekends. But some of these kids don't have parents to guide them, makes me think these games are hurting these kids. Anyway, thanks for reading. Just something i was wondering about, Let me know what you guys think.
Im 19. I attend a college university. I finished last semester Cum Laude. (Yea not creme de le creme but ya know how it goes...) I have two parties to go to on friday and saturday (and then an MLK party on sunday... but thats more of a get-together and play some beer pong). You can only take my word that I have a great social life. (Im trying to avoid talking about sex on the MMORPG forums.) I also play soccer and fence (sabre). I have a job as a student teacher in the engineering department here on campus.
AND I just played Left 4 Dead for 5 hours.
So now that you have my dossier:
All things in moderation. Everyone has their way of "ticking away the moments that make up a dull day" as Pink Floyd would say it. If you want me to do something more productive, for instance, memorize Farenheit 451 in preparation for a global liquidation of books.... shove it. I do 3 things to relax: drink, game, and ...
The ultimate solution to every problem: more space marines.
Playing computer games is not good or bad in itself. It can only be better or worse than alternatives. If not allowed to play games, the kids who play them would not go spend the time volunteering for charity. In many cases, if you're lucky, they'd spend it watching TV instead. If not so lucky, there are drugs, gangs, teenage pregnancies, and quite a few other ways to mess up your life.
If a kid spends all his time playing computer games and then flunks out of school, he didn't flunk out because he played computer games. Rather, he flunked out because he's lazy and foolish. It doesn't make sense to say that people shouldn't do some activity that isn't harmful in itself without specifying what the person should do. The latter is only appropriate if there's something that the person really should do that is going undone, such as homework or a job.
As long I can remember there was gaming around me. I always played when I had time to do it. My brothers did it and my friend did it. But it was never to much; until my first PC 96'. It was then I've started with LAN and watching porno did work cause rendering a pic took 2 min.
I played both Hockey and Football but stoped with both cause they took up to much time on weekends so I couldn't drink. Yea, booze and bewbs saved me from sports
Anyhow, once upon a time I was that guy fighting in a bar now I'm a nerd. Nice twist, but I'll enjoy it. Playing on the evening after work and spend my weekends doing something more social with my girlfriend and our friends.
But it is something with gaming, I can shoot all of you down and if someone kills me I just respawn. Suckers!
______________________________ The Sceptics, yes they're special but we've need them to.. I guess. And if they're put more effort MMORPG.com can create a 'Team Sceptic' and send them to the Special Olympus.
As an MMO gamer and parent of two MMO gamers, I'm actually happy they do play MMO's. It engages you're brain unlike TV and teaches you many positive life lessons:
- how win/lose - hopefully gracefully
-economics/math (AH/broker) or I need x amount of xp, etc. or gold to get a
- how to read a map/geography
- history and lore and how many games are reflective of our history
- setting and reaching goals
- how to play nicely with others and leadership skills (grouping, raiding, guilds)
-how to deal with the bully or jerks that troll around everywhere without worrying about the numbnuts that have guns/weapons in real life
- time management both in time to play and how to maximize that time in the game
- following direction as is required in all questing
Do I let or encourage non-stop 24/7 play no. My daugher being under age was not allowed to play AoC as it was rated M. Same goes for console games. My son plays two MMO's sporadically, as he's more interested in girls, work and school, but does play usually a month on or so then time off. When he's on he may play all day on a weekend, but only if there is not a RL event to go to. He would often rather watch TV than game anyway. I'd rather game than sit in front of the television!
My daughter is PvP fiend and likes any online game that pits her abilities, tactics, knowledge against another person that is the part of MMO's she enjoys most, but does quest, etc as well. She's not a 'raider' as she finds that part of MMO's boring. She also takes dance, swimming, art and usually either cooking/language or other creative class outside of her regular schedule. Her interest in MMO's has led her into attending a gaming design camp and branched out into video design/editing as possible career options.
