Quote #1

The quote "As Young puts it, an intelligent child who is unpopular at school can “become dominant in the game.” The virtual life becomes more appealing than real life" seems to be an important quote to me. I have friends like this quote describes and it hits very close to home. The ability to become another person or remake yourself in the eyes of others can draw someone in. Imagine being someone in school is the unpopular and not good at sports playing a hulking barbarian or a powerful wizard. The sense of empowerment that they might not be able to in real life might be desirable to them. Many online games require players to team up or group together in order to accomplish a goal. For someone who might not get invited for athletic or social events being relied on would make them feel good about themselves. When applied to gaming addiction this is relevant because the more a person feels needed or empowered, the more likely they might feel the need to stay longer and longer online. They could be using online games as an escape from problems in real life or a distraction from them. In this sense it makes online gaming addiction like any other addiction. This quote seemed to help me understand a component to a cause of online gaming addiction.