| In this day and age, with hardcore chemicals being | | | | for the ruinous addiction they are causing. With |
| the scourge of civilized life, heroin, cocaine, vicodin, | | | | ever larger online worlds entering the gaming fray |
| all the classes of drugs that are man-made and | | | | (World of Warcraft, Everquest 2 …), it |
| not naturally produced or even those that are | | | | seems that this is a problem that will only |
| natural, it seems silly to talk of addiction to a | | | | increase. |
| computer game. But it is neither silly nor trivial. | | | | Psychologists have labelled this as Computer |
| Take heed! | | | | Addiction or Internet Addictive Disorder, a |
| The sheer popularity of these games, played on | | | | problem very similar to Pathological Gambling or |
| home computers, Xbox's, Playstations, | | | | Compulsive Shopping, and sadly it does not just |
| Gamecubes and other consoles, shows that this | | | | affect one person, but seeps into family life |
| addiction does not affect everyone equally. Some | | | | affecting those around the addicted. This is a real |
| people can play a game for an hour, then go back | | | | disorder, not imagined, and those afflicted need to |
| to work, or watch TV and not give a second | | | | seek professional help and more significantly, need |
| thought to the game. Others play it 8 hours a | | | | the love, comfort and support of friends and |
| day or more, forgoing meals, family, work, and | | | | family. Perhaps a little tough love is in order too, |
| daily chores. | | | | regulate the computer time, turn off your child's |
| The corporations that produce these games do | | | | playstation after they have played for an hour, |
| not help with the problem, in fact they stoke the | | | | get them involved in real world activities that |
| fires into roaring blazes. Clearly, they understand | | | | have nothing to do with a computer. |
| that there are millions of people who will forgo | | | | This is not an American phenomena, or European, |
| simple things in life to pay $10 a month to play on | | | | this is world-wide, and only getting worse. The |
| a game for objects and things that are intangible. | | | | Chinese have started camps for adolescents |
| So they feed the addiction, releasing new objects | | | | addicted to computers, in a land where nearly |
| obtainable only in the online world, or releasing | | | | 15% of adolescents suffer from Internet |
| new add-on upgrades and expansion sets for | | | | Addiction Disorder according to the China Internet |
| another $50. The bottom line is money of course, | | | | Information Center. |
| they are corporations who are responsible to their | | | | Article written by Richard Dows. |
| shareholders, and no-one wants to blame them | | | | |