CBS 48 Hours will be airing their story on addiction, including on-line game addiction (specifically Ever Quest), this Friday. It will air at 8:00 pm for both EST and PST time on your local CBS channel. For CST and MST, please check listings.
Here is a link to the upcoming story, with a short streaming video 'teaser'. Once there, click on the javascript link: " Are some people addicted to an online game? Susan Spencer reports.", under the Multimedia - Video section on the right.
www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/08/01/48hours/main22761.shtml
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Cool thanks for the info I was looking to see if there would be another different view point.
Edited by: Rushboyz at: 10/17/02 11:19:25 pm
Sorry about my online name being used, but that is what EZboard knows me by.
The reason I checked out this website is because of a link to the Canadian version of this special that (I suppose) aired on a previous date. I found this link, strangely enough, on a well-known and well-used EQ website directed toward the Druids of EQ. I decided to watch the story, on a lark, and see what it had to offer.
Well, while I think they went a tad overboard on somethings, I found myself doing some serious reflecting about my life and what EQ has become and taken away from me. I have no doubt that if I were to check the amount of time I have put into EQ, over the last 2 years and 2 months, it would be a HUGE amount of time. I have a daughter that is 2 and a half and a son to be born in the next day or so. I saw myself in the people on that special. I saw myself clicking my life away, playing the game, as my children grew and withdrew from me.
in short, this special seems to have changed my outlook on the game, however little. That little "nudge" in my outlook seems to be growing as I type this posting. I have a serious feeling that this little crack, in my connection to EQ will widen and become a fissure that I can see reality through and I will find my family to be oh so much more important than my character, "eq-friends" and guildmates.
I hope more people watch this with an open mind and get a little taste of what i have found in it.
I am sort of scared to watch it tonight, with my wife. But, I think that would be a good first step in separating myself from the game. I think I am afraid that she will see the game as more destructive that i would like and, perhaps, not be so "supportive of my hobby."
I'm going to announce that this is an important thing for her and I to watch TOGETHER.
Thank you for this site and thank you, everyone, for posting your wisdom. I will be a frequent visitor, and perhaps an infrequent poster, on this messageboard.
Ron Walker of California, USA
Ron, thanks for the reply!
Yes, I'd agree. People need to watch this with an open mind. What is amazing about the Canadian one is that it offers a lot of scientific fact, even though a few opinions were thrown in. I loved how they stayed away from opinions as much as possible. They didn't try to come to any conclusions themselves, just make people aware there may be a problem (Of course we at OLGA/OLG-Anon know there is a problem).
We don't want to shutdown on-line games altogether. That is both unreasonable and nearly impossible. We just want to help those who seek it. We're not here to convince anyone of anything, just to let gamers be aware there is a problem that may or may not affect them.
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Help those who seek it...nothing wrong with it.
It's when you start telling people you *think* need it and you force it on them. Thats when it becomes a tad intrusive.
I saw the Canadaian tv spot and I agreed with some, disagreed with some, and thought some was just silly.
TV will do what it wants to potray the message it wants. They'll make whoever look they want them to look. No way around that.
Like I said earlier, I truly feel for that ladies loss, its very sad to lose a child but in times of grief, people look for someone to blame. If there was that much of a problem she should have taken a bat to the computer. The one thing I did not get from the tv show was that she did everything possible to help and now she's angry.
Great site, good luck with it.
Quote: TV will do what it wants to potray the message it wants. They'll make whoever look they want them to look. No way around that.I totally agree.
However, you can't deny the fact that addicted gamers visit counselors to help overcome their addiction. You can't agrue the scientific fact of the porperties of addiction and how it "rewires" the brain and triggers pleasure centers.
This site isn't about Liz's son, nor is it about her pending lawsuit with Sony. It's just here to help gamers talk about and recover from addiction.
The only reason why this board has become a ground for arguments and debates is because of its visitors. If a gamer comes in here and starts to rant and rave about how addiction is simply a fault of weak willed people, then expect there to be discussion on it. I'm not going to move and delete every single post that goes a bit off the topic of this website and discussion board, so always look to our mission statement.
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This site isn't about Liz's son, nor is it about her pending lawsuit with Sony. It's just here to help gamers talk about and recover from addiction.
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That TV show didnt convey that message at all. It made it seem thats all this site was about. Thats what I'm talking about, TV making it look like the way they want it to look.
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However, you can't deny the fact that addicted gamers visit counselors to help overcome their addiction. You can't agrue the scientific fact of the porperties of addiction and how it "rewires" the brain and triggers pleasure centers.
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Nope, not denying it at all.
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If a gamer comes in here and starts to rant and rave about how addiction is simply a fault of weak willed people
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I disagree with that stance. I feel that people can get addicted to games very easily. My original impression was that this site was a moral highground of anyone who has a negative opinion is instantly "addicted" but I havent seen anything to that nature and thats good. Take care..gotta log back on to EQ...j/k i'm at work lol.
I watched the Canadian special. The only scientific facts it offered is that humans feel pleasure (the brain releases dopamine) when they experience a sense of achievement.
