Danny,
15-07-2007, 01:12 PM
Braden Quartermaine
July 14, 2007 04:00pm
THE devastated father of a 15-year-old Perth computer-game addict has described the family's extraordinary nightmare - comparing it to heroin addiction.
Wanting only to be known as Lee, the distressed dad told The Sunday Times his son's life had spiralled out of control in the past 14 months.
The Year 11 Ballajura Community College student has not attended classes for two months.
He spends his time alone in a dark room playing the RuneScape game for up to 16 hours a day.
The boy's parents discovered the addiction only when his school contacted them because he had been absent for three weeks.
The son used to dress in his school uniform each morning, but after his mother left for work he would change out of the uniform and spend the day playing the interactive game.
She would return home each night none the wiser. The boy had told the school he would be away because he needed to have an operation, but when the school contacted his mother his cover was blown.
She found him at home in a darkened room in a dressing gown, absorbed in the game.
The family is struggling to find help for him, and a succession of psychologists and counsellors have not yet made any progress with him.
The boy's parents are divorced, and he lives with his mother. His sister moved out because she couldn't cope with his bizarre addiction.
Lee, spoke to radio 6PR and The Sunday Times to make other families aware of the addiction. He said the past year had been horrific. His son had been transformed from a typically bright, sports-mad teenager to being reclusive and aggressive.
"It just got worse and worse,'' he said. ``He just wouldn't come off it at night. He'd play until two or three o'clock in the morning. The best time for him to play it is after midnight, when all the people from America come on.
"If his mother tried to shut it off or whatever, he'd become violent.
"He displayed the characteristics of a heroin addict. You haven't got someone putting a needle in their arm and having a high, but you've got all the telltale collateral damage of a heroin addict _ withdrawal from his family, withdrawal from his friends, lies to cover his addiction. He'll do anything.
"He was an outdoor kid. Every sport you could name, he was playing. Now he's white, doesn't go outside. He was very bright, he was going to be a forensic scientist.
"The change in him is unbelievable. We couldn't get him in the house 14 or 15 months ago. Now we can't get him out of the house.
"Recently he has admitted it, before he was in denial. He wants to get back to what he was like. He wants to get better. He wants to go to school. He can't -- it won't let him. It's like any addiction.''
RuneScape is one of the most popular online games in the world.
According to the game's website, more than 163,000 people were playing the game at the same time yesterday.
More than five million people play at least once a month.
Players can travel through a fantasy world. Each region offers different challenges and quests, and interaction with other players.
Lee warned other parents: "I just want to highlight to parents that this creeps up on you. It gets you.
"When you give someone their first drink, you don't realise they're going to become an alcoholic.
You don't think it's a problem, but by the time it is a problem it's too late.
"The kids are hooked, and I think the way the games are going -- with better graphics and everything -- it's going to become an epidemic.''
Every day Lee wishes he had barred his son from registering as a RuneScape player.
"I really pray that he gets better. We've got to stay positive for his sake.''
A summary of an article from an australian newspaper
Link (http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22073926-5008620,00.html)
July 14, 2007 04:00pm
THE devastated father of a 15-year-old Perth computer-game addict has described the family's extraordinary nightmare - comparing it to heroin addiction.
Wanting only to be known as Lee, the distressed dad told The Sunday Times his son's life had spiralled out of control in the past 14 months.
The Year 11 Ballajura Community College student has not attended classes for two months.
He spends his time alone in a dark room playing the RuneScape game for up to 16 hours a day.
The boy's parents discovered the addiction only when his school contacted them because he had been absent for three weeks.
The son used to dress in his school uniform each morning, but after his mother left for work he would change out of the uniform and spend the day playing the interactive game.
She would return home each night none the wiser. The boy had told the school he would be away because he needed to have an operation, but when the school contacted his mother his cover was blown.
She found him at home in a darkened room in a dressing gown, absorbed in the game.
The family is struggling to find help for him, and a succession of psychologists and counsellors have not yet made any progress with him.
The boy's parents are divorced, and he lives with his mother. His sister moved out because she couldn't cope with his bizarre addiction.
Lee, spoke to radio 6PR and The Sunday Times to make other families aware of the addiction. He said the past year had been horrific. His son had been transformed from a typically bright, sports-mad teenager to being reclusive and aggressive.
"It just got worse and worse,'' he said. ``He just wouldn't come off it at night. He'd play until two or three o'clock in the morning. The best time for him to play it is after midnight, when all the people from America come on.
"If his mother tried to shut it off or whatever, he'd become violent.
"He displayed the characteristics of a heroin addict. You haven't got someone putting a needle in their arm and having a high, but you've got all the telltale collateral damage of a heroin addict _ withdrawal from his family, withdrawal from his friends, lies to cover his addiction. He'll do anything.
"He was an outdoor kid. Every sport you could name, he was playing. Now he's white, doesn't go outside. He was very bright, he was going to be a forensic scientist.
"The change in him is unbelievable. We couldn't get him in the house 14 or 15 months ago. Now we can't get him out of the house.
"Recently he has admitted it, before he was in denial. He wants to get back to what he was like. He wants to get better. He wants to go to school. He can't -- it won't let him. It's like any addiction.''
RuneScape is one of the most popular online games in the world.
According to the game's website, more than 163,000 people were playing the game at the same time yesterday.
More than five million people play at least once a month.
Players can travel through a fantasy world. Each region offers different challenges and quests, and interaction with other players.
Lee warned other parents: "I just want to highlight to parents that this creeps up on you. It gets you.
"When you give someone their first drink, you don't realise they're going to become an alcoholic.
You don't think it's a problem, but by the time it is a problem it's too late.
"The kids are hooked, and I think the way the games are going -- with better graphics and everything -- it's going to become an epidemic.''
Every day Lee wishes he had barred his son from registering as a RuneScape player.
"I really pray that he gets better. We've got to stay positive for his sake.''
A summary of an article from an australian newspaper
Link (http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22073926-5008620,00.html)