Do I feel they are missing out - maybe on some of the activities I did, but it's a different time to. I didn't hang out at the soda shop like my parents, or spend Saturday at the drive-in or at the sock hop either! My 'fun' youth was spend full of drugs/alcohol/sex/music/sports and gaming! You need to remember what the 30+ age group enjoyed was a much more naive and safer time to drink do drugs and have sex than it is now.
Honestly I think if parents are actively involved in their kids lives and know what they're interested in, it makes a difference. My kids enjoy gaming with me - when we're on the same game at the same time, but it gives us a common basis to to talk about things. I would also limit game time if I felt it was becoming excessive which could include cancelling an account if I felt the need. Also as we live in the country they do have lots of 'chores' that take care of the work-ethic-building-character thing!
Regarding the parents that ignore their kids to game - sorry that's no different than doing drugs, alcohol or any other addiction and is 100% wrong! And if my kids killed a living creature like was mentioned you bet they'd be on a shrink's couch - Jeffery Dahmer II I don't want! Those people shouldn't have a child and should be spayed/neutered IMHO!
Gaming addiction will be a hot topic in the future but honestly I feel it is no different than any other type of addiction. Some people die from an addiction, some need intervention, some recover on their own and a huge percentage of people DO NOT get addicted to (insert addiction) including MMO gaming!
Scenario: OPs Kid Comes Home From School, im going to name the OPs kid Bobby. Bobby:hey dad, can i go play "Insert MMO" OP:no Bobby you have to do your homework and then go to "instert Sport" Practice Bobby:why cant i do something i enjoy after i do my homework? OP:i dont want you to play an MMO like me, and become addicted Bobby:then why do you play MMOs daddy? OP:because i lived my teenage years the way i was supposed to doing drugs, drinking and driving, getting into trouble all the time,etc Bobby:so once i do that i can play MMOs? OP:yes son once you do that you can play MMOs Scenario Over The point was only letting your kid(s) play the wii of all things only on weekends, is the cruelest thing in the world, srsly. Learn to let your kids do things they enjoy so what they come home do their homework and then play WoW or EVE, for a few hours woopty fucking doo
This is a good troll post, this shows just how childish you are. this is why i said my post was directed toward adults. Did I say how Old my children were? If I told you my oldest was nine and youngest was five would I still be an asshole for monitoring what my children did? Considering that my children are reading and doing math about three grades above whats considered average at their age range I feel that i'm doing a good job.
Unlike todays brats, my children are into Art, sports, dancing and socializing with my friends children. They don't beg me to play a god damn MMO and my children have respect and would Never! Ever! talk to me the way your scenario played out. How you could even type out that scenario just shows the lack of parenting skills your own parents had. You bring up me letting my kids play the Wii on the weekends? little man, my children would rather me take them out then even bother playing it. I still have that stupid mario game box in the wrapper my son wont even bother with it.
Oh and to the idiot that agreed with your shitty scenario, just shows how many children I attracted with my thread.
The reason I play MMOs (I guess you could consider me a "youth" since I am much younger than most people here) is because it does get me away from drugs etc, of course this take away from my physical activity, so its a trade off. Drug addict/Weird normal person or a Fat Gamer guy. I perfer the latter XD
Comments
Something like this almost makes me want to derail my own thread.
Seeing as alot of MMOs have parental controls, these aren't being used so is it the fault of the parents that these children are playing MMOs the majority of the time instead of actually living life as a regular child would do? Is it the parents through lazyness and incompetence that keeps these kids playing the way they do?
both interesting topics, both are thread worthy imo.
Easily has to come down the the parents first off.. they must control there child. But what does this child have to hold onto where both his parents wake up .. play MMO's and then sleep till the next day to repeat.
He get's to play MMO's because it will shut him up.. simple as..
It's a sad joke around here that people are honestly betting he will grow up to be a serial killer.. that's how sad the state of the matter..
MMO's are great fun i agree.. but i also understand how addictive they can be.. hence i dont have any active MMO's at the moment since EVE Online. Unless i can find a community fun game like SWG used to be.. my money is staying on the Xbox.
I will bet my house.. in 10-20 year's time.. the subject of people being addicted to MMO's will be on the front news..
that's pretty sad, I don't think he will be a serial killer.
