With the turn of the century came a breakthrough for the internet and the byproducts of internet use. Broadband capability has become a norm for the average household where any computer can connect to the internet at speeds exponentially faster than its predecessors have. Because of easier and faster accessibility to the internet, major corporations took a larger interest in e-commerce as well as providing services that one can access at home. Along with the expansion of the internet the online gaming industry began to take a bigger role in the video game industry than ever before.
Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPG, spawned another world that people from all aspects of life willingly immerse themselves in for numerous reasons.The social implications behind the driving force of the internet gaming industry heavily deter users from their real life, and as such, a new addiction arises from home entertainment. Although the internet market receives a healthy boost to its sales and economic growth, the people involved in MMORPGS and other online games suffer a negative impact in several areas of their normal lifestyles. World of Warcraft, an MMORPG produced by Blizzard Entertainment, epitomizes the negative qualities that perpetuate from this particular gaming genre.
According to Blizzard’s product webpage, they describe the game as “a massively multiplayer online game, [where] World of Warcraft enables thousands of players to come together online and battle against the world and each other” (Blizzard, para. 4).However, the “thousands” this brief introduction to the game mentions is grossly misrepresented as millions of players participate in this addictive pastime today. The overwhelming support of addicts and enthusiasts alike enables “players from across the globe… [to] leave the real world behind and undertake grand quests and heroic Online Games 2 exploits in a land of fantastic adventure” (Blizzard, para.
4). Sadly, as players leave the “real world” behind in their cyber adventures, they begin to shirk the responsibilities of daily life that are essential and necessary. From these irresponsible tendencies an addiction begins to shape that has the potential to harm any user as much as any narcotic, physical or mental addiction.A recent study headed by Smith and Jones leads to the establishment of the first in-patient clinic that specifically reaches out to victims of video game addiction. Psychological withdrawal symptoms control gamers, who average around the age of 15, who experience “anxiety, panic attacks, sleep problems, dreaming about games, nightmares, [or] shaking” (Coughlan, para. 5).
On top of withdrawal symptoms, the victims of online gaming addiction also suffer during their prolonged exposure to online gaming. Excessive gaming can be fatal, as children who continue their imaginary quests without sleep, proper nutrition, or simple hygienic functions do not address these necessities. Gaming centers provide access to users for a nominal fee that allows them to play with peers in a self-contained environment that encourages long hours in front of computers.With the odds against us, it would seem that gaming companies such as Blizzard only antagonize an emerging addiction by continuously expanding a video game world without a definitive end. Mark Griffiths, a psychologist at Nottingham Trent University, argues that there is a distinction to be drawn between addiction and “habitual” behavior, where he draws a parallel between casual gaming and a full-blown addiction to the game itself (Coughlan, para. 23).
In order to understand Mark Griffiths’ interpretation of gaming addiction, one must understand the psychological and sociological repetitions in the average video gamer.The American Psychiatric Association does not officially recognize online gaming addiction as a behavioral disorder, and as such does not address the psychologically detrimental Online Games 3 patterns of a reclusive teenager who resides in an online world more than the real world. A recent study conducted by Nick Yee indicates that the average gamer is a young adult male, where of approximately 2218 respondents, 14 percent agreed to being addicted, and 27 percent loosely claims to be partially addicted (Raessens & Goldstein, p. 35-36).
This survey indicates that a third of the gaming population admits to having a problem with video games. The 14 percent who are addicted exhibit a reclusive behavior that prevents them from properly interacting with a tangible social network, resulting in a crippling of their face-to-face conversational qualities.However, despite ”potential pitfalls, the games do foster relationships between players of racial, class, religious and age groups who many not interact in real life” (Raessens & Goldstein, p. 111). This would be a great benefit to the progress of globalization and civil rights, but the medium that is responsible for this enlightenment also exudes terrible consequences. In conclusion, the negative impact of online games such as World of Warcraft far outweighs the positive impact it brings to the world as well.
People should not be victimized by an entertainment medium that reaches out to a social caste that fatally adhere to a society that is not of the real world. Yet, like any other addiction, the actual medium is not to blame for people’s addiction, rather the people itself is to blame for their actions.Services provided by companies such as Blizzard do not intentionally release video games to prey upon the helplessly addicted gamers. Instead, Blizzard launched this particular video game for casual gaming with the option to embark on quests that promise fictional rewards. It appears that the option Blizzard includes with the game heavily favors the addictive qualities, raising a concern parents as well as psychologists. As any other enjoyment humanity is able to take pleasure in, it is quite possible for there to be too much of a good thing.
In this case, video games are too much of a good thing.
