Computer games addiction

Teenagers and children have become more and more addicted to computer games nowadays due to the abundance and variety of them. Young people no longer rush outdoors often to play games like catching with friends anymore. Most of them stay cooped up in the house everyday, hands running over the keyboard like a machine gun. So why are our kids so addicted nowadays? Should we allow them to play computer games? Should we buy access to the Internet?

Firstly, the easy access to the computer and news from friends have led kids to start playing games on the computer. Almost every household can afford and has a computer nowadays, with the advance of technology and a good economy. And with further "help" from the Internet, free games can be played or downloaded easily, mostly for free.

Secondly, most games nowadays allow you to level up when you obtain enough experience. These kind of games normally are the main causes of addiction as the player will keep wanting to go on and on to level up. Normally, it is easy to level up at the start of the game as the game company wants to hook you to the game by letting you level easily at first. Then, when the game has a "stable hook" on the player, it will start to get more difficult to level up and the player would have to spend more time to attain the next level. However, don't be fooled by the "free" games online, most of them have special items that can only be bought with real money like a card which will enable you to get double the experience. By that time, the player would have been addicted to the game already and would most likely spend a whole load of money on the game.

The situation is made worse if the peers of the player are also playing the same game. They would discuss the game everyday: about better ways to gain experience, faster ways to earn money etc. The player might even play more then usual as he/she wants to catch up with his friend's level or doesn't want his friends to have a higher level then him/her. The player's "friends" might even trick him/her into giving them their user name and password and steal all his items and money. The player, after that might train even longer and harder to earn back what he/she lost.

So should we buy computer games or buy access to the Internet? You can, but keep a close eye on your children. Addiction normally starts from young, and sort of "inflames" when the kids get older. By then it is very hard to force the kid to stop playing the game as he/she has already become too addicted to the game. To prevent your children from becoming too addicted to games and ruin his/her future, parents should ALWAYS keep a close eye on their children, to prevent them from being sucked into the game.

I am happy to announce that I have successfully quited from the addictive online game Maple Story. :)