Maybe it’s just me but it seems that all of these digital games online are akin to heroin. If you know of anyone who plays, whether their on FaceBook or MySpace, or wherever these games are found, and they seem to be spending more and more time involved in Mafia Wars, Fishville, or the one that gets me, Farmville – you may know an “addict”.
I know of people who spend almost every waking hour now involved in these games. When their at home they are tending their crops and animals down on the farm. If they stop, it’s to eat, usually in front of the computer, tending the farm or putting out the next hit on some digital “badman” who crossed “the powers that be”. Oh, and “Your Fish Are Hungry”.
You’ll find these people online till all hours of the morning, still tending their gardens, as if the slightest lack of attention may cause ultimate crop failure, and world famine. They even receive emails letting them know some crop is ready to harvest or that a nosiey neighbor stopped in and stole some stuff, errr, helped out some.
Many of them show up later and later for work, only to have whatever game their playing hidden in the background, just in case they might miss something. Maybe you’ve heard this one – “I’ll only be on here for a few minutes to unwind, I need to relax”.
I’d say even one of these games were bad enough, but most are playing at least several of those now available, all at the same time.
If you looked at the email boxes of these people you’d see all the self-improvement subscriptions they have, meaning to do so much in the way of making their lives better, but now remain unopened, unread, undone. They have lists, books of lists, on all the things they want to accomplish, and the only thing that actually gets done is to write on the bottom of the list – “Make New List”.
If you look around their homes and yards, you’d see the unwashed piles of clothes, the unfolded ones too, the little projects they had begun but just “haven’t found the time” to get back to yet. You’d see the unwashed dishes, except where a few had to be cleaned to make way for the next snack that called. Seems hunger and a bathroom break are about the only things that get them to break away for a few minutes. I honestly think I heard somewhere that you can get iphone alerts about something going on in your domain, on your farm, in your fish tank or in your crew. [Wait, weren't schools talking about doing something like that so parents could get alerts if needed, but an expensive thing to start?] hummmm…
At least if there’s a break in internet access they tend not to become violent, yet. They just pull up the trusty old standby of solitaire for a few hands. But then, I’ve only seen the net access down for only a couple hours, not sure what a longer period might cause.
Wouldn’t it be something if perhaps, what happens in some of these games, actually happened for real? I mean, these people actually spent that kind of time in their real gardens, down on their real farms, tackling their little projects and possibilities in the same ways? Imagine, you got really organized over the weekend, but you didn’t get finished, so, while at work you receive an email alert that a friend stopped by and finished it up for you. “How nice”, you think, and send them flowers and plan to drop by yourself and mow their yard. Oh, and “Your Child Needs Fed & Wants Some Play Time”
It amazes me to look around and see some of these same ones who spent lots of time in endeavors to improve their lives, even the lives of others, devote almost all their time to these games, the former taking less and less focus. Not that they all are this way, and I’m talking generally across the board because I know a lot of people, and have friends on many networks, as well as real everyday people nearby, so I see those piles and things undone.
I couldn’t care less what someone does to tell you the truth…. “if it feels good, do it”, to hell with anyone else who would interfere with your life, living and decesions. But I still have to ask the question…
Are we going to need 30 day programs for some of these people so they can detox? Do we need to set up a “DJ-Anon” [Digital Junkie's Anonymous] program in every city? “If you have a loved one lost to the perils of digital junk, maybe it’s time you call Bradley’s – we care…”.
I don’t think porn is this addictive, as these games seem to be for many. At least porn seems to have it’s time and place, such as it is, like smoking I suppose. But these games are more akin to heroin, “gimme my fix, and watch for the man while I’m shooting up”.
And if you play Farmville……your cows out again.
