ADDICTIVE WEB 2.0 FEATURES: LOSING CONTACT FROM PHYSICAL WORLD

23/04/2010 atleeit 25 comments

ADDICTIVE WEB 2.0 FEATURES: LOSING CONTACT FROM PHYSICAL WORLD

INTRODUCTION

There are games out there that kids and adults play online that would fit right into the Communities and Web 2.0 stream; now these games can be used for entertainment type use but when kids and adults start to repetitively play these games on daily basis it starts to grow from being a fun activity to an addictive activity. Games like “Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games” (MMORPG) can take valuable time and life away from these gamers who eventually stop seeing the real side of the physical world. It’s not the actual game that becomes addictive it’s the tools that are provided within the games platform that keeps you attached but as technology is getting better people are tending to use the online tools provided rather then using their given skills in a real life environment.

COMMUNITY OF AVATARS

MMORPG’s use a certain level of Web 2.0 technology, which consists of “Social Networking” and “Source ideas or work from the crowd”(Anderson, 2007). MMORPG’s allow users to interact with many other users internationally using many tools within the games platform. MMORPG’s let you create characters called avatars which are a reflection of oneself but inside a virtual world, These avatars can mingle with each other just like we do in our physical world but through an online platform the community is much bigger is size.

GENDER SWAPPING

In real life you are born a girl or a boy there is no choice in this direction but using a platform found inside most MMORPG’s you get to customise your character to be whatever gender you wish. This is a big part to why people play as each race has their strengths and weaknesses and people choose to be male or female now this gender idea doesn’t mean you have to match yourself in real life. A lot of people gender swap online for a lot of reasons including attention or the complete opposite. Perhaps the most dramatic example of how people exercise this control is the case of online gender switching as (Roberts & Parks (2001) describe. Based upon their view the reason why people gender swap is that it is a form of power and control which you would not have otherwise offline.

ESCAPE THE TROUBLESOME LIFE

MMORPG’s give all their gamers a level of power in terms of controlling their game life versus their physical life. Most people who play these types of games like to find a comfortable spot to escape from the real world which would normally include your work life, personal life and debt which many experience. A game that allows you to enter a world without trouble, stress or debt gives many users what they call a place to relax inside and once you are inside the game you are your own boss and have full control over your character and what tasks get completed. Factor Analysis Framework for MMO Play Motivations and the one that backups this up is the term “Escapism” relax, escape from real life, avoiding real life problems as described by (Yee, 2008).

CONNECTED COMMUNTIES

Web 2.0 Communities is all about how a platform built upon this technology is streamlined throughout the virtual worlds connecting with each other, sharing information with like-minded souls. MMORPG’s have many servers inside the Internet cloud connecting to many other computers worldwide for the gaming community so choosing a server to socialize and share information with each other over a Web 2.0 system with a huge community. A game world that is filled with land, trees, water and other life-like objects just like our real world gives a user a second world to escape in.

“This virtual living place that is, Internet created space is another medium of human life, giving rise to a new type of community” (Whang & Chang, 2004). They also said which relates to this topic directly is that “The Internet has now become the social medium through which individuals with unique identities can express themselves. In these virtual “living” places people are able to express their values and lifestyles as they might do in the physical real world as described by (Whang & Chang, 2004).

WEB 2.0 RELATIONSHIPS

Information can be streamlined throughout the server when information is needed, so the interaction point of view with this platform is fantastic, a great feature of what Web 2.0 brings you. This also means as a community everyone helps each other and creates an opportunity for friendship, relationship or many other things. They engage via their characters in various social interactions from trading or fighting to entertaining other characters as virtual bards. Additionally, the large majority of players are members of several social units or institutions like guilds or “households” (characters sharing a commonly owned property) and even get married in the game (Kolo & Baur, 2004).

