56 replies to this topic

[Kris]

I remember playing ZH for 6hr's straight. But I take 1 or 2 min breaks, After finishing a game I Either Go to sleep, Mod ZH or Just sit here and listen to music or record and play with my voice Or even draw random sketches.

I Also formed a habit of Modifying ZH, Surfing the Internet ,Chatting and listening to music or while listening to music, I draw random stuff using my scanner as a drawing board (and moar). Since theres No decent shows on tv anymore. But i can still control my self because I know when to stop using my PC since i get seriously bored when doing nothing.

The reason I got addicted in using my PC for almost everyday is, I hate hanging out with people and I don't like going out because I'm shy when theres tons of people around me.

rant:

Also, I don't go to school anymore also because i have a rare genetic case that forbids me to go to hot places and if i did, I will overheat or get heatstroked and while exposed to the heat for hours, I get really irritated like hell...

I used to go to school but the heat still forbids me. Back in the days where i still go to school, I usually fall asleep while in class OR Go to the
principals office to hang out because its cold there (they let me hang out there too because they know my case ) and I also remember sneaking out and pour water over my self and go back to class while dripping wet .

Atleast I have a reason To Form my habit of using my PC for almost everyday and this news and a few MMORPG videos is the reason I still don't play MMORPG's. Modifying a game is more educational than playing a MMORPG that lets you level up and just get a few random items.

end rant.

Also, Parents should REALLY keep an eye to there children because if they let them thats where the problem really starts. For example, My brother who happens to be addicted to a MMO still knows his limits because my mom controlled him from getting really addicted early on and now my mom let him to do what he want and he learned how to control his self without my mom telling him to stop, He also stopped playing the MMO he loved because he got bored of it so he switched to a new MMO game. But He still know his limits and If he get bored, He usually go outside and hangout with his friends or just watch tv...And Thats an example of good parenting.

Good Parenting is the key to control your child if you let them do there own stuff without controlling them, Enjoy the problems heading your way.


PS: Real Sorry for the long post.

*leaves thread in shame*

[Whitey]

Wow! I am almost the same as Chris there. I have a really bad habit of using the PC for every minute of my life and I too am very socialphobic for one reason or another. In addition, instead of being bad in the heat, I am bad in the sun. Photophobia would be the name of the condition on my part. My skin burns superbly easily and the sun freakin' melts my eyes. So I don't go out except on cloudy days where I wear long sleeves in 90'+ heat.

These are, however, rare exceptions. Most people that play games like WoW forever and ever just have issues and it gets really bad, really fast.

[Warbz]

I dont go out much because I don't like to have to interact with people. I can only socialise with people I like/know. I easily turn on strangers if they do something annoying/wrong. Also i have terrible hayfever and its almost impossible for me to go outside at times, as i end up struggling to keep my eyes open.

Mornings are the worse, I actually CANT open my eyes, they are just like glued shut, i have special eyedrops to take asap in the mornings too.

[Whitey]

Am I the only one noticing a general trend here?

[Vaughan]

I always wear sunglasses and a baseball cap when I go outside.. Otherwise I'll be like, blind when I come back inside. :|

Annnd, yes, I don't like "Real Life" people. I don't like "Socializing", and I only talk to people I know.. Which is odd, because people on the Internet see me as a really fun-loving type of person who loves being around other people, which I can't say isn't true on the Internet.. It's just when I see people face-to-face, I feel like some sort of mole who's always hiding.

I admit, I am on my Computer a heck of a lot more than I should be.. But I hate it when people generalize it as "Playing Games." There's so much more to it that I simply can't explain to them.

~V.

[Whitey]

Indeed! How true. Of the 28 hours a day I spend on my computer, under 3 are usually devoted to gaming, and about 5 to game modding, and the rest is a whole lot more.

There are two types of computer-dwellers.

1) The supergamers: Generally play a lot of games, have variety, but also find MMOs addicting. This can result in decreased intelligence and seclusion.
2) The me type. Not addicted to games, but to the internet. Each forum is like a convention for its dedication. For instance, I can talk to anybody on ES about C&C and they'll know for damn sure what I'm saying. Or if I head to GTA, same thing. So it is a lot like a huge convention that lasts forever. Highly social and very thought invoking in many cases. *Points to the Philosophe Centre*.
-This boosts intelligence, allows for socialization, and provides a friendly and interactive environment. In my opinion, it is good for people to do this, which is not to say it does not include side-effects such as lack of exercise.