I would go as far as saying socially stunted....maybe.
I feel for the little guy. His parents are clearly addicted and personally I think its time athorities like child protective services get involved and actually consider video game addiction a serious issue. that situation is straight up neglect, with the parents putting piority toward getting Epics over the growth of thier child.
Nor do i think he will be..But stating what other's think just show's the level of how BAD it really is.
This kid is wild..will wreck the place and the only way they know how to shut him up is games..
Anyway..enough of that..Video Game Addiction needs to be looked into.. without a dout i can see it getting very serious in the near future.. MMO's can be worse then smoking to some people because they dont know there addicted..there is no warning signs like a box of cigs
When I was growing up it was pen and paper RPGs. But at least when I was wasting time with that I was reading a lot, writing a lot, and using my imagination. Modern mmos don't cultivate any of that. Few people read quests let alone of to read and comprehend large rule sets. Not one word needs to be written to play a modern mmo (trolling forums doesn't count). Not one single erg or imagination needs to be expended. Everything is created for the player and handed to them on an epic platter.
Yeah, modern mmos are making our youth as dumb as rocks IMO. Not going to address the whole missing parties, sex, drugs slant that the OPer presented.
Exactly, but I also think it is video games in general. While I have argued extensively with my own parents about the benefits of gaming, their addicting nature is something we can all agree on.
In college, every dorm on my floor has at least one console gaming system, and at any given point in time there is someone playing some game. Hell, I got a bid from a frat that only plays video games. I remember how they were planning on going clubbing one night to meet some girls, they were all at least 20, but they were talking about girls as if they were 15. They all agreed that games were screwing up their grades.
My own college adviser told me to be wary of video games in college, because she knew many students who ended up dropping out because video games (and I think she cited WoW) were too time consuming for them.
Which FF Character Are You?
Actually what I said was "getting into trouble on the streets just for the sake of having something to do".
I am not sure that most parents would be happy with the idea of 'encouraging their children onto the streets in order to learn how to deal with bad elements'. If not wanting your kids to hang around in street gangs is bad parenting then I think you would be at odds with most parents. I also said MMOs needn't preclude kids from outside activities as long as they learn to manage to their leisure time effectively.
To deal with your revised question though & to clarify what I said earlier. In common with many other activities MMOs are fine in moderation but potentially harmful if overdone. It is a parent's job to try to ensure their kids don't get into bad habits until they are old enough to make their own decisions.
Seems like common sense to me.
If you can't "Have your cake & eat it too", then how can "The proof of the pudding be in the eating"?
Take the Hecatomb? TCG What Is Your Doom? quiz.
Same old argument, different medium. It was dancing for awhile, then television, then video games, then the internet, then.... and so on and so on. You know what the #1 detriment to growing children is? PARENTS. When my son or daughter meets a new friend, I immediately ask to meet the parents. I don't have to see what the child is like, I will know within one night of meeting the parents exactly what they are like. Children are 100% the product you raise them to be.
"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."
HAHA!!! what kind of parent would I be if I brought up drugs.
I used parties, sex and sports as an example of life experiences that majority of children playing MMOs pass up playing these games.
And I said majority, not all. as a few posters have brought up their own life experiences trying to prove what im saying isnt 100% true..... hell i already knew that.
PLaying: EvE, Ryzom
Waiting For: Earthrise, Perpetuum
I don't agree with the 100% comment but you right mostly.
Every once in a while you have a well raised child that grows up to do the wrong thing.
I wonder if I should change the topic of the thread to "Are youths wasting away thier childhood do to bad parenting?" sounds like a better title lol.
PLaying: EvE, Ryzom
Waiting For: Earthrise, Perpetuum
I can agree with you to a certain extent. Yes, if a person simply accepts what is offered on all occasions without a single thought then they don't develop the normal social cognitive infrastructure that will help them throughout their lives. However, I don't believe that to be the inevitable of mmo participation. I think most people do seek out more than is offered(for better or worse). And when they do that, they are using their brain. That is one of the redeeming qualities of mmos and role-playing oriented games; immediate reinforcement of the action performed. Instant gratification does have its benefits in training environments. Again, I want to state that Thradar is correct if the interactivity of the game is replaced with a silver spoon.