POWERFUL FEATURES IN WEB 2.0 PLATFORMS

MMORPG’s allow characters to learn new skills there is a macro tool bar that is also attached to the interface which gives the game player quick access to skills they learn. When in combat the gamer will have quick response times in regards to skill related attack moves on an enemy, this toolbar can also hold foods items, drinks item, health items, mana items and many other regularly used items.

Players can roam around in your 3D virtual worlds, the 3D worlds are huge just like our physical world you can pretty much walk throughout the virtual worlds and never reach the end so this creates a long lasting fun environment. If get lost you can use your map, you have the advanced communication tool which you can communicate 1 versus 1, 1 versus group or even one versus the server so this communication tool becomes very powerful because as a user needs to complete a task inside a quest or a group then information is made available at a users finger tips.

To have a toolbar which gives the gamer ability to access skills, food, drink supplies and also have skills and inventory items creates a more in-depth interaction to this 3D world. You feel in control because you have a character you created, you know where you are going because you are using the map, you or within your group you help each other with quests and tasks. The best thing about character skills is you are in control of what your character needs to learn.

You have a character that starts at level 1 and by completing quests by either collecting items or killing enemies you gain XP which is also referred to as experience and as your experiences gets higher so does your character level. To come close to completing such tasks requires quite a lot of time towards these types of games and by time what is required is money and time towards skills and obtaining game items like weapons or armor (Kelly, 2004).

The part of this argument that is left from MMO based games, is that not only can you make virtual game money but you can actually if you are good enough make real money. A gamer can leave their day job if they are good enough and it’s true about making real life currency out of the game.

Thousands of people go gold mining by going around collecting many high grade items and selling them for game money then after they collect a huge amount of money. This is where the money part rolls in, the company who is gold farming sets up a website to sell the gold they have made in the game, the user who wants to get game money fast goes to the website and pays using PayPal or their credit card. Not long after the user pays they re-login to their game account and like magic they have a lot of game money in their account. Game money takes a long time to get, so users or gamers paying to get fast game money allows the characters to purchase rare and valuable items really fast (Dibbell, 2007).

So MMORPG’s from what many of the authors have said here is that every part of this game consumes time when we are talking about time what seems a few hours in an MMO can turn into a whole day in a physical world. For a gamer to be able to live life inside a game just like our physical world but without hassles creates a drawing power towards this Web 2.0 based platform and it’s all about having fun inside a socializing virtual environment. If you place all these tools together it then becomes a socially connected medium for people to use and stay within (O’Reilly, 2005).

DETACHED FROM PHYSICAL WORLD, LOST IN GAME SPACE

All these things that are being stated are reasons why someone finds it hard to find the difference between virtual worlds and real worlds and for the people that cannot find the difference also finds it hard to leave the game. This is because it becomes an addictive mental habit just like drinking alcohol or gambling, games like this can even kill you if you do not find help. As stated by Shao-Kang, Chih-Chien and Wenchang (2004)“The author surveyed 174 Taiwanese college-age online players to collect data on the potential effects of online games on the quality of interpersonal relationships and levels of social anxiety.

According to the results, the quality of interpersonal relationships decreased and the amount of social anxiety increased as the amount of time spent playing online games increased”(Lo et al, 2005). Now from this data it could mean time away from the family and friends and using that time to play games.

CONCLUSION: LOST IN SPACE

The argument here is people join this game as for a social medium and a escape from reality medium what we all do in our real life can be achieved in the same kind of way virtually so people who find it hard to adapt themselves in the physical world may find it easier living online. The game gives you the option to create your own character so it becomes apart of you, then you get placed inside this 3D world just like ours so then you have the option to go socializing with other avatars and this can lead down many roads. To be inside a 3D world and be able to socialise throughout the world just by using the chatting features inside the game, to be able to roam the 3D worlds and do job trades and train yourself at fighting. All these tools all come together to form a Web 2.0 platform that integrates itself into an online community.

