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| Thread: Computer Addiction |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · «PREV |
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Vlaad
Admirable
Legendary Hero
ghost of the past
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posted January 03, 2006 04:15 PM |
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Edited by Vlaad on 3 Jan 2006
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*Vlaad casts Basic Resurrection, hoping to revive a great thread*
I’d like to get back on topic again and go further in order to search for the roots (rather than means) of the Evil. 
So, what is escapism?
Escapism is mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an "escape" from the unpleasant aspects of daily reality.
Escapism has occurred throughout time. Some believe that this diversion is more inherent in today's urban, technological existence because it de facto removes people from their biologically normal natures. Entire industries have sprung up to foster a growing tendency of people to remove themselves from the rigors of daily life. Principal amongst these are fiction literature, sports, films, television, roleplaying games, pornography, recreational drugs, the internet and computer games. Many activities that are normal parts of a healthy existence (e.g., eating, exercise, sexual activity) can also become avenues of escapism when taken to extreme.
Guilty as charged (for no less than five)... What about YOU?
(NB: A separate chapter is dedicated to religion, too!  )
Do you agree with the following statement, though?
In the context of being taken to an extreme, the word 'escapism' carries a negative connotation, suggesting that escapists are unhappy souls, with an inability or unwillingness to connect meaningfully with the world.
Further explanation is rather important:
Escapism is not defined by the behaviour itself but the motivation behind it. Anything from sport to fashion to sex can become escapist activities. Certain escapist options are socially accepted, such as consumerism and celebrity worship, others are not, such as recreational drug use. Modern technology has brought digital culture - television, films, increasingly realistic computer games and virtual realities that provide escapist experiences with huge degrees of immersion.... as explained well in the opening posts.
The point of the previous quote is to provide background for this theory:
Ultimately, the means of escapism is relatively unimportant.
Its root cause is an inability to establish meaningful relationships with other people or with the real world, and it is generally associated with feelings such as guilt, powerlessness or pointlessness.
While most articles agree on the latter, does the former seem true to you? RSF has listed it as one out of 5 or 6 points...
So, are all sociopaths prone to escapism?
Are all escapists sociopaths?
RSF has already come out...
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Khaelo
Honorable
Supreme Hero
Underwater
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posted January 05, 2006 12:29 AM |
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Quote:
Its root cause is an inability to establish meaningful relationships with other people or with the real world, and it is generally associated with feelings such as guilt, powerlessness or pointlessness.
While most articles agree on the latter, does the former seem true to you? RSF has listed it as one out of 5 or 6 points...
So, are all sociopaths prone to escapism?
Are all escapists sociopaths?
Not every escapist is driven by the same root cause. Some of the the factors on RSF's table, such as lack of control and stress, indicate that the individual has a connection with the real world and wants to (temporarily) break it. A meaningful relationship hurts more than a shallow one when it's on the rocks.
My impression of sociopaths, people who don't have a sense of empathy/sympathy, is that they wouldn't feel a lack of meaningful relationships. I know someone who, while by no means a sociopath, is losing his sense of connection with people. His ability to understand another person is just vanishing, and his relationships are running shallower and shallower. The thing is, he doesn't know it. He thinks that his level of interaction is normal and acceptable. My guess is that a clinical sociopath would have the same perspective. There's no need to escape when one doesn't percieve a problem.
So in order for "inability to form meaningful relationships" to be a motivating factor in escapism, the individual must also have social sense enough to WANT those relationships. When you combine inability with desire, it boils down to powerlessness.
I'd be curious to know whether there's a difference between motivations for passive escapism (TV, movies, drugs) and motivations for active escapism (video games, roleplaying, internet forums). Anyone seen a study on that?
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 Cleverly
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bjorn190
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Jebus maker
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posted January 05, 2006 02:30 AM |
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There is also a time-factor in this I think. I'm pretty sure there was a time when it was considered anti-social not to attend the monthly barnyard dance
I think most would agree that as time goes by, our relationships and activities will become increasingly internet-based. That means that every passing day, playing games becomes more normal and social.
Sure, the first ones to adopt playing games might not be as social and normal as the rest, simply because of bell curve distribution. Those who are in the extreme in the early adoptation curve have less people that are similar, so social ties become harder to find. Instead, when they go on the internet, people that are the same are there too, and are easier to find.
