The internet allows gaming possibilities that couldn't otherwise exist. I'm talking about MMORPGs - Massive Multiplayer Online RolePlaying Games. These are roleplaying games much like D&D, only that they are played over the internet, along with people from all around the world. The two most prominent examples are Everquest (nowadays less popular) and WoW - World of Warcraft.
I had my own personal experiences with these kind of games, back in the days when they were still only text-based (MUDs). I remember these games very fondly.
Nowadays, though, you often hear about how dangerously addictive they are. Many fine young lads have lost their lives due to overgaming, apparently. This is just one out of many examples.
One might add that these losses occurred mainly in Southeast Asia. Makes you wonder.
Anyway, with all the reports about casualties, socially malfunctioning teenage addicts, etc, I really wonder: Is it the MMORPGs? Are they really this incredible threat to society? National security? Humanity?
Personally, I don't think so. The truth is that people die all the time because they develop obsessions for habits that are otherwise just plainly fun, or even healthy and beneficial. According to wikipedia, it appears that hundreds die every year due to overworking. Many more all over the world die due to over-eating. Should we regard food and work as dangerous and unhealthy activities?
I argue that it's the very same case with MMORPGs. Many people play them without developing any addiction whatsoever. On the other hand, it allows the gamer to communicate, sometimes meaningfully, with people from different cultures and backgrounds. And it can also be just great fun!
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