The point here is that MMORPG’s definitely fit there self into the Communities and Web 2.0 stream and games this big that incorporate 3D worlds, communication tools, virtual characters which carry a persons real life characteristics. Fighting against or with other real life-like minded characters creates a huge world wide online community now games with this potential can ruin the minds of both children and adults. Children who are introduced to games like this at an early age do not bother to concentrate on anything else (Chiu et al, 2004), trapped inside a virtual world and not participating in family life and the same goes for adults.

Adults in a real world have many things to deal with and that could be social life, family life, marriage, bills, mortgage and many other stressful problems in the physical world and that is a big reason why many adults can disappear in a virtual world that’s not much different from the physical world but with a much more les stressful comfortable environment. This way they can release all their stress and likes to free their mind, now sometimes-freeing minds go too far and a lot of gamers do not understand or find it hard to quit or know when to take breaks. Some do not even get this chance and gamers lose their lives. A bit more precaution has to be put in place in future but whose fault is this the technology pushed by the developers or the gamers using the platform, it’s a hard to settle on something solid.

References

Anderson, P. (2007). What is Web 2.0?. JISC Technology and Standards Watch. Retrieved March 19, 2010, from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.108.9995&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Chiu, S., Lee, J. & Huang, D. (2004). Video Game Addiction in Children and Teenagers in Taiwan. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 7(5), 571-581.

Dibbell, J. (2007). The life of the Chinese gold farmer. The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/magazine/17lootfarmers-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=print

Kelly, J. (2004). Play Time:The Problem of Abundance in MMORPG. www.anthemion.org. Retrieved April 20, 2010, from http://www.anthemion.org/file/playtime_abund.pdf

Kolo, C, Baur, T. (2004). Social Relations in the Virtual World. The International Journal of Computer Game Research, 4(1), Retrieved March 24, 2010, from http://www.gamestudies.org/0401/kolo/?ref=SeksDE.Com

Lo, S., Wang, C. & Fang, W. (2005). Physical interpersonal relationships and social anxiety among online game players. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 8(1), 15-20.

O’Reilly, T. (2005). What Is Web 2.0. oreilly.com. Retrieved April 21, 2010, from http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html

Roberts, L., & Parks, M. (2001). The social geography of gender-switching in virtual environments on the internet. In A. Adam & E. Green (Eds.), Virtual Gender: Technology, Consumption, and Identity (pp. 265-285). United Kingdom: Routledge.

Whang, L., & Chang, G. (2004). Lifestyles of virtual world residents: Living in the on-line game “Lineage”. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 7, 592-600.

Yee, N. (2008). Maps of Digital Desires: Exploring the Topography of Gender and Play in Online Games. Retrieved April 20, 2010 from http://www.nickyee.com/pubs/BBMK%20Yee.pdf

THIS PAPER IS LICENCED UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/au/

Communities and Web 2.0 3d worlds, anxiety, avatars, community, debts, depression, escaping, gender swapping, MMORPG, online networking, relationships, social life, web 2.0, wow

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Comments

Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

Hi Karina,

When I used to sit in my room playing First person shooters the only time I went out of my room was to get food from the fridge or cupboard, Gaming was great as I got to meet the same kind of people everyday and so I had to work on my competitiveness, The more I lost the more i wanted to win, But yes it did become an addictive habit, Eventually I was not that social type of person in the real world, Maybe I have never been, But I’ve done so much gaming over 10 years plus that I cannot remember, All I know is to this day I still enjoy being home, relaxing, even going online and talking as where I’m located is quite a rural area so I have the need to go online around here and also this online study keeps me occupied for most of everyday:P
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

Hi Rosanna,

Thankyou for your reply, I guess i was in your brothers position at one stage, I still would be if i had the free time but that changes when family come along, I could tell you that I was trying to escape, Made things easier, If I blocked everything out then I would have nothing to worry about.
Written by li ying about 2 years ago.

Hi Karina. I found your point interesting in regards to this essay. I have friends who sits in front of the computer 24/7 playing online games etc. Some even set the alarm clock so that he knows it’s time to feed the ‘me’ in the virtual world. To me, this is very time consuming and useless but for them, it’s their life.
Written by karinaMP about 2 years ago.

