Tyra Banks And Dr Garry Hurt More Than They Heal
I’m the webmaster behind wowdetox.com, a site where addicts anonymously write their reasons for leaving World of Warcraft. I should be happy when I see the media bring some light to the problem of gaming addiction. Right?
Guy ditches gf in labor to play WOW, returns later for the important stuff
The story is that Sean and Autumn are having problems because he plays WoW way too much and neglects his wife. Smart as they can be they resort to a talk show to resolve this problem. As I had suspected nothing substantial came out of it. A single couple in the world might be on the road to fixing their problems brought on by gaming addiction but Tyra Banks and Dr Garry, by failing to portray the problem as it really is, exacerbate the problem.
First of all Tyra Banks reinforces the myth that all video games are a relationship between a computer and a player. The truth is that WoW is a very social game and understanding this helps us find solutions.
Then Dr Garry steps in and makes things even worse. The first thing he does is make sure the wife feel guilty for putting on some weight. Way to go Doc! Where did you get your Phd? Cracker Jack box?
Neither Dr Garry nor Tyra were able to raise awareness of the problem in a way that is beneficial to others. The little information they provide us with exacerbate the problem. After seeing this show more people will believe that addicts are loners who prefer playing a video game alone than socializing when in fact the social aspect of the game is one of its biggest features.
I was in Sean’s position at some point, ignoring my wife, friends and career because a guild needed my time. I was letting a character gain glory and fame inside a virtual world because I was under the illusion that it mattered more to me than the real stuff. When I understood that I had been wrong for so long that is when I unsubscribed.
Nothing was mentionned on the show about the chance based reward system, the auction house, the PVP system, the complex social networks or the feeling of importance when needed by a large group of people about to down a boss. These are all factors that help in understanding this behavioral addiction.
When Tyra Banks and Dr Garry expressed surprise (or was it disapointement) that there was no fight between the two I felt like I was watching some Jerry Springer love triangle show that just didn’t have the oomph you had come to expect from watching trash TV.
Are WoW addicts better understood thanks to this show? Are people in love with WoW addicts better equipped to deal with the problem? The problem isn’t fixed with sensationalist TV. The problem just gets worse with trash TV.