Even that may be generalizing, but there are definitely the Gamers and the Forumers. Two hugely diverse groups that I fall somewhere in the middle of, more toward the forumer side.

After all, a forum is a hub of social activity, and has been for like, ever, even in the Roman times.

[Strategia]

I have a crapload of free time now (summer holiday from June 1st all the way up to September 1st, woo ) and I spend pretty much all of my waking hours on the computer. Yes, I have a social life. Yes, I have friends. I also have games and the forum I live a good distance away from most of my friends, it's an hour on the bus and while I'm used to that by now (since I have had to use the exact same busses to go to school for the past six years) it's still not my idea of a fun ride.

Like I said, I spend a great deal of time on the computer but I do know when to stop. I can flick the switch in an instant (unless I'm this close to victory ) and go do something else, but I elect to spend so much time in front of the screen because I like it. I like games, I like the forum, I like the internet.

I don't like to go outside when it's too warm or the sun is beating down from a cloudless sky, because the atmosphere is very humid here and I can't stand clammy heat. Dry heat on the other hand, like in a Mediterranean climate, is more OK for me, it's mainly the humidity that gets to me.

For most of my life, I've been something of a loner, with few friends. That changed somewhat two years ago, when I got a lot of friends in a short time, but I'm still a loner. I'm nervous in social situations, and I don't like being among lots of people. I like isolation. I like it when it's half-dark, especially when I'm sitting in front of the computer.

[CoLT]

 Solo Wing, on 25 Jun 2007, 11:03, said:

Am I the only one noticing a general trend here?

If you're referring to the fact that the past couple of posters above you were:

- Not generally sociable
- Not sun-lovers

Then yeah, I noticed that.
Otherwise, what are you talking about?

I don't agree with this new found fetish with labeling everything that is unusual as some form of disability or something. It's just a new form of official discrimination, in case people aren't noticing. Some people aren't good in social situations... they arent' disabled. Ever heard of shyness? Some people are just shy. Or don't like talking.

Unless people actually have something inhibiting them from doing things, against their will. Eg. I doubt someone born with down syndrome would want to be the way they are whereas someone who doesn't like people could like talking to people if they wanted to.
What I'm trying to say is, a disability is only a disability if it messes up your life and you didn't want to be that way anyway. E.g. Just because you don't want autism doesnt mean it'll go away if ur born with it.

[Whitey]

The trend I've noticed is that the posters above me have actually had underlying conditions that call for staying indoors, posessing an element of photophobia and thermophobia.

[Wizard]

Man you guys don't get out much! I can't say that I am like that at all. My job is a very social one. I am an insurance broker. I have to meet face to face with literally hundreds of people a week and build relationships with them. To do this you can't have the slightest inhibitions about yourself. Lots of people say that I am a confident person in RL. I wouldn't but I think I can leave aside my twisted angst for the sake of a job.

I also have a wife and a very active social life, but I still manage to spend a good two or so hours on the PC/Internet everyday. It isn't an addiction, but it beats plonking myself in front of the TV and watching mindless pap. At least here I interact with people.

Now I am going to say something VERY contraversial. Do we think that photophobia & thermophobia maybe in someway a psycholigical condition? I mean there are plenty of people who can't get on well in the sun, they are albinos etc, also there are conditions that generate lots of sweat, more a nervous reaction rather than a sympton on the sunshine, which quintessentially provides all life on this planet. Could these above mentioned conditions be part of the same medical voodoo that we have railed on in earlier post??

@ Solo Wing, Chris & Vaughan, I am not suggesting in anyway that your conditions are not real and valid, but merely debating a more general point.

Regards
Wizard

[Warbz]

My condition isn't psychological at all. My hayfever prevents me from going out on hot days, especially when the pollen count is high.
And the the whole not liking social interactions... It's not that i'm afraid or timid, I just don't like to be forced into social situations with srangers that might turn out to be complete numpkins. But if for some reason i end up in one anyway, I can cope fine, I just won't enjoy it.

[Vaughan]

Holy cow.. I'm an Albino.. (Just kidding of course. )

Yes, I do agree with you somewhat, for the not-so-extreme cases where people have a choice;

For example, I could be outside all the time, and after a while, my eyes would adjust to the constant light and I wouldn't have to wear sunglasses anymore, but I don't want to; I like the cold and dark; that's just my mindset.