In time, more and more people will go online, thus making being on the internet more normal and accepted. But by then the not so normal people are likely to have moved on to the next big thing, which in turn will be seen as asocial and frightening.
For me personally, I like the Internet, but lately I think I'm done with the internet. I've read all the info, played all the game genres and themes, listenend to all the music and watched all the movies..
So I'm going back to a normal life, simply because it's something I haven't really explored before, and it seems to be kind of fun, if I just accept it for what it is.
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Valeriy
Mage of the Land
Naughty, Naughty Valeriy
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posted January 05, 2006 04:10 AM |
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What is normal life and what are normal relationships?
Edit: QP applied below. Great post 
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Be an example of what you want to see on HC and in the world.
http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.com
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Binabik
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted January 05, 2006 09:21 AM |
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The problem with discussing "addictions" is the definition of the term. I personally don't call what RSF described as an addiction. I would call it obsession. Obsessive behavior may have some similarities, but it's not the same thing as addiction. Even though he went back to it, the fact that RSF so easily left it tells me it's not an addiction. A true addiction would not be anywhere near that easy to walk away from.
Forty years ago I was old enough to have some idea what "addiction" was. Since then the usage of the term has changed dramatically. It's become much broader. Sure, language changes, but with the current broad usage of the term, we need a new word to describe the "old" meaning.
I hear people say they are coffee addicts, or caffine junkies....
(graphic text ahead)
"Caffine junkie" is used jokingly. A true junkie is not a joke. A junkie is a hard core herion addict. They will do virtually ANYTHING to get their next fix. If they don't have the money, they might steal, prostitute themselves or assult someone to get it. They might even murder someone to get enough money for one day's fix.
I worked with a guy for a while who had recently gotten out of prison after serving a 20 year sentence for murder. He was a junkie before prison. And after 20 years he was still a junkie. I loaned him some tools to work on another house, and he sold them to get his fix....making up some lame story about what happened to the tools....this after 20 years.
If a junkie tries to quit without the help of methadone or other treatments, he/she will go through hell in the process. Cold shivers. Shaking, maybe convulsions. Profuse sweating. Terrible nightmares. Agonizing moans and screams during the day or night. He/she may have to be strapped down to keep from hurting themselves while fighting that monster inside. If the junkie makes it through all that, they've only made it past the physical part. They'll have to fight the psychological part for the rest of their lives. They will ALWAYS be drawn to the needle. The desire may lessen over time, but never completely go away.
I've never personnaly witnessed the above withdrawals, but I've watched junkies "shoot up" on multiple occasions. After buying their next packet, or maybe they already have it, but are just getting home from somewhere, the only thing on their minds is getting the drug into their vein. They get their kit and pour the packet into the spoon. Heat the spoon to disolve the powder in the water. Draw the solution into the syringe. Tighten the strap to hopefully make a vein stand out. Then in with the needle.....maybe.
I watched a guy once who couldn't find a vein because it was collapsed. He would pump a little in and then draw it back out after missing the vein.....drawing some blood into the syringe along with it. Before long the syringe was completely filled with his blood, mixed with the drug. But he kept doing it over and over trying to find a vein. This had been going on for almost an hour at the time I left. I have no idea if he was ever successful, or if he's even still alive.
THAT is addiction.
I don't in any way mean to lessen the severity of what RSF describes. Computer/games/internet "obsession" can be a serious problem. But there are two points.
One is simply a matter of definition. To use the term "computer addiction" dilutes the meaning of what I would call a true addiction. IMO "computer obsession" much more acurately describes the subject of this thread. (Compulsion is also a different, but related term.)
The second point is this.
RSF, what you described is a serious problem that needs to be addressed, if it hasn't been already. But be thankful a few bad grades (and smelling bad) are the ONLY things you had to deal with. There are a lot worse things to be "addicted" to.
Whoops, sorry, didn't mean to sidetrack the thread. Just wanted to add some perspective.
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RedSoxFan3
Admirable
Legendary Hero
Fan of Red Sox
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posted January 06, 2006 03:29 AM |
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Yes, there have been numerous arguements made. That people confuse the way in which addiction is used. Because it can mean two completely different things.