Hi, Josh.
I agree with you. This web 2.0 development really changed how people lived. They begin to addict with all the application served on the web and can’t live without it. But I didn’t understand why they can sit in front of the computer to play online game and join virtual community? I feel uncomfortable when i have to sit more than 4 hours in front of the computer.
Aren’t the real world interested for them?

Somehow, I don’t think the web development is good for people because it creates a whole new part of world that people can lived in but separated themselves from the real one. Isn’t it?
Written by AaronMillerand about 2 years ago.

Hi Josh,
Sorry for the delay in my reply. Thanks for the link to the article, I really enjoyed it. I think it perfectly sums up both of our arguments – That there are both positive and negative aspects of engaging in MMORPGs. The examples used in the article further supported this. I completely agree with the final statement that “All it takes is good judgment and to realize that as much time as you spend on an MMO it is still just a game and you can’t let it consume your life”.
Thanks for a great discussion over the past few weeks. Aaron.
Written by RosannaCandler about 2 years ago.

I took particular interest in your paper because my brother lives in front of the computer during his free time, and has done since he was 15. He doesn’t play the MMORPG games which you focus on in particular, but multiplayer shoot-em-up war games. Nevertheless, I found your argument was very applicable and so interesting. I’ll often walk past my brother’s room and hear him talking to an opponent on his headphones, and later find out that person was playing from Canada or somewhere of equally great geographical distance. It’s a world that I don’t have much experience in, and so your paper really opened my eyes to some of the motivations he may have in front of the computer screen all day.

I have considered he may want to ‘escape the troublesome life’ and ‘detach’ himself from the physical world, not as a different ‘person’ per say but the role play would offer an attractive way to express or exorcise emotions and traits which he may be unable to in reality.
The more I think about this, I think the more it devalues the credibility that is often placed on social ‘gaming’ like Second Life. Perhaps by considering his gaming solely as entertainment and not using it as a vestigial social realism, my brother is able to define and maintain the line between fact and fiction, online and reality.

Thank you for the great thinking point!
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

Hi Aaron,

I would have to somewhat agree with you that people who lack social skills can in some degree use the lost technique easier online and maybe if they get the confidence they can also transfer that skill offline but a lot of people that play MMORPG’s that do lack social skills normally don’t transfer the skill offline as they feel comfortable online.

This is an example of someone explaining relationships and MMORPG’s, It basically explains the removal of the need to face to face interactions, hence the physical Anti-social behavior.

What do you think?

References:
Cognita, T. (2010). Relationships and MMO’s . http://www.mmocrunch.com. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://www.mmocrunch.com/2010/03/25/relationships-and-mmos/
Written by JenQuinn about 2 years ago.

Hey Josh,

Thanks for providing us with a paper that explains so clearly the attraction of MMORPGs. I have no experience with playing games online so I find this topic of MMORPG addiction extremely interesting, particularly the ways in which people may construct their online identities and relate to their carefully created avatars, which is something my paper touches on very briefly (http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/perceptions-of-identity-in-social-networking-controlling-your-online-presence/) in comparison to the seemingly mirrored identity construction taking place within SNSs like Facebook.

You have given me, a complete newbe in gaming, a much better understanding of some reasons behind why online gaming is so popular, and I feel as though there are many advantages (particularly for those who find it difficult to socialise in the physical, offline world) contained within these online communities. There is a real connection for people here, and its one that shouldn’t be underestimated.
Thanks again.
Written by AaronMillerand about 2 years ago.

You’re right, facial expressions and body language are lacking from online interactions. However, for somebody who has very limited or no social skills at all, online interaction can be invaluable. An example from Turkle (1994) demonstrates this. Peter was a college student who had no social interaction besides his roommate. He joined an MUD where he developed strong friendships with other users. This online interaction helped Peter develop the confidence to converse with people. This stemmed into the offline world when Peter began going out and meeting people in an offline social setting.