I think MMOs teach kids important skills. Skills like bartering, mining, smithing, woodworking, etc.
World of Warcraft is particularly helpful, as it teaches you to follow instructions already laid before you by someone smarter than you. This comes in handy, as most kids playing that game are not exactly going to become business prodigies or cure cancer. When it's time to make copies of a memo, you'll be glad such a large percentage of our youth plays MMOs. Somebody has to do it.
The contents of this post do not necessarily reflect the views of MMORPG.com and its management.
While I went to High School I always put my friends and outdoor activities before the computer or the play station. There were days where I'd stay in and play but it was never for more then a day and always seemed to balance itself out. When I got to the drinking age I went out and got drunk, threw up all over the place and spent more money in one day then my entire game collection was worth. Everything has it's ups and downs. Now in my mid 20's I take all that stuff as life experience and I think I'm a better person for it. I work, I still hang with friends and everything is in moderation now.
I suppose some people just have addictive personalities and as adults take things to extremes but at least as parents they have the authority to stop it from happening to kids. I'm not a parent so I can't really coment on this.
No required quests! And if I decide I want to be an assassin-cartographer-dancer-pastry chef who lives only to stalk and kill interior decorators, then that's who I want to be, even if it takes me four years to max all the skills and everyone else thinks I'm freaking nuts. -Madimorga-
ok i mean hardcore playing is bad, and they should have a socail life.
but i have tp disagree with you on saying 'miss parties/sex' etc. i would honestly prefer to stay in on a weekend and play some cod4 or some mmo, than to go out and get wasted.
waste of money, i h8 the music at clubs etc
Clearly there are some children that play too much, which does affect their grades, but in most cases the external influences in their lives stop them from becomming addicted as such.
Even if they play hard-core it is not the end of the world. MMOs lose their max appeal after a while and the kids will move on to something else. It is possible to get back on to the educational conveyor-belt again.
More children nowadays suffer from a difficulty in concentrating and maintaining focus. Clearly any MMO will actually enable the child to develop their focus and patience. There are also other skills that playing an MMO will help develop.
i.e.
The child's first interest in business may come from selling stuff on a MMO Auction House.
Research skills will be developed by reading up how to develop their character.
Learning in-game professions will show that a considerable time investment is required to really be good at something.
Learning about stats will improve mathematical skills.
Group events will enable the youngsters to learn about group dynamics and leadership
The age range of players is greater than with many social activities and this will help the kids to learn social requirements of working with older players.
etc.
I'm not blind to the negatives, but I thought I'd emphasise some of the positives that are often forgotten. It's not all doom and gloom.
youths? I see plenty of 20 somthings spending hours and hours playing this stuff. I hear them say "piss off" its my life and i can waste it any way I want.
To that I say "Your addicton means there are fewer qualified people who are in a position to take my job from me...by all means, skip school and gain a few levels...it works for me!"
Frank 'Spankybus' Mignone
www.spankybus.com
-3d Artist & Compositor
-Writer
-Professional Amature
my children are my own personal gold farming team.
KERPLAH!
Scenario:
OPs Kid Comes Home From School, im going to name the OPs kid Bobby.
Bobby:hey dad, can i go play "Insert MMO"
OP:no Bobby you have to do your homework and then go to "instert Sport" Practice
Bobby:why cant i do something i enjoy after i do my homework?
OP:i dont want you to play an MMO like me, and become addicted
Bobby:then why do you play MMOs daddy?
OP:because i lived my teenage years the way i was supposed to doing drugs, drinking and driving, getting into trouble all the time,etc
Bobby:so once i do that i can play MMOs?
OP:yes son once you do that you can play MMOs
Scenario Over
The point was only letting your kid(s) play the wii of all things only on weekends, is the cruelest thing in the world, srsly. Learn to let your kids do things they enjoy so what they come home do their homework and then play WoW or EVE, for a few hours woopty fucking doo
"Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force"
The Original Jedi Code
/signed
My parents always told me, get your homework done first then you can do whatever you want. Usually I'd play some games online. During high school I started playing Halo 3 with some friends over live basically every night. I've taken that attitude to college (though I do go out and party a bit now, but it's getting kind of boring).
