Don't play WoW just because your boyfriend does.
My boyfriend suggested I play WoW since he did, and at first it was a lot of fun and we played together every night. But now I play more than my boyfriend... I recently moved to NY for college last year and it was really hard living on my own for the first time in a new place. I tried to make new friends by joining clubs but it didn't work out... I just retreated back to my room to play WoW. I can't stop myself from playing even when I want to... I almost failed last semester! Even though, something keeps making me come back to play more wow... I don't know whats wrong with me but I wish I could take back my life. I've been obsessed with getting the best gear the highest level, the rarest mounts and pets... but when i do finally get that stuff after however many more years its going to take... i may have nothing outside of WoW left :(
Comments
nygal,
I'm glad you want to take action to take your life back. Quitting WoW is terribly hard, especially after play for so long because your brain craves it so much. Your obsession with getting better gear, mounts, and leveling up reflects your desire to succeed. There are many gritty, hard-working young adults in your position, who have worked hard their entire lives, made it to graduate or professional school, and then got derailed by their interest in WoW. The key for you will be to focus your interests in life. Here are some ideas on how to do that:
1) You might already know this since your are a grad student, but keep in mind that WoW was designed to have a random reward patterns, which is the most addictive systems of reward. Read about it and intellectualize your WoW addiction. When you realize that you are playing a lab-rat to Blizzard's engineers then that might lessen your obssession.
2) Lastly, examine your idea of what success and goals are. Remember, success is always easy in WoW. All of WoW's virtual accolades: the highest level, the rarest mounts, the best gear... all of that is childsplay that a third grader could accomplish! Well-adjusted adults don't go about setting goals like kid because we've all been there, done that. Life is about learning and we gain satisfaction from experiencing and accomplishing new things, that's why we don't enjoy riding tri-cycles and blowing bubbles as adults.
WoW manages to trap people by being constantly new. It morphs through updates and its dynamic community and tricks your brain into thinking you are playing a new game even though it is the same one you've been playing for hundreds of days. It's an instant novetly machine that has clouded your judgement of what goals you should be working towards. Re-examine your interests in life, your raison d'etre. Of course, you're interested in WoW now, but what else are you interested in accomplishing? Do you want to eventually travel the world, have a family one day, or a career... or all of the above?
3) Examine your interest in WoW and think long and hard where that interest will take you the next few years. Is that how you want to spend the prime-time of your 20s-30s?