And yes, sometimes it is psychological, obviously, if you're in the sun a lot, you'll get tan, it you're in the dark a lot, you'll be sensitive to light. But some people are simply born with conditions such as Warbz and Chris, that prevents them from being outside/in the sun.

And yes again, there are some cases where people can use their psychological standpoint and call it a "Disease" just to get their way, but I doubt that anyone here would be doing that.

~V.

[Soul]

I don't go outside cause I have no reason too, that and it's boring as hell out.

I don't really have any friends, I just stay inside and do whatever I can to kill boredom.

Edited by Soul, 26 June 2007 - 19:14.

[Wizard]

@ Warbz, I wasn't intimating that hayfever is psychological, my wife suffers badly and she loves the out doors.

I was refering to thermo/photophobia. Having just read it I have answered my own question. It is psychological. Otherwise it wouldn't be a phobia, it would be a ..... a...... well I am not a doctor. Phobia, IIRC is a fear isn't it?!?!?

Quote

Some people aren't good in social situations... they arent' disabled. Ever heard of shyness? Some people are just shy. Or don't like talking.

My point exactly, this addiction, labelling crap is a myth. Brought about to cover the fact that we aren't being raised/taught correctly anymore. Shyness comes from a lack of correct social stimuli at an early age, it isn't a disease that can be cured with medicine.

Jes the more I read this the more I sound like a Tom Cruise wannabe!!! Dangerous!

Edited by Wizardofnoz, 25 June 2007 - 20:42.

[AfterFlash]

PARENTS ARE THE WORST PEOPLE ON EARTH. I hate it when they say children are "addicted" to gaming, yea right, come on, like parents aren't addicted to gaming when they were little..

[Areze]

 Soul, on 25 Jun 2007, 12:38, said:

I don't go outside cause I have to reason too, that and it's boring as hell out.

I don't really have any friends, I just stay inside and do whatever I can to kill boredom.

QFT

I'm also super-uncomfortable (I'm afraid the people I meet will be a complete dumbass.) in social situations. I like it also cold and dark. (Call me a vampire, screw you all ) Also 95% of people are older, like 40 something. So I'm naturally more comfortable around adults and strangely can make friends with someone who is twice my age easier then someone who is my age. I spend a helluva long time on the computer but I also talk with my mom (mostly politics), read, and sometimes play board games.

I also noticed how derailed this thread got. :wahhhhhaa:

[Sgt. Nuker]

Afterflash, careful with your words. You will be a parent one day, then you'll be the very thing you hate. It's not parents in general, but those who happen to be parents and are ignorant of what their child is interested in. Those who act out of fear for something, or out of ignorance are not only dangerous to themselves, but those around them (thus the situation we have here).

I spend roughly 8-10 hours on the forum, and I'll admit that openly. No, I'm not necessarily proud of that statistic, but it's the truth. I go to work, come home, shower, sit on the forum, eat dinner, sit on the forum, maybe I'll play ShW, and then I'm back on the forum again. Somewhere in there is a life......I think. I do like to be outdoors, and I like to run, but I do better in groups, so if I have no one to run with, or do something outside with, I elect to stay indoors. It's not the healthiest choice, that much I know, but indoors is where I have stuff to do (computer, PS2).


Regards,

Nuker

[AfterFlash]

About the parents thing.. you do have a strong point. And it doesn't bother me that they say kids these days are very addicted to gaming, its just how they say it on the news that makes me boil. They souldn't talk or say something in that kind of manner. It's just very insulting and very very rude. I do agree with Nuker on that forums thing. I spend about 5-6 hours on here, post spam on the "Last Person to post Wins!" thread, make some maps/sigs or try to beat ShW's Generals Challenge (OMG Juziz is HARD), and maybe just listen to music.

Then I go outside play basketball with friends, watch TV, or just run around finding something to do. I got to admit that I don't get much sleep a day, about 4-6 hours of sleep every day now.. And I have a life too so I can't spend all my free time on the PC or my eyes will rot.

Parents.... URGH....

[Wizard]

The reason though is why do we all spend so much time on here/internet/pc? Has it become easier to have a fake life online that interact in RL? Have we been soo abandoned by our parents to digital life that we can't motivate ourselves to do something productive. Ultimately everything you do here is physically nothing. There are no real byproducts of anything. Nothing tangible! So why, maybe that might answer the additction/lazy parenting issue. And I agree with Nuker, it isn't the parents, they are in effect a product of their surroundings to!

