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Zohaib Hassan was failing to complete his MS Advertising Project; he had 4 breakups in the past 6 months. But he had progressed to Level 58 of the role-playing interactive game “Farmville” integrated with Facebook, and that was all that mattered at the time.

Hassan, whose family life and grades in school have recovered nicely since he stopped playing the game about 6 months ago, considers himself a recovered "Farmville" addict, now able to control his desire to immerse himself in the game's rich fantasy world.

"The game almost ruined my life," said the Media Consultant from Lahore. "It was my life. I ceased being me; I became the Farmer, the guy who sows and reaps crops. Thinking of it now, I almost cringe; it's so sad."

Fantasy worlds offered by computer and video games can become the stuff of very real addictions that destroy relationships, marriages and careers.

“It's a huge and growing problem with older males and females and young adult males and females ," said Dr.Rizwana Sadiq, a psychologist. 

"I've seen a number of cases with 13-19-year-old males and females where they have a broadband (Internet) connection and they basically haven't left the room unless they are forced to do so”.

Online PC games such "Farmville," the new "Mafia Wars," or "Texas holdem poker"--dubbed "heroinware" by some players--can pose much more complex problems. Extensive chat features give such games a social aspect missing from offline activities, and the collaborative/competitive nature of working with or against other players can make it hard to take a break.

Video games played on consoles such as Sony's PlayStation 2 can become the object of compulsive behavior, especially among children. But such problems are usually easily solved through modest parental intervention and the self-limiting nature of such games, which become repetitive and boring at some point.

The two defining characteristics of addiction: The person regularly engages in activity for much longer than originally planned and "(continues) doing it in spite of adverse consequences

To analyze Hassan’s problem you have to understand why these games are so effective in gaining the attention of many and eventually get them to become addicts? What features do these games have that people could not afford to leave them to do something more productive? What are the causes of addiction?

Understanding the causes of addiction is difficult because after trying to find explanations to this relatively new phenomenon, I encountered lots of differing opinions. Some explain these are just symptoms of inner problems or inadequacies, like those due to depression, or failure to socialize so there’s a tendency to isolate oneself from the crowd. Or it may be the other way around. It is a new phenomenon that still needs further investigation.

However, based on my experience, I would say that computer games challenge and appeal to one’s vanity, to satisfy the ego, to be able to surmount the obstacles and win. Winning or attaining success has always been the goal, because winning or success satisfies an inner desire to accomplish. A certain unexplainable obsession envelopes the gamer. In so doing, he/she becomes oblivious of time spent in the world of never-ending challenges and levels. Opportunity cost is high, because instead of harvesting real food to fill the stomach, people are willing to reap the rewards in virtual reality.

Like most addictions, the toughest part of recovering from game addiction is often getting the addict to acknowledge there's a problem--a task made all the more difficult by the seemingly innocuous nature of games.

For players who do admit they have a problem, the most common response is a guilt-and-purge cycle common to many addictions. While Hassan was able to kill his urge and delete the "Farmville" game application with no regrets, many game addicts aren't as successful.

"There's definitely alienation in some fashion that's going on within the family structure or work structure," said Hassan.

Treatment Approaches to Games Addiction:

Recognizing computer addiction as a problem led some concerned individuals to formulate treatment approaches.

Among those that I gathered are the following:
• set prescribed time for computer use daily
• focus on other areas like developing social skills and problem solving
• consult a doctor for treatment of depression or anxiety
• form a group that engages in non-computer activities
• support one’s desire to change

To sum it up, computer game addiction should be recognized as a problem that needs treatment. It’s a serious matter that must be addressed to prevent unproductive uses of time, time crucial for survival in the real world. Time is gold, every second counts, what’s gone cannot be retrieved.
Better write in NKUT, and be addicted but productive.

Tags: Addictive Online Games

Assalamoalaikum,

 

Hey friends bloggers, countrymen, everyone reading this is my first blog so I would like all of you to asses, analyze, scrutinize and advise on every aspect, I’ve chosen this topic because of the current recession going on which has affected almost every one all over the world a lot of people have lost their jobs and businesses have been shut down no signs of growth, the mortguage payments are due credit card payments are due, the rent is escalating every month.

 

What do u do in these sort of circumstances, how do u come out of this vicious circle, what to do when u are unemployed, while interviewing a couple of people the majority of them said the first thing they would do is start praying, seeking forgiveness, and are hopeful that their prayers would be answered .this shows there is still faith in this world.

 

Having said that I bring to you the benefits of being unemployed,Benefits!!! Are there any benefits of being unemployed??

 

·        NOT HAVING TO WAKE UP EARLY

That is a obvious one when u know u don’t have to swipe your employee card before 9 in the morning, don’t have to be molested in the rush of the bus/train, don’t have to bear the rush of traffic and don’t have to swirl for parking space, u can afford to relax and enjoy the early hours, which u craved for when you were employed.

 

(Oh, you ask, but what if you oversleep and waste away the hours you should be spending looking for another job? That hasn't been a problem. The constant sense of dread will wake u up in plenty of time – usually well before the crack of dawn that is when you pray).

 

·        SPOUSAL CLOSNESS

 

When you were young, if you had a cold, or a fever your parents were always there by your side concerned and taking care of you, when you grow up your better half, girlfriend, the one you ignored all those years, the one you didn’t have time for, the one who really cares for you will be by your side.

 

Rehan Butt:

 

“My wife and I were close before, but we've been drawn even closer by a sense of common striving and the extra time we're spending together. A lot of that extra time is spent worrying together, fretting together, hyperventilating together – but together!”

 

·        LONG RANGE PLANNING

 

A very few people in this world succeed in there life these people however are those who take this time to rethink their future strategy, most of the people are obsessed with there past and are mulling over it all the time . People need to live in the present .and not obsess over it.

 

"Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem a turned it into an opportunity."

 

Joseph Sugarman 

 

·        LOSING WEIGHT

 

Remember that big bowl of popcorn with 2 or may be 3 fizzy drinks you take every time u go to the movies, that Pizza you order every other night when you don’t feel like cooking, that big stack of French fries with garlic may sauce and a chicken roll you used to have when ever you were in a hurry. That’s right folks all that fat that kept piling on your body because you didn’t had time to exercise.

 

Ali and Sumayya:

 

“We both talked for years about trying to lose some weight. As you will have guessed from the preceding paragraph, we're finally doing it. If I hadn't lost my job, we'd still both be doing nothing more than talking about it. I might soon be able to get into those older Dockers and jeans covered with dust in the closet. Not all clutter is bad”.

 

·        TRIUMPH OF WILL

 

“Nothing can withstand the power of the human will if it is willing to stake its very existence to the extent of its purpose”.

Benjamin Disraeli

 

In all that torrid time, when nothing is going in your favor only those survive or fight it out Who have the determination and the will to do so

 

Farhan Zafar:

 

“it's really all a matter of will power, isn't it? Thanks to being unemployed, I've developed more will power. I've become very good at maintaining my self-control and even smiling when people ask me if I'm taking advantage of all this time off by relaxing and enjoying myself and getting a lot of writing done. Well, yeah, I do keep tinkering with my resume. (Go read it! Click here!)”

 

 

This was a little effort to bring to you the what you can do while you are unemployed , starting with strengthening your faith and keeping it going even after you succeed , you will get to know who  loves you the most  and who is only there for $$$ , every problem is a opportunity it doesn’t mean you  completely flip over and start from scratch but do weigh your options , remember every thing happens for a reason. And all this is only possible if you have the will to overcome it.

 

 

“You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.”

 

Zuhair Muhammad Zubair

Tags: UNEMPLOYED