Online Games and Addiction – Fun or Threat?
Online Gaming and Signs of Addiction
MMORPG—what is that? It stands for the increasingly popular and potentially addictive “massive multiplayer online role-playing games.” Titles such as World of Warcraft™, Lord of the Rings Online, and Everquest™ have been well known, and are still played. These can be highly immersive and for some teens, especially boys, a real distraction from their real lives. In 2013, a survey of more than 4,000 World of Warcraft players revealed that on average, 28 percent of players spend more than 30 hours a week playing the game.
Set rules with your children about the amount of time that can be spent on these sites, whether or not they get money to spend for membership or to purchase gaming accessories (in the real world, such as on eBay® or within the game) and any other concerns you might have.
According to the Computer Addiction Services at Harvard University-affiliated McLean Hospital, these are some of the psychological and physical symptoms of addiction:
- Inability to stop the activity.
- Neglect of family and friends.
- Lying to employers and family about activities.
- Problems with school or job.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Dry eyes.
- Failure to attend to personal hygiene.
- Sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
References and online resources:
- Forbes: Research Report Shows How Much Time We Spend Gaming (Infographics)
- Alvernia University: From Player 1 to Patient Zero: Is Video Game Addiction Real?
- Medical News Today: How video games affect the brain
- Federal Trade Commission: Video games, loot boxes, and your money
- McLean Hospital, Maressa Hecht Orzack, Ph.D.: Computer Addiction Services