Online Games Getting Kids Hooked?
This article discusses the effects of online games, MMORPGs such as World Of Warcraft, on Kids and Teens of today.
What is a MMORPG?
MMORPG stands for Massivly Multiplayer online Role-Playing Game, Which means players create a character and interact with other “real” people while building up their virtual avatar.
This type of game has become more and more popular throughout the past few years. Whats the problem with this? Sometimes people get a little to involved.
Video game Addiction.
First off, lets define the word addicton:
From MedicineNet.com,
A chronic relapsing condition characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and abuse and by long-lasting chemical changes in the brain. Addiction is the same irrespective of whether the drug is alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, or nicotine. Every addictive substance induces pleasant states or relieves distress. Continued use of the addictive substance induces adaptive changes in the brain that lead to tolerance, physical dependence, uncontrollable craving and, all too often, relapse. Dependence is at such a point that stopping is very difficult and causes severe physical and mental reactions from withdrawal. The risk of addiction is in part inherited. Genetic factors, for example, account for about 40% of the risk of alcoholism. The genetic factors predisposing to addiction are not yet fully understood.
From the looks of it, I do not think someone can say they or someone they know is addicted to a video game. However, the term obsessed is not to be used lightly.
There have been many many claims of this addiction with several MMORPGs of today,
Just google the name of a game followed by addiction and there are many, many articles about different people.
www.wowdetox.com is another great example of people being “addicted”. This site, they post their stories and look for help on kicking this so called addiction, or as I like to call it…Obsession.
There have been many health problems linked to games.
Most kids today would choose video games over doing activities outside in a heartbeat. This is not a problem, we have to understand that there is much more to do safely in a virtual world than there is in our would.
However, what you choose not to do, and how your attitude is affected by this, is where the problem lies.
For instance, If you, insted of going to the movies with a group of friends, would rather hide out in your room, playinga video game for hours on end, you may be obsessed.
Why and how do these people get addicted to games? There is never a straight answer, the most common would have to be, because they can be anyone they want.
They dont have to face problems that may be present in their life in these games, When you are role-playing as a midevil character in this virtuial world, the problems you face can usually be delt with accordingly.
To sum it up, just try to limit yourself on how much you play these games, dont let it get to a point where you are neglecting family and friends.
Liked it
I can relate. As a kid, I would play Halo for hours. I found myself so stuck on it that my studies suffered.
To be honest I believe my life would be better if that never would have happened.
As a kid, it’s hard to stop doing something when you have little discipline and parents that don’t care much. I believe that’s the problem. Parents are getting worse and are letting their kids become obsessed with unproductive things like video games.
Even to this day, I find myself playing video games instead of doing something else I SHOULD be doing. It’s become a bad habit.