And so many of us started gaming, something we can do at the comfort of our own home, regardless of rain or hot sun.
There are PLENTY of gamers in Singapore, tried googling around but couldn't get a statistic to quantify. And I'm sure there are many others who have made gaming such a big part of their lives that their live has unknowingly been turned upside down.
People who didn't have time to study, homeowners who didn't have time to do the chores, spouses who have no time to build on relationships, parents who didn't have time to pay more attention to the kids. The list of neglect goes on.
While Singapore has help centres for people with drug, smoking and gambling addictions, I do not know of a similar centre for dealing with a video gaming addiction.
To be fair, its kind of tough too, because we can't expect the addict to throw his computer away, or be locked up in a room with no access to gaming.
Which is why one of the first things that recovering gaming addicts should do is to join the many establishing websites that share the pain and fear of fellow gaming addicts.
OLGA (On-Line Gamers Anonymous) is a link I got from Nino's website.
Gamers who lost friends, families, money and jobs.
And some even harbour suicidal thoughts.
Withdrawal symptoms and "repeat offenders".
One of the sad truth in life is that people don't realised that they have a problem. Especially egoistic gamers, I used to be one.
And then there are those who know they have a problem, but give plenty of excuses on why the solution should be put on hold.
Most smokers can go ahead with their lives, they just need smoke breaks here and there. They only suffer the pain when age, and resultant degenerative diseases catch up with them.
Gaming? Its worse in a sense that the side-effects (negligence of more important things in life) are felt immediately.
You can play all you want, but you will never be able to buy back lost youth.
5 comments:
Thanks for the mention ;)
As far as I know, the only physical centers for this type of addiction are located in either China or in Central Europe...
Couldn't agree more with ya, this epidemic is only going to get worse :(
Amsterdam, Holland
China
I wonder if David Widjaya was a gamer with a problem. Or that Allan Ooi who killed himself in Melbourne.
Quitting the gaming itself is not very difficult for me. But the problem is living a normal life after that, and having to face up to reality - this is the really difficult part. After failing to do so, it is all too natural to relapse.
There was one time I played a computer game until the end just before I went for a date. I told myself, if I didn't get the girl, at least I could feel some sense of achievement in saving the world. Looking back it was loser behaviour.
So is blogging and Mafia Wars on Facebook.. =(
Nino:
Hope this gaming addiction doesn't give rise to social problems.
Numbernine:
haha, you were a serious gamer too? Hey, at least there's more gals playing computer games these days, it can be used as a conversation starter.
HB:
Blogging gives you some side income and friends. Facebook widen your social circle and give you a chance to find people's dark secrets. Oops.
No, I wasn't a serious gamer. I just happened to be playing a very old computer game that got emulated for Windows.
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