There is mental addiction and physical addiction. Problems such as gambling and computer addiction have been given a new term, problematic usage. I just chose to omit this term from the paper, because I would be forced to divert from the main issue to explain the difference between physical addiction and problematic usage.
So there is a term separating these two issues.
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The problem with discussing "addictions" is the definition of the term. I personally don't call what RSF described as an addiction. I would call it obsession. Obsessive behavior may have some similarities, but it's not the same thing as addiction. Even though he went back to it, the fact that RSF so easily left it tells me it's not an addiction. A true addiction would not be anywhere near that easy to walk away from.
No I would definitely call what I had an addiction. I did not leave so easily. I wanted to play everyday, but my parents took the computer away from me. I didn't touch any have any internet access for over a month. By the time I got back on the computer, around July, I felt much better. I was out of my depression and I felt wonderful. At that time I began visiting HC again and I reactivated my account to World of Warcraft again.
So if you want to look at it this way. I was in rehab for a month and then right when I got out I started "using" again. It wasn't until a few months later in October, when I finally said **** it.
It felt exactly like what a lot of junkies would call "a moment of clarity." For some reason, something compelled me to just cancel my subscription and uninstall it from my computer. I agree that it's not like heroine or the other super addictive drugs. Because it takes quite a while to build up to the point where I do get seriously addicted.
Even now when I think about the game I want to play, but I know that I shouldn't and for now that's enough to keep me away from it.
Quote:
watched a guy once who couldn't find a vein because it was collapsed. He would pump a little in and then draw it back out after missing the vein.....drawing some blood into the syringe along with it. Before long the syringe was completely filled with his blood, mixed with the drug. But he kept doing it over and over trying to find a vein. This had been going on for almost an hour at the time I left. I have no idea if he was ever successful, or if he's even still alive.
THAT is addiction.
Well all I have to say is point my finger at the people who died, because they stayed up for 50, 60, 70, 80 or more hours playing MMORPGs at internet cafes.
If you find a good article about one of these cases, you'll hear that the family took the computer away from them and begged them to stop playing, because they hadn't gone to school or work for weeks. Then these people vanished going to internet cafes to continue playing.
THAT is addiction.
I feel that the biggest difference between gaming addiction and illegal drugs is the source. You can pretty much go to any bad part of town and get some of these drugs. But there are no, or at least very few, places to turn to once you lose your personal internet access to continue playing online games.
I strongly feel that the nature of problematic usage is identical to that of physical addiction with a single difference. The physical withdrawals and the physical influences those drugs give you. However the psychological aspects are completely identical.
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Go Red Sox!
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Binabik
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted January 06, 2006 10:58 AM |
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I'm usually aware of the holes in my logic, I just hope nobody notices! Looks like I got busted this time.
BTW, I debated about posting that. Val was online when I posted. I wrote him an IM asking him to check the post and delete it if it was inappropriate. He logged out before I got it sent so I deleted the IM.
As I stated before, much of the purpose was simply to provide some perspective. It wasn't meant to trivialize the severity of the problem....not just for you, but the entire issue. I doubt there's a person at HC who doesn't know the meaning of "one more turn".....I know I've probably said that thousands of times.
As a matter of fact, I went five days once with only four hours sleep. That's 120 hours. I don't remember exactly, but it was something like 40 hours straight, then 4 hours sleep, then another 76 hours. On the fourth day (a Friday) I got a call for a job interview at 9:00am the following Monday. An engineer I used to work with at a different company, now worked at this company, so I already knew a job offer was being discussed. I really wanted that job. I was completely toasted when the call came. I had the weekend to get my act together. Did I stop playing the game and try to get some sleep? Hell no, I stayed up all night Friday and into Saturday (day 5). It's pretty fuzzy, but I think I finally got some sleep late Saturday night/Sunday morning....but it wasn't much, maybe 6 hours. On Sunday I was still toasted with a 9:00am interview approaching fast....an interview where I would be drilled with a bunch of technical questions. But happy ending. Around 6:00-7:00 Sunday evening I actually got to bed and slept straight through the night.....made it to the interview and got the job. (BTW, the project I worked on was some early research for the 802.11 wireless networking)
See, I DO understand what you're talking about....I just have a tendancy to approach things from an oblique angle.
