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Daily's picture

gaming addiction

I'm 27 and have played MMORPGs for nearly 5 years.

For the last 2 years I've slowly added more game time and decreased real life social time.

Currently, I have no friends other than my online friends and even those are few because my natural personality (I believe) is to have a small and very close few for friends.

At this point I am no longer in college, my boyfriend supports my household financially and I spend my entire day around my computer. I sit no place else.

I have played every MMO released for play.
I become very easily burnt out with games since I play so much, but I am constantly downloading something new...even if I know I won't play it long.

I have nothing else to talk about.
Every conversation I have with boyfriend or an occasional family member has a gaming reference. It embarasses me and I never admit to anyone that I do absolutely nothing else besides gaming.

Sadly, these wonderful experiences in-game create a depression that I try my hardest to suppress. I sleep more often than usual and I shamefully neglect personal hygeine for days because of the time it will take away from my computer.

I know that I have a problem and the more I type this out, the more real it becomes. I don't know what I'm going to do about it. To end my gaming would be ending a daily life that I've had for years. Who could do that?

There is no 'blame' here other than my own.
I'm an adult and I make a decision to play games.
This has snow-balled into a problem, but the only real problem is my will-power.

Believe me, this is not a horribly sad story for me.
I've had plenty of incredible days of gaming and I wouldn't change that for anything. It is a wonderful hobby. It feels great to make progress and build a character with grand weapons that saves the universe.
I just should have taken a few days off from playing savior.

I hope that others will realise their problem sooner...if only to keep them from limiting their lives like I have.
There IS more to life.
Games are great, but real relationships are needed.

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