Online Gaming Addiction, myth or reality? by Cesar Ibarra

In today's crazy world some people like to enjoy themselves by playing video games but do some people take it to serious? a writer for Devhardware thinks solink some of us have even heard complaints from our families and significant others about the amount of time we spend playing online games rather than with them. Maybe a few of us have even wished we could sneak in a game while we were at work. But is this really a problem?
It might be. Psychologists and scientific researchers are beginning to recognize online gaming addiction as a growing phenomenon. News stories are bringing creating a growing awareness of the problem, and some gaming companies are even facing lawsuits from bereaved parents.
Online gaming addiction seems to be most widespread in Asia; at least, many of the more extreme news stories about it have been coming out of South Korea. It is no wonder, with about 30 percent of the population registered in online games. The country also has the world’s highest per-capita rate of broadband connectivity, at 70 percent. Those who don’t have broadband themselves can play online games such as World of Warcraft at any of the country’s highly popular Internet cafes, which typically charge the equivalent of US$1.00 an hour for computer time. On top of all this, South Korea hosts the annual World Cyber Games. Indeed, professional gamers in that country can make more than $100,000 a year. In this kind of environment, it is easy for anyone who might be susceptible to become addicted. But this begs the question: is online gaming really an addiction? I strongly belive so when I hear stories about a 13-year-old Chinese boy died falling from a building. His parents are suing Blizzard Entertanment, makers of World of Warcraft. The boy was allegedly re-enacting a scene from the game. In another story that came out of South Korea this year, a couple was arrested when their four-month-old daughter died of suffocation. The couple had left the infant alone in their apartment for several hours while they played World of Warcraft at a nearby Internet café. They told the police “We were thinking of playing for just an hour or two and returning home like usual, but the game took longer that day.” Stories like these are really hard to believe that the simple joy of video games lead into horrible accidents.