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Even now when I think about the game I want to play, but I know that I shouldn't and for now that's enough to keep me away from it.
Is it really enough? I assume you still have the game. How about breaking the CD in half and throwing it away? Seriously!
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THAT is addiction.
That's cheating using my own words against me!
As for HC addiction, I understand that too. I don't recall if I've talked to you much in the past. But if anyone noticed, I've disappeared from here twice for an extended time...the addiction thing was the reason. Well, sort of. In both cases there were RL issues why I initially got away. But after being gone for a short time I felt a sense of freedom.....not getting online several times a day to check for interesting new posts or a reply to something I posted. So I stayed away much longer than the RL issues required.
Actually for me, it's not really HC itself that's addictive. I don't get drawn in like that reading/posting in the Library. It's the Other Side that gets me. Political and social subjects in RL do the same thing. My head will get spinning about some subject, churning it for hours and tearing it apart. But the "triggers" in RL are more easily avoided.
Ironiclly, a very effective way I've found to deal with it is to play a game. I've played so many different games and spent so much time doing it, the games are all just mediocre now. It would take an *extremely* good game to get me addicted for more than a few days.....lets all hope H5 sucks.
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RedSoxFan3
Admirable
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Fan of Red Sox
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posted January 07, 2006 11:33 PM |
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Multiplayer games, especially social ones, are the ones I think that provide opportunity for long term addiction. That's why MMOs are so addicting. There's endless things to do and you are doing it with people whom you would call your friends.
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Go Red Sox!
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Nidhgrin
Honorable
Famous Hero
baking cookies from stardust
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posted January 08, 2006 03:30 PM |
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First of all, very interesting thread RSF. It really does hit very close to home on a number of fields, well written! Often we have to make mistakes and crash head on into a wall to realize something is going wrong. Posting this here with this depth means you're at least good underway to identify your key weaknesses or problem areas. Banning addictive behaviour from your life is just one step beyond discovering and accepting your weaknesses and learning constructive ways to deal with them
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I'd be curious to know whether there's a difference between motivations for passive escapism (TV, movies, drugs) and motivations for active escapism (video games, roleplaying, internet forums). Anyone seen a study on that?
I haven't read studies on this but have noticed a thing or two in addictions of my own and addictive behaviour of friends.
People who are into passive escapism seek mindless experiences to escape from stress. These activities allow you to temporarily ignore the stress to the point where you forget. Some rather innocent examples include watching TV no matter what's on, playing videogames with limited immersive factors such as racing games or 3D shooters without a storyline. Less innocent examples are smoking, excessive drinking or use of hard drugs.
Though I am not sure about this, I have the impression that people I call executors are more likely to be drawn towards passive escapism in times of stress than slackers.
Executors are people who like to have things finished, sometimes perfectionists but either way people who accomplish goals and live by the satisfaction of accomplishing goals, whatever those goals are.
Slackers are people who like to leave things open indefinitely, often procrastinators and certainly people who postpone the largest part of the work towards a goal to the last minute, no matter how bad not achieving that goal makes them feel afterwards.
Slackers are more likely to be drawn towards active escapism in times of stress. Probably because this gives them the feeling they are accomplishing something. So instead of having to work towards a postponed 'reward', they can have almost instant satisfaction through video games, roleplaying or discussing on internet forums.
Anyway, this is theoretical and based on personal observations. Feel free to criticize or comment.
The end result in both forms of escapism is the same. Denial of reality, which ultimately leads to a downward spiral of losing control over your real life. Escapism can be a natural reflex in times of stress but it is never a solution.
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One is simply a matter of definition. To use the term "computer addiction" dilutes the meaning of what I would call a true addiction. IMO "computer obsession" much more acurately describes the subject of this thread. (Compulsion is also a different, but related term.)
Hmm... Maybe just a matter of terms, but I disagree with this statement.
People say: 'once a smoker, always a smoker'. And it's true. But not the physical aspect of smoking, the nicotine addiction, is what makes smokers begin again no matter how long they had quit. Two weeks after quitting there's no trace of nicotine left in your body. Two months after quitting, cigarette smoke starts to stink again. Yet when a highly stressful situation comes up, there's always the temptation to begin again.
