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[taikara]

Internet addiction? Games harm your health? Warning labels? :blink:

I agree that playing certain games can be engrossing to the point they interfere with your life, but someone killing themselves over a game has more problems than an inability to turn off the 'net.

This kid probably had parents who didn't make the best parenting choices - obviously, letting your kid play a game for 36 hours straight is more than a little much. They either didn't notice this sort of behavior, which is neglectful, and could lead to deep-seated depression which could lead to suicide, or had no control over their kid for other reasons (maybe he was hyperactive and delusional - that bit about joining the heroes of the game he worshipped is more than a little weird) - in which case, they should have sought outside help instead of simply allowing him to do what he wanted.

I dunno, I've certainly had a few issues with getting away from the 'net when playing certain MMORPGs - but it's not because I didn't want to, but rather because once you start to play, it's time consuming in some cases to get to a point where you're able to stop playing (maybe that's a justification, but hey, I haven't played a MMORPG in years for just that reason). Though I will not attempt to deny that there are probably true "addicts" out there, I think for most people, it's more of a matter of screwed up priorities.

And health-wise, yeah, it's not the greatest to sit around and play games, but a game actually HARMING your health? No, because it's your choice to sit around on your behind all day playing instead of working out. As long as you actually do other stuff, I've found that gaming is beneficial to your mental skills, such as problem-solving, mental agility, and creativity.

IMHO, this is just another example of parents who made bad choices putting the blame on someone else.