Gaming Addiction: Real or Fake?

An undead mage polymorphs his opponent into a harmless sheep. Suddenly a holy paladin come charging on his mount swinging his hefty hammer. This is a sliver of the world in which massive multiplayer online games can put you in. I read the book Unplugged, My Journey Into the Dark World of Video Game Addiction by Ryan G. Van Cleave. In my eyes it does not matter whether you think video game addiction is real or not. What does matter is looking at the consequences of playing long hours and sacrificing those things that are of utmost importance. Family, Career, and Spirituality all come first. When put on to my priority queue video games drops slightly. I enjoy playing video game probably more than the average person and I get excited when Blizzard announces a  new game. I understand that if I don't show restraint than the ones I love could be hurt. To achieve greatness in a video game takes time and the games are programmed in such a way to keep you playing. Time is a valuable resource. How you use your time shows to those around you what you love. You may say you love the people in your lives more than a silly game, but in reality actions really do speak louder than words. Like anything in our lives when one thing becomes an obsession our lives get out of balance and it is sometimes hard to restore that healthy balance. Whatever is in our lives that sucks away our time we need to evaluate and see if it is something that matters most to us and is good to continue. Video games can definitely be a distraction from those we love and most be played with caution and restraint.