Is a single woman staying home to play video games a cause for intervention? I don't think so. A new program on BBC 2 called Am I Normal?, aired this week on BBC 2 with the topic of addiction. Tanya Byron is the presenter and she talked to people who suffer from various addictions.
One of the people Dr. Byron talked with was Michelle Hart to see if she should indeed be labeled an addict for her playing of the World of Warcraft computer game. Apparently Ms. Hart REALLY likes the game and she plays sometimes for twelve hours at a time.
No conclusion was given as to whether Ms. Hart required rehab, but I think World of Warcraft is being taken out of context. For folks who have not played World of Warcraft, the thing is...you play with other people! That is what is so engaging. Other people play with you and you can talk to them over headsets or through texting in the game.
World of Warcraft is totally engaging. I don't hear anyone complaining that someone was so engrossed by a book that they stayed up all night just to finish it. No one is calling for rehab for the people who bought the last Harry Potter book at midnight and started reading right away, even into the...gasp...next day.
Is it wrong for a single woman to choose a computer game over going for drinks with her friends? In the program the game is being compared negatively because Michelle seems to sometimes choose to play the game rather than go for drinks with people. Well the problem with that analysis is that she is still with people when she plays online. People play in groups, they form friendships.
Dr. Byron is not concerned with Ms. Hart's behavior, but other people in the program are. I think that they just don't like the idea of a woman comfortable in isolation. There is such a negative stereotype of the lonely single woman, the Bridget Jones who is just pining away waiting for Mr. Darcy to walk in and take her away. People get concerned when single women aren't actively pursuing...well...men.
I am glad for Ms. Hart. I hope she enjoys being immersed in the World of Warcraft. Eventually it will wear off, it always does, but I am sure she will gain some good friends from the experience.
