Interesting Article

So I came across this article on CNN today:

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/08/tech/gaming.series/korea.html?hpt=hp_c1

The article follows a couple of the top South Korean StarCraft players and mentioned that they might have an "addiction" to online gaming. It explains some of their life stories and how it tore their families apart.

I would like to say that there are people in this world that have issues dealing with the real world. Some people grow out of it, but some don't. I grew out of it, but I don't think my younger brother did. It's just easier to play a game obsessively than it is to actually function in the world today. There are so many niches, so much going on.

When I was in middle school, I kicked myself out of my circle of friends over a stupid dispute. And then all I did was read. I read more than half of the fiction books in our school library. I would, quite literally, read novels in all of my classes. The only time I stopped was when I was called out directly, and even then, I would go back to reading once the teacher's attention had shifted. I would read until I fell asleep, which was often past midnight.

It slowed drastically once I made a few new friends. I'm still friends with them 8 years later.

I think, in all honesty, that everyone goes through some period of their life where they need...something. For some people, it might be games. For others, it might be books. Illegal substances, alcohol, religion, exercise...Almost everyone has something they use to escape reality. Some people can get past their addiction, some people can use their drug to achieve a higher goal, and others just feed it until they can't function anymore.

I think that's the difference between what is normal and what isn't. It doesn't matter HOW you escape, because everyone needs something. It's only when it takes over your life, nullifies your motivation, and prevents you from functioning that it becomes negative.