You can get the same feeling from working, exercising, eating large quantities of chocolate, or just about anything you can find personal satisfaction in.
Wait a minute I write a post that didn't even mention her pending Lawsuit and one of your Forum administrators blast me saying that there is no Lawsuit and removes the post then you metion the lawsuit here. So is there one or not.
If there is I hope Sony doesn't settle out of court I hope they take this to court and they get an Judge that sees the truth behind this and fines the Plaintif for wasting the courts time
That said I know this post will dissappear since it doesn't agree with the founders ideas...
Wait wouldn't administrating this forum, Replying to all the post and removing them take a lot of time. Wouldn't that actually be looked as a form of a on-line addiction.
For the record, there is no lawsuit.
And yes, it takes a tremendous amount of time to moderate, read and reply to posts. But as I've said in other posts, it's not the amount of time you spend doing something that is a sign of addiction. It's the feelings you associate with that activity.
Diggo
eMail - Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
Discussion Board Administrator
Online Gamers Anonymous
Addicted to Everquest from July, 1999 to May, 2002
Over 4,900 Hours Played
Co-Founder of OLGA and member since 2002
I just watched it, then jumped in EQ to see the responses from the EQ community..
Incase you're wondering, everybody is making fun of it.
We know.
People who have balance in their lives and who have a comfortable level of EQ play for themselves and their family have no reason to make fun of the broadcasts and our mission here. Addicts who have not faced their problem, defend their drug of choice, and their habit, vehemently, and focus on causing grief for other people to take the focus off of themselves.
We can pretty much tell who has a good chance of being addicted by how they post and the things they say. It's not our job to point that out, but when they are ready to face it, we are here to help them. But it's its up to them to take the responsibility to take the first step by contacting us.
As you read the posts, pay attention to how they post. The ones who are most critical and angry are the ones that, more than likely, have a problem and are just in denial.
We are not bothered by people making fun of us. They have problems and self-esteem issues which is why they have to pick on others. But we will help them. That is why we are here.
Diggo
eMail - Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
Discussion Board Administrator
Online Gamers Anonymous
Addicted to Everquest from July, 1999 to May, 2002
Over 4,900 Hours Played
Co-Founder of OLGA and member since 2002
Yes..I am in denial. Seems that according to the news report....no one I met was real. /sigh
You're real... I danced with you...we hugged...in a manly way, of course. And also, you never "griefed" us or intentionally tried to cause problems.
Diggo
eMail - Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
Discussion Board Administrator
Online Gamers Anonymous
Addicted to Everquest from July, 1999 to May, 2002
Over 4,900 Hours Played
Edited by: Diggo McDiggity at: 10/18/02 10:50:48 pm
Co-Founder of OLGA and member since 2002
"The ones who are most critical and angry are the ones that, more than likely, have a problem and are just in denial."
True. Especially that "more than likely" part. Then there are folks like myself who are without anger, and open minded about both the game and this cause who freely admit that we have a problem. I have a bunch of friends who play EQ and I taped the "Marketplace" segment. I intend to play it for them, and direct them to OLGAnon. Not to get them away from the game, but to open their minds a wee bit.
Odien, thanks!
Rushboyz said:Quote: Wait a minute I write a post that didn't even mention her pending Lawsuit and one of your Forum administrators blast me saying that there is no Lawsuit and removes the post then you metion the lawsuit here. So is there one or not.To clear this up a bit... I earlier said that there is a pending lawsuit, meaning that a lawsuit is possible and Liz has been talking to lawyers, but they have yet to file one. Pending means that something is awaiting a decision upon its course of action or fate.
Dunno.. my parents thought it was kind of silly too, and they most certainly aren't addicted to EQ, and know I'm not either :-P
Not everyone understands what we are talking about, because they have not experienced it.
That is good. It is way better not to have experienced what we are talking about, but that does not mean it doesnt't happen to others.
We are here for the people who DO understand what we are talking about!
Liz Woolley
Liz,
You yourself have no idea what you are talking about. Yes you have experienced some tragedy for on which you feel the need to lay blame. Your sons death although tragic is no ones fault but his own. He lacked the control over his own emotions and situation that hundreds of thousands of other players have.
I will admit that there are elements to EQ that keep me coming back, it is my friendships that I have made over the years of playing and the desire to talk with those friends I wouldn't get on a regular basis thru the normal means.
Don't blame an on-line game for the loss of your son. There is deeper issues there that probably haven't been explored.
Maelorn Snoozertune Virtuoso of Lanys
What Would Ozzy Do?
How dare you come into our forum and tell me, after what I have lived through what I can and can't do?
I will blame Everquest, cause I saw what it did to him, me and our family.
If you haven't had the same experience, MORE POWER TO YOU. I am happy for you. I wouldn't want it to happen to my worst enemy.
If you don't have a problem with it, fine. Go on ahead, and keep playing. I don't care. Just because you don't have a problem doesn't mean NO ONE ELSE has a problem with it!
I am closing this thread, because we are not here, to discuss blame.
Edited by: lizwool at: 10/19/02 12:51:59 pm
Liz Woolley