[neomatrix248]

I've been playing video games since I was a very young kid, around 2nd grade. I've been fascinated with them ever since. Now, my hobby is the primary source of entertainment for me and always makes me feel great while I'm playing games. Specificially, I play online computer games, mostly World of Warcraft. I don't play by myself though, I talk to fellow guildmates on a voice program called Ventrilo while I'm playing, to make the experience more interactive with online friends. But, I want to know if I am addicted or not, and if I am, if it any serious negative effects. I play roughly 5 hours a day on weekdays, and sometimes up to 10 on weekends. I know it's a lot, but I don't really have a whole lot else to do. I've always been a quite person in school, but I don't mind. I don't feel depressed or anything, I just don't particularly feel the need to have a whole bunch of friends. Anyways, does anyone have any tips to figure out if this is unhealthy for me?

[(JD)]

Sure thing! What does your family say? What do your friends say? How is your schoolwork going?

There are plenty of very rich and popular computer game players, one in particular that never finished high school but forget I said that ... are you ever learning in the field? Can you adjust and play many different games? Have you checked out the career opportunities within this field?

Being addicted and enjoying something can be two separate issues, imo. If you can put the game down and get your chores or homework done, even though wanting to get back to the game asap, then it's probably still a healthy incentive. If everything else in your life is out of whack, and everyone is complaining or worried about you, then it probably is a problem you would want to investigate further, imo.

Welcome, again, to PC!

[neomatrix248]

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_Sky said:
Sure thing! What does your family say? What do your friends say? How is your schoolwork going?

There are plenty of very rich and popular computer game players, one in particular that never finished high school but forget I said that ... are you ever learning in the field? Can you adjust and play many different games? Have you checked out the career opportunities within this field?

Being addicted and enjoying something can be two separate issues, imo. If you can put the game down and get your chores or homework done, even though wanting to get back to the game asap, then it's probably still a healthy incentive. If everything else in your life is out of whack, and everyone is complaining or worried about you, then it probably is a problem you would want to investigate further, imo.

Welcome, again, to PC!

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First of all, thank you for the fast response

I do well in school, my GPA is usually around a 3.8, and most of my classes are for advanced students. I usually end up getting my homework done, although rather reluctantly, before getting too involved with a game on a given day. My parents do complain that I spend way too much time on the computer, but then again, they complain about everything.

I am fairly skilled in computers and wanted to pursue some sort of military computer career, or programming.

My main issue is figuring out if I am a quiet and un-sociable person because I play on the computer, or if I enjoy playing on the computer because I am un-sociable and don't enjoy social activities as much as most teenagers my age.

an adiction is anything that the person NEEDS and craves and it interfers with their daily life and funtioning.

One persons symptoms of adiction does not always match anther. Its mostly an individual thing. For example if someone is missing work to be on line, always thinking about on line instead of doing their grocery shopping, paying their bills and so on and they get upset or irritable when they can't be on line then they are most likely adicted.

But for example I don't work except for vollunteer work and running my support group when I have enough members to warrent paying the 100 bucks library fee of using one of their auditorium rooms once a month or when the library study rooms are available otherwise we are a phone contact group and on line contact group.

I spend anywhere between 1 hour to 12-15 hours a day on line depending on my schedule and what I am doing in my real time life. Alot of that time is playing games while waiting for emails, pms, instant messages, reading message boards of my on line groups but on line is not my life. I don't let my time on line rule or interfere with what I am doing in real life time.

Spending alot of time on line does not always mean you have an adictiion to being on line. There are alot of people who are on line 9-5 everyday because it is their job to work on computer programs and so on.

Only you can decide how much internet is too much for you and if it is interferring with your off line life.

Hang in there

[(JD)]

IMO you have a good handle on figuring this out. We tend to gravitate towards those things that we need or bring us relief in some way. Perhaps you are wishing to have more of a social relationship with friends, but can't seem to find the venue? You may be more intelligent and think differently than many of your "peers" thus the escape to something that challenges you.

What do you think?

[neomatrix248]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
_Sky said:
IMO you have a good handle on figuring this out. We tend to gravitate towards those things that we need or bring us relief in some way. Perhaps you are wishing to have more of a social relationship with friends, but can't seem to find the venue? You may be more intelligent and think differently than many of your "peers" thus the escape to something that challenges you.

What do you think?

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I occasionally try to be more interactive with people, but I never feel like I need to say anything. Nothing prevents me from saying what I want to, I just don't feel like there's anything I want to talk about when I'm around other people. Perhaps it's just my genetics to be an individualistic person. I don't ever feel lonely when I'm not around other people, I usually spend that time thinking about various things and asking myself random questions about random things. Sorry if this sounds disorganized, I don't really know what the central purpose of this post was supposed to be, so I'm kind of adding several .

5 to 10 hours a day online playing games is a good way of escapism i think, as long has it doesnt interfer with your school work, i know not everyone likes to socialise in real life situations, some of us here spend that amount of time on this site alone every day,

i spent 20+ hours in chat in here once to give me something to do and when i am not in hospital i am online all the time in various forums, i changed my sleep patterns to american time ( i live in the uk) so i could chat and post questions/replies, i like to think that is more obbsessive than addictive but others may disagree.

what i am trying to say is if you are happy, your real life situation is not degrading by you playing online games then stick with it