[calexandre]

I don't believe online game addiction is a bad thing, because I personally do know people who live in such unacceptable and even abusive social conditions that without the games they play, they'd simply fall to the Dark Side. Permanently!

I myself employ online games to let me explore topics that I can't in real life - being a virtual fighter pilot lets you study military history, and tests your intelligence in tactical battles against others in multiplayer, for instance.

They key is to manage your real and virtual commitments, and not let the virtual one override your real self. They don't pay you to play games! But as aforementioned, you can get a lot of gains from social interaction and topical studies - make use of it!

I do understand that most people will ignore the benefits of virtual socialisation and just tell you on the spot that it is "bad and harmful". I believe this is not very objective, as there are always two sides to a coin.

Having multiple personalities is considered a mental disorder.

In another perspective, having multiple personalities equates to having excellent problem solving skills in the corporate world! Innovative solutions and business opportunities come from being able to see our world from an angle that other people can't!

 

[calexandre]

so i have to pass the time somehow, right?

The thing is, most people can tell you about how you should "go out and do other things" but the truth is - is there anything else you can do that provides you with the same mental stimulation as games do?

For a lot of people, the answer is no, and there are a lot of worse alternatives really. Just so you don't take the gaming experience too seriously and use it to cure your depression and anxiety, I'll leave it up to you.

 

[calexandre]

I started in CS too, back when it was beta 3 or so.

The ability to make use of the various SWAT style tactics I've read when I was young was such a welcome relief from social dilemmas of growing up years. I then moved on to progressively more complex things with great emphasis on realistic sims, and then, sci fi and fantasy stuff which developed my writing skills tremendously, from the mere exercise of roleplaying.

What better way to make use of imagination and spare mental capacity! Learn new things!