[Vaughan]

Wizard, what you speak of is the truth;

We can be who we want to be on the Internet without being judged or shunned, we can say anything we want to say, we can do what we want to do.. Oftentimes we do it to escape the realities of life, the longing to live in another world, and the way we're "comforted" by being around other people who have experienced the same thing, and have come to the same place, draws us closer to it..

One thing that I find on the Internet, that unfortunately, I haven't found in person, is Unity. The way people come together, and look out for each other, and no.. I can't find any way that this is a bad thing, but maybe I'm just another lunatic without any life at all.

~V.

[Sgt. Nuker]

 Wizardofnoz, on 25 Jun 2007, 19:15, said:

The reason though is why do we all spend so much time on here/internet/pc? Has it become easier to have a fake life online that interact in RL? Have we been soo abandoned by our parents to digital life that we can't motivate ourselves to do something productive.

I would venture to say that it IS easier to live a "fake" life online. No one has to look at your face, you can be anyone you want on the internet, since the internet has no eyes nor does it have a brain to think for itself. There are many reasons why people spend so much time on the internet/computer. I'll touch on a few of them:

Games: More and more, games have become a popular past-time. Graphics for games have become so intense, they are nearly like real life. Also, MMORPG games like WoW require lots of time to level up and have the ability to connect people from two completely different halves of the Earth. Gameplay itself also contributes to this. For those who love to be deeply involved, there's World of Warcraft. For those that love to think, there's Myst and all of its sequels. Games that are available to mass numbers of people around the world, or those games that appeal to higher intellects tend to keep people glued to their computer screens for longer time periods. Sometimes much longer than that same person would spend at the computer if those types of games didn't exist.

E-commerce: I know it doesn't seem like anything exciting to some of you, but this is another reason why people spend a lot of time at their computer. Websites like E-bay and Amazon have things people want, and in E-bay's case, you have people auctioning products. People that want to buy the product will check their bids, and if it's a highly desirable product, they'll watch the bids all day to make sure they aren't out-bid.


Regards,

Nuker

[Wizard]

A sad fact that it is easier to be yourself online rather than in RL. One question that I have is why is it easier?

I am someone that has never been shy or retiring? I have never been in a social grouping and felt odd or uncomfortable? I don't find, as Warbz very expertly put it, that people are numpties! There are obvious exceptions to this of course. So I maybe struggle to understand why there are people, some of whom may inhabit this very forum, who seem incredibly reasonable, witty, articulate, empathetic, creative and often very sociable, that stuggle in the real world?

What is the key difference that turns them away from the RW to the digital one? Could it be that it isn't an addiction to gaming, more a phobia of reality?????

Edited by Wizardofnoz, 26 June 2007 - 12:39.

[CoLT]

99% of all first impressions are based solely upon people's appearances. Therefore, attractive people are more likely to succeed in social situations than unattractive people, even if the unattractive person has more to say.

Online, physical apperances mean nothing. It's what makes a digital life so much better. Because you're life is what you make it. Your real life deals you cards and you have to make do with it. Online, you pick the cards yourself.
A beggar and a model can meet online and enjoy each other's company when in real life, they'd never be anywhere near each other.
That's another thing, social barriers are non-existant online. People who would be shunned for speaking to each other in public can converse freely online.


The internet grants more freedom than real life does.

[nova]

one reson people like the internet and games so much is theye can be what they want to be not what socity sees them as and if socicity didnot have bariers people would not be so whats a right word atracted to the internet and when they say kids are adictided to the internet thats because the parents are not good parents and dont take god care of them and people look down on them on the internet a high socity person could be friends with a dirt poor person but it real life if this was to happen they would be looked down apon and with games u can talk and interact with pleople around the world

[Hunterm16a2]

Here's another thought...

Perhaps it's not that we are "addicted" to the internet, but simply that we live in a digital world, and the title of "addiction" is the way that people who can't get out of past generations explain our behavior. In the early-mid twentieth century, it was believed once again that the youth had been swept over by some bizarre phenomena... Music... People were worried about their kids in the sixties and seventies, "He would cuss and threaten me with violence when I told him to turn off his rock music... It was as if he was possessed."

This new addiction we have is simply an evolving world, and the people who are worried are simply threatened by technology...