Therefore, I believe that this online form of socialising provides individuals who have difficulty interacting with people with an opportunity to develop some communication skills that are transferrable to interactions in the ‘real’ world.

Also, fair point about video games beginning to take over our lives. It certainly is on the increase. What I meant was that I believe there is a line where engaging in video games can have a positive or negative effect on a person’s life. Video games are great to fulfil some type of need in an individual’s life, be it social interaction or escaping from the offline world for a period of time. However, when playing video games become a person’s number one priority and it begins to interfere with their daily functioning, this is when things become problematic.

Thanks for replying. Aaron.

Reference:

Turkle, S. (1994). Constructions and reconstructions of self in virtual reality: playing in the MUDs. Mind, Culture and Society, 1(3), 158-167
Written by Barnes about 2 years ago.

I would agree with you Joshua, that a lot is due to the persons circumstances, upbringing and environment. At the time I became addicted I was living away from my family and friends in a small and isolated community, while also suffering a debilitating health condition that made to hard to leave the house at times, so I guess it was a replacement social outlet. I broke the addiction after moving back to where I grew up and also having my health improve. So it wasn’t so much that it was more comfortable, just more convenient and possible.
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

Hi Barnes,

Thanks for the reply I’m glad you like the paper, I guess it all depends on the person whether or not they will get stuck inside the game, alot depends on how they grew up, how they were treated, how well they mix with society, a lot of people just find it more comfortable online, making friends online is easier then the outside world too but that also depends on your character, Please correct me if I’m going in the wrong direction.
Written by Barnes about 2 years ago.

I have been addicted to MMORPGs previously and it wasn’t until I stopped playing completely I realised how addicted I had become. I now avoid playing them completely as I know how easy it is to become addicted! I agree with the part in the paper about how it is not so much the idea of the game itself that is addictive but many of the additional features. For me it was the socialisation and the structures that supported that aspect of the gaming that I found addictive. I still keep in touch with some of the people I used to play with – though thankfully only through far less addictive email!
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

I personally have never been a MMORPG player but yes I have been obsessed in playing FPS (First person shooters) online for over 10 years, First it started as fun then it turned into competition but then it became a wanted habit, The days i spent without the internet and my games killed me mentally, I guess it depends on the person but the more games become real, the more people feel satisfied at home inside games, As you can see i study and don’t have the gaming habit no more probably because I’m looking after a family, But yes i was once there.

But that’s how people get trapped in MMORPG’s because it takes so long to level and character it becomes a daily job to make your character a higher status and also keeping relationships in games with different timezones can sometimes keep you online inside the game all day.
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

You said engaging in MMORPG’s will help who lacks a certain skill in real life but what you the person lacks socialising, online you do not get facial expressions or feeling into the conversation, wouldn’t you agree? I personally don’t think there is a thin line between losing contact from the physical world from the virtual world. There is a lot of research saying games are starting to take over our everyday lives.

This link is basically explaining we are inside games even in the physical world.

References:
Sutter, J. (2010). Why games will take over our lives. CNN.com. Retrieved May 10, 2010, from http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/05/games.schell/index.html
Landis, S. (2008). MMORPG Addiction: Fact or Myth? Retrieved May 10, 2010, from http://internet-games.suite101.com/article.cfm/mmorpg_addiction
Written by FransiscaMS about 2 years ago.

So interesting, we have same ideas but for me i focus on how people represent themselves through the games rather than on the consequences. I ever play game like this before, totally lost and keep spending from time to time to leveling and maintain online relationships,but thanks to God finally i wake up and yes now Im here , have you ever had similar experiences just like what your paper said?
Written by AaronMillerand about 2 years ago.

