Are you an addict?

I agree AtM, Human interaction is a percious thing. The subtle newances of face to face interaction. Simply being able to look into someone's eyes will revile more about them than paragraphs of text. Nothing can beat that, BUT jumping down to Jimmi's post one on one isn't what we deal with most of the time.

Allow me to introduce my 5th grade friend Devon. She and I hit it off so to speak early on. We were good friends, and though I lost touch with her a few times we managed to stay friends. Devon, though, had a problem. She had to be the alpha dog, I too had a problem, I would rather make someone happy than to pretend I'm someone I'm not. So in our 1 on 1 time, Devon was a great, caring, honest person but when you add more people she became this demon.

We had a melt down, I told her the truth about why I was a "push over" and dropped the C bomb. We don't talk anymore.

People are 9 times out of 10 good, fine people but put 5 good people in a room and ego's take over. Many people fear what others think of them, and this can make normal social situations problomatic. Thats where online communication comes in, you don't need an ego because you can filter out negative people you can be who ever you want and through that become more "yourself" than you would otherwise be.

BUT (this is a big but)

The internet isn't more important than real life. It is a good outlet, its a great tool for communicating past all kinds of boundries and its fun. The problem is that it will weaken you, like ballblue said, you can dissconnect online but not in real life. We all have to learn real life skills, like taking crap and standing up for ourselves. For healthy people the internet shouldn't replace real life if not only because life is hard and we need that. As much as you don't think you do, you do.

I suppose I'm kinda flip flopping here... ok my point; life requires balance if you don't flex your real life interation muscle it will wither away and die, but if you are happier without it then its no big loss. If someone can sit at home and play online games all day in the dark and live a truly and honestly fulfilled life I don't see the problem with it.

Indeed.
But I admit, nothing beats a good LAN! Human interaction ftw.

EDIT:

Oh, I missed my most important point. In real life im a very shy person. I never express myself nor give my thoughts nor oponions. When online chatting all of that is elimated. I feel alot more comfortable being able to speak without the shyness. Simple proof is that online, but defently not in real life, I would ask someone, "Do you want to be my friend?". In real life I would be too shy to ask that.

Yeah DrGlass, I think we're in agreement.

i grew up playing video games and generally being a part of the internet community.. and I get a lot of tail now.

just thought i'd throw that out there. =D

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the players tried to take the field
the marching band refused to yield

Tail? What you mean?

He means girls.

shyness is something that can be overcome. I used to be the same way untill I relized that dr.suzes was right, those who matter don't care, and those who care don't matter.

shyness takes a bit to overcome.

However, once you do, it is a lot easier to deal with the "cool" people on a daily basis. Some of them may not understand what my interests are, but they still respect me, and that's just fine.

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Dark_Kilauea
DVS Administration
http://www.dvstudio-production.com/

If people are addicted to gaming doesn't that scream out the fact that they hate the real world? Being addicted to gaming is not the problem, the problem is more likely one of being agoraphobic (afraid of the outside) or just scared to socialize. Often people get panic attacks in these situations- I know so many people like this.

Gaming is just something to do in a contradictive way. You socialize without socializing if you get what I mean. People who are addicted to videa games are generally people who play online games. They aren't happy with the real world around them, and thier role within it. They create masks, and new identities- new lives without having the stress of moving. I suppose thats why people like fancy dress sometimes, if you keep your mask on you can do what you like without people knowing who you are.

However, people who play games on thier own, offline, and constantly are definitely addicts. A great example are the good old chinese gold farmers in WOW!

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-[Better to be Honest than Kind]-

Computer game addiction can be pretty real. I never got into MMORPGs but I know people who basically quit school because of Ultima Online. It takes up so much time.

I'm playing quite a lot ('duh) and I'm more addicted than others but I get bored pretty quickly and usually I don't play for 3+ hours straight. I remeber playing Civilisation for a while, where I actually would play for many hours. But after a week or 2 even that became boring. What interests me about video games is what you can do with it. Interactive elements, graphics, story-telling from a rather unique perspective ect. I'm not really competitive with my scores which I think helps me to not get too involved with the time-absorbing aspects of gaming. Once I feel I "got" what the game can offer I pretty much drop it. And there aren't many games that draw my attention in the first place. I think my interest in playing computer games dropped in general over the last few years. I'm more of a "mapping addict" now. I think we all have to be. Think of the hours we all spend learning and using Hammer.

Myrk-, while certainly some people out there use videogames as a means to escape reality (because they hate it, or its too much for them to deal with) I would say it's a mistake to classify every videogame addict as a misanthrope.

Personally, I will say yes, at one time or another in my life, I have been seriously addicted to videogames. Did I hate the world? Not at all. Good family, good friends, a good life in general, no depression... just an overwhelming need to master this game I was playing. It's what I did for fun in my free time, and it just swallowed up all other liesure activities, and encrouched on my work time as well.

Anyway -- I just think it's wrong to say that "Being addicted to gaming is not the problem, the problem is more likely one of being agoraphobic (afraid of the outside) or just scared to socialize." While you haven't met me, you'll just have to take my word that I (who I am, what I'm like, etc) disproves this idea. I'm sure there are others on this site who also disprove this idea of being addicted to gaming is a sign of being agoraphobic / anti-social.

Thats really a tough question. What do they qualify as one addicted to computer? Many who are addicted don't think they are.

I think one who plays more then 2 hours a day is addicted.

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Elon Yariv