Why? Because the mental addiction of smoking is far more severe than the physical aspect of it. It's a subtle form of escapism, and once you've smoked you also know how it works and effectively softens the intensity of stressful situations, how it makes you feel more centered and focused. Additionally it's socially accepted, and may in fact increase social interactions with other smokers. Now before this starts to sound like a pro-smoking campaign, as with all addictions smoking temporarily seems to make the world a better place, or easier to live in, but after a while reality returns in full force and you'll be needing your next cigarette to cover up reality in clouds again.
The more stressful reality becomes, the more a smoker will reach for those cigarettes. That's not the nicotine addiction speaking, no it's plain escapism, and at this level you can quite easily compare it to purely mental addictions such as playing videogames for hours at a time.
You're right that there's no physical dependancy once the addiction has started to take form, but does that make it any less an addiction? Cause or effect, it depends on where on you put the focus. If you put the focus on cause or motivation, then I really don't see why computer addiction should not be called an addiction. It are the same reasons that drive people to escape in video games as the reasons that drive people to substance abuse. As Vlaad quite nicely said:
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Escapism is not defined by the behaviour itself but the motivation behind it.
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RedSoxFan3
Admirable
Legendary Hero
Fan of Red Sox
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posted January 08, 2006 04:16 PM |
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Quote:
Though I am not sure about this, I have the impression that people I call executors are more likely to be drawn towards passive escapism in times of stress than slackers.
I'd have to say that I am a bigtime procrastinator, so I guess you could put me into the 'slacker' personality group of escapists. The things I've sought for entertainment are very close to what you say. The things I've been addicted to are very much active escapism.
However on the contrary, I am at the same time very much a perfectionist, yet I'm not a workaholic as the 'executor' often is. I HATE losing. Always have. I'm the type of person who gets pissed losing a game of checkers.
So where I think you do have an interesting idea of this concept, I'm not sure it's completely true. I think the misconception here is that you looked at certain types of people with certain types of personalities. These people tend to delve into similar types of addictive behavior because their problems are similar.
The studies on addiction say that it is caused by both attractive factors and motivational factors. Now the main difference that I see between active escapism and passive escapism, is that often time active escapism offers additional attraction factors. Posting on message boards like HC, gives a network of friendships. So if you are upset, because you got into a fight with a few of your best friends and you don't hang out anymore, you might decide to post way too much at message boards. This addictive behavior offers both escaping your problems, and a network of relationships. This person might be an 'executor' but they went to an active escapist behavior rather than a passive one in this case.
The addiction will always match the problem in some way or another even if it isn't immediately obvious at the time.
However, I do think that it would be interested to see what each person picks. Say you take a person who has a certain problem and they start doing an addictive behavior. It would be interesting to figure out why they chose that particular one over another. Because there might be a person where an MMORPG would be the perfect fit to their problems, but they hate video games, so they do something else instead. This is an oversimplification, but I think it could be studied a bit more.
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Khaelo
Honorable
Supreme Hero
Underwater
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posted January 09, 2006 11:07 PM |
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Edited by Khaelo on 9 Jan 2006
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Quote:
I haven't read studies on this but have noticed a thing or two in addictions of my own and addictive behaviour of friends.
People who are into passive escapism seek mindless experiences to escape from stress. These activities allow you to temporarily ignore the stress to the point where you forget. Some rather innocent examples include watching TV no matter what's on, playing videogames with limited immersive factors such as racing games or 3D shooters without a storyline. Less innocent examples are smoking, excessive drinking or use of hard drugs.
Though I am not sure about this, I have the impression that people I call executors are more likely to be drawn towards passive escapism in times of stress than slackers.
Executors are people who like to have things finished, sometimes perfectionists but either way people who accomplish goals and live by the satisfaction of accomplishing goals, whatever those goals are.
Slackers are people who like to leave things open indefinitely, often procrastinators and certainly people who postpone the largest part of the work towards a goal to the last minute, no matter how bad not achieving that goal makes them feel afterwards.
Slackers are more likely to be drawn towards active escapism in times of stress. Probably because this gives them the feeling they are accomplishing something. So instead of having to work towards a postponed 'reward', they can have almost instant satisfaction through video games, roleplaying or discussing on internet forums.
