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There are abundant online games in today's internet-dependent society. The most common online games include gambling, which is also a prime candidate for addiction, massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and multi-user domain games (MUDs). MMORPGs are networks of players who interact with each other to achieve goals, go on missions and reach high scores in a fantasy world. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, fighting and killing in social chat channels with limited graphics.
MMORPGs originated from Dungeons and Dragons, a role-playing game played on pen and paper from the 1970s. Eventually, computers revolutionized role-playing games, first with Ultima Online in 1997, then EverQuest and Asheron Call. These three pioneer MMORPGs were coined the 'Big Three' that ultimately attracted Western players. Since the 'Big Three', many other games of this genre have sprouted. Some of the most popular MMORPGs are World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls and Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds, recorded as the longest-running one in the Guinness Book of World Records (Payne, 2018). Most MMORPGs charge a monthly subscription fee. South Korea boasts the highest number of online subscribers (Byung-yeul, 2018).
MUDs are very similar to MMORPGs and are its technological forerunners. However, MUDs must be created by the players in the game, while MMORPGs only require you to create a character to start on a predetermined quest. MUDs require much more social interaction because they were originally chat-based. There are very few commercial MUDs due to the constantly growing market of free games.
Signs of MMORPG Addiction
Parents across the globe are increasingly concerned about their children's online gaming habits. They are sure that there is a problem, but counsellors unfamiliar with online gaming addiction don't understand how seductive they can be. One parent explained that she had gone and talked to her son's guidance counsellors, the school psychologist and two local addiction rehabilitation centers:
No one had ever heard of someone getting addicted to X-Box. They all told me it was a phase and that I should try to limit my son's game playing. They didn't understand that I couldn't. He had lost touch with reality. My son lost interest in everything else. He didn't want to eat, sleep or go to school; the game was the only thing that mattered to him. When I told him to get offline, he yelled, screamed and once he pushed me. This isn't my son. He's a quiet and loving boy. Now, I don't know who he is.
Parents search for information and help of any kind as they helplessly watch their sons and daughters become more absorbed into the computer and begin to see the warning signs of a dangerous pattern. Gamers who become hooked show clear signs of addiction. Like a drug, gamers who play almost every day, play for extended periods of time (over four hours), get restless or irritable if they can't play, and sacrifice other social activities just to game are showing signs of addiction. Common warning signs include
- a preoccupation with gaming;
- lying or hiding gaming use;
- disobedience at time limits;
- loss of interest in other activities;
- social withdrawal from family and friends;
- psychological withdrawal from the game;
- using gaming as an escape; and
- continuing to game despite its consequences.
Prevalence of MMORPG Addiction
Korea is perhaps the most wired country in the world, and sources cite that 1 in 10 teenagers suffer from online gaming addiction. The Korean Government has set up the National Centre for Youth Internet Addiction Treatment to address the issue (Cornish, 2016). In an Australian survey, 58 per cent of parents were concerned about their kids' excessive screen time (Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, 2018).
As the country has the largest market of internet-based multi-user role-playing games in the world, Korean online gamers may be more exposed to the risk of addiction compared to those of other countries (Byung-yeul, 2018). While these statistics are preliminary, they may be applicable to suggest estimates for other countries such as the U.S., the UK or China as more data becomes available.
Treatment for MMORPG Addiction
Compulsive disorders can manifest themselves in many nonchemical means such as gaming, food, shopping or high-risk sexual behavior, and the mental health field is just beginning to acknowledge the addictive potential of the internet to the same extent. While research in the addiction field has not been conclusive, most researchers agree that a combination of neurochemical and behavioral bases explain addictive behavior, and studies support that non-intoxicants are equally as habit-forming as substances. Despite these research findings, most internet addicts deny that anyone can 'get addicted to a machine', and it is the family and friends who first view the behavior as troublesome.
For players who do admit they have a problem, the most common response is a guilt-and-purge cycle common to many addictions. Many players who realize that they are addicted will kill their characters and delete the game software with no regrets; however, many game addicts aren't as successful.
For most players, true recovery involves looking at the issues underlying the game habit. Addicted players need to examine the emotional motives that prompt them to play a game excessively, and look for alternate ways to satisfy those needs. For many, therapy is necessary for recovery to take place, because many need to realize that there is something else going on and they need to be in charge of changing it.
As in any treatment programs, the primary step to take in the path to recovery is to accept and not refute – denial is a defense mechanism that addicts frequently employ and that effectively stops them from accepting treatment. Once this obstacle is conquered, treatment can be performed more effectively than it would otherwise. It is important to understand that compulsive online gaming is a progressive illness that is treatable. It affects the gamer, their family, their schoolwork or their employer, and their community. It is called 'the hidden illness', since there is no smell on the breath nor stumbling of steps or speech. Nonetheless, it is as debilitating as alcoholism or drug addiction.
Often, gamers have other problems that are part of the reason they game. They also have problems that were produced by their gaming. These include relationship; work-related; legal or emotional problems such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse. It is not known whether one problem causes the other. It is more important to get a clear picture of your immediate concerns and treat them in a structured and systematic manner.
Residential care may be required when the effects of the game have become severe. Often gamers refuse treatment until they become deeply depressed, are kicked out of school, are terminated from a job, are threatened with divorce and separation, or are thinking about suicide.
Once problems have become this severe, it is important to seek professional help for evaluation. Residential treatment programs often last for four to six weeks of intensive treatment. Some gamers may require more or less time, so recommendations will be made following an initial assessment.
About the Author
Dr Kimberly Young provides individual, couples and family counselling for internet addicts and their families. Dr Young is a licensed psychologist and an internationally known expert on internet addiction and online behaviour. She founded the Center for Internet Addiction (http://netaddiction.com) in 1995, and travels nationally conducting seminars on the impact of the internet. She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters, plus four books on internet addiction including Caught in the Net and Tangled in the Web. She is a professor at St. Bonaventure University, and her work has been widely featured in the media such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times and many others.
Reference:
Young, K. (Revised 2018, September [Ed.]). Addiction to MMORPGs: Symptoms and treatment (B. Schuette, Ed.). Retrieved 11 September 2018 from the Center for Online Addiction: http://netaddiction.com
Byung-yeul, B. (2018, 13 June). Multiplayer online RPGs dominate South Korea's mobile game market. South China Morning Post (SCMP). Retrieved 11 September 2018 from https://www.scmp.com
Cornish, D. (2016, 12 April). Korea's internet addicts. Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia. Retrieved 11 September 2018 from https://www.sbs.com.au
Payne, J. (2018, 17 May). Top 10 most popular MMORPGs, ranked by total active users. Retrieved 11 September 2018 from https://twinfinite.net
The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (2018, 11 June). Child health poll report. Retrieved 11 September 2018 from https://www.rchpoll.org.au