A 21- year -old man killed himself over EverQuest game. A 17 -year -old boy murdered his mother and shot his father over Halo 3. A 13-year-old boy in Vietnam killed an 81 –year-old woman after robbing her with $6.20. Later he explained he needed the money to buy a new game. Men stabbed another player. Baby twins drown in the bathtub as their father went to the other room to play an online game. A tree-month old baby in Korea died after her parents left her starving in the house. The parents of the girl met online and spent 12 hours a day in an internet café and dropped by the house occasionally to feed the baby a bottle of milk. A 13-year old killed himself, because he wanted to join the heroes of the World of Warcraft. The boy jumped out of a tall building after playing the game for 36 hours straight. A 17-year-old teen in Beijing burned his classmate as revenge after losing an online battle in the World of Warcraft. He covered his classmate with gasoline and lit him on fire. He said that he had transformed into a Fire Mage, a character in the World of Warcraft, upon committing the crime.
The victims of computer and video game addiction are mainly children and teenagers. Playing too many video or computer games leads to losing the sense of reality. 20 years ago children would play on the streets. Nowadays mothers feel better when their children are at home. “The sreets are dangerous” they are thinking. But are their own homes safer? The above mentioned are only a few examples of what online games might lead to. The so called massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG.) are highly addictive and lead to mental disorders like depression and schizoid personality disorder. Nikola Zhivkov, a sophomore in the American University in Bulgaria used to be a great fan of computer games. In fact, he was on a team and was taking part in international World of Warcraft competitions. However, Nikola realized that this was not the lifestyle he wanted. When I asked him if it’s possible to get addicted to computer games his answer was positive.
“ It’s like getting addicted to say cigarettes , being unable to stop until you get the cigarette, becoming aggressive when you don’t get the cigarette, it’s similar in a way.”
Here are some common symptoms of computer games addiction:
1 Neglecting personal relationships.
2 Difficulty keeping up with personal or professional responsibilities.
3 Lying to others about computer or video game use.
4. Becoming aggressive.
Video and computer game addiction is a fact! It’s out there and it’s dangerous. It has taken it’s victims and its still affecting people of different ages, nationalities and religions. It is destroying families, ruining relationships, taking lives. So next time you play or let your child play a computer game keep that in mind. Entertain yourself wisely!
Living with an addict 