I know i don't exactly fit into the group of people you were wanting to get replies from (15). But I though i would share my story and views on how MMOs affected my life.
I have minor Cerebral Palsy in which my parents freaked about and pulled me out of all sports at the age of 7. I had to wear a leg brace (did no good), couldn't play sports, so i focused on education. Within three years I became obese. At a whopping 150lbs with a braced leg, i was the prime target for those mentally underdeveloped ruffians.
The summer after my 5th grade year is when i was first introduced to Ragnarok Online. Before then I had spent most of my time watching movies like Gladiator and Braveheart and/or watching porn, because my friends were those like me (people focused on learning A.K.A nerds).
I played.
And I played.
And i played.
12-18 hour days for three months.
And by the end of it, i had lost 40 pounds, made tons of friends, and was ready for a new beginning.
So in a way...MMO's were my savior.
I have to say since then i have never gotten addicted to a game like that.
My grades are not optimal, but that's due to my mind trying to validate the complexities of society, and confirm the usefulness of the crap they throw at me.
I have the highest average in two of my AP classes,
and I am an MMO gamer.
Sure i may not be the most popular, or sociable person.
But thanks to MMO's i have been able to converse with people easier.
What does that say about U.S. adults who play MMOs?
"TO MICHAEL!"
What does that say about U.S. adults who play MMOs?
Speaking for American adults only - Over half of all adults in America make shit up before looking up facts.
The contents of this post do not necessarily reflect the views of MMORPG.com and its management.
Im 19. I attend a college university. I finished last semester Cum Laude. (Yea not creme de le creme but ya know how it goes...) I have two parties to go to on friday and saturday (and then an MLK party on sunday... but thats more of a get-together and play some beer pong). You can only take my word that I have a great social life. (Im trying to avoid talking about sex on the MMORPG forums.) I also play soccer and fence (sabre). I have a job as a student teacher in the engineering department here on campus.
AND I just played Left 4 Dead for 5 hours.
So now that you have my dossier:
All things in moderation. Everyone has their way of "ticking away the moments that make up a dull day" as Pink Floyd would say it. If you want me to do something more productive, for instance, memorize Farenheit 451 in preparation for a global liquidation of books.... shove it. I do 3 things to relax: drink, game, and ...
The ultimate solution to every problem: more space marines.
Playing computer games is not good or bad in itself. It can only be better or worse than alternatives. If not allowed to play games, the kids who play them would not go spend the time volunteering for charity. In many cases, if you're lucky, they'd spend it watching TV instead. If not so lucky, there are drugs, gangs, teenage pregnancies, and quite a few other ways to mess up your life.
If a kid spends all his time playing computer games and then flunks out of school, he didn't flunk out because he played computer games. Rather, he flunked out because he's lazy and foolish. It doesn't make sense to say that people shouldn't do some activity that isn't harmful in itself without specifying what the person should do. The latter is only appropriate if there's something that the person really should do that is going undone, such as homework or a job.
As long I can remember there was gaming around me. I always played when I had time to do it. My brothers did it and my friend did it. But it was never to much; until my first PC 96'. It was then I've started with LAN and watching porno did work cause rendering a pic took 2 min.
I played both Hockey and Football but stoped with both cause they took up to much time on weekends so I couldn't drink. Yea, booze and bewbs saved me from sports
Anyhow, once upon a time I was that guy fighting in a bar now I'm a nerd. Nice twist, but I'll enjoy it. Playing on the evening after work and spend my weekends doing something more social with my girlfriend and our friends.
But it is something with gaming, I can shoot all of you down and if someone kills me I just respawn. Suckers!
______________________________
The Sceptics, yes they're special but we've need them to.. I guess.
And if they're put more effort MMORPG.com can create a 'Team Sceptic'
and send them to the Special Olympus.
