Addiction or Hobby?Follow

Start with this:

http://www.netaddiction.com/resources/online_trading.htm

Then read through the other information.



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I know the articles reference Everquest, but the same scenario applies. Please read them and take from them what you will. I especially recommend the Argument for Addiction. Scroll down.
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ad·dic·tion ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-dkshn)
n.

Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.
An instance of this: a person with multiple chemical addictions.

The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
An instance of this: had an addiction for fast cars.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

ad·dic·tion (-dkshn)
n.

Habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's voluntary control.

Source: The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Main Entry: ad·dic·tion
Pronunciation: &-'dik-sh&n
Function: noun
: compulsive physiological need for a habit-forming drug (as heroin)

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Main Entry: ad·dic·tion
Pronunciation: &-'dik-sh&n
Function: noun
: compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful —compare HABITUATION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Source: Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

addiction

n 1: being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs) [syn: dependence, dependency, habituation] 2: an abnormally strong craving 3: (Roman law) a formal award by a court sentence of a thing or person to another (as of a debtor to his creditor); a surrender to a master; "under Roman law addiction was the justification for slavery"


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hob·by1
n. pl. hob·bies
An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Middle English hobi, hobyn, small horse, hobby horse, perhaps from Hobin, Hobby, nickname for Robert.]
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hobby·ist n.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


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Argument for hobby:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/notting...ire/2939175.stm

Argument for addiction:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/mar02/31536.asp

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I hope this subject is not taken lightly. If you or anyone you know playing the game appears to fall into the second scenario please refer to the following for more help.

http://www.netaddiction.com/net_compulsions.htm

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This is a game. We play for fun. If it starts to be detrimental to your health or family and you can't break away; you need help.

They forgot a few:

9. Do you experience joy, satisfaction, anger or envy while playing online games?
10. Are you easy to influence and believe in trendy afflictions of the mind?
11. Do you have a creditcard?

to me it is a hobby one that don't cost me an arm and a leg. my friend and family know i play hell most of them play too. this game has helpped me save money and pay off about 5 out standing bills. i've got 6000 in the bank and a new car. so i call it a good hobby. Can i stop play yes. but why would i it is fun. i still have a socail life i go to work 6 to 7 days a week. so this is my hobby

and another thing i have notice in life that no matter what you do someone will always tell you that it is an addicition.

It's interesting to see that in the rare cases where games are blamed, there's a mental affliction and bad parenting involved.

But it's never the parents' at fault.. oh no...

It's interesting to see that in the rare cases where games are blamed, there's a mental affliction and bad parenting involved.

But it's never the parents' at fault.. oh no...

Which is where the big splitoff happens.
There isn't any shame in becoming addicted to MMORPGS, because it's all business. Anyone not addicted, in some measure, to these games would certainly stop playing them once they were no longer fun.

But to be perfectly straight about it, a hobby is something that occupies you because it's FUN.
Something I noticed very early on about this game was the large amount of false goals that it involved, both short- and long-term. It's a goal to get to the next level. It's a goal to get to the next mob before someone else does. It's a goal to get AF. To get the best items. To get to 75. To kill Kirin. It really doesn't end, because the only person that can really sit down and say "I've accomplished everything" is someone that's accomplished all these things with every job they're interested in.
The problem is, each goal is exponentially more difficult to reach as time goes on, and requires a larger time investiture. Getting to level 57 from 56 was a damn sight harder than getting to level 5 from 4. And AF was hella harder than RSE.
Square-Enix therefore *depends* on addiction. It's not fun to grind away for six hours to gain one level. If you had to do that straight off, you'd think 'what a rip, this isn't fun' and quit.
But as time goes on they know addiction is going to come into it somewhere. That disclaimer is just ***-covering because of that dude whose family sued over his EQ addiction (and subsequent suicide).

From a business standpoint, MMORPG addiction is a lot like tobacco addiction. I don't smoke because it's fun; I smoke because when I don't, I throw crockery.
That amounts to money for RJ Reynolds, and messed up lungs for me.
And I didn't play FFXI because it was fun. I played because I didn't know how to put it down anymore; when I wasn't playing it, all I did was think about playing it.
And that of course amounted to steady income for SE, and a messed up life for me.

'Fun' is something inherently pleasurable in itself, not 'something unpleasant done in the future expectation of pleasure'. The latter definition is 'work', as in a job. Not that there's anything wrong with a job, but FFXI doesn't look very good on a resume.
'Addiction' would be an activity not directly pleasurable, but from which pleasure is derived because some part of you has come to depend on it. Like smoking.
And because it's such snarky semantics to make the distinction between what's 'fun' in itself and what's 'fun' because you NEED it, it's really up to the individual as to whether he's addicted or not. If he's addicted, he knows it. He might not want to ADMIT it, but who cares if he admits it, it's his life.

Bike-riding is a hobby. You can get off a bike at the end of the day, pleased that you had a good time, and go in and do something else; you can look forward to the next bike ride.
But if you keep going out all night, getting on the bike and go flying around the neighborhood till you're totally exhausted, and think about nothing but riding your freaking bike until you're doing it, then you've invented the addiction to bike riding. Also you're a freaking weirdo, moreso than most.

Addictions are not a big deal in themselves. It really just comes down to how seriously a given addiction is impacting the rest of your life, and whether it's making you more UNHAPPY than happy. From there it just becomes a personal issue of making a decision.

And I'm not being pseudo-objective because I left the game, by the way, obviously I still read the boards ;)


Edited, Thu Mar 17 15:00:29 2005 by Sioux

I probably would have quit months ago because of my addiction but theres a reason why, im 18 still in High School. My main goal is to pass High School and work on getting into a College, i quit my job because i want to pay attention to school. School is first with FFXI then FFXI over everything even family and friends. I wont ever play this game past 20.

three times? jeez.

Edited, Fri Mar 18 20:41:25 2005 by stegan

That is the best comedy routine ever!!!!!!

"They call me....Tater Salad." - Ron 'Tater Salad' White

Edited, Fri Mar 18 23:12:59 2005 by Gamion

/em stands up in FFA(Final FantasyXI Anoumous) Hi...my name is Royze...and i have a FFXI addiciton problem...

I have to agree with Mosh i answered yes to many of those questions and i am 18 also and i don't really give a s*%t if i am addicted. It's cheap to play this game and everytime i play I have fun.

Now I know what I just said sounds an aweful lot like a hobby but it's not. I think the game is addictive because it is fun. It really has no end and you have companionship. All the things you want roled into one.

At the end of the day I do have to tell myself that it is only a game and it is not going to get me anywhere.My dad once said to me "Son if your not having fun doing whatever your doing then don't do it. Life is to short to not enjoy it." I am having fun and this game makes me enjoy life a little more and forget about the real world's BS. So I am going to continue to play it rather if it is an addiction or hobby i really do not care.