Question:

I have a teenage boy who is completely obsessed with the game World of Warcraft. I think he spends a lot of time on it, and I think it cuts into both schoolwork and other activities. He completely disagrees with me. What can I do?

Answer from Kids and Media’s Multimedia Manager:

Both net poker games and World of Warcraft (WoW) are dominated by boys in their teens or early adulthood. On a world basis there are reportedly eight million players. The global role game WoW is of such a nature that some players develop an addiction to it.

Many young people get so engrossed in these games that they withdraw to their rooms and more or less isolate themselves from the outside world. They loose track of day and night, don’t take part at meal times and play truant from school. Those who play don’t feel that this can be dangerous. And it is the parents, often distraught mothers, who get in touch with different institutions to seek help. Young people’s games addictions affect the whole family, as long as they live at home. The school system should also get involved when there are problems with absence.

The online role game World of Warcraft is more addictive than other games. It is this particular game most young people develop an addiction to. The more time you spend on it, the better you become at it. The players become dependant on each other when executing big assignments, so you feel obligated to the other players to show up.

There are clear signs that parents can look for, if they’re worried and wonder if their child is addicted to playing games. Addicts will cut out other activities and won’t prioritise friends. Their school results will be dwindling, and playing will often go before sleeping. It is vital that these young people have parents who are involved and set boundaries.

I assume in this case that the playing has been going on for a long time, for example six months or more. If that is the case I recommend that you get in touch with institutions in your region that offer help to persons with games addiction. I advise you to find out what kind of help is offered, and it could be a good idea to initiate a first discussion between you as parents and the professionals. From there you can agree on the way forward.

I think it’s far better to take this seriously than let it be and hope for it to go away. Young people who are addicted to games like World of Warcraft are a challenge I fear we’ll see more of in times to come, and I think there is a need for extended research on this phenomenon, tangible health care offers for affected families and professional development in groups that can help parents.

Reviews of "World of Warcraft":

Eurogamer.net

Metacritic.com (The best critics' reviews combined into a simple Metascore)