Entangling Roots: Online Gaming and the Effects on Their Players

As a person who has seen enough of his friends become addicted to MMORPGs, especially World of Warcraft, I really found this essay to hit home. The issue the essay brings up is whether or not online games truly are a social experience or if they drain what social skills the player may have if they weren't gaming. I believe that this issue isn't taken seriously and the victims of this addiction are simply categorized as "nerds" or simply "hardcore gamers."

I've seen my roommate here at Champlain College play World of Warcraft from 11am until 6am the next morning, breaking only briefly for no more than an hour. I've told him that he needs to get out and take a walk outside, but being at college, I find that many occasional gamers find that with their new found freedom, they can now play as much as they want to. I've noticed that most of the victims written about in texts regarding this issue are indeed college students who find they don't have many obligations to do anything but play games.

Overall gaming is dangerous. It's arguably more addictive than many drugs people are entered into rehabilitation clinics for. The United States or the gaming corporations need to find a way to regulate this problem before it effects too many other people.