Gaming Addiction

You are about to read a fictional tale about gaming addiction and it's many dark and disturbing consequences. It is fun to play the odd game, but don't get reality and fantasy mixed up!

Video games are a fun hobby, the older generation might say it's bad, but sitting around watching TV is actually a far worse hobby. Mostly because mindless Television is well, mindless. You just sit there watching some nonsense comedy show from the 1990s that even has a laugh track, telling you exactly when to laugh or not. Most people nowadays end up looking at their phones more than the TV now anyway, so for many it's just a distraction. Some noise you put on to drown out the silence, or to make the house feel alive when you're all alone and feeling lonely. Video games are actually full of puzzles and immersive worlds to explore, they a't all run and gun games, you truly escape into a fantasy world like no other and it's fully interactive too.

Yet, this is where things take a horrible turn. Some people are so impressed by these virtual worlds, that they decide to live in them. Nowadays it is quite literal, with the implementation of Virtual Reality headsets, players can transport themselves into the digital world as if they were actually within it. They can move their head and look around at a 360 degree angle, see what is up or down too. To be honest, the rubber smell from these headsets can be a bit nauseous, but regular players are used to this. Even before virtual reality, people would spend their whole day playing games. Never leaving the house, not even to buy groceries as many would just order online. Now if you were a millionaire with no bills to pay or any real responsibilities, then you could safely shut yourself away from the harsh world of reality and play these games forever. Yet, for most of us, dedicating most of our time to playing a game would be a seriously unwise idea. There have been people, who've abandoned everyone they've ever known and loved over gaming addiction, even lost their jobs too and become homeless.

One of these addicts, was a man named Nathan, who once had a promising career and a wife, who he loved dearly. That all changed when the famous RPG, Realms Of Solaride VI: Riverfall, was released in the year 2020. During this time, there was a world wide pandemic, which locked many people indoors as it was even illegal to be found travelling without good reason around certain parts of the UK. When this disaster struck, Nathan was given furlough pay, so that he was still being paid despite the shop he worked at being shut down due to the virus, which was spreading around the public like wild fire. As socialising was pretty much banned, everyone resorted to watching TV, or in the case of Nathan, playing video games. So Nathan locked himself away from his own wife and kids, and played that game almost 24/7. At first it wasn't a big deal. Then he missed breakfast, lunch and dinner. By the time his wife, Anna, decided to storm into his bedroom, Nathan looked almost skeletal. She shut the game off mid gameplay and he completely snapped. The mad man rose from his chair, screaming obscenities and raging at his poor innocent wife. Who fled the room, crying. Eventually he did come downstairs to eat one day, but it was quick and he never even spoke to her or his own children. Then the skinny man climbed back upstairs and played the game again, until eventually his wife would bring the food up to him and he'd never even thank her. Nathan was truly addicted to this strange video game and Anna wouldn't dare discard it, in fear that he may snap at her again. So the game stayed and this lasted throughout the whole pandemic.

Then in 2023, when the mass hysteria was over, Nathan still played that same game non-stop. He must've completed a dozen times and kept making new character builds, never growing sick of the cursed game. He hadn't even noticed that his wife and children had left, or the fact he hadn't eaten in several weeks.

The council busted in eventually, as he hadn't paid his electricity bill in months and the eviction notice had also expired. When they found Nathan however, he had starved to death, the bedroom stank like a swamp and his body was stuck in a leaning pose, facing the TV, sitting upon his gaming chair. His dead fingers still wrapped tightly around the controller, while the game was still on.