Quite an interesting paper. I agree with you that the fantasy-like nature of MMORPGs can become quite addictive. Reading your paper made me think of a story that aired on The 7PM Project last night, relating to children who spend hours on end each day playing MMORPGs. It is in these cases that I believe people do lose contact with the physical world and interferes with the “normal” functioning of everyday life. I believe, like you say, this is a form of escapism. For example, for children who are bullied at school, they may use MMORPGs as a way to forget this.
However, I do think that these Web 2.0 platforms can have a positive effect. Engaging in MMORPGs can help an individual explore aspects that may be lacking in their offline world, such as social interaction. That individual may then develop the confidence to go out and interact with people in the “real” world thanks to their involvement in MMORPGs. I explore this concept in my paper “Disembodiment and Re-embodiment of Identity in Multi-Player Dungeons and Online Role Playing Games”.

I think there is a thin line between losing contact from the physical world being productive and counter-productive. Would you agree?

Again, this was a great paper, really made me think. Aaron.
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

Most people when they create a character you put features that reflect yourself in someway, so it’s true characters try to recreate themselves online but in a virtual world. If you were to place the game World of Warcraft for example then you can create a character that is totally different from yours, in the real world your a shop assistant but in the virtual world you can be a weapon smith or armour smith, chemistry so yes many people are two different people real world vs virtual world but it’s up to you in the game world you have the power to control yourself in real life you have barriers whether it be reality or not.
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

Hi Kathleen,

Thank you for replying, There are many reasons why someone would find it more comfortable in a virtual world then external world, Everyone is different with different points of views towards how to escape. Everyone has their escape method whether it be exercise, music or games. I myself escape in games which started as fun but turned into a habit I always found it more comfortable inside then out even though I was a guy that liked going out but many people just like me use it for fun, making money, hiding and escaping problems in the real world. The main reason I liked being inside online games is because socially word to word which you can see on a screen has no emotions so it’s just like a normal conversation, so online i’m treated fairly and it was a different world for me outside. Just regarding Gender swapping people either do it because in real life they can’t or to draw attention to the opposite or escape vice versa. The only reason I relate to myself is because i’ve been through this path and many online still follow my path even though I no longer continue to have this habit.
Written by Michael N about 2 years ago.

Thanks Josh for sharing such an open reply, it is good to know the reasons why people choose this. I certainly agree regarding losing the plot, when I used to not be able to get into chat I found my personal networks went down and I became irritated. I know to some that sounds a bit childish, but hence the power of online gaming, chatting and other interactions. I do think from what you write there was some benefit to do going into these worlds. Thanks for the reply Josh.
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your reply, Well being trapped inside this virtual world well there are quite a few things that draw people into MMORPG’s and it can range from many things fun, habit, social skills in real life, debt problems and many others. I can relate this to myself i started gaming from back in 1997 or so when broadband just started getting big i started to use computers and the internet everyday for long periods of time, I had a hard time through school and a hard childhood and felt comfortable inside using the internet. I figured my life was easier at home and i used to sit their for 8hrs+ playing online games against many people from all over the world my fun playing games turned into a mental habit that i could not change, When i didn’t play or my internet went down i lost the plot. Now i’m trying to change the way i did things it’s hard because i have lost a lot of my social skills and the main reason why i played games is because of my anxiety and depression but all these problems disappeared when me and my avatar was inside the virtual worlds, everyone treated me just like any other normal person would.
Written by Joshua Atlee about 2 years ago.

Hi Keith,

Thankyou for replying, I can relate to you very much with staying energetic and fit throughout my adulthood but if you ever have kids things will slow down for you in the exercise area, maybe not but you have to play these games to know exactly where i’m leading this argument. You mentally think in your mind if you don’t exercise your body feels bad and if you do exercise you feel great but with playing MMORPG’s it’s starts from fun then works its way to a mental habit, daily job which you cannot get out of your mind. Now you say exercise throughout your adulthood is positive well positive things can also come from games. The more things you open yourself up to the bigger spanned your mind becomes in thinking.
Written by FransiscaMS about 2 years ago.

