I started playing World of Warcraft. (My "toon" is like the one above- a Tauren druid.) I have often chastized friends for playing this game that is nicknamed "WoW," because it seems to take over their lives and is wildly addictive. I know several people who have spent every waking minute for an entire year playing. You have to ween yourself off of it like a drug. And you always go back. So naturally, I thought it must be the devil.I was right. I got into it, because I thought 'what the hey, if you can't beat em, join em." My long-distance boyfriend plays, and you can talk during the game, so it might be a good way to keep in touch and to just have something fun to do when im not working. After playing the game a bit, I immediately understood how WoW could be so addictive. I renamed it "World of Wombcraft," because it's like being in the womb- it's warm and safe and comfortable. You don't want to leave. People are chivalrous and polite. You can be anything you want to be. And it's not just a 2D game, not just a plain internet activity. There's an entire world with different continents and environments to discover. People constantly help each other reach their goals. And you can go at your own pace, meeting new friends along the way.
I no longer find as much pleasure in surfing the net, or blogging, or texting, or AIM (all of which i've been semi-addicted to in the past.) The net seems so bland now. There's no dynamic interaction. Now, some older folks who remember the real world as being a place where real people have real conversations will probably be scoffing and shaking their heads at this post. "What has the world come to?" they might say. Well, good question. The interesting thing is the code of courtesy that exists in the game. Even the book that comes with the game continuously emphasizes helping others and being polite and avoiding personal conflicts. In fact, when you get to the upper levels of the game, it's set up where you really need teamwork. You have to find others to play with or you'll just keep dying. The downside is, this is not a game that you can simply pause when someone comes to your door, or you're called for dinner, or the phone rings. Others in your group are depending on you to make it through that battlefield alive, and since you're in a "world" that others are playing, it's impossible to pause. The game goes on 24/7. You could spend your whole life in the game.
I'd like some psychologists to research the effects of WoW on people. Does it effect them positively? Negativly? Neutral? One thing I will say... It's the only video game I have ever truly enjoyed playing.
