A local Philadelphia news station ran a story yesterday tackling the problem of internet gaming addiction. As you might know I am a big fan of the mainstream news media trying to report on video games they have no clue about. That being said, I'm pleasantly suprised at the way this piece turned out. The story focuses mainly on World of Warcraft and Everquest, focusing on a young boy who spends all his time playing instead of going out and getting teased about his hair, and Elizabeth Woolley, who believes Everquest cause her 21 year old son to commit suicide.

What's interesting about the piece is that while their pet psychologist does warn of the games turning players into recluses, she also goes on to make a point I've made many times over.

Dudley says children or adults who become obsessed with video games often have a history of struggling with depression or anxiety. The game, she says, is simply a catalyst, similar to drugs, alcohol or gambling.

The best part is the ending, however, where the news reporter reads off a quote from EverQuest as if it were an entity, and goes on to say they didn't hear back from World of Warcraft. He never returns my calls either. Michael Fahey

Dangers of Internet Gaming [ABC 6 Philadelphia via GamePolitics]

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