348 Unique Guild Members 1491 Characters (alts included) 8 Level 110 characters 0 Raiding Characters 322 Website/Forum Members 0 Posts in 24 hours 1 Posts in 7 days 27502 Total Posts wingram is the last poster
Addiction therapists signing up to World of Warcraft
Medical staff are creating their own ‘avatars’ in online fantasy games such as World of Warcraft in the hope of treating youngsters addicted to virtual worlds.
By Claudine Beaumont 24 Jul 2009
Addiction therapists plan to sign up to World of Warcraft in a bid to help youngsters who are spending too much time playing the game, sometimes to the detriment of their social lives and education Experts have said that some massively multiplayer online games, in which players battle enemies for weapons and rewards, are as addictive as crack cocaine.
Dr Richard Graham, a consultant psychiatrist at the Tavistock Centre in London, is so concerned that he plans to provide online therapy for youngsters who are spending so much time playing these games that they have lost touch with the real world.
A recent report by Sweden’s Youth Care Foundation described World of Warcraft as “more addictive than crack cocaine”. The game, which attracts almost 12 million players every month, is set in a fantasy environment, with users taking on the characters of dwarves, elves and wizards, interacting with other players throughout the virtual world.
Dr Graham said that some players were so addicted to these massively multiplayer online games that they played them for up to 16 hours a day, leading them to neglect their social lives and education.
He has called on Blizzard Entertainment, the company that makes World of Warcraft, to waive or discount the costs associated with joining the game so that therapists can more easily communicate with at-risk players in their preferred environment.
“We will be launching this project by the end of the year. I think it’s already clear that psychiatrists will have to stay within the parameters of the game. They certainly wouldn’t be wandering around the game in white coats and would have to use the same characters available to other players,” said Dr Graham.
“Of course one problem we’re going to have to overcome is that while a psychiatrist may excel in what they do in the real world, they’re probably not going to be very good at playing World of Warcraft.
“We may have to work at that if we are going to get through to those who play this game for hours at end.”
One solution proposed by Dr Graham is recruiting existing players to act as “peer mentors” for other users of the game. He said that internet addiction was very difficult to identify, as the isolation involved meant sufferers were often out of sight and out of mind.
“Those effected don’t exhibit the same outward warning signs as most teenage anti-social behaviour issues do because they’re in their bedrooms most of the time, seemingly out of trouble. Because of this we can’t get through to them in the traditional educational environment or intrude on their actual bedrooms, we need to turn to the internet itself to tackle these problems.”
Blizzard Entertainment was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
--
"If we ever get a dog and cat, they should be named "Come-on" and "Goddammit", so that when you yell "Come on, Goddammit!" you'll be surrounded by their love." -Locklear (paraphrased)
"You navigate like a blind chick." -Locklear www.twitter.com/peligrie
Hellllllo :) By Isadoriana @ 8/29/17 4:23amLet's get this site moving again! Post in the test thread if you can read it. Thanks! By Primevalus @ 10/4/15 7:50pmPosted my thoughts in the forums about the Imperator fight, please read and weigh in :) By Red @ 1/9/15 1:20amGood to have you back Red! By samgaygangie @ 11/17/14 12:45pmHi Everyone! I'm back =) By Red @ 11/16/14 1:25amI'm currently playing a game called World of Warcraft... By Primevalus @ 7/1/14 6:54pmI'm still alive! :) By Primevalus @ 6/6/14 9:37pmSHOUT! I heard you like shouts, so I put a shout in your shout box. By Momentous @ 5/11/14 10:25pmCongratulations on the birth of your new baby girl, Sam!! By Isadoriana @ 1/2/13 12:04amHappy New Year DA! By samgaygangie @ 1/1/13 8:44pmMerry Xmas to all and congrats on surviving 12/20/2012! By samgaygangie @ 12/26/12 12:03amDragon Army Reunion Tour - Getting the Guild back together By samgaygangie @ 12/19/12 10:25pmI am so glad, Fune :) By Isadoriana @ 1/5/12 10:46pmI have returned! By Fune @ 1/5/12 10:56amHappy Birthday Fune! By samgaygangie @ 10/30/11 10:52amHappy B-DAY ISA!!!! WOOT~! By samgaygangie @ 4/11/11 11:52amThank you, Fune :) By Isadoriana @ 4/11/11 8:04amHappy Birthday Isa!! By Fune @ 4/10/11 1:27pmHoly Shout-out batman, laver's wearing tights By guy @ 4/6/11 10:39pmIs it time for the snow to STOP yet? :) By Isadoriana @ 4/3/11 1:07pm