WoW vs. PorN: Which is Naughtier?
He knew he shouldn’t be doing this. His parents were supposed to be gone all night, so he decided now was his chance. With his sweaty palm on the mouse, he clicked the link and his heart began to palpitate. He had done it—opened himself to the underbelly of the internet his parents had warned him about. Men, women, beasts contorting themselves in ways he’d never dreamt possible. It was at that point he knew there was no turning back. Enticed by the images before him, he barely noticed the door creaking open and his mother entering the room. “Billy!” she scolded. “I thought I told you never to play World of Warcraft or you’d go blind!”
It may seem like a joke, but to some WoW players, that’s exactly how it feels. On the Shame-O-Meter, gaming addictions have far surpassed even porn addictions. Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist who specializes in this subject, explains why: “Some people come in for trouble with Internet porn. But the computer gamers tend to be harder to treat. People feel a lot of shame around computer games. Whereas, it’s socially acceptable to have a porn problem.” In other words, naked ladies: okay. Bare-chested Orcs: not so much.
This problem has become so serious, in fact, that South Korea has created “boot camps” to help people with their addictions to games like WoW. Places like the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery have recently followed suit, consulting the people responsible for such programs overseas and applying the knowledge they learned to their own treatment regimens. According to them, underlying problems like depression and anxiety are at the core of this embarrassing addiction, and in order to help the addicts, they must address these issues as well.
Many such addicts are in denial about their problem, so I have composed a list of ways to tell if you have a WoW addiction:
1. You have to hide your bank statement so that no one sees $14.99 paid to Blizzard Entertainment each month.
2. Your downloaded porn is in clear view on your computer, but your WoW folder is buried under 19 directories and labeled, “oh…I think my cousin must have put this here.”
3. You have no particular reaction to names like Jenna Jameson, but blush when someone sees you spark to life at names like Sylvanas Windrunner.
4. You insist that someone else must have installed the game, updated the files, downloaded scores of UI mods, and logged over 500 hours of playtime without you having any knowledge.
5. Your Warcraft installation discs are cleverly hidden in the DVD case for The Bridges of Madison County.
If you or a loved one suffers from this horrible addiction, never fear! Seek professional help, but keep reminding yourself that it could be worse. What on earth could be worse than a porn or WoW addiction? A WoW porn addiction, of course!