Anyway, this is theoretical and based on personal observations. Feel free to criticize or comment.
Huh. Your logic makes sense. It's interesting because my observations have been exactly the opposite. Then again, you could count my subjects on one hand.
My personality type fits what you term "executor" -- around here, people also talk about "type A" personalities. Perfectionist, fear of failure, etc. Yet I can't stand most passive escapism. As alluring as it is to go mindless, it is equally scary to lose control. I can barely sit through a one-hour TV show because the suspense just keeps going and going, and I can't make it stop. Movies are even worse. Books, on the other hand, are wonderful because I can put them down at any time and think about the events/characters/implications at my own pace, on my own terms. If the suspense of not-knowing is driving me up the wall, I can look in the back to find out what happens, then enjoy the scene at my leisure. You can't do that with a screen. And drugs, as seen from the outside, are the ultimate relinquishment of control.
In active escapism, there is control. I prefer that, and therefore I incline to active escapism. However, with control comes a risk of failure. I have too often found that I escape my real world stresses only to find a world of new, fake stresses! It rather defeats the purpose; I'm just exchanging one powerless situation for another.
A slacker acquaintance of mine almost invariably heads for passive escapism. Obviously, I don't know his head as well as my own. Evidence suggests, however, that he's also worried about failure but takes it from the other side. Instead of overachieving (or trying to), he deliberately conceeds control. Then, whatever happens, it isn't his fault. This strategy doesn't work so well in real life, so he forgets his problems by blanking out in front of the TV or really stupid movies. In his escapism, as in his real life, he tries to dodge responsibility.
The attractions of active escapism can also be turn-offs. You have to invest more of yourself into an active medium than a passive one.
Maybe the upshot of this is that there is no systematic correspondence between personality and escapism types? Or I have found exceptions to prove the rule. Or no one is a perfect executor or slacker, and that the combinations produce various results.
Since we're talking about motives: Vulnerability to chemical addiction is known to run in families. Do non-chemical addictions run the same way? In the same families? In my family, which has a colorful history of both chemical addictions and mental illness (corrolated), non-chemical addictions only appear to have popped up in the youngest generation. I'll have to ask my parents about gambling, since that would be a notable non-chemical addiction.
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RedSoxFan3
Admirable
Legendary Hero
Fan of Red Sox
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posted January 11, 2006 06:36 PM |
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I don't really think that we can say whether or not problematic usage runs in certain families. There haven't been that many activities just two generations ago that were addicting like today's entertainment. Our society has gone from nothing to an entertainment paradise. And furthermore, just two generations ago we had world wars and depressions. Those extreme changes in conditions, I think it would be hard to see if there was this problem was hereditary.
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Loknar
Adventuring Hero
Missing Links
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posted February 04, 2006 02:11 AM |
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I find this thread really interesting and would like to revive it to add a few thoughts:
I agree that the "Heart of Addiction" is mental rather than physical, but I still think that Yee's theory (in RSFs initial post) fails to explain the distinctive features of addiction. The list of the "MMORPG Outlets" in Yees table are states that everybody wishes to achieve, and the "Attraction Factors" are likely to attract everybody. So far, the theory may explain why some people get addicted, but it offers no explanation why the others don't.
It seems reasonable to assume that those who don't get addicted are able to achieve those states in real life and therefore don't need a virtual substitute or don't feel the need to withdraw from reality (which leads to summarizing addiction under the concept of escapism). But this does certainly not cover all addictions: Many drugs, as cocaine, are also consumed (especially by managers, ad and showbiz people, waiters, designers a. s. o.) to enhance capabilities in real life and not just to escape from it. It appears they make you feel like a genius or demigod, leave all shyness behind and make you work for 20 hours in a row (as long as you take them). They are physically and mentally highly addictive and rightly considered "hard" drugs. But alcohol may serve the same purpose, as well as "mommies little helpers" (medication): All those are also (initially) taken to cope with a reality you don't feel up to, and not only to escape from it.