Hi, it such great topic you have : )

Yes playing game to much will make you forgot about your real life, we are pretty much have the same argument, where mine are more likely on reconstructing on player identities.

In your opinions, are people who get addicted to the game mainly creating the real identity of themselves or they create another person which is totally different from their real lives?
Written by KathleenV about 2 years ago.

Thank you for providing me with an introduction to Web 2.0 as I don’t know very much about it. I was particularly intrigued by your references to escapism and how gamers are increasingly turning to the Internet to escape from their reality. I completely agree with the reasons that you identified as to why people resort to the Internet and playing such games as MMORPG. A point of interest to me was your reference to Gender swapping online. My paper “The Benefits of Gender Swapping online” highlights the benefits that individuals can gain from partaking in such an activity. From the research that I gathered, some of the main reasons people gender swap online is escapism and role-playing. Roberts & Parks (1999, p.521) found “the primary reason for gender-switching was the desire to play roles of people different from one’s self.” These reasons also strongly relate to why people play these types of games you mention. As well as providing escapism from reality, the games highlighted in your paper are also providing a sense of community as players work together to achieve a common goal. I was astounded to read that players can actually make real money out of such games!! I find it sad that people become addicted to such games in the virtual worlds that they have created and find it hard to break away from them. If only some could find the same contentment back in their own reality that they find in these games.

Reference
Roberts, L.D. Parks, M (1999)
The Social Geography of Gender Switching in Virtual environments on the Internet
Information, Communication & Society
Vol.2:4 1999 pp 521-540
Written by Michael N about 2 years ago.

This paper is excellent in the way it argues that it is the features that are driving people to seek less interactions off line and more online in such gaming environments. Whilst I do think such an issue is more complex, the description of some of the features convinces me these are tempting to continue using and in turn from their use ignore off line relationships. I do not think the features are the total reason; however, your paper does link undesireable outcomes with dazzling features where the online world holds more control over one’s life than the external world.

Griffiths and co have done much work over the past decade or so in this area. I will leave the references to consider at the end of this post, though I have not read them, only the abstracts. However, the suggestion of them and others seems to be the control of one’s self and how it is presented online coupled with the available features. I think your point from:

Lo, S., Wang, C. & Fang, W. (2005). Physical interpersonal relationships and social anxiety among online game players. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 8(1), 15-20.

is important because they suggest the more you spend time in such online environments the more social anxiety you will experience. That seems to make sense because social norms and customs change, even slightly, and a person may experience stress if they are in a social situation and they cannot understand the language or implicit behaviours now being done. Simply put, even with online news, if a peer group is doing something different and you have spent much time away from them one would feel anxious to do the behaviours to fit in. This is seen when people re-enter the workforce after a considerable time away.

Griffiths, M., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2003). Breaking the stereotype: the case of online gaming. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 6(1), 81-91.

Griffiths, M., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2004). Online computer gaming: a comparison of adolescent and adult gamers. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 87-96.

Griffiths, M., & Hunt, N. (1998). Dependence on computer games by adolescents. Psychological Reports, 82, 475-480.
Written by Keith Law about 2 years ago.

“It’s not the actual game that becomes addictive it’s the tools that are provided within the games platform that keeps you attached ”

I have no personal experience in gaming but I’m definitely “addicted” the tools of Web 2.0 as they provide me with an ideal way to interact with my commercial and financial interests. Also psychological addiction ( as opposed physical addiction ) can be both positive and negative. I have been “addicted” to physical exercise for most of my adult life which is a positive ( I Hope ).

You say:”This way they can release all their stress and likes to free their mind, now sometimes-freeing minds go too far and a lot of gamers do not understand or find it hard to quit or know when to take breaks.”

This could also have applied to my obsession with exercise. Perhaps this is just a different expression of a human tendency to psychological addictions.

Comment Pages:

Online Conference on Networks and Communities

ADDICTIVE WEB 2.0 FEATURES: LOSING CONTACT FROM PHYSICAL WORLD

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