As an MMO gamer and parent of two MMO gamers, I'm actually happy they do play MMO's. It engages you're brain unlike TV and teaches you many positive life lessons:
- how win/lose - hopefully gracefully
-economics/math (AH/broker) or I need x amount of xp, etc. or gold to get a
- how to read a map/geography
- history and lore and how many games are reflective of our history
- setting and reaching goals
- how to play nicely with others and leadership skills (grouping, raiding, guilds)
-how to deal with the bully or jerks that troll around everywhere without worrying about the numbnuts that have guns/weapons in real life
- time management both in time to play and how to maximize that time in the game
- following direction as is required in all questing
Do I let or encourage non-stop 24/7 play no. My daugher being under age was not allowed to play AoC as it was rated M. Same goes for console games. My son plays two MMO's sporadically, as he's more interested in girls, work and school, but does play usually a month on or so then time off. When he's on he may play all day on a weekend, but only if there is not a RL event to go to. He would often rather watch TV than game anyway. I'd rather game than sit in front of the television!
My daughter is PvP fiend and likes any online game that pits her abilities, tactics, knowledge against another person that is the part of MMO's she enjoys most, but does quest, etc as well. She's not a 'raider' as she finds that part of MMO's boring. She also takes dance, swimming, art and usually either cooking/language or other creative class outside of her regular schedule. Her interest in MMO's has led her into attending a gaming design camp and branched out into video design/editing as possible career options.
Do I feel they are missing out - maybe on some of the activities I did, but it's a different time to. I didn't hang out at the soda shop like my parents, or spend Saturday at the drive-in or at the sock hop either! My 'fun' youth was spend full of drugs/alcohol/sex/music/sports and gaming! You need to remember what the 30+ age group enjoyed was a much more naive and safer time to drink do drugs and have sex than it is now.
Honestly I think if parents are actively involved in their kids lives and know what they're interested in, it makes a difference. My kids enjoy gaming with me - when we're on the same game at the same time, but it gives us a common basis to to talk about things. I would also limit game time if I felt it was becoming excessive which could include cancelling an account if I felt the need. Also as we live in the country they do have lots of 'chores' that take care of the work-ethic-building-character thing!
Regarding the parents that ignore their kids to game - sorry that's no different than doing drugs, alcohol or any other addiction and is 100% wrong! And if my kids killed a living creature like was mentioned you bet they'd be on a shrink's couch - Jeffery Dahmer II I don't want! Those people shouldn't have a child and should be spayed/neutered IMHO!
Gaming addiction will be a hot topic in the future but honestly I feel it is no different than any other type of addiction. Some people die from an addiction, some need intervention, some recover on their own and a huge percentage of people DO NOT get addicted to (insert addiction) including MMO gaming!
Okay! Off the soapbox!!
Proud member of Hammerfist Clan Gaming Community.
Currently playing: RIFT, EQ2, WoW, LoTRO
Retired: Warhammer, AoC, EQ
Waiting: SWToR & GW2
This is a good troll post, this shows just how childish you are. this is why i said my post was directed toward adults. Did I say how Old my children were? If I told you my oldest was nine and youngest was five would I still be an asshole for monitoring what my children did? Considering that my children are reading and doing math about three grades above whats considered average at their age range I feel that i'm doing a good job.
Unlike todays brats, my children are into Art, sports, dancing and socializing with my friends children. They don't beg me to play a god damn MMO and my children have respect and would Never! Ever! talk to me the way your scenario played out. How you could even type out that scenario just shows the lack of parenting skills your own parents had. You bring up me letting my kids play the Wii on the weekends? little man, my children would rather me take them out then even bother playing it. I still have that stupid mario game box in the wrapper my son wont even bother with it.
Oh and to the idiot that agreed with your shitty scenario, just shows how many children I attracted with my thread.
PLaying: EvE, Ryzom
Waiting For: Earthrise, Perpetuum
The reason I play MMOs (I guess you could consider me a "youth" since I am much younger than most people here) is because it does get me away from drugs etc, of course this take away from my physical activity, so its a trade off. Drug addict/Weird normal person or a Fat Gamer guy. I perfer the latter XD
Currently restarting World of Warcraft