Yee's "Motivational Factors" like low self-esteem cannot be tracked back to reality alone (like you just lack some abilities), but only to the difference between how you perceive reality and what you project as an norm or ideal (of yourself and the world). I knew a guy who had worked as a model and looked like an angel, but felt really ugly, had endless surgeries to his face and, sadly, finally committed suicide. (While the perception and the ideal may be totally irrational, the suffering from the difference may be most real.) If the above is true, Yee's motivational factors could logically depend on:
1. the perception of oneself and the world;
2. the availability of means to realize the ideal;
3. the adequacy of the ideal.
Generally, I would say that the "Heart of Addiction" is the feeling of guilt that comes from taking responsibility for the difference between reality and ideal. (Hence its link to depression.) The adequacy of the ideal seems the most complex of the factors, since it involves the (social) generation of the ideal and the purposes behind it (and this is how I understand Valeriys unanswered question about "normal life").
But for RSFs initial post, I think the availability of means is the most important. And this does not only relate to the abilities of the individual, but also to the conditions in the world:
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I was completely immersed in the virtual world, I had made friends that I wanted to meet in real life, and I felt a great amount of achievement whenever I accomplished my goals to level or when I received a reward that I worked hard to get
Imagine that this description would apply to working and not to playing WoW: It would mean total devotion to your job, being team-oriented and, above all, having a high degree of endurance and diligence. Furthermore, playing a game implies adapting and adhering to given rules. In an ideal (meaning mostly: just) world, you would rise like a rocket. (And it seems you did afterwards. ) It looks a bit as if you retreated from reality to a virtual world only to do exactly what you and others expected from you in the real world. One might also say that you actually trained abilities that are crucial for real life success (like pilots training on a flight simulator). I don't know how it is to study in the US, but generally, a school environment offers limited possibilities for a variety of developments. More precisely, if you don't feel at ease, your means to change your situation are limited: Much of your social system is preset and there is not much you can do to get your rewards if someone is unwilling to match it to your efforts. Please don't misunderstand this for trivializing your adversities, but I could well imagine that this was a "healthy" reaction to a difficult environment (especially if the ideals are high) and that it doesn't mean that you're prone to game addiction under different circumstances.
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TitaniumAlloy
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Professional
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posted December 08, 2006 07:53 PM |
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This is so true.
Why I've started playing Guild Wars again lately. Because sometimes, when you're down, Tyria beats the hell out of here.
If I were in the matrix, I would be Cypher.
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John says to live above hell.
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violent_flower
Promising
Supreme Hero
Almost there.
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posted February 19, 2007 07:08 PM |
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This is a well written and well thought out thread that has some very key points. I thought as a whole it is one of the better threads that I have seen on here. Just wondering why such a time consuming and self-revealing thread does not deserve a QP?
Great post RSF!!!!
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Learn how to duck and weave because I will throw truth at you all day!
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polo3
Tavern Dweller
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posted February 26, 2007 03:42 PM |
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This is a well written and well thought out thread that has some very key points. I thought as a whole it is one of the better threads that I have seen on here. Just wondering why such a time consuming and self-revealing thread does not deserve a QP?
Great post RSF!!!!
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Pomo
Famous Hero
The lone peasant
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posted March 11, 2007 03:18 PM |
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This is a very familiar feeling for me I must admit. Guild Wars basically ate the last two years of my life (with some interludes of various length) - and there is some irony in the fact that I am sitting here typing this past midnight when I have work tomorrow as well.
I have exactly the same kind of things that RSF describes - I will constantly berate myself to get up off my @#@ and just sit down and work, tell myself that I just need to sit down and do my study, write, read journal articles, analyse data, etc.
Then I'll get to work, sit down and spend five hours browsing back and forth between HC, sport websites, and occassionally guild wars pages, although I haven't played that for nearly three months now.
Basically it's just incredibly embarassing and undermining to your sense of will and control, to tell yourself you just need to sit down and do work, that you have deadlines to meet, you're letting down your supervisors etc, and then get to work and your brain just switches and you don't do anything, write a paragraph, read an article, ANYTHING, sometimes for weeks. My mind is simply thinking about GW (or more recently and thankfully to a lesser extent, about H5) non-stop... Even when I don't want to play, when I'm bored out of my brain with the game, I still do play.
Anyway, just thought I'd share my own personal experience. Sorry if it's a bit too in depth - I know I didn't really offer anything theoretical.
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linkTouched by His Noodly Appendage
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